One of my favourite bands almost slipped through town without my knowledge.
I’ve been waiting FIVE years to see Elbow play in Vancouver. With only a brief 30-minute opening slot at the Commodore in support of Grandaddy in 2003 (a show I opted out on at the time, assuming they’d hit the road on their own soon after), a headlining gig was long overdue.
But, when an amazing band like Elbow, who hasn’t seen much commercial success, even with vast critical acclaim and endorsements from major artists like REM and U2, comes to town, how is one supposed to even know? If it wasn’t for my quick glimpse to a telephone pole on my way home from work and my utter astonishment and surprise (I actually gasped aloud) when I saw they were playing here – I would have missed the show and likely never even known I had.
Thankfully, I did see the poster, and I am beyond happy to report, I have now seen Elbow live, and let me tell you, it was well worth the wait!
Whoever chose St Andrews Wesley Church as the venue is my new hero. I cannot imagine a better setting for Elbow’s emotive, atmospheric brand of brit-rock. The rich sounds of the 5-piece combo with the addition of two violinists throughout the set, and the soothing vocals of lead-singer Guy Carvey seemed a natural fit for the dimly lit cathedral and was the closest I’ve come to a religious experience.
From the politically-charged lyrics of Leaders of the Free World (“the leaders of the free world are just little boys throwing stones”) to the tales of unrequited love in Great Expectations, (“you were the sun in my Sunday morning”) a song, Carvey explained as when he “got married to the first women he ever loved…on a bus….but she didn’t know about it,” each song ended with such power and fullness that it seemed like a grand finale of sorts.
Between the healthy mix of older songs and new tracks off their latest album, “The Seldom Seen Kid,” released April 22nd, Carvey warmed the crowd up with his story-telling of his childhood days as an altar boy with drummer Richard Jupp (“we wore dresses for Jesus”) and chatted with various members of the audience. And the audience ate it up. When they weren’t bursting into standing ovations or laughing hysterically at Carvey’s rambling stories and witty remarks, the crowd was on the edge of their pews, silent in anticipation between songs.
It was one of those shows that leave you wanting more. My back was sore from the wooden pew and my ears were throbbing from the speaker right beside me, but it didn’t matter this time – I could have stayed another two hours just as happily.
The thing about Elbow, is that they just aren’t your normal rock band. There’s no pretension, ego or attitude, just music. They are just a bunch of blokes from Manchester who love doing what they do. Simple as that.