Elbow
SECC, Glasgow
15/03/2011

“We were really nervous about tonight,” says Guy Garvey mid-way through the first night of Elbow’s first arena tour. “There are fucking thousands of you!” With fifth album ‘Build A Rocket, Boys!’ currently at number two, Elbow are officially big, and finding themselves in Britain’s larger sheds is bound to be daunting, but they needn’t have worried. Despite the size of the venue, they take care to make the crowd feel like they’re truly part of something (including a standing ovation for the guy in the seat furthest from the stage), and manage the nigh on impossible task of creating an intimate atmosphere.

Musically, tonight is a masterclass. ‘Lippy Kids’, a meaty ‘Neat Little Rows’ and the gorgeous feather-light strings on ‘Great Expectations’ provide the highlights, with outstanding work from pianist Craig Potter in particular (‘Mirrorball’s’ circling piano is faultless). And they more than fill the space now at their disposal: the dizzying splendour of ‘The Loneliness Of A Tower Crane Driver’ unfolds across every last inch of the venue, and the ending is absolutely heart-stopping. Garvey is clearly in his element, striding along a walkway into the crowd and conducting the sing-alongs, and while his banter is at times uncharacteristically cheesy (his closing speech about being proud to be yourself is particularly cringeworthy), it’s easy to forgive him for getting carried away: his new-found status as indie legend must still be sinking in.

It’s surprising and disappointing that the band play absolutely nothing from their first two albums, though, with only three rather oddly-chosen tracks from ‘Leaders of the Free World’ aired tonight. The setlist feels like it has been created for their newer fans, but again that’s almost understandable. While a more balanced set would have made tonight perfect, Elbow can’t really be blamed for celebrating where they are now. 

Heather Crumley