Elbow at the Royal Albert Hall

It’s now almost two decades since The Seldom Seen Kid catapulted Elbow from being acclaimed by contemporaries and critics to national stardom.

At times in the late 2000s, it felt like the government had passed a law that meant every weepy documentary had to feature their anthemic hit, One Day Like This.

Despite its ubiquity, few begrudged frontman Guy Garvey and his band their success, as he is one of rock’s good guys. A humble, disarmingly miserablist Lancastrian who comes alive when making or discussing music – he and the group are a perfect booking for the opening night of the Robert Smith-curated Teenage Cancer Trust series of concerts at The Albert Hall.

After a soulful support by MRCY and moving messages from those helped by the charity, Garvey opens with the relatively new Things I’ve Been Telling Myself For Years, before taking us back to The Seldom Seen Kid with The Bones of You. Predictably, it’s when the crowd begins to engage in a singalong. Mirrorball then features, aptly, a glittering disco ball that turns the venue into a shimmering sea of swaying nostalgia.

Garvey, brothers Craig and Mark Potter, Pete Turner, and Alex Reeves roll through a set that is satisfactorily deep. One of the joys of Elbow is that they’ve always been a very coherent band. Songs flow into one another on a theme, largely that of the tender side of male emotion.

Lippy Kids is catchily elegiac, though its lyrics – defending working-class youthful adventure – hit rather differently given the occasion. The melancholy reminiscence of My Sad Captains follows, but it’s Grounds for Divorce, with which Elbow close their main set, that really lifts the roof off.  One Day Like This might be better known, but Grounds for Divorce is arguably Elbow’s best track. It’s rockier than most of their fare and perfect for it – a group that is all craft temporarily unleashed.

The encore closes, predictably, with One Day Like This. Rather than go through the motions and play a song even Elbow probably tired of hearing before some in attendance were even born, they turn it into an event. The audience is encouraged to harmonise and join in on backing vocals. It’s a life-affirming moment that reminds one of the power of music.

It also serves as a reminder that some tracks become ubiquitous for a reason – as it’s the poppiest distillation of Elbow’s brilliance – and a perfect ending to a night that’s emotional for all the right reasons.

Mark Worgan
Photos: John Stead

For further information and future events, visit Elbow’s website here.

Watch the video for Grounds for Divorce here: