From the moment Elbow walked on stage at the Lloyds Amphitheatre in Bristol Harbourside, they had the huge crowd eating out of their hands. After three years away from Bristol, the Mancunian band clearly wanted to make up for lost time and they were genuinely pleased to see their fans again.
Under grey skies and drizzle on a blustery Friday night on the waterfront, Elbow indulged their loyal fans with 90 minutes of magnificent music that lifted the spirits and tugged on heartstrings. Grey-haired and bearded, burly frontman Guy Garvey is still the unstarriest of pop stars but he has that rare knack of getting massive crowds to sing with him as soon as he appears on stage.
With his grey short-sleeved shirt and saggy jeans, Garvey may dress like most middle-aged dads popping to the corner shop for a pint of milk, but he is a commanding presence on stage and a sensitive soul. After the second song, Fly Boy Blue/Lunette, he spotted a seagull swoop across the sea of faces in front of him and warned fans to keep an eye on their chips.
