Elbow
Last night I went to see Elbow play at the Colston Hall. Jenn has already blogged about how awesome the gig was and frankly there isn’t really any point in me talking about it, as she has already done so more eloquently than I could possibly hope.
But… there are a few things that she didn’t mention about the gig, which I have to talk about here besides how amazing the whole thing was.
Firstly, I have never been to a gig where everyone was so polite. Normally at gigs, being short in stature, I spend my time trying to stare between the shoulders of taller people whilst bracing myself for the incoming barrage of elbows into my torso as people shove past me. Well not this time. There was room to move around in the crowd, I could see the stage and the band as no one felt compelled to push as far forward as they could and everyone who was moving through the crowd actually said “Excuse me”.
Weirder still, was the fact that between some songs the crowd was silent. Not just quiet, but silent, as if we were all at there between movements at a classical concert. Guy the lead singer was just as surprised as me. We were all there just waiting, rapt… (I was reminded of the green alien thingies in the machine in Toy Story in fact).
Guy (I feel like I know him now) talked to the crowd, was funny and came across as a genuinely nice bloke.
And finally, the band. They played perfectly and this combined with the fact that we were stood slap bang in the middle of a proper concert hall, roughly where row K would have been if the seats were there, a little way back from the stage just meant everything sounded incredible. Studio quality, as if it was the album, but played beautifully and live, just for us.
The perfect gig? I always maintain that the next one is the best one, but whoever that turns out to be, has got some big shoes to fill.
Elbow, Bristol, 9th April
9½/10
Ah, but at least you *actually* wrote about the gig…I just banged on about how much I love Elbow :)
There was even a moment when the guy just in front of you moved his girlfriend out of your way. I’ve never known anything like it!
Another point – I was about the youngest person in there by several years. It felt most peculiar.
I forgot to add too – given that the whole thing was in an enormous concert hall, it felt like we were in a small, imtimate venue. Brilliant.
The Bristol Evening Post liked them too and they’ve gone straight to the top of my Glasto hitlist for a couple of months time…
Rob, its interesting that you mention the in between silences. At some gigs that could be considered a lack of atmosphere, but on this occasion I think it was just right. It reminded me of a Neil Young concert I’ve seen on BBC Four, where the audience is gripped by everything he has to say and do.
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It must have been quite disconcerting to the band, but surely that’s how the crowd has reacted at other venues too?
I don’t know. Guy, if you’re reading, let me know please.
I was at Glasgow ABC and from where I was stood right of stage not far from front. There was the similar atmosphere you talk of.
The crowd were not completely silent, in that there were wolf whistles at ironic lyrics, applauses at high spots in songs, and appropriate interaction, but we hung on every word and note and I was not aware of any rudeness and idiots…even a couple of young lads who had obviously drunk a bit too much before, were apologising politely to low key friendly security, just as the gig began.
It was the first gig of the tour and Elbow were so tight and focussed, but not too nervous to make eye contact with the crowd.
and most of the audience knew the new material and responded really positively.
Definitely high on my list of best Elbow gigs, I only hope there is as good an aura at Brixton when I go as there were some idiots there in 2005 and it rubs off… as sometimes at that last gig of that leg of the tour in 2005 it was apparent that it was Elbow by numbers coming from the stage.
So am in high anticipation that Brixton 2008 is even better than the best Brixton gig they ever did which was in 2004!
@ Frances, thanks for looking in and commenting :)