The Beat Surrender

There’s a simple equation I think every music fan should do, this being, that if you like a band, make an effort to get off your ass and see them. I say this for a few reasons, but mainly because you don’t know when they’ll call it a day or implode up their own asses and all you’re left with is the cd’s, a shit t-shirt you got from the HMV sale and what could have been.

Anyway, due to the rumors that the brilliant Seldom Seen Kid could be the last album from Elbow, I’ve decided to get my ass into gear and check them out live, and although I’ve previously stated that effort should be made, for one reason or another I just haven’t got round to seeing one of my favorites bands of the last decade, and yes i’m more than ashamed and disappointed in myself for owning up to this, as I’ve made plenty of effort to see some right shit over the years.

So I’m sat in Bradford Interchange and thanks to the great service that is our public train network, I’m an hour behind schedule and unfortunately this has meant that I’ve managed to miss half the support act, which tonight is Californian duo Two Gallants. They seem to have the attention of the majority of a healthy size crowd with a lot of energy oozing from the power of the drummer during an epic I didn’t catch the name of. Poor show, I know.

Well we’re off to the bar for some light refreshments and back to the right hand side of the stage, when all of a sudden the crowd give off a warm welcome as our friends from the north enter the stage, all holding aloft a trumpet and blowing the roof off to Starlings, with Guy’s voice sounding amazing.

The second song of the night is the Bones of You, but before you get that edgy feeling that this is all about promoting the new long player, the boys roll out the guns, in what I have to say is one of the best set lists I’ve been happy to hear in many of the years, as classics such as Red, The Stops, New Born, Forget Myself and Leaders of the Free World make you wonder how this band aren’t celebrated at a larger scale. But then they wouldn’t be your secret anymore.

At one point during Great Expectations and again whilst being rewarded with Mirrorball, I wish my Mrs was with me so that Mr Garvey can sing all the lines for me that I haven’t ever got round to telling her. The sound quality in the Met tonight is just perfect and you have to take your hat off to the boys in the dark, cos they’ve earned their crust tonight.

The new tracks are generously lapped up, with latest single Grounds for Divorce showing that these boys can play as well, as the amps are cranked up a gear the crowd manage to take another anthem or two to there already large list. It’s in between each song that I’m also impressed as we’re entertained to a degree with Guy slowly introducing us to each of the band, shares a few jokes and stories, but most importantly shows he’s quite a witty kind of bloke that isn’t taking himself too seriously. Which is good.

However, what happened next wasn’t expected on my behalf (although may be I should have looked at a few of the reviews from the previous nights) as Sheffield’s finest teddy boy Mr Richard Hawley enters the stage to the joy of us all. This leads onto The Fix, which as I’ve said before sounds rather creepy, but tonight, it blows me away, just for the sheer power of Hawleys guitar strokes.

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