Elbow Brings Their Genuine Soul to APW
The alternative rock band Elbow hails from Manchester UK. Lead vocalist and lyricist Guy Garvey, guitarist Mark Potter, keyboardist Craig Potter, bassist Pete Turner and drummer Richard Jupp brought their unique styling to APW on Sunday after the rain had ceased and the sun began to peak through the crowds.
The crowd was small due to the circumstances (most of the festival attendees had spent the last three hours detained in a warehouse and were now trying to figure out what the heck was going on) but as the set progressed the crowd grew in its size and attentiveness.
Elbow does not sound like your ordinary band; they don't fit into any sort of niche with their large group dynamic (two back up women and some horns were added to the permanent members.) Songs like''One Day Like This' sound more like movie soundtracks, ballads, or epic stories than just simple tunes. They evoke images and reactions that a regular song would not (think The Verve's Bittersweet Symphony.)
With inspiring lyrics and Garvey's saccharine vocals, it is hard not to find yourself lost in Elbow's music. Blues songs like''Grounds For Divorce' display the band's ability to dabble in many different styles, although it is hard to stray far from familiar with such a distinct lead singer.
The back-up vocals give the songs an almost choir-like quality that is not usually popular in the festival market so in a way it is all the more welcome. Festivals are the perfect setting in which to try out and experience many different styles of music while also having the opportunity to come and go from the set as you please. Elbow emits something wholesome and pure that draws you in, and it doesn't hurt that when they speak they have lovely accents.
Manchester natives seemed to have followed the band to the festival as the crowd was dotted with several British flags. The most captivating (and also alarming) group of Brits were the drunk blokes playing in the mud. The boys wrestled, slid, and danced around in the massive puddles, singing and waving to the beats as eleven professional photographers watched and snapped along.
While on the low-key side, Elbow is a good addition to a festival, mixing up the barrage of indie-whiney-young-boy-bands with a little bit of genuine heart and soul. And although it was a beautiful time of day to be outside listening to music I wonder if they might sound even better playing in a hall with great acoustics. I can imagine them being backed by a large choir or a number of strings players and the sound really transcending from'nice' to epic.'
Either way they band was a sweet addition and a bright restart to our rain delayed day.
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