Gig review: Elbow at Doncaster Dome

To me, Guy Garvey is the grafter, the influencer, the believer in the powers of persistence, the dreamer of dreams and the boy done good.

I’ve charted Elbow’s history and been a fan for many a year even pre-Mercury Prize and Ivor Novello award triumphs, so watching their steady rise to fame and glory has been a blessing for a band who’ve worked very hard. So much of a blessing that one hopes that the music start outs and the young musicians and the youth talents look up to the band and appreciated their sheer determination and learn that a TV show isn’t only the way that fame and stardom works.

It’s this ideology that grates the sheer life out of me that somehow just because you have over 10,000 Facebook likes you’re a success or because your YouTube video was shown on the ‘When sharks go bad’ TV show you’ve made it in the industry. I’d much rather watch a talented singer-songwriter play to 20 people than a talentless sort fill a room of a thousand.

UElbow’s set list is a mixture of old and new, more a mini festival set list than a new album gig run.

Opening with the willowing Gentle Storm, Garvey’s mellow tones power through a legion of easy listening and sumptuous tracks including Fly Boy Blue, Mirrorball, top new album tracks Little Fictions and Magnificent and classics The Birds and One Day Like This.

Encoring with Lippy Kids and Grounds for Divorce, Elbow encrusted Doncaster with a smattering of melodic class. When asked if they were playing Glastonbury, Garvey remained tight lipped so perhaps it’s a ‘watch this space’ before they head off to the USA to win many more fans.

Elbow’s new album, Little Fiction, is out now.