Elbow, 2008-05-08 Bimbo’s 365 Club, San Francisco, CA
Posted by: dave in concert, tags: bimbo's 365 club, elbow, uk indie
Elbow is sometimes a difficult band to see. They write great songs, and Guy Garvey has a great voice, there’s no doubt. But, their songs are often slow ballads and not necessarily the stuff you can rock out with. This makes for a difficult live show I think, trying to keep the average crowd enthusiastic when for the most part if you give anyone a chance to hear themselves talk, they’ll take it as an opportunity to do so, even if the band is still on the stage and trying to perform. I was plagued at this particular show by a really coked up bunch of people who were trying really hard to be more impressive than the band. One guy couldn’t stop moving, maybe he wasn’t coked up and maybe he had Parkinson’s, I don’t know, but he couldn’t stop talking to everyone around him in such a distracting way that I personally found it really difficult to even concentrate on the band.
I personally like the long drawn out vocals and rather lush arrangement with the music. I don’t know what most people were expecting when they went to the show honestly. They did a lot of songs from their newest album, and a handful of older songs as well. It’s nothing I can complain about, but honestly it’s nothing that would have made me say “best concert ever”. The real highlight for me was One Day Like This where Guy got the crowd involved on the chorus. I guess I’m a sucker for that sort of thing, I don’t know. Good show, not great, but maybe it was the crowd and I was tired and this isn’t the sort of show for when you’re tired.
setlist:
- Starlings
- The Bones of You
- Leaders of the Free World
- Great Expectations
- Mirrorball
- Grounds for Divorce
- Mexican Standoff
- The Loneliness Of A Tower Crane Driver
- The Stops
- Newborn
- мебелиband intro / crowd lyrics
- One Day Like This
- encore break
- Puncture Repair
- Station Approach
- Scattered Black and Whites
download the whole show as a .zip file
download the show in lossless FLAC (registration required)
Links:
Entries (RSS)
Fell upon Elbow a few years ago and was instantly impressed. I hear what you are saying about the pace of their songs but others have had a similar repetoire, with some success (Coldplay, Snow Patriol, DCFC). I wish Elbow had any success in North America. I keep pushing them on my friends but mostly to no avail! Heathens!! Thanks for the post, it’ll have to do until the show up in Montreal!
Thanks for this! Unfortunately, I missed the show. Finally spring hits SF and I’m too sick to enjoy it. Sorry about the talkers. Usually Bimbos has a more respectful crowd. I promise I wouldn’t have been talking if I’d been there. I love the new album & I can’t wait to hear your recording. Did you catch Air Traffic?
Thank you VERY much for this. As a bit of an obsessive Elbow fan it’s a real ‘find’. The version of Scattered Black and Whites is the best I’ve heard for atmosphere. Interesting comments from you on the show too. I know what you mean about people talking at gigs. Trouble is, Elbow are so dynamic in audio terms that their quiet passages are truly quiet and that’s when it can get spoiled by incessant chatter. I’ll be sharing this on my own blog - with full credit to Waves and Wires of course.
Brilliant site - thanks again.
Mike
m74ims2r2ixbuwiy
I’ve been meaning to say “THANK YOU” for this now for ages.
“THANK YOU”.
Nice work recording Elbow! I bought “Seldom Seen Kid” because of it. Thanks!
Amazing. thank you.. got some great stuff on here!