Review: Elbow at Birmingham NIA

Ah Elbow, whose melodic northern loveliness makes all well with the world.

But, without the rolling clouds, fuzzy heads and chilled out festival vibe, does it all still work? Basically, are they worth dragging yourself out of the house for on a freezing cold Wednesday night in Birmingham?

Well yes, of course they are. You fool.

Guy and his guys make everything better. Going to an Elbow gig is like two hours in therapy, the audience leaves buoyed, calm and with a general feeling that everything's going to be alright.

Garvey sings about love, grief and all that good stuff in a voice so thick and rich you can almost wrap yourself in it. Plus he's a brilliant frontman, a bit like your favourite drinking buddy down the pub - he's seen and done it all and re-lives his war wounds with humour, wit and warmth.

Storming songs like Grounds For Divorce and Open Arms got the audience going last night, while tracks like Starlings and Loneliness Of Tower Crane Driver were beautiful and bittersweet enough to bring a tear to even the most Scrooge-iest of characters. New track Charge, about "a bar full of young people", also had many a 40-something bloke nodding along in approval.

The set was simple and the audience made up of all-round good eggs, the sort who arrive on time and always apologise if they spill your pint. One lucky youngster Catherine was even singled out and brought up on stage with Guy, much to the delight and much ahhh-ing of the happy crowd.

Of course, it was modern day classic One Day Like This that closed the show, a song so feel-good it should be prescribed on the NHS. And with that, they were gone, back to Manchester to record a new album and get ready for next year's festival season. See you on a Sunday...

By Elizabeth Joyce