Elbow - Reading Festival 2011 review

'An intimately personal style of festival show, even on the largest of stages'

Chris Swindells - 28 August 2011

Opening with 'The Birds' the Mancunian band have developed a intimately personal style of festival show, even on the largest of stages.

'The Bones Of You' proves that in type as Garvey flits between sweet melodies and audience encouragement like a seasoned stage star.

Every moment of their latest 'Build A Rocket Boys!' carries all the grace and emotionally embellished weight of their 2008 Mercury Prize winning 'Seldom Seen Kid'.

Bass man Pete Turner celebrated his birthday with an ad-hoc birthday sing-a-long, which is hurriedly sidetracked into foot-stomping classic 'Grounds For Divorce'.

Fans of Family Guy would approve of the pair of wacky inflatable arm waving tube men which set off on stage seem gimmicky after a set full of honest home-grown passion and love.

Guy Garvey still takes it back to it's innocent roots, joking "Look at these two drunks," he let's rip on closer 'One Day Like Today'. A fine example of why Elbow are the greatest band in the world when it comes to warming our hearts and snuggling our souls.

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