Elbow open Live at Museum Gardens series, York – review

Having hosted York Mystery Plays and York Proms over the decades, last year witnessed the welcome relaunch of live music in York Museum Gardens.

On Thursday, with the beautiful St Mary’s Abbey in the background, Elbow were welcomed by a sold out 4,000 crowd on a beautiful summer’s evening.

Support acts Eliza Carthy and Billie Marten were well received by the growing audience as expectation built for the main act.

Futuresound’s planning of this event was just right. The Leeds-based promoters having booked an excellent line-up in this beautiful setting with sound logistics and created a rustic-style refreshment area with a non-corporate and laidback mini-festival feel. This nicely set the scene for Elbow to take the stage.

Elbow lead singer Guy Garvey live at Museum Gardens, York (Image: Gareth John) Having formed 34 years ago, the bonds, roots and the friendships of Elbow go deep. And Thursday’s performance and setlist were a celebration of this journey.

The band opened with the beautiful Starlings from their most commercially successful album, The Seldon Seen Kid.

This was followed by Lovers’ Leap from their latest album, Audio Vertigo – a recording released earlier this year and bursting with beautiful, accessible and hugely relevant material.

The set celebrated the new album with the inclusion of tracks such as the danceable Adriana Again, the gorgeous Balu, the heavy Good Blood Mexico City, and the rolling Sober – the latter having prompted fun audience participation.

The crowd for Elbow live at Museum Gardens, York (Image: Gareth John) Elbow are well-known for songs of yearning and lament blended with warmth, humour and storytelling.

Lead singer Guy Garvey told the York crowd of songs about a secret marriage on a Bury to Manchester bus journey, the loss of a dear friend, the challenge of absence and Covid, and of reflections on coming home.

Garvey was warm, understated, and benevolent throughout.

Elbow live at Museum Gardens, York (Image: Gareth John) He waved and smiled as his textured vocal delighted the audience with exquisite classics such as Lippy Kids and Grounds for Divorce – sitting alongside the more gnarly offerings from their latest release.

Garvey spoke of his love for the city of York and the glorious day he’d had and thanked and complimented his band, the core members accompanied in York by an additional five-piece comprised of vocalists, strings, and horns.

This was an evening of warmth, heartbreak and happiness as the band and audience navigated together through a 20-song set filled espousing hope, hurt and humility throughout.

The evening closed with Elbow’s signature tune, the wonderful and celebratory One Day Like This – a song which closed the concert perfectly. A perfect evening was had by all.