Guy Garvey + Steve Mason @ o2 Academy,3rd December 2015

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Kinda breezy as we make our way to the 02 Academy tonight to be entertained by ‘one of the nicest men’ in the music biz. He’s on his ‘own’ tonight having ‘left’ his band compatriots to go on a journey of his own. He’s still very much a part of Elbow, but tonight Guy Garvey is out with his own offering ‘Courting the Squall.’

Support comes from Steve Mason, man with guitar and with a voice that Garvey has huge respect for.  One time member of Beta Band and Black Affair, in 2013 Mason released ‘Monkey Minds in the Devil’s Time.

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The album covers topics as diverse as his recent struggles with depression and loneliness, the suicide of David Kelly (former weapons inspector in Iraq) and the London riots. The Independent called it “his most rewarding release since the Beta Band”. He’s a haunting voice and deep introspective songs and he’s working on a new album out around February 2016.

And so to the main man. Guy Garvey. On his own. Kinda. He has a full band of brothers (and sisters) in tow.  At 9.15 lights go down, a blue lit set and plink plink plink of chiming bells comes out of speakers…. ‘Three Bells.’

It’s rather haunting and is completed with a cheer from the crowd and he raises his pint in acknowledgment. “Good evening everyone. Everyone okay?”

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Next up ‘Angela’s Eyes’ with a funky beat, kinda calypso style

“Magic. Thank you for coming in this miserable weather – lovely to see you all…” he chats away as is usual with the hugely affable Garvey.  He’s hot – he needs cooling down. A punter suggests he  take his top off, which is met with a quick-witted response of…. er…maybe not.  He introduces his eclectic band mates for tonight, each with a nick-name to shout out. Arranged in s similar fashion to Elbow gigs, it’s like a jamming session we’re invited too, the drummer to the side of the stage, the rest of the band circled around him.

Next up is the “Title of the album you already own in every format – and if you don’t there’s vinyl at the back of the room…” ‘Courting the Squall’ is beautifully floating – close your eyes we’re floating over luscious long green grass, on a summers day, the breeze wafting the blades….

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Garvey grins, chatting away. He claims he’s had a little more whisky than he should have done – so he’s gonna have some fun. “Hello there?” to a question of if any of the audience members have never been to an Elbow gig. Just about three people raise their hands. Tonight is like “An Audience With…” Garvey, chatting away, a comedian in his own right, with musical interludes.

So he spent some time in New York. And he came back. Wrote some songs about it. And now to the rolling ‘Unwind’, bare track with bass and drum beat and Garvey’s vocals….we roll from side to side. He now has a mini mobile keyboard instrument which you need to breath into to play it – he’s been mocked for it. In many countries. And London. (That’s a country isn’t it?) and it’s the mesmerising ‘Juggernaut.’

Next song about sex and Catholicism. As you do. He’s not massively into religion, he’s a pluralist, strive for common good and believe in different things. And his mutterings take us into Martin Luther King – and political cul-de-sac – he know’s he’s got to reverse out of.  So back to the song, about what what him and Prince do so well, he quips –  a song about sex. ‘Yesterday.’

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And so he reckons he’s a geek. He wanted to go and see the new library in Birmingham. And he got caught by ‘Gerry’, ‘Gerry’ being the German market. He thinks it’s great. He didn’t see the library.  But the market reminded him of being in Berlin, very authentic – you can smoke and drink at the same time…..

And more geek. Transatlantic telephone cable. Right. We should visit the Avenue of Americas. And go to the lobby of the building was. That’s where the cable was. With a broken heart (well his not the cables) and finally to the song ‘Electricity’ all mellow and jazzy.

Tonight is a listening gig. One to soak up and chill out to. Close your eyes and listen to the voice and harmonies and the comedy. Punters are enthralled – sapping it up.

And now a couple of songs from band member, Peter Jobson, playing his own songs tonight. He writes song relates to everyone on the planet : ‘Just cos I’m Dead’ followed by a short rude one ‘Holiday’!

Garvey’s never done hard graft – he was a milk boy (once). Houses have as much character as people he thinks and an inspiration – cos this song is about a house: ‘Belly of the Whale.’ A single from his album and the mesmerised crowd start clapping.

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‘Broken Bottle and Chandeliers’ is the last song. Crowd politely boos. “How quickly they turn?” he quips. Another song about heartbreak.  And he get’s us clicking our fingers… a soft approach before it cranks up louder, kinda gospel. Garvey takes a bow. Cheers.

And now for the encore. Cover version of The Ink-Spots track ‘I Don’t Want To Set The World On Fire’ gives the guitarist joined by Jobson (on guitar) with Garvey (on air guitar) as a trio at the front of the stage, on a comedy and rather fun rendition of the track.  “We’ve only one encore and we’ve only one album and what would you like to hear? Angela’s Eyes. Oh that’s good…” and we get a second take on the track for this evening.

Garvey is engaging and funny, his voice is meting and he is really quite mesmerising. I suspect that the audience would have like heard more Elbow tonight, but that wasn’t what this was about. Garvey is out and about with something to say in his own right, and he’s enjoying doing it. Always a luxury to see the fronts person of a big band on their own, doing their own thing in what for Garvey would be an intimate venue. If you like Elbow – you’ll like ‘Courting the Squall.’ As Garvey said it’s out now from all available outlets…..

 

Setlist:

Three Bells

Angela’s Eyes

Courting the Squall

Harder Edges

Unwind

Juggernaut

Yesterday

Electricity

Peter’s Songs (Just cos I’m Dead / Holiday)

Belly of the Whale

Broken Bottle and Chandeliers

Encore:

‘I Don’t Want To Set The World On Fire’

Angela’s eyes

 

Pictures by Ken Harrison

Review by Zyllah Moranne-Brown

 

 

 

 

 

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