Elbow

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Leeds Festival 2003

Friday 22nd to Sunday 24th August 2003
Bramham Park, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS23 6ND, England MAP
£95 for weekend (camping included), £40 any day

Daily capacity: 55,000

Elbow are another group of miserable northern monkey's wittering on about the miserable nature of life. Errr, yes they are, but they also make some of the finest sounding music around currently. Seemingly flying just under the radar of the mainstream, you sense that here is a band that may well just explode into the space occupied by Doves for the past two years. Although not as anthemically driving as their Mancunian cousins, Elbow weave in deeper shades to their songs – with the showcasing of their new album 'Cast of Thousands' involving a more guitar driven sound than their previous LP 'Asleep in the Back'.

The addition of a brass and strings section [the presence of which seemed to surprise frontman Guy Garvey the amount of times he alluded to their presence] added a further depth that the blissed out packed crowd of the Radio 1 tent lapped up. 'Ribcage'; the first track off 'Cast of Thousands' had everyone swaying and by the time of 'Grace Under Pressure' the smile on Guy's face had become broader than the Penines.

And that was matched by the smiles on the faces and the waving hands in the air of those watching this lumbering hulk all dishevelled and beardy [this seasons seemingly essential music accessory] with a delicate voice that at time seems eerily similar to Peter Gabriel.

For those whose introduction to Elbow so far has been their cover of Destiny Child’s 'Independent Woman' – I suggest you forget the cuddly flatcap kittens that accompanied them and invest in 'Cast of Thousands'. These lads are serious about their music, and may as easily make you laugh as you cry. Expect to see these on a bigger stage next year.