When The Lovely Guy TM is in town you have to mind your manners.
“When is it polite to start asking for requests?” yelled Bruce as the stirring finale to Loneliness Of A Tower Crane Driver faded away.
“I like the cut of your jib,” replied The Lovely Guy TM.
“Switching Off,” came a shout from a few yards behind Bruce and Fran.
“Aye, that’s the one,” replied Bruce.
“Now this song is about the theory that when you’re on your death bed you get to choose the memory you take with you…” began The Lovely Guy TM by way of explanation.
‘Marvellous,’ thought Bruce.
At the Pies – Crows game at the MCG on Saturday, Bruce, Fran, Mr and Mrs Bruce Snr and various assorted loons were sat a few rows back from a young man who spent the game tearing a plastic bag into very thin strips while rocking back and forth violently in his seat. He was clearly enjoying himself and full credit to his pops for bringing him along to the game. Bruce became that man (minus the plastic bag) as Switching Off played out; amazing the power of music.
As for the rest of the show, well:
- It pays to know there are two stages at the Corner. Bruce and Fran were quietly delighted that, despite staying upstairs drinking until just prior to the support act finishing, there was plenty of room at the front of the stage. They were also delighted that they were going to watch one of their favourite bands squeeze onto such a tiny stage (three of them are rather portly). Then they realised there was another bigger stage and people were already packed in around it. (Fran used her midget skills to get them to the front however – huzzah!)
- Elbow are stupendously good in a live setting; credit in particular to Mark Potter and his collection of guitars for his mood setting, like a one man feng shui workout. Highlights (other than the obvious): a mighty Grounds For Divorce, a neck hair-raising Tower Crane Driver, a pounding Leaders Of The Free World, a tear-jerking nod to the lads in Weather To Fly (or Weather With You as a drunk Bruce insisted on calling it with their manager post show – bloody Finns) and a welcome (and unexpected) Station Approach (Fran cried in anticipation of “I haven’t seen my mum for weeks” – yes, in anticipation of it…). Oh, and the first ever Elbow anthem One Day Like This, obviously. No place for Fugitive Motel or Grace Under Pressure, mind you.
- Aussie crowds are a particularly reticent bunch. Despite an acknowledgement that Melbourne is the band’s favourite Aussie city (“You’re just like: ‘Of course’, aren’t you,” said The Lovely Guy TM) there was barely a shuffle on the floor other than the odd exception. They got down to !!! last year and give it some welly at festivals, but elsewhere – come on, chaps, show some love.
- Steve Coogan is, as has been said and written many times before, a nobsack, demanding a personal audience with the band after the show.
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