Concert: Elbow

I first heard Elbow playing support to U2 in Wembley in 2009. It was a hot day, I was in the bowels of the stadium buying a drink, and the place shook with the force of what they were playing. I was duly impressed. So I was delighted to see they were playing the Hammersmith Apollo for three days this week, starting last Tuesday.

Thing is, they were completely sold out. I found tickets on Viagogo, but you might remember I had trouble getting tickets posted to me from them before. They promise on the website to use couriers, but in practice they use Royal Mail - and if Royal Mail use guaranteed delivery, they require a signature. So I'd have had to get it delivered to work, and it's taken to a central mail office, and who knows whether I'd get it in time. In short, postage was not an option. But then I saw they had tickets available to pick up for last night!

They don't tell you the pickup location until you've booked - rather sneakily, in my opinion. But I said I'd risk it - I do like Elbow. So I booked. And the email came through - and it turned out I had to go to Soho! O well. Unfortunately, since I was going to Guildford today, I had to run home with my laptop first. So. Home with laptop and Tube to Piccadilly Circus. Unscheduled stops on the Tube, as usual, and an ex-TFL worker predicting to his companion how long their journey would take, how long we'd be stopped at various places, and how trains are always, always held at Hyde Park Corner to "even out the gaps in the service".

We made it to Piccadilly Circus eventually. I had the vaguest of ideas where to go - I decided just to pick an exit and try at surface level. Really, Piccadilly Circus station is even more confusing than negotiating the streets above, if you don't know where you're going. At surface level, you do at least have landmarks. So, I surfaced, and looked around in confusion. I turned right around, and caught sight of a junction I thought I recognised from Streetview - and thank goodness for that, I'd have been utterly confused if I'd just had a map to read. Pictures are always better!

So, I crossed to that junction and followed the path from Streetview, turning right at the top onto Beak Street. I scurried along to no. 77, where Mail Boxes Etc. has an office, and the notice on the door that said they closed at 6.30 gave me pause. My confirmation said I had until 7, and it was now 5 to. But someone had just gone in and was at the counter, and when I pushed the door, it opened. So in I went, and queued behind the other gent. When it was my turn, I showed my ID - happened to be my passport, that was the easiest, but the assistant went "ooh!". He produced the ticket for me to check, and gave me a tablet to sign - interestingly, and messily, with my finger rather than a stylus. But I had my ticket!

I proceeded to retrace my steps to Piccadilly Circus, and took the Tube all the way to Hammersmith, now. Frankly, by the time I got off, I was exhausted. I got slightly lost in Hammersmith Broadway, then made my way across the road and into the venue. While I was in the toilet, the support act - Laura Groves - started up. I had made it to my seat by the end of the first song - it was nice that it was on the aisle:

Her music is sweet and melodic, but sadly she didn't get much attention from the crowd for the start of her set. By the end of it, more people had arrived, and she got more return from dropping mentions of "Elbow" into her sentences.

I say it was good to be on the aisle - and it was, for the view. Also, the row curves, so there were slightly more seats in my row than the one in front, and my seat was not obscured by the end seat of that row. The downside of being on the end was that that seemed to be the row that everyone stumbled at - probably because it was also where the railing ended. With most of them carrying beer, I had some anxious moments. Luckily, although there were a couple of accidents, none landed on me.

Elbow started at about 8.45. Again, a melodic set, with very few songs I recognised. Thing about them is, they have some songs that are absolute showstoppers - the rest I can take or leave. Of this whole set, I knew two songs, and they were worth the price of admission: One Day Like This, and Grounds for Divorce. Legendary. But after they played Grounds for Divorce in the encore, I'd heard enough, and I left.

Guildford today, so I'll be too wrecked to do much tonight. Back to Ireland for the weekend. For Monday, with lots of things completely booked out, it's looking like a film.. but for which one, watch this space!