Mercury Award-winning band Elbow are preparing to play a special gig in the crypt of St Paul’s Cathedral.Taking place in the middle of their world and British tour, the location is the perfect place for the fivesome to belt out their haunting melodies
The Mancunian group, which comprises singer Guy Garvey, bassist Pete Turner, guitarist Mark Potter, organist Craig Potter and drummer Richard Jupp, have shot to fame in recent years, despite first forming back in 1991.
Elbow have won a Brit Award, an Ivor Novello award and a Mercury Music Prize gong in the past two years and seen their new album Build a Rocket Boys! shoot straight to number two in the UK album charts.
Their concert in St Paul’s will be broadcast on Absolute Radio on June 5th and can also be seen online on the station’s website. Alternatively, fans of the band can log on and find out how to win tickets to be at the gig.
Elbow have cited a number of influences on their music, including Genisis, Talk Talk and Radiohead. Guy Garvey has said: “I grew up listening to every Genesis record. I learned to write harmonies by listening to Peter Gabriel.”
He also claimed: “There would be no Elbow without Radiohead.”
He credits the band’s sense of dynamics to the influence of 80s group Talk Talk, stating: “Volume dynamics are an essential part of classical music, but a lost art with guitar music.
“I think it’s incredibly boring and shortsighted if a band sticks with just one sound song for song. An album should take people on a journey.”