Elbow • October 10, 2025 • The Union Events Center
Reviewed and Photographed by Kevin Rolfe
There’s something quietly monumental about seeing Elbow perform live. The Manchester band, fronted by the endlessly charismatic Guy Garvey, has always occupied a singular space in Alternative Music. Accessible, grand yet intimate, able to make a thousand-person room feel like your own living room. When they brought their 2025 North American tour to The Union Event Center in Salt Lake City, that rare magic was fully on display. What unfolded wasn’t just a concert, but a heartfelt communion between band and audience — equal parts celebration, reflection, and collective release.
We here in Utah have been waiting for quite some time for Elbow to return to us. The band said they thought it had been eight years since they had been to Utah. But from what we could find, it looks like it’s been more than fifteen years! It was so good to have them back. I’ve watched many videos of them performing in front of huge crowds overseas. For us at The Union, the concert was more of an intimate affair. But Elbow made it feel like a festival atmosphere.
The sound was excellent. Layers of guitar shimmered over pulsing basslines, drums snapped with clarity, and Garvey’s unmistakable baritone rang out rich and resonant. From the first chorus, it was clear this wasn’t a band going through the motions. Every note felt deliberate, every lyric delivered with conviction.
Few frontmen connect with a crowd the way Guy Garvey does. He has the demeanor of a charming neighbor who just happens to front one of Britain’s most respected bands. Between songs, he swapped stories, cracked self-effacing jokes, and spoke with the easy familiarity of an old friend. He had a casual exchange with a fan named Ryan. He asked him about his job and so forth. It was as if they met on the street and started a conversation. Instead, one was on stage and the other was surrounded by hundreds of people.
Another discussion was the philosophies of Plato and Aristotle. He followed that discourse, sharing that he knew one thing for sure. That “we are all here tonight. I know that there are 726 souls here tonight.” As the band began “My Sad Captains”. It was always a great interaction between band and fans.
Garvey’s warmth carried through every song. “Mirrorball” shimmered like starlight, the audience hushed as Garvey’s voice floated through the hall. “The Bones of You” unfurled in waves of rhythm and melody, drummer Alex Reeves driving the beat as keyboards and guitar built to an aching crescendo. The Union’s acoustics gave the music room to breathe — the kind of mix where you could feel each instrument without losing the whole.
Much of the night drew from Audio Vertigo, a record that finds Elbow leaning into groove and texture more than ever before. “Things I’ve Been Telling Myself for Years” opened the entire set with a rhythmic and pulsing beat, while “Her to the Earth” shimmered with melancholy beauty. Even for fans who came primarily for the older material, the new songs held their own, sounding vibrant and fully alive in the live setting.
Elbow’s musicianship has always been about balance — emotional weight without excess, atmosphere without indulgence. Guitarist Mark Potter added delicate flourishes, while Craig Potter’s keys provided the lush sonic backbone that defines so much of the band’s sound. Bassist Pete Turner kept the low end warm and fluid, anchoring the more exploratory moments with understated precision.
Garvey, meanwhile, was in magnificent voice all night. His delivery, equal parts soul and poetry, made even the quietest moments feel monumental. During “Station Approach,” the audience listened in near silence, completely absorbed.
Of course, Elbow knew exactly how to give their fans what they came for. The second half of the set leaned into familiar favorites: “Grounds for Divorce” stomped with bluesy swagger, earning one of the loudest ovations of the night. “Lippy Kids” was pure ache and nostalgia, Garvey’s voice trembling slightly on the final line — a reminder that even after all these years, he still feels every word he sings.
But it was “One Day Like This,” as always, that brought the evening to its emotional peak. The opening strings drew a cheer before the first lyric even arrived, and by the time the refrain of “Throw those curtains wide” hit, the entire crowd had become a choir. Garvey split the audience in two to sing different parts leading into the song. As we brought the parts together, the sound rang through The Union and set the tone for the final song of the night. Arms swayed, strangers hugged, and for those few minutes, the world outside seemed to dissolve.
Garvey let the audience take the final chorus, smiling as he conducted the room with open hands. It was a moment of pure communion — the kind of shared joy that great concerts are built on. Guy Garvey then encouraged the audience to harmonize. Judging by the band’s faces, it was much to their surprise just how well a Salt Lake City Audience knows how to harmonize. They hit their parts spot on, and it, in fact, did sound like a trained choir joining the band. It was an amazing moment, and I loved the look on their faces.
One of my favorite moments of the entire show wasn’t even a song. It’s something I hope catches on, and more bands do. Before Elbow left for their encore, they asked the audience to think of a song they’d want to sing. Some threw out Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline”, another threw out “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen. The audience settled on “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong and “Yellow Submarine” by The Beatles, respectively. Garvey then told the audience that if they really wanted Elbow to return, they’d have to sing those songs while they were off stage. Sure enough, those songs were sung, and Elbow did return. I enjoyed that and hope it becomes a thing.
What’s most impressive about Elbow in 2025 is how alive they still sound. Many bands their age lean on nostalgia, but Elbow’s performances feel vital and evolving. They’re comfortable in their legacy yet still curious — exploring rhythm, embracing playfulness, and finding new shades of color within their sound. Audio Vertigo may be their latest work, but it feels less like a chapter’s end and more like a fresh beginning. They absolutely must return to us. And hopefully it won’t take quite as long. We love Elbow in Utah and need another tour stop soon.