What it’s like being at a live music event after Covid – my review of Elbow at the Brighton Centre

But for more than a year, live music gigs, theatre shows, crowds at sporting events and more became completely impossible – even just the thought of being around so many people who could spread a potentially deadly disease to you was a little bit terrifying. But, with the successful rollout of the vaccine programme, and Covid rates staying reasonably stable, large-scale events have been able to restart over the past couple of months. I’d been due to go and see Elbow perform at the Brighton Centre last year, but like so many things, it was postponed due to the pandemic. The rescheduled date was last Saturday, and so full of excitement (and a little bit of trepidation) my dad and I headed back into the world of concerts. You had to have a Covid passport or a negative test to be allowed into the venue, and mask-wearing was advised when moving round the building (although, like most places I’m finding now, not many people were actually wearing them leading to both of us feeling a bit like planks, if I’m honest!). I’d worried I’d feel worried the whole time I was there (oh the irony!), but actually, once the music started and you could begin to see people having a fab time, Covid was pushed to the back of my mind. The fact Elbow were amazing helped. Guy Garvey’s voice is so good, I spent the first couple of songs wondering if he was miming. He literally sounded recording studio perfect. What a voice! Tracks like Magnificent, Grounds for Divorce and Mirrorball were definitely crowd-pleasers. But it was their last song of the night, their biggest hit to date One Day Like This, that really said it all. An upbeat, atmospheric, hopeful song which captured the mood of the moment. Sure, it’s been a really, really tough 18 months but, hopefully, possibly things are looking up. And instead of feeling scared, being part of a crowd, interacting as one big, happy family, left me feeling joyful. ‘So throw those curtains wide, one day like this a year would see me right’ – couldn’t have said it better myself, Guy.