FrontMan photos on Flickr

The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway by Border Rovers

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The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway is the sixth studio album by the English progressive rock band Genesis. It was released as a double album on 18 November 1974 by Charisma Records and is their last to feature original frontman Peter Gabriel. It peaked at No. 10 on the UK Albums Chart and No. 41 on the Billboard 200 in the US.

While the band worked on new material at Hedley Grange for three months, they decided to produce a concept album with a story devised by Gabriel about Rael, a Puerto Rican youth from New York City who is suddenly taken on a journey of self-discovery and encounters bizarre incidents and characters along the way. The album was marked by increased tensions within the band as Gabriel, who insisted on writing all of the lyrics, temporarily left to work with filmmaker William Friedkin and needed time to be with his family. Most of the songs were developed by the rest of the band through jam sessions and were put down at Glaspant Manor in Wales using a mobile studio.

The album received a mixed critical reaction at first, but it gained acclaim in subsequent years and has a cult following. The songs "Counting Out Time" and "The Carpet Crawlers" were released as singles in the UK in 1974 and 1975, respectively; both failed to chart. A single of "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" was released in the US. Genesis promoted the album with their 1974–75 tour across North America and Europe, playing the album in its entirety. The album reached Gold certification in the UK and the US. The album was remastered in 1994 and 2007, the latter as part of the Genesis 1970–1975 box set which contains a 5.1 surround sound mix and bonus material.

Before discussions were held regarding the album's contents, the band decided to record a double album, for the extended format would give them the opportunity to improvise and put down more of their musical ideas ] A single album with songs telling "bits" of a story was an option that did not appeal to them.Banks thought Genesis had gained a strong enough following by this point to put out two albums' worth of material that their fans would be willing to listen to. They had wanted to produce a concept album that told a story for some time, and Rutherford pitched an idea based on the fantasy novel The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, but Gabriel disagreed as he thought it was "too twee" and believed "prancing around in fairyland was rapidly becoming obsolete".

Gabriel presented the group with a more complicated and surreal story about Rael, a Puerto Rican youth in New York City, and his spiritual journey of self-discovery and identity as he encounters several bizarre incidents and characters along the way. Gabriel had first thought of the story while touring North America in the previous year, and pitched a synopsis to the group "until they agreed to do the whole thing". It was more detailed and obscure in its initial form, until Gabriel refined it and made Rael the central character. Seeking a name that had "no traceable ethnic origins", he chose the name 'Rael', but later realised the Who had previously used that on The Who Sell Out (1967); this annoyed him at first, but he stuck to the choice.

As the band searched for a name they realised that "Ra" was common in male names in various nationalities. Gabriel was inspired by a variety of sources for the story, including the novel and musical West Side Story, "a kind of punk" twist to the Christian allegory Pilgrim's Progress (1678), the works of Swiss psychologist Carl Jung, and the surreal Western film El Topo (1971) by Alejandro Jodorowsky.[18] In contrast to Selling England by the Pound, which contained strong English themes, Gabriel made a conscious effort to avoid repetition by portraying American imagery, with references to Caryl Chessman, Lenny Bruce, Groucho Marx, Marshall McLuhan, Howard Hughes, Evel Knievel and the Ku Klux Klan. He also expressed some concern over the album's title, but noted that the lamb itself is purely symbolic and a catalyst for the peculiar events that occur.[14]

Much of the album was written at Headley Grange.

During the writing sessions at Headley Grange, Gabriel found himself separated from the rest of the band, which caused some friction. He insisted that having devised the concept he should write the lyrics, leaving the majority of the music in the charge of his bandmates. This was a departure from the band's usual method of songwriting; lyrical contributions on previous albums had always involved the other members.

This situation left Gabriel often secluded in one room writing the lyrics, and the remaining four rehearsing in another. In one instance Gabriel was unable to meet a scheduled deadline to have the lyrics finished, leaving Rutherford and Banks to write words for "The Light Dies Down on Broadway". At other times, Banks and Hackett suggested lyrics they thought would fit their songs better, "The Lamia" and "Here Comes the Supernatural Anaesthetist" respectively, which Gabriel rebuffed.

Further disagreements arose during the writing period when Gabriel accepted an invitation from film producer William Friedkin to write a screenplay; Friedkin had taken a liking to the surreal story by Gabriel that had been printed on the sleeve of Genesis Live (1973). Collins then pitched the idea of having the new studio album be purely instrumental, thinking it would favour the other members as Gabriel had made some of their earlier songs too lyrically dense, but the idea was rejected by the rest of the group. However, Gabriel's offer from Friedkin soon came to nothing and he resumed working on the album. Matters were complicated further when Gabriel spent additional time away in London when his first wife Jill underwent a risky and difficult birth of their first child in July 1974, leaving Gabriel often travelling back and forth. Rutherford later admitted that he and Banks were "horribly unsupportive" of Gabriel during this time,and Gabriel saw this as the beginning of his eventual departure from Genesis

Arcturus @ Hellfest 2022 Part 2, Clisson | 25/06/2022 by Philippe Bareille

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Arcturus - ICS Vortex, Knut Magne Valle, Hugh "Skoll" Mingay, Jan Axel "Hellhammer" Blomberg

On the Temple Stage at Hellfest Open Air 2022 Part 2 - Day 3

15th Anniversary Edition

Clisson, France | 25/06/2022

Live report soon on MusicWaves

Philippe Bareille

LOTF Saturday 12th July 2008 - Cowshed - New York Dolls by John Campbell

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The New York Dolls are an American glam punk band formed in New York City, United States in 1971. In 2004 the band reformed with three of their original members, two of whom, David Johansen and Sylvain Sylvain, continue on today and released a new album in 2006. The original bassist, Arthur Kane died shortly after their first reunion concert.

The band's protopunk sound prefigured much of what was to come in the punk rock era; their visual style influenced the look of many new wave and 1980s-era glam metal groups, and they began the local New York scene that later spawned the Ramones, Blondie, Television, and Talking Heads.

Sylvain Sylvain and Billy Murcia, who went to junior high school and high school together, started playing in a band called “the Pox” in 1968. After the frontman quit, Murcia and Sylvain started a clothing business across the street from a doll repair shop called the New York Doll Hospital. Sylvain claimed inspired them to come up with the name for their future band. In 1970 they formed a band again and they recruited Thunders to join on bass though Sylvain ended up teaching him to play guitar, they called themselves the ‘Dolls’. When Sylvain left the band to spend a few months in London, Thunders and Murcia went their separate ways.

Thunders was eventually recruited by Kane and Rivets who had been playing together in the Bronx. At Thunders' suggestion, Murcia replaced the original drummer. Thunders played lead guitar and sang for the band known as Actress. An October 1971 rehearsal tape recorded by Rivets was released as Dawn of the Dolls. When Thunders decided he no longer wanted to be the front man, Johansen joined the band. Initially, the group was composed of singer David Johansen, guitarists Johnny Thunders and Rick Rivets (who was replaced by Sylvain Sylvain after a few months), bass guitarist Arthur "Killer" Kane and drummer Billy Murcia. The original lineup's first performance was on Christmas Eve 1971 at a homeless shelter, the Endicott Hotel.

The band was influenced by vintage rhythm and blues, the early Rolling Stones, classic American girl group songs, and anarchic post-psychedelic bands such as the MC5 and the Stooges, as well as then-current glam rockers such as Marc Bolan. They did it their own way, creating something which critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote "doesn't really sound like anything that came before it. It's hard rock with a self-conscious wit, a celebration of camp and kitsch that retains a menacing, malevolent edge.". Despite their impeccable rock/punk/glam credentials, the band`s sound was also formed by blues and soul influences, as evidenced by Johansen`s bluesy harmonica and their choice of cover versions - their version of Bo Diddley`s `Pills` appears on `New York Dolls` and The Drells `There`s Gonna Be a Showdown` and Sonny Boy Williamson`s `Don`t start Me Talking` are among the four cover versions on `Too Much Too Soon`. Their previously unreleased covers of Otis Redding`s `Don`t Mess With Cupid` and Muddy Water`s `Hoochie Coochie Man` later surfaced on `Lipstick Killers` and `I`m a Human Being` respectively. The black music influence was particularly important for Johansen, whose subsequent career included work with jazz man Big Jay McNeely and blues man Hubert Sumlin.

As a frontman, Johansen's aggression, wit and energy made up for what was a slightly one-dimensional singing voice, while Thunders's lead playing was compared to the slashing of a knife-fight. Their repertoire was mostly written by Johansen (he used the name David Jo Hansen at the time) and Thunders and occasionally by Johansen and Sylvain. The songs were a series of vignettes about life in the New York underground. After getting a manager and attracting some music industry interest, the band got a break when Rod Stewart invited them to open for him at a London (then glam rock's capital city) concert. Shortly thereafter, Murcia died of accidental suffocation at age 21 after he passed out from drugs and alcohol.

Once back in New York, the Dolls auditioned drummers, including Marc Bell (who would go on to play with Richard Hell and Ramones under the stage name "Marky Ramone") and Jerry Nolan, a friend of the band. They selected Nolan, and after US Mercury Records' A&R man Paul Nelson signed them, they began sessions for their debut album. New York Dolls was produced by former Nazz guitarist Todd Rundgren. In an interview in Creem magazine, Rundgren says he barely touched the recording, everybody was debating how to do the mix. sales were sluggish, especially in the glam-resistant middle US, and Stereo Review magazine reviewer in 1973 compared the Dolls' guitar playing to the sound of lawnmowers.

The Dolls still polarised America's mass rock audience (a Creem magazine poll landed them wins as the best and the worst new group of 1973), but at the 'large capacity club' level, they toured the US to some satisfaction. The Dolls also toured Europe, and whilst appearing on UK TV, host Bob Harris of the BBC's Old Grey Whistle Test famously derided the group as "mock rock", comparing them unfavourably with the Rolling Stones in the same way The Monkees had been with the Beatles, as their unoriginal, upstart clones. Though Harris and much of the 'old guard' of rock journalists and critics were unimpressed, young rock fans throughout the UK disagreed, and the New York Dolls' straightforward music and outrageous attitude were later cited as key influences on punk rock.

For their next album the quintet opted for producer George (Shadow) Morton, whose productions for the Shangri-Las and other girl groups in the mid-1960s had been among the band's favorites, for 1974's Too Much Too Soon. Mercury dropped the Dolls not long after the second album. In 1975, foundering in drug abuse and interpersonal spats as the opportunities dried up, the band briefly recruited Malcolm McLaren as their new manager. The kind of provocative stunts McLaren later made work for the Sex Pistols blew up in the Dolls' faces. Dressing the band in red leather for performances with a Soviet flag backdrop was no substitute for the original sex-drugs outrage of glam rock.

Break-up

Thunders and Nolan left in 1975 while on tour in Florida. They formed The Heartbreakers with bassist Richard Hell who had left Television the same week. After a few shows they added guitarist Walter Lure and few month later replaced Hell with Billy Rath. They participated in the “Anarchy Tour” with the Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Damned in Britain in 1976, while the other Dolls recruited replacements (including Blackie Lawless a childhood friend of Kane's who replaced Thunders for the remainder of the Florida tour) and continued until 1977. The Heartbreakers recorded one British-only studio album and a few odds-and-ends live sets (including a memorable set from a Max's Kansas City show) before splintering into an on-and-off concern.

Thunders continued to tour and record throughout the 1980s, releasing one solo album (So Alone on which Sex Pistols Steve Jones and Paul Cook played) and several sets of covers and a few originals. He died in New Orleans in 1991, of an alleged heroin and methadone overdose, although there are signs that he may have been murdered over a drug-related dispute, and that the police didn't properly investigate what appeared to just be the death of another junkie. It has also come to light that he suffered from leukemia. Nolan died a few months later in 1992, following a stroke, brought about by bacterial meningitis.

Johansen started a solo career after the Dolls broke up, and Sylvain was a member of his band for much of this time. Several Johansen-Sylvain songs never made it to vinyl until Johansen's solo albums: e.g., "Funky But Chic", "Girls", and "Frenchette". His fourth solo album, a concert set called Live it Up, contained a medley of The Animals' "We Gotta Get Out of This Place," "Don't Bring Me Down," and "It's My Life."

Johansen had his greatest commercial success portraying the fictional lounge lizard/singer Buster Poindexter, who mixed comedy with a kitschy hybrid of soul and tropical pop. Under Buster Poindexter's name, Johansen finally made a chart-topping single: one of the 1980s' biggest dance hits, "Hot Hot Hot." He also hosted a variety show on VH1 as Poindexter, then moved on to folk and blues with David Johansen and the Harry Smiths through the '90s. A posthumous New York Dolls album (made up of early demo tapes of the Murcia-Sylvain line-up) was released in a cassette-only edition on ROIR Records in 1981, and subsequently re-released on CD, and then on vinyl in early 2006.

Syl Sylvain formed his own band, The Criminals, then cut a solo album for RCA, while also working with Johansen. He later became a cab driver in New York, which he later described as the worst job on earth. In the early 1990s he moved to Los Angeles and recorded one album called "Sleep Baby Doll", on Fishhead Records. His bandmates on that record were: Brian Keats on drums (Dave Vanian's Phantom Chords), Speediejohn Carlucci on bass (ex- Fuzztones), & Olivier Le Baron on lead guitar. Guest appearances by Frankie Infante of Blondie and Derwood Andrews of Generation X were also included on the record. It has been re-released as "New York's Au Go Go".

Influence

The band influenced a whole era of musicians and bands such as Kiss, Hanoi Rocks, Blondie, The Clash, Ramones, Dead Boys, Mötley Crüe, Guns N' Roses, The Damned, The Smiths, and Japan. They were also a large influence on various members of the Sex Pistols, especially guitarist Steve Jones, who later said that on looking back at his movement on stage, felt embarrassed at how much he copied Johnny Thunders' style. The Pistols' manager, Malcolm McLaren, briefly managed the Dolls towards the end of their career.

They were also a major influence on the rock music scene in New York City, having accumulated a devoted cult following during their career. By the time the New York Dolls had disbanded, Ira Robbins writes that they "singlehandedly began the local New York scene that later spawned the Ramones, Blondie, Television, Talking Heads and others. A classic case of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts, the Dolls were much more than just a band. Their devoted original audience became the petri dish of a scene; they emulated their heroes and formed groups in their image."

It should be noted that their influence was not confined to the legions of soundalikes - Morrisey of The Smiths and REMs Michael Stipe and Peter Buck are noted for their Dolls enthusiasms, Stipe being one of the guests on the re-union CD and Morrissey (as `Steven Morrissey` having written a book about them in his pre-Smiths days.

Reunion

UK singer-songwriter Morrissey organized a reunion of the three surviving band members (Johansen, Sylvain, and Kane) for the Meltdown Festival in 2004. Morrissey is a long-time fan of the band; in the 1970s, he headed their fan club in the UK. The reunion led to a live LP and DVD on Morrissey's Attack label, and a film, New York Doll, showing Kane's point of view of the genesis of the reunion contrasted against the backdrop of his conversion to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. However, future plans were affected when the news came of Arthur Kane's unexpected death on July 13, 2004 from leukemia. During 2004 they played several festivals in the UK, and just like the old days, they were as notable for their extravagant behavior as their raucous performances.

In July 2005, the two surviving members announced a tour and a new album, titled One Day It Will Please Us to Remember Even This. Released on July 25, 2006 the album features guitarist Steve Conte, bassist Sami Yaffa (formerly of Hanoi Rocks), drummer Brian Delaney and keyboardist Brian Koonin, formerly a member of David Johansen and the Harry Smiths. On July 20, 2006, the New York Dolls appeared on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, followed by a live performance in Philadelphia at the WXPN All About The Music Festival, and on July 22, 2006, a taped appearance on The Henry Rollins Show. On August 18, 2006, the band performed in a free concert before some 9,000 fans at New York's Seaport Music], on a bill with the Brooklyn-based indie band Tralala.

In October 2006 the band embarked on a UK tour, with Sylvain Sylvain taking time while in Glasgow to speak to John Kilbride of STV. The discussion covered the band's history and the current state of their live show and songwriting, with Sylvain commenting that "even if you come to our show thinking 'how can it be like it was before', we turn that around 'cos we've got such a great live, rock n'roll show".[3]

In November 2006 the Dolls began headlining "Little Steven's Underground Garage Presents the Rolling Rock and Roll Show", about 20 live gigs with numerous other bands. These shows have been very well-received and well-attended as well. The band plays a mix of their newest album as well as older favorites. In April 2007, the band played in Australia, appearing at the V Festival with Pixies, Pet Shop Boys, Gnarls Barkley, Beck, Jarvis Cocker and Phoenix. On September 22, 2007, New York Dolls was removed from the current artists section of Roadrunner Records' website, signifying the groups split with the label. The band are scheduled to play the O2 Wireless Festival in Hyde Park, London on July 4, 2008 with Morrissey and Beck and the Lounge On The Farm Festival on July 12, 2008.

Lounge On The Farm - Kent’s bestest festival, ‘Lounge On The Farm’ returns for it’s third outing on the weekend of 11-13th July 2008, even bigger and bolder than ever before, and with an increased capacity. 2007’s event established LOTF as a heavyweight festival with a uniquely local twist and 2008 is set to take the extravaganza to the next level. Set in the idyllic surrounds of Merton Farm in Canterbury, ‘Lounge On The Farm’s rustic charms will play host to 160 bands spread across 6 stages, from local heroes and cutting edge acts to renowned heavy hitters.

Sensual Alchemist band by Demi Synodinou

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New Telegram Post on Armed Forces of Ukraine - Збройні сили України . Telegram Channel by RTP [Army / Military / Navy / Air / україна] by Armed Forces of Ukraine Military Army Telegram News

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Ukraine UA (Instagram) Andriy Hlyvniuk, a frontman of the Ukrainian band @boomboxfamily, joined the Territorial Defense unit in Kyiv. He got ingured in the face from the mortar shelling. If there were no war in Ukraine, he would definitely gather a full stadium or concert hall. Like many other artists and stars who turned into soldiers to defend our land via t.me/UkraineArmyForce/35159 #russia #russian #army #military #ukraine #ukrainian #war #worldwar #ww3 #ww #ucraina #russland #russia #militare #guerra #krieg #війни #война #guerre #ukraine #украина #ucrania #україна #Rusia #Росія #Россия #Russie #ukrainearmy

frontman, guitar by In Memoriam Marty Smith

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at the 112th Versailles Pumpkin Show! versaillespumpkinshow.com/

www.facebook.com/thenewbalanceband

please also view → flic.kr/p/peWsr6 → loathing the lighting (4)...

Genesis: Front Row by Chuck Wendig

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No, not the band with frontman Phil Collins. I'm talking Genesis. Like, out of the Bible. Creation. Raw, unbridled, unfiltered creation.

We saw lava. Of course, it wasn't really a front seat -- more like deep mezzanine -- but hey, lava's lava.

We hiked out over Kalapana, a town that was eaten by lava not that many years ago -- we walked 10-15 minutes with a number of other lava-seeking pilgrims over some mildly treacherous terrain (made moreso by our nocturnal jaunt back).

At the end we could all witness a great gusting plume of steam rising from the ocean where the lava tumbled off a cliff and into the sea. No lava could actually be discerned, though -- just the steam, just the great geyser of white.

Ahh, but then, the sun sets. Night falls.

At which point, the plume takes on a pregnant orange glow as the illumination of the vomiting fire refuses to be denied. Still no actual lava, tho.

Except! Then!

Lava!

Just a spatter of it -- luckily, a spatter I caught on camera during its two seconds of existence.

Yeah, yeah, the picture sucks, I know. It's eaten by noise. It was dark, whaddya gonna do? I had no tripod. Just me and my shaky hands and wobbly knees.

Still, it gives an idea, doesn't it?

It looks and feels a bit like the Apocalypse, but it's really more like Genesis. Of course, the Big Island is also handy evidence disproving that particular book of the Bible, really. I mean, "God created the world in seven days," ehhh, no. The world's still baking, folks. New ground is being made every day here on the Big Island. The making process never stopped -- seven days is just a blink of time's unyielding eye.

...

Anyway. Tomorrow, we leave Volcano and head back to the dry side of the island.

I had poke (pronounced poh-kay) tonight.

I met a very old man who was a very good photographer and knew Photoshop. He gave me tips.

I saw a mongoose.

I sang a song about "Baby Diapermeat."

Hawaii is awesome.

More later.

IMGP8587-ee by anjin-san

Playing host to the rescheduled Foo Fighters concert at Wembley (that was cancelled after frontman Dave Grohl broke his leg falling off stage at a show in Gothenburg, Sweden), the National Bowl in Milton Keynes came alive on Sunday, September 6, 2015 with the sound of 65,000 screaming fans. Following sets from rock duo Royal Blood and the eclectic propo-punk icon Iggy Pop, the Foos knew they had to deliver. From the moment the curtain sucked into a black hole vortex to the end of the show, it was obvious it was going to be one hell of a night to remember. Debra, Karl and I had arrived relatively early for the show and, being among the first to enter the MK Bowl, were offered "Inner Pit" passes. Issued on a first-come-first-serve basis, these gave fenced-off access to the stage and were an excellent surprise. We had a great view of the day's action and I was well positioned for photographs. "All My Life" opened the two and a half hour set, with Grohl spending the entire show seated on a most gloriously over-the-top throne, designed by Grohl himself and adorned by guitar necks. It transported the front-man up and down the runway, and was in itself a crowd pleaser! I have wanted to see the Foo Fighters for about two decades - and desperate to do so since "Wasting Light"- and they did not disappoint. A shredding version of "White Limo" alone justified the ticket price, and the rest was a wonderful (and sometimes nostalgic) tour through their back-catalogue. All in all, it was a triumphant, heart-warming singalong set that showed why, for so many, the Foo Fighters have been the soundtrack to the last two decades. Here's the Foo Fighters' set list for the Milton Keynes "Broken Leg" concert.

If I was desperate to see the Foo Fighters, I was absolutely aching to see 69 year old rock legend, Iggy Pop. I narrowly missed one of his gigs in Amsterdam at the end of 1978 and, after this initial disappointment, Iggy stayed on my Bucket List through the late-80's in London, the 90's in Prague and the naughties in the UK. When he was in town, I was always travelling, had other commitments or just had bad luck (i.e. the cancellation of the Foo's concert at Wembley in June where Iggy was on the supporting bill). Well, I finally got to see James Newell Osterberg, Jr. in full, topless, action in Milton Keynes on a fine evening in September 2015! Iggy brought his old school punk snarl to the party, prompting mass singalongs to classic tunes, some of which he penned with his old mate David Bowie in Berlin in the 70's. If I'm still as active as Iggy when I'm almost 70, I'll be more than happy! He made fine use of the runway before him, skipping, kicking, twisting and turning as only Iggy can. He took a breather every now and then, but Iggy still has more energy than any new breed act you care to mention. Fucking hell - he's the man that wrote "Lust for Life"! The snot-noses in the audience didn't know what hit them :-) FYI, here's the Iggy Pop's set list for the night.

A wonderful, sunny day and balmy evening with my family, and a fine way to celebrate the 32nd anniversary of my first date with my future-wife on September 7, 1983.

the frontman by amin fitri

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Eddie the frontman of Tres Empre rockin at Ignite Fest 2012

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Xavier Rosnay by Daniela Liverani

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People reaching out to the frontman

Finale of Elbow (and Geoff) at Massive Attack's Meltdown 2008 by John Campbell

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Most of the people on stage are the male voice choir (38 of them) who did an amazing job backing/supporting Elbow at Meltdown 2008 - Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre on 16th June 2008.

Elbow's lead singer Guy Garvey collectively called them Geoff!

See You Tube video - www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaNM2BTlj9w

Elbow are an English band from Manchester, who have been active from the late 1990s.

Acclaimed for their innovative sound and frontman Guy Garvey's candid, evocative lyrics, Elbow has received vast critical acclaim and been endorsed by major artists Blur, R.E.M. and U2. The Velvet Underground's co-founder John Cale selected Elbow's "Switching Off" as one of his eight chosen records on the BBC's "Desert Island Discs" radio programme. Commercial success, however, has yet to match Elbow's critical acclaim and status among fans.

Lead singer Guy Garvey met guitarist Mark Potter at a Sixth Form College in 1990 at the age of 16. Potter asked Garvey to sing in a band he was in with drummer Richard Jupp and bassist Pete Turner. Together, the four men formed the band Mr Soft. (The name was later changed to Soft.) Mark Potter's brother Craig Potter joined the band soon after on keyboards. By 1997, they had changed their name a third time to Elbow, signed a deal with Island Records, and recorded their debut album with producer Steve Osborne. However, when Island was bought out by major label Universal, the band was dropped in a mass cull and the album never released.

They continued to record on the iconic independent label Uglyman, and released The Noisebox EP, The Newborn EP, and The Any Day Now EP, which were given extensive airplay by BBC Radio 1 .

Their debut album, Asleep in the Back, released on V2 in 2001, was hailed as a seminal album of the new millennium, gaining them a Mercury Music Prize nomination and a BRIT Award nomination. Their second album, Cast of Thousands - a reference to their performance at Glastonbury in 2002, when they recorded thousands of people singing, "We still believe in love, so fuck you" - sealed their reputation as innovators in UK music when released in 2003.

In 2004, Elbow went on an unofficial tour of Cuba, becoming the first British band ever to play a concert outside Havana. The tour was made into a short film by British documentary maker Irshad Ashraf. In the same year, their song Fallen Angel appeared in the film 9 Songs, notable as being regarded as the most sexually explicit film ever to be awarded an 18 Certificate by the British Board of Film Classification.

Elbow's innovation in the studio has invited work with other bands, notably Editors and I Am Kloot, the latter whose debut album was produced by Guy Garvey. Their third album, Leaders of the Free World, was entirely self-produced at Blueprint Studios in Salford, a space the band hired for the duration of their recording sessions. They teamed up with video artists The Soup Collective to produce an integrated music and video DVD. However, despite furthur critical acclaim, the album faltered commercially, and soon the band were dropped from V2 in 2006. They have since signed to Fiction Records.

The band contributed the song "Snowball" to the 2005 War Child benefit album Help: a Day in the Life. In addition, an unreleased track titled "Beats For Two" was used in the closing titles of the 2004 film Inside I'm Dancing. Garvey also returned to I Am Kloot as co-producer for their single "Maybe I Should." He continues to work closely with Manchester indie label Skinny Dog.

Their album Leaders of the Free World has been mentioned a couple of times in the final two Inspector Rebus-novels.

The band completed their fourth studio album, The Seldom Seen Kid in late 2007. The band self-produced, mixed and recorded the album themselves without other outside help.

Their acoustic cover of Destiny's Child's "Independent Women", recorded exclusively for a BBC Radio 1 session, was turned into a popular web animation by Rathergood.com's Joel Veitch. The animation features a band of flat-capped kittens "performing" the song.

The band is named after a line in the BBC TV mini-series The Singing Detective which says that the word "elbow" is the most sensuous word in the English language, not for its definition, but for how it feels to say it.

Some personal reviews;

"If I never go to another gig again I could die happy after last night! From start to finish an amazing night, Fleet Foxes supported and were brilliant, very funny and very talented guys.

Then Elbow, Guy walked on wearing all black and a trilby (this is relevant for later), started with Station Approach and that set the tone for the rest of the show, the fact that the venue was seated mad no difference to the incredilble atmosphere. Guy waved to his family who were in the Roayl Box, then we had Bones of You, Leaders of The Free World (dedicated to George W), Grounds for Divorce, Mirrorball (with 3 mirrorballs sitting on the stage, creating a great effect), The Loneliness of a Tower Crane Driver and Great Expectations.

As Great Expectations finished, what sounded like a tape of Any Day Now started in the background, it was a choir of 35 blokes, dressed all in black wearing trilby's. They had all been recruited specifically for this show and had 2 days practice. Guy called them Geoff not sure which. Geoff stayed for the rest of the show.

Next was Starlings, with trumpeteers in 4 of the boxes at the side of the stage as well as the guys on the stage, and the mixing desk man. Followed by a song they had only played once live before, because "we are shit at it, and if Geoff wasn't here we wouldn't try it" Presuming Ed (Rest Easy). Some Riot was next and a storming version of Newborn which got a standing ovation. Geoff was still joining in with every song.

Then Grace Under Pressure, which Guy cocked up after Geof had started it off, the song finished with Geoff and Guy giving each other the finger Stops was the penultimate song, before the whole crowd stood up for One Day Like This, which blew the roof off the Festival Hall.

I didn't think I had the words to describe this gig, but I have waffled on now. Amazing."

"Can we have a whip round to get a coach to ferry Geoff (Jeff?) to Glastonbury?"

"Thats the first time i have seen them as a headliners.I took my friend along,him only knowing one song,he was in tears,he couldnt speak.the loneliness of a tower crane driver,the tears were running down my face .

geoff you were fantastic,such a special night,a special band.everyone rocking at the end."

"I went with my wife, the balcony was rocking!! She must have cried at least three times during the course of the gig.

The only time in my life i've being to a gig that has made me feel so emotional, i thought i was going to burst into tears."

"Thank you for Elbow for a night a lot of people will never forget"

"I feel so priviledged to have seen them play 'Presuming Ed'....well all of that evening, but especially that song as it was a one off.

Craig walked off the stage part way through Newborn, and even though Guy had said to us all you don't need to scuttle off to the toilet discreetly(as it was a seated gig, and more obvious when people went in or out) just go for it, I thought surely Craig wasn't that desperate to go in the middle of Newborn? but he soon emerged high up in the wall above Guy to be seated with his back to us on a massive organ to finish the last part of the song...amazing!

One day like this ended with all the Geoffs coming to the middle of the stage and then they were tossing their trilby hats at the audience, and some general hat throwing went on through the rest of the song.

I have one of Geoffs hats with me now, and a set list.

Oh, and thanks Geoff for bringing something extra to Elbow's music last night."

"Last night's gig was fantastic. I haven't been to such an uplifting performance in ages. Great songs, great performances. The choir and the arrangements really did the Seldom Seen Kid tracks justice. What a way to start the week!"

"Would only be repeating what other people have said about previous gigs - they were simply awesome! But here's a few things that made last night's gig particularly special:

-The choir, "Geoff"

-The way the RFH was lit up during 'Mirrorball'

-Craig legging it up to and playing the RFH pipe organ during 'Newborn'

-The kids in the boxes playing brass on 'Starlings'

-'Grace Under Pressure'

-The whole venue on it's feet for 'One Day Like This' and the stage filled with people and voices."

Review from Musicomh.com

Elbow + Fleet Foxes @ Royal Festival Hall, London, 16 June 2008

We live in an unfair world. It's a world whose leaders permit, and sometimes perpetuate, famine, war, suffering and the return of Steps. A world in which a defining moment in the career of one of the greatest bands that Britain has produced in a generation can be overshadowed completely by a bunch of sappy MOR balladeers playing a free gig a couple of miles south.

Mancunians Elbow are that rarest of breeds - a British band that just keeps getting better with every passing year and album. Lead singer Guy Garvey's troupe just keep on delivering innovative, understated and jaw-droppingly beautiful records. So while all eyes in the industry were on Coldplay's Brixton Academy show, Elbow, in the fine company of current buzz band Fleet Foxes, were staging their own masterpiece at the far more salubrious Royal Festival Hall.

Plaudits have showered down upon openers Fleet Foxes like the rain that is certain to drench the Glastonbury crowds next week. Everywhere you look, music journalists are dusting off their 'Big Book of Arcade Fire Cliches' to herald the arrival of the new baroque pop messiahs.

Luckily, the band are the real deal, kicking off with a jaw-dropping acapella version of Sun It Rises, filling a venue that Brian Wilson has called his 'spiritual home' with a pitch-perfect Beach Boys homage. Much has been made of the band's folky elements, but they prove they can rock out with the best of them - Your Protector is as good a backwoods stomp as you'll find outside of a Kings of Leon record, while set highlight White Winter Hymnal begins as a nursery rhyme-simple chant before morphing into a soaring, Love-esque harmony that transports you to the snowbound mountains and forests Pecknold eulogises.

After a set of such precocious excellence, old hands Elbow need to pull something special out of the bag to avoid being foreshadowed by their support act. And, incredibly, they do, to quite comprehensively show the young pretenders who's boss. Despite the scruffy, shambling exterior, Elbow have always bought a certain amount of panache to their concerts and the group turn in a performance that is simply stunning in its emotional intensity.

The band, with Garvey nattily attired in a black suit and bowler hat, dispense with the noise early. The victorious chant of Station Approach bounces around the Festival Hall like a terrace chant, while the creepy Bones Of You sees him pugilistically rolling up his sleeves as if to take on the world. This he does a few seconds later, dedicating the caustic Leaders of the Free World to 'London's special guest' George Bush.

It's easy to forget how good a band Elbow really are. It seems they've always been with us - despite having only released four records - ploughing a lone miserable furrow while contemporaries like go supernova.

Halfway through, the band takes a step back to welcome onto the stage a thirty-strong male voice choir, all dressed identically to the frontman. As the never-ending stream of mini-Garveys troop on stage, they chant the unmistakable introduction to early single Anyday Now over and over, and the band slide into the song. It's a piece of pure theatre, bettered almost immediately during Starlings. After the lights drop, and the song's electronica opening thrums around the auditorium, Garvey, bassist Pete Turner and guitarist Mark Potter are picked out in spotlights as they play a single note trumpet fanfare directed to the venue's royal box. In the box are another group of trumpeters, playing the fanfare back to them. It's one of those moments of audience interaction that Elbow seem remarkably good at.

If the rest of the concert failed to live up to this moment, it is understandable. However, the quality never drops - Grace Under Pressure's 'We still believe in love, So fuck you' coda is beautiful in its simplicity, New Born sees keyboardist Craig Potter climbing up into the now-illuminated organ behind the stage like a long-haired phantom of the opera, drawing a standing ovation from every member of the audience.

During set closer One Day Like This the choir march to the front of the stage and hundreds of the crowd rush to meet them. As they finish, they place their hats on members of the audience's heads, as if they are anointing their disciples, and Guy Garvey thanks the fans for 'the gig of their lives'. It's hard to disagree with the sentiment.

- Rob Watson

IMGP8566-ee by anjin-san

Playing host to the rescheduled Foo Fighters concert at Wembley (that was cancelled after frontman Dave Grohl broke his leg falling off stage at a show in Gothenburg, Sweden), the National Bowl in Milton Keynes came alive on Sunday, September 6, 2015 with the sound of 65,000 screaming fans. Following sets from rock duo Royal Blood and the eclectic propo-punk icon Iggy Pop, the Foos knew they had to deliver. From the moment the curtain sucked into a black hole vortex to the end of the show, it was obvious it was going to be one hell of a night to remember. Debra, Karl and I had arrived relatively early for the show and, being among the first to enter the MK Bowl, were offered "Inner Pit" passes. Issued on a first-come-first-serve basis, these gave fenced-off access to the stage and were an excellent surprise. We had a great view of the day's action and I was well positioned for photographs. "All My Life" opened the two and a half hour set, with Grohl spending the entire show seated on a most gloriously over-the-top throne, designed by Grohl himself and adorned by guitar necks. It transported the front-man up and down the runway, and was in itself a crowd pleaser! I have wanted to see the Foo Fighters for about two decades - and desperate to do so since "Wasting Light"- and they did not disappoint. A shredding version of "White Limo" alone justified the ticket price, and the rest was a wonderful (and sometimes nostalgic) tour through their back-catalogue. All in all, it was a triumphant, heart-warming singalong set that showed why, for so many, the Foo Fighters have been the soundtrack to the last two decades. Here's the Foo Fighters' set list for the Milton Keynes "Broken Leg" concert.

If I was desperate to see the Foo Fighters, I was absolutely aching to see 69 year old rock legend, Iggy Pop. I narrowly missed one of his gigs in Amsterdam at the end of 1978 and, after this initial disappointment, Iggy stayed on my Bucket List through the late-80's in London, the 90's in Prague and the naughties in the UK. When he was in town, I was always travelling, had other commitments or just had bad luck (i.e. the cancellation of the Foo's concert at Wembley in June where Iggy was on the supporting bill). Well, I finally got to see James Newell Osterberg, Jr. in full, topless, action in Milton Keynes on a fine evening in September 2015! Iggy brought his old school punk snarl to the party, prompting mass singalongs to classic tunes, some of which he penned with his old mate David Bowie in Berlin in the 70's. If I'm still as active as Iggy when I'm almost 70, I'll be more than happy! He made fine use of the runway before him, skipping, kicking, twisting and turning as only Iggy can. He took a breather every now and then, but Iggy still has more energy than any new breed act you care to mention. Fucking hell - he's the man that wrote "Lust for Life"! The snot-noses in the audience didn't know what hit them :-) FYI, here's the Iggy Pop's set list for the night.

A wonderful, sunny day and balmy evening with my family, and a fine way to celebrate the 32nd anniversary of my first date with my future-wife on September 7, 1983.

NOVEMBER 22-26th: The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas Brandon Flowers Concert Ticket Giveaway by The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas

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Here's your chance to see The Killers' frontman Brandon Flowers in a solo concert at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas on December 15th! We're doing weekly ticket giveaways through December 15, 2010.

TO WIN THIS WEEK: Answer this week's question correctly and enter by sending ONE (1) email to CosmopolitanLV[at]gmail.com with:

SUBJECT LINE: “THE COSMOPOLITAN BRANDON FLOWERS CONCERT TICKET GIVEAWAY”

And in the body of the email include:

- Your real/legal first and last name, date of birth; AND

- The answer to this week's question

- For Twitter followers: Please include your twitter handle/username

- For Facebook "fans": Please provide your Facebook name if it's different from your real/legal name

THIS WEEK'S QUESTION/CHALLENGE: Two Truths and a Lie. Correctly identify which one of the following three statements is a "lie"/false:

1. Brandon Flowers was born in Nevada.

2. Brandon Flowers named his first solo album “Flamingo” after a casino & road in Las Vegas.

3. Hot Fuss was released on June 7, 2005.

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Each week, 20 winners will be selected at random from the entries that have ALL the required information stated above AND the correct answer. Entries will not be acknowledged or returned. The Cosmopolitan assumes no responsibility for lost, late or misdirected entries. Limit one entry per person for each Promotion Period. For full details, see OFFICIAL RULES.

PLEASE NOTE: By participating in this ticket giveaway promotion and providing an email address, entrants agree to and grant permission to The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas to email company updates and announcements (you can unsubscribe at any time).

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