Just as news about The Gavin Report’s demise had been leaked in Friday’s San
Francisco Chronicle, it was time to head out to one of the primary showcases of this
year’s Gavin Convention to check out touring British twosome South and
Elbow. Well, I would have been checking it out regardless, as the showcase was
being held at my club, popscene, but that’s a whole separate story. Jim McGuinn
warmed up the decks and after a slight delay getting the band on stage to ensure all the
badge holders had made it through the door, Elbow led off their set with the
spine-chilling “Any Day Now” off the excellent Asleep In The Back. Frontman
Guy Garvey may not have ever found his lost notebook of weeks past, but his
Peter Gabriel-esque vocal stylings were on top form this evening. The band
worked through much of their debut in their hour-long set, including the beautiful
“Newborn” and the album title track, which is a bonus track on the US version of the
album. If for some reason you still haven’t seen this band live, make it a
priority.
The boys from the south of England were up next and jumped in head first, leading off
with their best song, “Paint The Silence,” the downtempo Stone Roses with
beats vibe working excellently on this Friday evening. As South were also
touring on their debut album, their set was primarily constructed of this material, as well,
with standout tracks including “Broken Head,” “Keep Close,” and “Too Much Too
Soon,” which is also a bonus track not on the UK release. South wrapped up
their show and Tim Schiavelli, who had been spinning in between the bands, kept
up his Britpop disco assault, getting a number of industry heads, as well as other club patrons, grooving for the final thirty minutes of the night. A fine night all around…
