Guy Garvey at the Shepherds Bush

I have been going to gigs for more than thirty years and finally I made it to a guest list! My Firm got a pair of tickets from the Firm's charity to be sold in a raffle to raise funds for them. The winner couldn't make it so asked if I could make use of them. You bet. I have seen Elbow loads of times - plenty of reviews on this blog to prove it - so I was really keen to see Guy Garvey on his first solo venture. I had even dashed out to buy the album and give it a few listens in preparation.

Support came from a blues trio, one of whom, Mark Potter, does play in Elbow.I am sure this was all very good, but I don't like Blues. Not at all. The lead singer may be a legend in Blues, but meant nothing to me at all. Great hat though. And not many people still play harmonica. Fortunately.

Guy Garvey just played his debut album, Courting the Squall, straight through. Strongest track by far is the opener, Angela's Eyes, but there is a lot of good stuff on it. To eek out the show they even played an old Inkspots number, and there were some songs from Peter Jobson of I Am Kloot.

But what makes any evening with Guy Garvey a great experience is his genial personality and quick wit. He must just be one of the most delightful entertainers out there. Maybe he beats his wife and molests his kids in private (I am sure he doesn't!), but to the outer world, he just comes across as the nicest bloke in the world to go down the pub with. Add to that a superb voice and interesting, complicated songs and you are away. Brilliant evening.

And finished on a second rendition of Angela's Eyes. If you only have the one album, you are lacking in material. Unless he were to pick out of the vast Elbow back catalogue which, with one exception, was a temptation he resisted, perhaps to our disappointment.