Guy Garvey arrives on stage, smiles and toasts the packed Auckland crowd for the first of many times. If he had time to hug everyone there, he probably would.
Yes, there's something warm and welcoming about an Elbow concert, kind of like pulling on your favourite pair of weathered slippers
that you're reluctant to throw out because they fit so well.
Perhaps it's Garvey's dad jokes that he delivers between each song at tonight's Powerstation show, delighting the packed older crowd with quips about their dancing abilities, their "disgustingly healthy" appearance and polite heckling attempts.
Or it could be the UK band's ability to soothe you into submission with their collection of Coldplay-esque fireside symphonies, which they've delivered on six albums over 20 years, including this year's latest, The Take Off and Landing of Everything.
It was that album's Charge that opened the show, and when paired with The Bones of You it felt promising, like Elbow were ready to deliver a set punchier than their sleepy last appearance here in 2012.
