The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Band hails first gig at troubled arena
British rock band Elbow have said their first gig at the troubled Co-op Live arena in Manchester was “amazing”.
Live music finally got under way at the beleaguered venue on Tuesday night when the group took to the stage in the biggest indoor arena in the UK.
The opening was postponed three times after part of the building’s ventilation and air conditioning system fell to the ground from the ceiling during a soundcheck earlier this month.
But the doors opened on Tuesday as fans flocked to see the Manchester band.
Sharing photos from the gig on Instagram, the group wrote: “Thank you Manchester @thecooplive, you were amazing.”
Amanda Wells, 34, a selfemployed legal transcriptionist, travelled from Texas to see Elbow’s support band The Waeve perform.
She said: “I think everyone in the audience and the band had a lot of fun. I was at the front and the sound was great. My friend and I listened to a bit of Elbow from the back and it was not quite as good as at the front.
“I had heard about some issues and I knew that some gigs had been cancelled and had been a bit nervous about this one being cancelled. But I was coming regardless.
“I was with friends coming in and did feel safe, there was a huge crowd but I felt like the staff and security did a great job handling the entry and I did feel comfortable.”
She said The Waeve “didn’t address the issues” which have surrounded the venue over recent weeks. “(They) did mention that it was a privilege to be the first band to play in the new venue.”
Elbow were celebrating the release of their 10th studio album, Audio Vertigo, with their first tour since 2018, as they made history as headliners of the opening night at the arena. Frontman Guy Garvey told the audience those who had been working on the building had been “so nervous and so excited”, in a video shared on X.
“There was already electricity in the air before you lot got in here and now it’s fully amped up. I hope you can feel it,” he said.
Issues at the arena began after a test event in April led to the rescheduling of comedian Peter Kay’s stand-up dates.
Kay, who was meant to be the “first artist in the world to perform at Manchester Co-op Live”, had his shows postponed twice as the venue was not ready to open.