The last time Elbow were set to play a headline show at Metro City, Perth was back in March 2007. A last minute change – one assumes due to poor ticket sales – saw them moved to the far less auspicious Capitol club, and what could’ve been seen as a slight to some, turned the show into one of those incredibly intimate, you just had to be there, events. It also didn’t hurt matters that it was frontman Guy Garvey’s birthday that evening; complete with cake and a Happy Birthday sing-along from the crowd. Four years, a brief visit with the V Festival and a new album later, Elbow returned for a second chance at headlining on the Metro City stage, while stopping over on their way to Splendour.

The night opened with the incredibly punctual Ghost Hotel, starting their set as punters filtered in from the street; perhaps mindful a good portion of them had sitters to get home to. Made up of members from Capital City, Grand Central, Team Jedi and Red Jezebel, on paper, Ghost Hotel look like a who’s who of local band history. They’re more than a little bit country, with the right amount of rock thrown in for taste, and it works well. A solid set, with different members taking turns on vocals, went down well with the gradually filling room. Given the combined talent and tenure of the band, it’s hard to not ask why we’re not hearing more about Ghost Hotel at a national level. Here’s hoping some upcoming big name support slots will help raise their profile.

The biggest question going into tonight’s Elbow show was; were the band going to be able to re-capture the magic from their previous visit, or would the cavernous interior of Metro City swallow any attempts to connect with the crowd. And the short answer; well, you just had to be there. Opening with Birds – the first track from their latest album, Build a Rocket Boys! – the band wasted no time making themselves at home with Garvey walking the stage, surveying the crowd, as if to welcome each and every person individually. He is an ideal front-man. It’s as if his presence manages to shrink any concert venue, so rather than standing amongst sea of hundreds, you feel like you’re just another person, invited over to the Elbow lounge room for a cup of tea and to hear a few songs. None of it felt forced or rehearsed, and there was no sign of ego on stage. Over the course of the night, we heard stories of a man name Ken, who Garvey met in a sauna and is “cool as fuck” (and just happened to be in the balcony with his wife and daughter) and Matt and Kim, whose Mum had emailed Garvey to check in while on a motorbiking tour. This banter didn’t feel like banter – just a chat with friends.

The set focused on the band’s last three albums, with a heavy emphasis on their latest release. Throughout the night, cries for older tracks such as Snooks and Switching Off were ignored and while a lesser band would find it hard to resist the temptation to dip into their back-catalogue to win the crowd, Elbow stuck to their guns, and it paid off. Considering Build a Rocket Boys! has only been with us for four months, songs like Neat Little Rows and set closer Open Arms were received by the crowd as if they were classics.

After a short break and a rousing round of applause, Elbow returned to the stage with the one-two punch of Starlings and Station Approach – opening tracks from The Seldom Seen Kid and Leaders of the Free World respectively – and then coming, it felt, far too early, their signature closer, One Day Like This.

As the lights came up and people shuffled out into the street, it was hard to find a face in the crowd that wasn’t smiling. Sure, you could probably come up with two set-lists of songs they didn’t play, but to explain the joyous experience that is seeing Elbow live, well, you just had to be there.