AFTER nearly eight years of critical acclaim, Elbow are finally achieving commercial success on the back of their Mercury Award-winning album, Seldom Seen Kid.

With an unchanged line-up from those early days in Bury, they were understandably tight-knit, reeling off a succession of lush, swirling mini-symphonies with unflustered ease, creating a huge sound that filled the Solent Hall.

Charismatic and very likeable front man Guy Garvey was the focal point throughout, bantering with an appreciative, enthusiastic audience.

The music was typically anthemic, songs building gently, inexorably to a wall of noise, not least a stunning version of Newborn, perhaps the highlight of the evening for me.

There were just a few occasions, I felt, when it all became a little too, well, grandiose - fine for the hard-core fans that no doubt made up a good percentage of the crowd, less so for the less-committed come-lately element.

But Garvey, in good voice throughout, soon got everyone back onside.

Seldom Seen Kid is a richly deserved success, of course, because after years of honing their craft, Elbow have come up with some truly killer songs.

Starlings and Mirrorball were great, Weather to Fly tremendous, a barnstorming Grounds For Divorce nearly brought the house down, while One Day Like This, a simply beautiful tune (remember it from the BBC's Beijing Olympics coverage?) was played here to perfection.