GUY Garvey lifted his pint of beer to the heavens. Cheers to Forest Live, the trees, the weather holding up, the lack of damnable midges, the ever brilliant Forestry Commission staff, the 5,000 gathering. We are blessed indeed; Elbow make you feel that way, probably the most uplifting melancholia in the world.

Garvey was in regular loose black shirt, worn over black trousers, just as he was when playing solo at Dalby last summer. Elbow would be resurfacing in 2017, he promised at the close of that night, and back they are with Garvey all loved up with last autumn's marriage to actress Rachael Stirling and the spring birth of their baby.

February's album, Little Fictions, reflected Garvey's radiant joys, and Saturday's gig did likewise with Little Fictions well represented in the two-hour set. Magnificent (She Says) was as magnificent as its title; Gentle Storm, Little Fictions and Kindling all met with beautiful playing by a band augmented by two string players and a fill-in drummer after last year's departure of Richard Jupp. Craig Potter's keyboards were a particular delight.

All Disco grew in stature played live, and when Garvey spotted something going on in a boisterous section of the crowd, he stopped Head For Supplies, asked if everything was all right and called for love and peace, before the song blossomed anew when Elbow started it all over again. Garvey has that gentle power of a big man, calling for order in a way that no-one could argue with him.

Elbow had played a surprise set the night before at faraway Glastonbury and Garvey professed to the band feeling "a bit ropey" after their travels. Well, the opening five numbers were low key, so much so that Garvey joked he could tell some of the audience may not have been familiar with the songs (beyond The Seldom Seen Kid breakthrough hits), but this turned into the perfect Elbow setlist as the sunset turned salmon pink in appreciation.

New York Morning, My Sad Captains, Mirrorball and Station Approach off Leaders Of The Free World all Elbowed their way into the woodland air before the knockout finale of One Day Like This and the encore glory of Lippy Kids and Grounds For Divorce. One day like this a year did indeed see us right.