I love Elbow.

Yeah, me too. Especially that 'Black and White Town'.

That's the Doves.

To the relief of a very loyal and enduring fan base, Elbow spent much of their career on the periphery of the music mainstream. Most music fans were aware of Elbow even if they weren't entirely sure what they sounded like. And there was a sense that the band and their fans, especially the fans, liked it that way.

Then in 2008, the Mancunian five-piece won the Mercury Prize for their fourth album 'The Seldom Seen Kid' and the secret was out. From then on, no hour on Radio 1, Radio 2, 6Music or XFM would be complete without at least one airing of their new signature tune, 'One Day Like This'. Elbow had spent 10 years under the radar, releasing three studio albums, numerous EPs and a handful of singles, but being nominated for, and then beating Radiohead to, the 2008 Mercury gong changed all that.

Now, a new legion of fans awaits word of the new material and tour, Guy Garvey has been elevated to God-like status and each of the band have been awarded a moon. Well, not quite but you get the picture.

Elbow will release their fifth studio album, tentatively-titled 'Lippy Kids', in 2011 and have announced a series of nine dates on which they will no doubt try out the new songs and re-tell a few of the old ones.

The tour begins in Scotland at Glasgow's SECC on 15th March, closing at the O2 Arena in London on 28th March. Confirming the band's enhanced status, in-between they tick off most of the nation's largest indoor arenas including Sheffield (19th March), Liverpool's Echo Arena (20th), the NIA in Birmingham (22nd) and the Manchester MEN Arena on the 25th March, before rounding off at the O2. There are also dates at Newcastle, Nottingham and Cardiff.

Tickets go on sale on Friday 1st October. They won't last long.