Venue:
New Theatre, Oxford
Date: 09/05/2015
A Saturday night out in Oxford, Bryan Ferry and his young, lean band of musicians and a back catalogue of 40+ years to choose from. What could possibly go wrong? Absolutely nothing. Banana Ferrini belies his near 70 years and looks fantastic. His voice my have lost a bit at the top of it’s range but he has the vocal skills to compensate. The set had 4 or 5 songs from the new album (very good), Avonmore, as well as a good trip back down memory – lane to delve into plenty of Roxy classics. Ladytron, Beauty Queen, More Than This, Avalon, Love Is The Drug, Do The Strand, Virginia Plain and Editions Of You were mixed with album cuts like Stronger Through The Years, Tara and My Only Love. The band are fantastic, Neil Hubbard on second guitar supporting Jacob Quistgaard, the young lead player, perfectly. The star of the show is Jorja Chalmers, a tall girl playing the Andy Mackay role. She looks like she has walked straight out of the Addicted To Love video and she played like a dream. A really good sound, a fast-paced show and an audience on their feet, roaring, by the end. Great night.
The audience:
Surprisingly ‘up for it.’ A few trendies and hipsters but mostly couples out for a night of nostalgia and a bit of a dance. Lots of screams and sighs ( he does look disgustingly good for a 70 year old grandfather) and lots of admiring noises for the deeper cuts from Roxy’s history.
It made me think..
Love Is The Drug is a fantastic song.
Great review. It’s wierd, I can’t understand why I didn’t really have Roxy Music in my fav’ bands back in the day. They tick so many of my boxes. Maybe it was that when I was at school the people that liked them I didn’t like. I love Eno and I have nothing against the band but they always seemed a bit smarmy and too cool. There are quite a few songs that I really like but I’ve never felt like listening to whole albums. Is it just me?
Maybe I should try harder…….
Fabulous review! The best concert I’ve ever witnessed was Roxy Music in 2005. I imagine this gig was almost as good.
Thanks for the review, Niall. I have a seaside date with Mr F on Friday. As a long-time fan, I’ve seen him quite a few times over the years, and he’s never been less than brilliant. Always assembles a great band (I think many of the present lot, including the wonderful, Jorja, were with him on the last tour I saw in 2013) and always unveils a few pleasant surprises in the set; I’m aware that he’s performing ‘Beauty Queen’ this time round, rare indeed! Looking at the setlists so far, I’m a bit surprised that there aren’t more selections from ‘Avonmore’, and to be honest I could really do without LITD and ‘Let’s Stick Together’ as I’ve seen him do them so many times. That sounds really spoilt, I know…I’m sure they’ll go down a storm at Bridlington along with the rest of what will nodoubt be a great performance.
Thanks for the review. I’m going to the Glasgow gig.
I’ve seen him and/or Roxy several times and have never been disappointed.
Massively envious. I am a huge fan of the man, “love his work”, got all the solo albums. Avonmore – having more! I’ve only seen him once, back when the first Roxy album came out. I’d like to say I thought they were fantastic and recognised his brilliance, but he and they were too far ahead of me. Took me a few years to catch up.
It’s blokes like ‘im wot give me hope. Really.
Hope that the fox hunting ban will be overturned? I love his music but the man and his awful son have turned into pseudo-aristocratic idiots.
I’ve seen him loads of times. I don’t think he’s got any songs about fox-hunting.
Saw him last night in Southend and I have to agree he is on fine form. Don’t miss the support too – Judith Owen – as her band includes Leland Sklar, Russ Kunkel and Waddy Wachtel – I kid you not!
bobh is correctamundo
https://theafterword.co.uk/god-looks-like-leland-
Saw him last night, in Edinburgh.
Great gig: good to see a fairly small band, and grand to see Neil Hubbard as part of said band. Tight sound.
Splendid to hear the old, less obvious Roxy stuff – and “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” was lovely.
Really enjoyable. He’s singing very well, too.
Think I last saw him just before Roxy split up. About 1980, maybe(?). Anyway, it’s been a very long time! Glad to have caught another gig by him.