No ZZZs in Zurich - Fri 29th Jun
No ZZZs in Zurich
29 June 2001
Roxy opened the show in Zurich here tonight(27th June) the way the opened their debut album almost 30 years ago with the pop-art classic Re-make/Re-model. The curtain opens as Phil Manzanera & Andy Mackay walk forward with Bryan Ferry behind his Yamaha electric piano. All the power and energy of 1972 is there, Roxy are back. The band all taking their turns to play their 2 bar solos towards the end, each member playing what they did on the original record with the exception of bassist Zef Katz who added humour to the set by playing the Bond theme instead of the ?Day Tripper? motif played on the record.
?This is Roxy Music,? proclaims Bryan Ferry as he comes down from his piano to the centre stage mike and straight into a stunning version of Street Life.
They go through the classic albums picking out song after song like a band spoilt for choice. Ladytron, While My Heart Is Still Beating, Out Of The Blue with a violin solo played by the exceptionally talented Lucy Wilkins, simply Out Of This World.
During My Only Love, Bryan plays a piano solo where he nods to Chris Spedding to take over, which he does with contrasting style to Phil Manzanera with his superb blues-like lyrical ease.
Phil?s guitar playing has obviously developed with having done so much solo work and collaborations during the last 18 years. We are reminded of those early Roxy days when we look at Lucy?s keyboards, which are the original, and are now old and battered having been well used and well travelled, silver tape holding them together presumably from Ferry?s collection of vintage synthesizers.
Most of the songs played tonight are from the first 5 albums. Manifesto is left out totally with, My Only Love Oh Yeah, Jealous Guy, While My Heart Still Beating and a wonderful version of Tara all from Roxy?s Flesh + Blood & Avalon period making up the remainder of the set. These songs were not originally recorded with Paul Thompson but he played these with the finesse they needed and the power and drive that they missed with his absence from these sessions 20 years ago. He seemed to have studied his parts better than Bryan, Phil & Andy who played on the recordings!
The show ending with classics like Editions Of You, Virginia Plain, Love Is The Drug, Do The Strand and a stunning version of For Your Pleasure where every member of the band walked off the stage one by one to the repeated lyric ?Tara?Tara?? Breath-taking.
If any one could reform a band and do a reunion tour with style, class and a vibrant energy that would only be found in a new band, Roxy Music are that band.
Set:
Re-make/Re-model, Street Life, Ladytron, While My Heart Is Still Beating, Out Of The Blue, A Song For Europe, My Only Love, Oh Yeah, In Every Dreamhome A Heartache, Tara, Both Ends Burning, Mother Of Pearl, Jealous Guy, Editions Of You, Virginia Plain, Love Is The Drug, Do The Strand, For Your Pleasure.