Adelaide: City of Churches Praise Roxy - Fri 17th Aug

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Adelaide: City of Churches Praise Roxy
17 August 2001

Thanks to Graham for the following Adelaide review and picture from a lucky meeting with Bryan and TGPT in the bar of the Adelaide Hyatt.

17 August 2001

It would have seemed like like a private performance from our front row, centre seats - only for the yell of 5000 people at The Adelaide Entertainment Centre. The curtains rose for the frenzied stomp of Remake/Remodel. The mix was clearer than Sydney -thanks to centre speakers placed right in front of Bryan...just like in home theatre. Bryan was wearing a black tie with red spots,no doubt to ward off the chilly night outside.

Our prized seats and long flight from Sydney were starting to show their worth as Roxy ripped into heated versions of StreetLife and Ladytron. There were a few bum notes...but hey...they are only mere demi-gods! A Song for Europe,Both Ends Burning and Dance Away were dispensed with much gusto for the appreciative older crowd. Some were dancing in strategically placed positions so as not to block audience views. This crowd seemed to react with more vigour than their Sydney counterparts and certainly started dancing earlier into the set. There was no Mother Of Pearl, like in Melbourne... I can consider myself very lucky to reside in the Harbour City. Seems like they lengthen the set in the major capitals like L.A, London and New York etc..

Adelaide certainly embraced Roxy and even got a Roxy chant going after Do The Strand. This was one enthusiastic Friday night crowd ready to party! The band seemed to lift from the energy vibe. The encores had everyone on their feet, and funnily enough, you could not hear a pin drop during a mesmerizing For Your Pleasure.

Other highlights were the much improved and melodic Jealous Guy,a jaunty Virginia Plain, a jet propelled Editions Of You and Lucy's searing Out Of The Blue violin solo. Roxy are quite simply timelessly innovative,elegant and rocking.They should consider playing live indefinitely and record new material for our listening pleasure.Viva Roxy!

CHANCE MEETING

Following the show , white dinner suited fan, Jamie told me he had seen every gig Australian so far and remarkably had driven some 4000 kms -sleeping in the car on some nights! Besides imparting this astonishing and devout tale he relayed that Roxy were staying at the Hyatt. We knew where we would be having post concert drinks!

My girlfriend and I arrived to find a small gathering of fans waiting for their heroes return. We hit the casino before venturing back to The Hyatt. We heard Roxy had arrived and had missed them. Oh well...we were happy with our night and ready to have those drinks.

I spoke to another fan, Trinity, who was beside us at the gig. We told him how we had missed Roxy upon their return to the hotel. What are you talking about? said Trinity. Half of Roxy, including Bryan are over there! I was just talking to Julia Thornton and we were going to exchange e-mail addresses!

I summoned up the courage and ventured over to the table which included Bryan, Zev Katz, Julia Thornton and Lucy Wilkins. I stood above and behind Bryan.Zev Katz let Bryan know I was behind him with programme in hand. Sorry to interrupt Bryan...Can I please have your autograph. "Yes,certainly" he replied in his impeccably proper accent." I have been a fan since ' 75,seen all your Sydney shows since then and travelled from Sydney to see Roxy here" I said. I realized how strange that must have sounded. He hesitated before replying that tonight's show was really enjoyable and the crowd had helped. "Where are Andy and Phil?" "Probably upstairs" said Bryan.

" Are Lucy and the kids on tour? "No...didn't bring them on this leg" replied Bryan. It was then I remembered that he had hinted on Australian TV show, Rove Live that there might be life left in the old dog (Roxy) yet." Are you going to do something with Roxy next year? " I queried. " No, we haven't decided to do anything yet....I don't know at this point". Bryan was being guarded. Afterall I could be a journo wanting a scoop. "What are you drinking" I asked. "Gin...it's what I seem to drink these days". I told him I wouldn't bother him anymore. After all he probably wanted to have a quiet time with the rest of the band. I left happy that I had finally met him after 26 years.

The conversation with Paul Thompson was more revealing. I asked Paul if he considered that the fans had been instrumental in his appointment as drummer on the tour. Paul nodded negatively and said that this tour had been in negotiation for years....although it was flattering to get so much positive feedback from Roxy fans. He also said that he did not collect guns as it had been widely reported. He collected drums. I would assume that some journalist has bad hearing or a dodgy phone connection! Paul also said that Detroit was probably the gig he most enjoyed on this tour, but did not know why they were so responsive. Zev Katz went onto say that the Adelaide audience was really positive and security in Melbourne had been heavy handed.

Later my girlfriend took a photo of Bryan and myself. He was very relaxed afterwards and dangled his pastel yellow socked feet over the lounge. He was also playing games (wearing his glasses) on a mobilephone with a girlfriend of Julia Thornton. The Hyatt bar singer told everyone that Bryan was present and launched into a cheesy version of Lets Sick Together. Bryan laughed out loud when it got to the amateurish yelping part attempted by the singer. It summed up the night when he got an ovation from the crowded bar for merely leaving. A fitting reward for a great singer and even greater night.
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