Liverpool Daily Post - Tue 12th Jul
Liverpool Daily Post
12 July 2005
Roxy Music, Liverpool Summer Pops July 12 2005
By Alan Weston, Daily Post
SOMETIMES the most accurate and eloquent summation of a gig is simply: "Wow!" Roxy Music's appearance at the 2005 Summer Pops was one such occasion.
They were simply on fire last night. If you are lucky, you will experience a handful of concerts in which the performers on stage have the audience in the palm of their hand, and this was definitely one of those. They knew it, and we knew it.
For anyone of a certain age, a Roxy Music concert is bound to be an instant nostalgia-fest. But, even after putting the rose-tinted spectacles to one side, last night they showed just why we still come back to see them after all these years.
They have a fantastic collection of songs which have stood the test of time, and last night they were delivered with the kind of conviction that made them sound as fresh as when they were first heard.
All the Roxy standards were there, of course - Street Life, Oh Yeah, Virginia Plain, Jealous Guy - but they were mixed with a selection of relatively obscure album tracks which only the diehard aficianado would appreciate, such as Prairie Rose and The Bogus Man.
As you would expect, the standard of musicianship on display was superb throughout. The classic line-up of Bryan Ferry, Phil Manzanera, Andy Mackay and Paul Thompson was augmented by an array of other musicians, including a violinist and percussionist. Needless to say, they made a big sound.
For the first number, Bryan was hidden behind a keyboard on the extreme right of the stage, before he emerged to claim his rightful place at the centre.
Roxy always combined the best of both glam and art-rock, and no show would be complete without two glamorous dancers appearing on stage to strut their stuff to Both Ends Burning, Love Is The Drug, and Do The Strand.
In-between chat was kept to an absolute minimum, other than to introduce the members of the band. Sensibly, they let the music do the talking.
It is difficult to put it into perspective in the immediate euphoria of writing this only an hour or so after they came off stage, but I have to say this must be one of the best gigs I've ever seen.
Roxy Music last night showed they are among that very select group in the rock world that actually improve with age.