Newcastle: Homecoming - Wed 13th Jun

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Newcastle: Homecoming
13 June 2001

8.30pm, and it's time to check the stage. The huge gold curtain emblazoned with the Roxy World Tour logo, hangs like crushed silk. There is a pair of lighting technicians being winched high on either side of the stage, a signal that the start of the show is imminent.
The lights lower, there is a hush of expectation, and the giant curtain shimmies and ripples from the centre. This is it?the show?s begun. The curtain unveils from left to right and immediately at the front of stage is Phil, Andy, Chris Spedding and Sarah Brown, behind them TG Paul Thompson. Bryan is away to the left on keyboards with Colin Good. To the right are Zef Katz, Lucy Wilkins and Julia Thornton. It is a band, not Ferry?s backing band, and the choice of Re-make/Re-model as the opener, emphasises the unity of Roxy?s reunion.
The glamour of Roxy is still apparent. The stage is simply dressed, but oozes opulence, and style. There is a huge flimsy curtain draped and swagged across the upper right stage, with strings of huge baubles. With every lighting change one is transported into a variety of be-jewelled caverns. The stage swims in blues and greens during More Than This and is hot oranges and pinks for A Song For Europe.
Roving about the stage are two cameramen, who are filming the band as they perform, these close up images are shown for us all on the screen to the rear of the stage.
But we don?t have time to get bored with the up close images, as the background becomes a sea of flame for Both Ends Burning. Other effects include a swirling blue pool for Avalon, lifted from the Windswept video, a tree and a myriad of white lights.

As to the music tonight, there are just little nuances to add to what has been reviewed previously.
Tonight, the band was really tight and Andy Mackay had an outstanding performance. They all just keep on getting better and better. The audience was dancing at the front of stage from very early in the show, the security were not as ferocious as that of the previous night.
The Roxy Dancers performed as they did in Glasgow, adding the glitz and glamour that we all love. They put a smile on us all including Andy Mackay.
More Than This was really good and had Manzanera playing rhythm as Spedding played the guitar licks at the end.
Julia Thornton played Marimba on Mother Of Pearl.
The biggest cheer of the evening was when Bryan introduced,? My fellow Geordie, Paul Thompson.?

This review began with describing the stage and its theatrical dressing, but it was Roxy?s sense of theatre during the close of For Your Pleasure, that left the audience stunned.

The 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, Both Ends Burning, Tara, Avalon, If There Is Something, More Than This, Mother Of Pearl, Jealous Guy, Editions Of You, Virginia Plain, Love Is The Drug, Do The Strand, For Your Pleasure.

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