All very personal I know.......to those joining now we’re doing our two best gigs........

(I) 17.12.99 Glasgow Clyde Auditorium. As Time Goes By. It had been a long time (since Mamouna in 1995) but the band was incredible and when he sauntered onto the stage my eyes welled up. A beautiful show.


(II) 13 March 2020 Royal Albert Hall. An absolutely fantastic show, so carefully curated and marvellously performed. Enhanced by the sense that the world was about to implode. I was booked on a train to Newcastle the next day to watch a game. It was cancelled and I haven’t been back to SJP or Greggs since. I’d love to know what the junkiest food BF ever munches is (rumours that he indulges when back up north).

Furloughed Fandangoists,

VivaVoce has us all working overtime on Christmas Eve but how can this most important of questions be ignored ?

W2 has scratched his well coiffured head to think this one over but, here we go:

ATGB 9th March 2000, Le Grand Rex, Paris - In every regard, this was the perfect fandango. Five years after Mamouna, our hero relaunched with a new album, a new musical director, a new band and a new set list that incorporated fabulous new arrangements that seamlessly blended songs from every stage of his career.
The show was the gold standard in every way. Glamorous set. Great sound. Great venue. Happily for W2 and everybody else, this was the one immortalised with the DVD.

DYLANESQUE 26th March 2006, Paris - W2 was living in the US at the time and this was the tour he nearly missed.
Realising that the Paris gig coincided with a board meeting in Paris, arrangements were made.
After an early dinner the team surprise was the show.
The fandango was amazing. Guitar heavy - all new show - new line up. A lot of my colleagues hadn’t seen Ferry before (Philistines) and were knocked out.
On the way back to the hotel, taxis were directed to a mysterious
Saint Honore Hotel under the ruse of an after fandango cocktail. Inside we were lead to a very cool private room to attend Ferry’s after party. To say the team were bowled over was one of the understatement of the decade. What’s more, W2 got to spend some quality time with Ferry. The breeze was shot over the NE and many issues. What a night !

The aforementioned were clearly very special but W2 has been lucky enough to see every tour and in truth, they have all been completely marvellous!

Ferry on and salutations a tous,

W2

Postscript:
Some say it’s better not to meet your heroes less you be disappointed.
W2’s work brought him in to contact with many supposed ‘A’ listers. None were his heroes and most he prefers to forget.
Imagine the trepidation that night in Paris.
He needn’t have worried. Ferry turned out to be one of the most interesting, intelligent and charismatic individuals it has been his privilege to meet.
What a home run. A fabulous musician and a nice guy to boot - it doesn’t get any better than that. I raced back to my hotel to phone Mrs.Windswept. She was jealous. Particularly when I told her that the first thing Ferry said was “Is she here, I must meet her”.

1 - Best Roxy concert: Roxy Music reunion concert 2001 in Munich. The "Olympiahalle" had an awful sound but to see a reunified Roxy Music with a fantastic show made me forget about this. I didn't like that the songs were all played way too fast but otherwise I thought that this could be my last Roxy concert - I didn't know then that I would see them again in Bonn 2010 ...

2 - Best Ferry concert: Regensburg Schloss Thurn & Taxis 2018. Great atmosphere in and around the castle. The show started at daylight and ended in the dark. Good mixture between gems and greatest hits. Bryan was in a good shape, had a tight band and afterwards I had the opportunity to talk with Jorja Chalmers. More than this - there is nothing ...

Happy New Year & stay healthy! -p-