ROXY MUSIC + NILÜFER YANYA – O2 ARENA, LONDON 14.10.22
Tonight is one of only three UK gigs to mark the 50th anniversary of the release of Roxy Music’s first album in 1972. This tour has been marketed as the band’s 50th anniversary, but strictly speaking this isn’t their 50th, as the band formed in 1970. However, there can be no denying that whatever it is marking, tonight’s gig is an event writ large.
To say that this tour has been both unexpected and long anticipated doesn’t even begin to cover the way most of the audience tonight probably feel, and as the band take the stage the atmosphere is absolutely electric. The band’s core line-up: Bryan Ferry on vocals, Phil Manzanera on guitar, Andy Mackay on sax and woodwind, and Paul Thompson on drums, are all present and correct. This is the band’s first tour since 2011, and that was widely considered to have been Roxy’s farewell. Luckily for us that wasn’t the case.
These days the band is augmented by additional musicians. There is obviously a bass player, Roxy never really having had a regular bassist. In addition there are two keyboard players, three backing singers, a percussionist, a second guitarist, and a sax player who also plays keyboards. All in all there are thirteen people onstage. Unlucky for some, but not for Roxy, not tonight. Bryan Ferry looks more disgracefully louche than any 77 year old man deserves to do. It wouldn’t be a case of locking up your daughters per se, but certainly middle-aged wives and mothers could do with having an eye kept on them.
This is all very well I hear you say, but what did they play and were they any good? Blimey! All in good time! It was a long set, so obviously it’s going to be a long review! Okay?!!
The set fittingly opens with ‘Re-Make/Re-Model’, the opening track of their first album, and effectively their manifesto (certainly more so than their 1979 album ‘Manifesto’). It set out their intention to rip up the rock’n’roll rule book and start again. Indeed it was a manifesto that many artists that followed them picked up and ran with. Symbolically they couldn’t have chosen a better opening song. In many ways this was what Roxy were all about.
‘Ladytron’ is every bit as vibrant and energetic as it was in 1972. Andy Mackay and Phil Manzanera’s instrumental duets are stunning. They seem to be having fun too. Phil Manzanera in particular is playing lead guitar as incisively as ever. This first part of the set very much focuses on Roxy’s earlier more experimental material.
Surprisingly even ‘While My Heart Is Still Beating’ from their final studio album ‘Avalon’ fits in with the earlier songs quite well. However, Roxy’s recording career, in my opinion, was very much a game of two halves. The five albums recorded from 1972 to 1975, both with and without Brian Eno, represented their adventurous imperial phase.
When they re-formed in 1979, Bryan Ferry’s lounge lizard leanings rather took over, and their output in general during this period was smoother and more commercial. This contrast is particularly obvious in a live setting. Whilst songs such as ‘Oh Yeah (On The Radio)’, ‘Dance Away’, ‘More Than This’ and ‘Avalon’ are good songs, and deservedly popular, they simply can’t hold a candle to the bulk of Roxy’s earlier material. Whilst they’re certainly not dull, they’re simply not that exciting in comparison. ‘Ladytron’ or ‘Avalon’? ‘Ladytron’ every time for me.
After all of the band are introduced at the end of ‘Avalon’, we get the unimpeachable triumvirate of ‘Love Is The Drug’, ‘Editions Of You’ (complete with a backdrop of classic Andy Warhol artworks) and a thunderous rendition of ‘Virginia Plain’. How to follow that??? With John Lennon’s ‘Jealous Guy’ of course. I have a bit of an issue with this. It’s undeniably a great song. Undoubtedly it was a heartfelt tribute back in 1981. It certainly sold a lot of records for Roxy, they do a great version of the song, and it’s nice to hear it live. Having said all of that, there are so many Roxy Music classics that could have filled this slot in the set! This may seem a bit churlish of me (and it probably is), but will Roxy play again? I would far rather have heard ‘Both Ends Burning’ or ‘A Song For Europe’ for example. Enter your own unplayed favourite here:
As it is the set ends with the superlative ‘Do The Strand’. The band have been lapping up the applause after each of the last half dozen songs, so there’s really no need for them to go off and then return for an encore.
Despite the reservations that I’ve expressed, this has been an absolutely brilliant show. The four original members remain at the top of their game, and the additional musicians sharing the stage with them have clearly been well chosen. Nobody has said that this is the last tour, but Ferry himself described them tonight as being “pretty old”. It would be a shame if there were no more shows. How about a few festivals next year lads?
Roxy Music setlist:
‘India’ (Opening instrumental song as the band came on stage) (from 1982 ‘Avalon’ album)
‘Re-Make/Re-Model’ (from 1972 ‘Roxy Music’ album)
‘Out Of The Blue’ (from 1974 ‘Country Life’ album)
‘The Bogus Man’ (Short version) (from 1973 ‘For Your Pleasure’ album)
‘Ladytron’ (from 1972 ‘Roxy Music’ album)
‘While My Heart Is Still Beating’ (from 1982 ‘Avalon’ album)
‘Oh Yeah’ (from 1980 ‘Flesh And Blood’ album)
‘If There Is Something’ (from 1972 ‘Roxy Music’ album)
‘In Every Dream Home A Heartache’ (from 1973 ‘For Your Pleasure’ album)
‘Tara’ (from 1982 ‘Avalon’ album)
‘The Main Thing’ (from 1982 ‘Avalon’ album)
‘My Only Love’ (from 1980 ‘Flesh And Blood’ album)
‘To Turn You On’ (from 1982 ‘Avalon’ album)
‘Dance Away’ (from 1979 ‘Manifesto’ album)
‘More Than This’ (from 1982 ‘Avalon’ album)
‘Avalon’ (with band introductions at the end) (from 1982 ‘Avalon’ album)
‘Love Is The Drug’ (from 1975 ‘Siren’ album)
‘Editions Of You’ (from 1973 ‘For Your Pleasure’ album)
‘Virginia Plain’ (from 1977 ‘Greatest Hits’ compilation album)
‘Jealous Guy’ (John Lennon cover) (from 1981 ‘Jealous Guy’ single)
‘Do The Strand’ (from 1973 ‘For Your Pleasure’ album)
The support act tonight was Nilüfer Yanya and there has been quite a lot of noise about her, especially reports from the summer festivals that she has played have been extremely positive. Therefore expectations, certainly from where I’m sitting, are pretty high.
Nilufer has a four piece band including herself on guitar, a bassist, a drummer and a sax player who also plays keyboards. Most of tonight’s set is from her recently released second album ‘Painless’. I have heard various descriptions of Nilufer’s music, and the most frequent one I’ve heard is ‘jazz’. That kind of fits to a degree, but often that particular description is applied when people don’t really know how to describe an artist’s output. I suspect that may be the case here.
Having said that, opening song ‘Midnight Sun’ is quite laid back and smooth. There are definite shades of Sade, although there are sudden unexpected bursts of distorted guitar. I have to say it is a teeny bit disappointing. Second song ‘Belong With You’ is much better. It’s quite adventurous and interesting which, let’s face it, any band supporting Roxy Music should be. The bass line is slightly reminiscent of ‘Stepping Out’ by Joe Jackson. ‘L/R’ unfortunately slides back a little towards the soporific, but is followed by a (shamefully uncredited) cover of P J Harvey’s ‘Rid Of Me’ which could strip paint at 500 metres. This is more like it! If you’re going to choose an artist to be influenced by Nilufer – this is the way to go!
Some of Nilufer’s material does border on being dull, but her extraordinarily expressive voice spares her songs that particular fate. There are unexpected twists and turns however: one song has a definite flavour of New Order for example. It is very difficult for a support band to impress in a disinterested and half-full arena, especially when the audience are anticipating a legendary headlining act. My guess is that Nilufer Yanya would probably slay us in a smaller venue. There is plenty here to pique our interest. With that in mind, when Nilufer next plays her own headlining gigs, I shall be there.
Nilüfer Yanya setlist:
‘Midnight Sun’
‘Belong With You’
‘L/R’
‘Rid Of Me’ (PJ Harvey cover)
‘The Dealer’
‘Stabilise’
‘Crash’
