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 Post subject: Re: Helsinki Set List - Tour band
PostPosted: Tue Jun 22, 2010 4:15 pm 
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Just been thinking about what thought process a band goes through when choosing a set list. For this tour did Roxy think:

(1) What is the best balanced live set we can have from the recorded output to date for a festival audience? That would be based on them thinking about how many people at the festival have seen Roxy before (probably less than 1%) Therefore it doesn't matter that they have to try and please fans who saw them 9 years ago who by and large wont be at the festival anyway. From this they can do songs they 'know' work.

(2) Do they choose what songs they haven't done for a while, spend a lot of time and effort in preproduction to perfect these songs and 'hope' they work to satisfy themselves and their die hards who will form a small part of the audience for 12 X 1-1 and half hour perfomances over several months?

(3) Do they choose only radio friendly songs and assume that the crowd will only like what they have already heard on the radio or is that too patronising to think they won't 'get' 'Dreamhome', 'Ladytron' 'Re-make' etc on first hearing

I think number 1 is probably nearer what they do when choosing wheather it suits us or not. I agree there are songs in there that have been played too often that are neither die hard pleasing Roxy classics or crowd pleasing hits like While My Heart Is Still Beating and My Only Love.

Hands up from all the dissenters here about this set list had any intention of going to any of these shows before they knew the set list and if there are not many then it is irrelevant what the set list is because it is not aimed at people sitting at home not attending the shows. If you are not attending a show and had no intentions to then what difference does it make if you are not there.

I can't deny from my own personal point of view that I would rather have seen some big changes in the set but looking at the bigger picture I can see why it has mostly been unchanged the last 9 years.

I would like to think that if and when Roxy Music release another new album and they do an indoor tour of their own they would re-think their live set a lot and cater for the 'Roxy cognisenti'

I am going to Montreux, London and Dublin as I like to travel and it's an excuse to visit places and have a good time with some friends, all I expect expect from Roxy is a good performance.

Any forum regulars going to Montreux? I am going there for a week for the festival for a holiday. Looking forward to seeing Regina Spektor and Massive Attack.

J.O'B.


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 Post subject: Re: Helsinki Set List - Tour band
PostPosted: Tue Jun 22, 2010 5:23 pm 
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Posts: 15
i agree with a lot of what you say John.

i guess the real question is... what is the point of this sudden unexpected burst of Roxy activity? if it's actually to promote the Roxy/Ferry back catalogue to a new/festival audience then we all know that there are far better songs available... and maybe they should throw in a few Ferry hits as well... why not?... LST just for an example is a crowd pleaser... that's what festivals are about!

i was at the IOW festival 2005 and this same basic setlist did not exactly 'wow' the crowd... look at the video footage (of the crowd)... in fact once the crowd spotted Otis in their midst a lot of them were more interested in jeering him and throwing water at him than what his Dad was doing onstage!

controversial comment?... i think they need to ditch Colin Good and get in a proper keyboard player with some stage presence!


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 Post subject: Re: Helsinki Set List - Tour band
PostPosted: Tue Jun 22, 2010 7:51 pm 
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Posts: 66
A lot of what you say is true John.

I bought a ticket without knowing what would be in the setlist, purely because it was Roxy. I did hope that one or two of the different songs that they'd done at Koko would be in there...only Pyjamarama so far.

Ok so they are performing for a festival crowd not hardcore fans....couldn't they at least have changed the order of the setlist.. :?

John maybe see you in London. I'm also going to the Belgium show in August...anyone else?


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 Post subject: Re: Helsinki Set List - Tour band
PostPosted: Tue Jun 22, 2010 10:35 pm 
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Joined: Fri Jun 18, 2010 11:39 am
Posts: 4
Location: Helsinki, Finland
I consider myself as a HC-fan, but I'm still happy and settled with what I've got... during this 2010 tour. Of course, I wonder how great it was during the 70's and so on... (I usually dream about this) but this is now and, RM's "golden days" were ten years before I was even born...

I admire them and think they are amazing! And Bryan is ever more charming :)

Ok, I admit there were some songs I was expecting for... like Mother of Pearl and Both Ends Burning... and even something more "rare" but in general the show (in Helsinki) was good and entertaining and stylish.

_________________
I'm all for you - body and soul


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 Post subject: Re: Helsinki Set List - Tour band
PostPosted: Wed Jun 23, 2010 11:08 am 
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Posts: 1119
I'm surprised at all the negative comments since Helsinki and still think it was a pretty good gig and worth the effort of getting there. I was lucky enough to stay free of charge with a friend, but I don't think it makes much sense to factor in travel and accommodation costs when assessing the performance; I'm not sure there's any gig I'd pay £500+ plus for (unless you include time travel, in which case Roxy circa 1972 might persuade me!).

If you'd told me a year ago that Roxy would reform to play live in 2010 and that 75% of the set list (if you discount Tara, which is only used as a filler to give BF time for a breather or change of clothing...) would be from the pre-1976 "golden era", I'd have been well pleased.

As one who's been buying their records since the age of 12 in 1973, there will always be songs I hope in vain for (e.g. Beauty Queen, Strictly Confidential etc.) and others which have been played more often, but which I'll never tire of (e.g. The Bogus Man, The Thrill Of It All, Mother Of Pearl etc.). But there aren't too many which I'd ditch without a second thought (Heart Still Beating and maybe My Only Love or Jealous Guy).

Neither would I prefer a strict "greatest hits" package; yes, I'd love Street Life, All I Want Is You & Both Ends Burning, but not necessarily if it means getting Dance Away, Angel Eyes & Avalon too! And the prospect of a gig without Re-Make/Re-Model, Editions Of You & Do The Strand would be unthinkable to us oldies! :D

As for the reasons for the tour, almost every 60 year old rocker in history is on the festival circuit; there's money to be made! If BF wants to raise his profile to aid solo album & concert ticket sales, I'm not going to die in a ditch with shock & horror; if the cash might be used to finish the "new" Roxy album, then so much the better.

I just hope the band doesn't read all this carping; they might wonder why they're bothering to try to entertain us. Surely none of us would be happier without the prospect of future tours and shows? And like John says, why whinge and moan about the set list if you never intended going to the festivals anyway? If they'd changed the list radically, you'd probably still be moaning about what you'd missed! :D

I, for one, am glad the band's back on the live circuit and am looking forward to Lovebox and maybe Lokeren too; bring it on!


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 Post subject: Re: Helsinki Set List - Tour band
PostPosted: Wed Jun 23, 2010 3:21 pm 
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Joined: Fri Jun 12, 2009 8:12 pm
Posts: 837
To amazona:
I`m not sorry for being unable to see them in the 70s.

I would ditch "Dreamhome", yeah, I would! It`s just an excuse for Phil to show around. Obviously the band has been rehearsing extensively for this little tour. Probably by a last minute decision from Bryan, they stuck to the tried and tested, probably to the rest of the band`s great disappointment. Doing other songs from the catalogue probably would have cost them little, and would have brought them much joy! When Phil and Andy both sayed they were not going to do a "greatest hits" tour this time, I believed them. I forgot that there were three decision makers in that band, or perhaps only one...
:roll:


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 Post subject: Re: Helsinki Set List - Tour band
PostPosted: Thu Jun 24, 2010 6:49 pm 
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Posts: 46
I have to agree with smudge and john..

the angry roxy/ ferry fans have got to reassess their expectations, in my humble opinion. it is true that the band aren't as tight as they were, and regrettably, one has to admit bryan's voice does appear somewhat jaded. but i for one am glad they're still together, and still playing some 40-odd years on.
if incredible voices and perfect chart hits are what we want, we are all following the wrong band, and visiting the wrong forum. we are all roxy fans because we appreciate the band, their music and indeed their incredibly legacy.
but we cannot expect wonders. ferry and andy are 64 (if memory serves), making phil and paul roughly the wrong side of 55. they are not 30 years' old anymore, and after so many twists and turns, are bound to be "showing their age" just a tad. i'm not as good a rugby player as i was 20 years ago - sadly, age takes its toll! i for one think it is truly remarkable that the band have the drive to tour and ambition to even consider another studio album - and for that, we must be grateful.
naturally, as a long-time roxy fan, it would indeed have been different to hear a few "new" songs, but it is roxy nonetheless. having listened to recorded snippets of both the helsinki and barcelona gigs on youtube, i draw mixed conclusions from the "performance" - but of course, i wasn't there. roxy always put on a show full of character, regardless of the specific quality of each number. in fact, i must say, the slightly tweaked heart still beating does sound pretty good - and the latest version of dreamhome, is for me personally, i think the best i have heard.
one must consider the song selection carefully - put yourself in ferry's shoes.. he has the most to lose, and the least to gain. why put your wilting voice to the dogs by trying notes most 20-somethings couldn't hit? the selection is, as previous callers made reference, "tried and tested" - and there's good reason. the band know they can please a crowd with remake/love is drug/ strand, but some songs we must concede, we will probably never hear live again.
perhaps what we should be discussing, is not what we would like to hear, but what in fact the band (and ferry) are capable of reproducing after so many years. Amazona has the deep and whispy feel of ferry in the noughties...
keep faith roxy fans, it's not all bad


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 Post subject: Re: Helsinki Set List - Tour band
PostPosted: Thu Jun 24, 2010 9:05 pm 
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Posts: 8
Well, first of all: we are very lucky that Roxy Music are still alive! OK, a bit more different set list the to the 2001/2003/2005/2006 set list than it is right now, would have been nice... BUT didn't we all agree about how great the set list was in 2001? The years after, I consider being an extension of the 2001 reunion tour, with a few breaks of a few years. And they HAVE made some changes since 2005: The Bogus Man and Pyjamarama for example. If There Is Something was only played during the first five shows in 2001, after that it was dropped. I think it's great they're doing the song again! OK not the same as on Viva Roxy Music, but this current version still is very welcome to me! I watched some youtube videos of the Helsinki and Barcelona gigs, and as far as I can judge from these recordings: I think Bryan was in a very good voice, some of the "overplayed" songs were quite fresh because of some new and/or changed details, and the graphics on the big screen behind the band are very nice. Would be cool if they will be able to use this screen on the following festivals too. I think Andy was in good shape, and Phil and Paul were steady as always. Some new additional musicians who keep it fresh, among some appreciated familiar additional band members.
Why are so many people complaining? Let's be happy with this! The core band members being this fit on their ages and still going for it, let's just appreciate that!
I am really looking forward to see them in Lokeren (B), and if I can't get enough after that, I will head to Paris end of August as well.

Have a good one everybody.

Cheers,
Peter


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 Post subject: Re: Helsinki Set List - Tour band
PostPosted: Fri Jun 25, 2010 6:34 am 
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Joined: Wed Jun 10, 2009 12:20 pm
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Having watched the Helsinki clips on youtube, I think the first thing to go should be the singer!! He can barely keep in tune during Love is the Drug. Whatever happened to his voice?


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 Post subject: Re: Helsinki Set List - Tour band
PostPosted: Fri Jun 25, 2010 8:25 am 
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Posts: 1119
Just watched the Youtube clips from Helsinki after reading Sam's message. I think BF sings Love Is The Drug in much the same way as he has for years; maybe he's sung it so often that he's grown less interested in it. Perhaps it's one of the songs he'd drop from the set list himself if it wasn't for the audience's expectations?

I can only reiterate that his voice sounded fine to me in Helsinki, as the other Helsinki clips bear out, in my opinion. Whether it would stand up to a full tour quite as easily is another matter (he's suffered from laryngitis during a couple of the more recent tours), but then there aren't too many singers in his age group who could claim that their pipes work as well as 30 years ago (Tom Jones perhaps?!).

Looked at the Barcelona clip of Re-Make/Re-Model too; rather pokey quality, but interesting to see Phil playing his red Firebird VII, which didn't feature in Finland as far as I recall.

I was surprised to see Ollie Thompson in the band instead of Chris Spedding; is there any particular reason for Chris' absence after so many years?


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