What a superb concert that was, the twentieth was true delight. Superb set list, sound, voice and audience. The live album is also a splendid listen and another fine edition to the ever growing catalogue. Nice to bump into Smudge again and others I've not met before in the pub, everyone enjoyed themselves no end.
I heard that Andy Mackay was also in attendance.

The Thrill of it All..........A Really Good Time.........take your pick! After three Bryan Ferry concerts in seven days Friday Night at The London Palladium could not have been a more exciting way to end my latest Ferry fandango and what a finish it was.

Perth on Saturday was good despite the ridiculous stewards and thankfully someone somewhere paid attention resulting in a far more relaxed atmosphere at the Stirling show. These two shows were definitely a warm up for the London Palladium shows which in turn replaced the cancelled RAH show from last June. Although both were great shows I felt Bryan was holding back a little something at Perth & Stirling and this was evident as he seemed to step up a gear for the London shows. Perhaps it took the first couple of shows to get all the elements working together properly as by Friday it all seemed to work pretty well for my ears. His voice seemed stronger than the two Scottish shows I had attended but perhaps that was down to the sound mix, I'm not sure. He was far more animated also, doing his familiar moves in full during Do the Strand And Virginia Plain in particular. He still left out his well known Nijinsky ballet pose but I guess when turning 71 this year we can forgive him that one! I don't think my hips can deal with seat dancing to Bête Noire much longer either and will be reduced to just the shoulder shimmy soon. I really wish that track came later in the list when most of us are up on our feet as it seems a crime to be seated during this song.

I think Tracy and I can probably take the credit for instigating the move to get everyone up on their feet during If There is Something. We got up on our feet to shake down our ponytails and there was no way I was sitting back down again! I was lucky over the three nights that I heard all the slight changes to the set.......some I enjoyed more than others but always grateful to hear Re-make/Re-model and Editions of You. A great moment on Friday was after performing Jealous Guy as the set closer (which I know many of us feel is not the best way to end the night!) and Bryan was taking in the applause and waving to the fans was when we were treated to familiar opening bars of EOY and it became the last song although not on the set list. A fantastic end to a fantastic week.

For those of you who still have shows to come I hope you get the same pleasure as those of us who have attended shows this week. I was so glad I finally managed to make the Palladium show after a change in plans...........then a change back again but sadly only for me and not my husband & son as originally planned.

It is always a bonus to meet up with Roxy chums I have got to know over the years including Smudge, the last time in person being at Koko in 2005. The time seems to fly past and I wish there was more time for pre and post show chat. Great to meet some new ones too including LondonPubs...................in a London pub!

Tynemouth Festival is calling.........

Forensic Ferryistas,

Windswept apologises for the delay in filing this chronicle but after the triumph that was the second night at the Palladium, he had to fly down to Rio (Sicily actually) for some serious R&R and has spent the week on a serious Ferry high.

As the great Roxy & LondonPubs have said, it was a good show elevated by a phenomenal atmosphere in a great venue.

After Bowie and Prince's untimely deaths there was definitely a very special vibe in the room with people of a certain age feeling their own mortality but feeling good to be together and lucky to have their hero with them.

Everybody wanted to savour the moment and to hold each other close.

From the moment he walked on the stage,the crowd's enthusiasm provoked a 'chain reaction' with the band relishing and responding by playing out their hearts from the moment they struck up with Avonmore.

Obviously W2 was distraught that our hero hadn't adopted his proposed songs but one he'd got over the shock, there was plenty to like.

Ferry served up a monster 25 number set list and particularly note worthy for Windswept were;'Avonmore', 'Beauty Queen', 'Bete Noire', 'Stronger Through The Years', 'Out Of The Blue', 'Take A Chance With Me' and 'Editions Of You' which was a great and unexpected closer.

As fare as the band goes - this particular incarnation are going from strength to strength. They were great in Brighton last year and are even better now and definitely are worth of their label 'Roxy Heavy'
(tm. RoxySiren).

The line up boasts a rock solid rhythm section, great backing singers and although the keyboards are good and the lead guitar is note perfect, they don't IWNSHO scale the heights of say a Colin Good or an Oliver Thompson.

There have been multiple line up changes since Colin Good stepped down as MD in 2013 and Paul Beard took over in 2014 and it is these changes together with the addition of the stalwarts Fonzi Thornton, Neil Hubbard and Lucy Wilkins that have made all the difference.

That said, if you had to single out two musicians from Friday's gig they would have to be Jorja Chalmers and Lucy Wilkins.

Jorja's playing is absolutely amazing. Mon Dieu, that girl can blow up a complete storm. She has a real jazz sensibility and adds a great texture to the tracks. IWNSHO she is every inch the equal of Mackay. And higher praise than that it is difficult to get!

Lucy Wilkins just makes all things possible and her playing throughout was superb. Her performance on 'Bete Noire' was absolutely haunting and this alone was worth the ticket price.

As fare as the man himself was concerned, he gave a classic performance and was really buoyed on by the crowd. His vocals were, for the most part, good and when they did crackle a little - noticeably near the end - he didn't loose any of his distinctiveness and Fonzi did a great job smoothing things out.

Visually the set is simple but sophisticated and sartorially, our hero is continuing to push the louche button.

All in all a great show. It doesn't quite scale the heights of ATGB or AEWBF but it gets perilously close !

Salutations. W2

Cher Windswept2!

Merci beaucoup! Je suis d'accord comme toujours.

First of all it is great that BF is still going strong despite his age. And I have no complain what so ever about his voice, the set list and the sound. But I do miss the colour and glamour of Jazz ages and Olympia tour. The show at RAH in 2013 (or 12?) was the best I ever attended. A cd/dvd of that event would be far more welcomed than any early Roxy material (for me).

Cher Oberon,

Encore une fois nous sommes ensemble !

W2 also misses the 'hauteur' and the glamour of AEWBF and Olympia.
They were really a unique blend of extraordinary musicianship and visual impact.

It is interesting how these things evolve from ATGB thru' Frantic we had a similar build of spectacle and then he dialled it right back with Dylanesque.

W2 thinks it's not just a question of production costs - it's more a question of he goes bigger and bigger and then thinks he has to dial it back and start all over again.

It would be great to get the views of other ghosts on this.

Salutations,

Windswept