Having attended the first night only in Dublin and failed to post the intended review here, I thought I'd let the dust settle before jotting down my afterthoughts...
Accepting that the sound mix may have been better and the audience younger/livelier on the second night, I still don't think the gig could be counted as a milestone in BF's long career (of which more later...).
By the same token, I wasn't nearly as disappointed as some apparently were with the first night. I had a decent view (between the monitors) from the front row and the sound mix wasn't too bad at all (doubtless better from the middle of the stalls), even if the strings were a bit underemployed.
As for the audience reaction, I tend to think that's down to a combination of the venue and the setlist. If you choose to play in a concert hall, you must expect to attract an older audience which expects to spend much of the night sitting in the expensive seats instead of standing in front of them. And if you
do want folk on their feet and dancing, then get them up and keep them up; don't follow a romp with a ballad (the running order was resequenced on night two to correct this oversight)!
My only real issue (and the reason why the gig fell short of being a classic) was that the setlist was far too safe; there were plenty of songs in the Roxy & solo back catalogues which would have been just perfect for the strings...
From very early (e.g. Chance Meeting, Sea Breezes, Bogus Man) to peak period Roxy (e.g. The Thrill Of It All) to solo (almost anything from the criminally underrated In Your Mind album), there were songs crying out for the string treatment. Even the orchestra's intro, Feel The Need, was crying out for a vocal...
So, for me, a very good gig, but in many ways an opportunity missed.
At rising 69 years old, BF will know that there aren't too many tours left and he'll hopefully be thinking about boxes which have yet to be ticked and those songs which haven't had the dust blown off them for far too long.
So how about another bash at the strings idea some time, but with a more appropriate setlist? And an acoustic/unplugged small group in small venues (even if the ticket price has to be hiked). Maybe even a soul (e.g. Atlantic/Stax) album & show like the one undertaken by ex-Free & Bad Company vocalist Paul Rodgers?
The clock is ticking, so let's not worry about production and post-production time; the classics didn't benefit from that and they always stand the test of time. Mr Ferry, we're ready when you are, sir!
