Elegantly Ageing Hipsters,

Although everybody has their favourites and W2's are probably too well known, he is open to changes and new things with one caveat and that is that they can deliver the texture and depth that is so central to BF's sound.

The AEWBF line up did that in spades. They were simply phenomenal and probably — with the possible exception of the ATGB tour — the best band he's ever fronted.

That said, I caught last years incarnation in Dublin and it was a great concert but it was a special with the Rte and the string arrangements were superb.

I was much less impressed by the 'Baloise Session' and 'Glastonbury' where I found the sound thin and although the guitars may have been note perfect, with the exception of 'Casanova' at Glasto when Spedding was on slide, they just didn't have the depth and texture delivered by previous line ups.

Maybe the introduction of Hubbard will fix things providing he is given his share of the action and not purely consigned to rhythm.

Looking forward to this tour, I'm sure our hero will be aware that after the absolute splendour of AEWBF and all the five star reviews that it justifiably garnered, that there will be comparisons. Personally I hope that a lot of effort will have gone into the set list and arrangements and that there has been a push in a more avant garde direction.

Hopefully W2 won't have to revise his mantra that all Ferry is good Ferry. After forty-seven years it's a little late for him to change his spots.

Salutations,

Windswept.

Over the last 20 years BF has put together a series of great touring bands with a range of personnel. But the Roxy Lite of last year was IMHO the weakest of his bands and I would be surprised if this year's model is much better. Serviceable? Sure. They'll take care of the basics. But "texture and depth" as WS2 would phrase it? Hmm, that's a different story...

Last week I spent time watching the entire BASEL AVO SESSION from Nov. 2003 on youtube. Wow. Talk about texture and depth. And the Spedding/Green combo was truly remarkable...

Why "Roxy Lite" and not "Ferry Lite"? It is a solo tour.

Rehearsal day 8
On bass guitar.....
Jimmy Sims Esq.

Day 9 in the Big Brother House....Quist on guitar


TBT BF&JC April 2014 with Jorja Renn.

Debauched Diletantes,

How right DCJ is. Mick Green (RIP) was a phenomenal guitarist and his partnership with Chris Spedding was just unbelievable.

I first saw Mick when he was playing with Cliff Bennett And The Rebel Rousers and he was amazing then but the absolute best performance I ever saw him give was with the Spedster on the 'Frantic' tour — the pair of them were truly remarkable.

IMNSHO the guitar is a perplexing instrument. Many play it but few play it well and those that do develop a very distinctive sound. Gilmour, Hawley and Knopfler are living examples and their expertise is amplified even further if they have the right partner. Keith Richards never played better than when he was Mick Taylor and the last time Clapton managed to excite me and probably himself was when he was playing with Derek Trucks.

Doubtless Manzanera will be touring with Gilmore during Dave's upcoming solo tour for his new album. They played together on 'The Island' tour and their partnership was excellent.

Hopefully paring Jacob Quistgaard with Hubbard will have the desired effect but we will have to wait and see. Personally I thought Quistgaard's sound with Steve Jones was very thin.

Oliver Thompson partnered phenomenally with both Neil Hubbard and Chris Spedding and his playing improved hugely whilst he was with BF. I remember seeing Thompson on the 2007 Dylanesque tour in Paris and thinking that he had great potential but by the time the 'Olympia' tour came around, he'd really come of age and had clearly benefited enormously from playing with Manzanera, Spedding, Hubbard and the like and had developed a really deep, textured sound.

One things for sure, great guitar work is central to BF's sound so fingers crossed for Brighton.

Salutations,

W2

Production rehearsal



Friday bonus pic — with Jacob 'Quist' Quistgaard and Jimmy Sims.