Roxy Music Live - S/D

Yeah, I think the $32 is before fees (which even secondary market has). So it comes out closer to $50, iirc.

FWIW, it's been reported that they're closing the nosebleeds at some shows and upgrading ticketholders in those sections to lower tiers like the 100 section. So there's a chance that a nosebleed ticket will actually get bumped to a much better seat the day of the show.

Also, I saw Bryan Ferry in 2019 and I thought he was great. He did do "More Than This," but I honestly couldn't remember if he changed the key. I imagine he must have, so I checked - key was actually higher, but what made it work then was that he turned the high parts into a two-part harmony between him and a female vocalist, so Ferry was able to sing lower while the more familiar higher notes were sung by someone else. He still has the back-up singers on this tour so curious as to why he didn't keep that arrangement.

Upgrading at some Roxy shows specifically?

I guess it depends, but in Toronto they closed the 300s and two different ticketholders who bought tickets in that section confirmed they were upgraded to the 100s.

Maybe someone who's more familiar with venue logistics will know for sure, but I imagine they'd rather close down floors and have less to deal with than spreading the audience thinly across a venue.

The first time I saw Roxy Music, on the first reunion tour, they had actually curtained off about a third of the arena. I've seen other shows like that, where they sort of carve out a smaller space.

ugh i don't begrudge others getting their ticket upgraded but i actually paid full price for a 100-level ticket

I know what you mean. I paid full price for a 200-level ticket. So basically someone who sprung for a 300 could end up with a much better seat. But I've benefitted from similar lack of ticket sales too, so I'm fine with it.

I'm not sure how formal a thing it is. I know Springsteen's reunion tour, there were lots of accounts of "men in black" going to people in the nosebleeds and upgrading them to great seats. Heck, I used to do that myself when I was covering a lot of shows. The label or whomever would give me great seats, but if I wasn't into it or was just there for fun, I would often walk to the back, find a chill couple in the really cheap seats, and then just let them have my top tier tickets.

You might say that Ferry, absorbing the curtained-off seats, said, "More than this, no, there's nothing..."

Saw them in DC tonight. They closed off the top nose bleed seats in the arena. St. Vincent opened. Nice enough night. Ferry's voice was soothing to me after a tough day. Manzanera's guitar pyrotechnics sometimes worked and other times were too arena bombastic. Andy Mackay still sounded good on sax

I had a fun time. Ferry's voice is indeed shot, which made More Than This kinda feel like the Bill Murray karaoke version from Lost in Translation. But most of the time it all worked. Manzanera and Mackay sounded great. It's also a big production, with intentionally (I assume) disjointed imagery. It was wild to hear something like "In Every Dreamhome a Heartache" in the same building where the Washington Capitals play.

For what it's worth, afaict the setlists of Toronto and DC were identical, though a couple of songs were played in a different order.

I'm looking forward to this with tempered expectations. I mean I saw McCartney this year and his voice is really going down the tubes and it was still thrilling. People get old. As long as they seem like they care, there's still something to enjoy.

how was st. vincent? I didn't care for this latest album at all, but had heard her earlier tour was really great (as they usually are)

As long as they seem like they care, there's still something to enjoy.

What if their entire persona has been the cool appearance of disinterest?

Ferry has been giving off the cool appearance of disinterest since 1959.

Bryan Ferry as goalkeeper in the Washington Glebe, Newcastle, side 1959. #RoxyMusic pic.twitter.com/bfjfK8oSM9

— Danny Baker (@prodnose) September 9, 2022

Only to hide volcanic emotion

The emotion of a guy who just walked into a party and is already thinking about a better party he's leaving for in 5 minutes.

That is soul death.

As someone who thinks St Vincent is clearly talented but has a lot of issues with her albums and creative instincts, she was a good, energetic opener.

From 2019 - great tour IMHO:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRXZFXxBniA

I saw Ferry in 2011 and he was still in fine whiskery voice. In 2017 the variety of his song selection ("Bete Noire"!) compensated for his diminished range.

He did "Virginia Plain" in Oakland in 2019 (but not at the tour's NY stop):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adbhXX-Vr-Y

love that fonzi thornton is still singing with him there.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVnt5gNcb6o

Messed that up, try this.

Ferry’s voice may not be what it was, and he has assistance from 2 backup singers on this tour, but I’m ok with current status of it . I wouldn’t call it “shot” but to each there own

Haven't he and Roxy been enlisting backing vocalists for years? At least since "Avalon," but certainly some times before that.

Since the Country Life tour, I think.

so far the setlists seem pretty... set

The whole top level of MSG was empty tonight, but the rest of the place seemed full. I was never a St. Vincent fan, bordering on disliking her…but I was shocked at how much I dug her set. I dunno if her live presentation and arrangements are vastly different from her records (I’ve only heard a few stray songs, and saw her SNL appearance), but I can’t remember the last time an opening act impressed me this much. Roxy came charging out of the gate with ”Re-Make/Re-Model”, and there were surprises early on — I didn’t check out any setlists beforehand, but I never would’ve guessed they’d do ”The Bogus Man.” Ferry didn’t lean on the backing singers too much, but most of the songs were in a different key; sometimes that worked, sometimes it didn’t. For me, things really dragged as more post-hiatus songs dominated. And I was deeply disappointed that nothing at all from Stranded was played. Phil had a couple of outstanding moments, Andy seemed fatigued, but sounded ok, and Paul’s abilities have not diminished a whit. Considering his is arguably the most physically taxing role, that’s saying something. Ferry’s voice lacked power, and the contrast with Paul’s fire was instructive in terms of the importance of musicians taking care of themselves long-term (though Paul is also six years younger than Ferry).

was also at the garden and will second basically everything you said, tarfumes. mackay did seem tired but he had some excellent moments, particularly early in the show ladytron was a major mackay showcase and perhaps my favorite moment of the whole show.

i will say i wish they played a bit more from the early days, though i did like some of the avalon and flesh and blood deep cuts

https://i.ibb.co/C269kKM/PT.jpg

Thanks Paul.

I had a good time, but unlike the 2019 Ferry show, this did not exceed all expectations and simply met modest ones. The early stuff was great - after the first four numbers, I thought this would be a great show, but virtually all of the post-hiatus stuff was a cut below the early material. A shame because the same post-hiatus numbers knocked me out in 2019 - Ferry was clearly in better voice then and simply sung them all better (see above)

But I thought his smokey whisper was perfect on "Ladytron," and his church-organ-like keyboards sounded amazing on "Editions of You." Manzanera and Thompson were great and I agree that Thompson was a surprise. For some reason, I thought he'd be frail, but man did his pummel the shit out of his drums. Mackay was fine - I agree he sounded a bit spent at times, but I thought it was still wonderful to hear him.

Downside - I missed St. Vincent and I couldn't take full advantage of seat upgrades because a friend I went with wanted to be in the 100's, way off to the side. (The visuals were kind of ruined from our skewed perspective too.) They did offer floor seats, but no pairs next to each other - they had a pair that were in the same seats in adjacent rows, which I wish we took.

(was being sarcastic in thanking Paul...glad I didn't spring for multiple shows)

*he pummel

The visuals are all pretty set for each song, I don't know why Paul would promise anything other than a different order. Maybe by the time they get to England they'll switch it up.

Ferry was clearly in better voice then and simply sung them all better

yeah and this simply is less of a problem in the earlier songs, but in everything from siren or later, he needs to be able to croon

I dunno, the visuals for “Tara” — an unfortunate tribute to QEII (met with tepid applause and some boos) — surely weren’t in place at the start of the tour. I think it’s no more difficult to prepare or adjust different visuals at the last minute these days than it would be to adjust the sound mix for a different setlist.

xp

i laughed out loud when lizzie's face popped up. nice version of “tara” tho

The whole top level of MSG was empty tonight, but the rest of the place seemed full.

I think that's going to be the norm for this tour? I checked the seating charts for the two Texas dates next week (Austin & Dallas), and both have all the nosebleeds greyed-out (plus some of the rear floor area for some reason). Looks like a decent amount of front-section floor seats still available for both shows too.

so what happens if I buy a nosebleed today?

Speaking of preparing new visuals, I'm glad they did not yet have the queen tribute ready to go for the DC show.

Enjoyed the show while also feeling a bit sad that it's unlikely they can do this for much longer. Was surprised when Ferry said Roxy had played MSG back in 1972! Which is true. And they played the Whiskey a Go Go on the Sunset Strip on the same tour - quite a contrast! Hope it's not too spoilery but I thought the Warhol silkscreens behind "Editions of You" worked great and helped make that song a highlight (although there appeared to be some faux Warhols in there!)

Spoke to an usher at MSG who said she loved this particular crowd (=the Roxy crowd as a whole, surely).

MSG handled the upgrades by having personnel stationed just past the metal detectors. They had a stack of printed tickets and attendees seemed to approach them not the other way around, and the explanation was they didn't sell out so they're moving everyone up. You show them your ticket and they literally just go through the stack to look for an improved seat. I didn't try going to the closed section, but I imagine someone was there to either hand new tickets or tell you to turn back and get new ones. (Box office windows were all open so it's possible they did upgrades there too.)

On the 100 level, the food at MSG is amazing. Not sure if it's the same on other levels, but Mighty Quinn's, Paulie Gees, a good sushi place, etc....if it wasn't for COVID I would have eaten like a king. But the hallways also felt a lot emptier. It wasn't too sad because again COVID - it did feel a bit safer. I should've gotten a T-shirt or at least the postcards. (The 50th anniversary shirt and most others were $40.)

I should add it was probably the nicest-dressed crowd I've been with at a MSG show, which is fitting.

Ha, I thought the same thing! It was by far the most fashionable crowd I’ve ever seen at an arena show. One guy was immaculately dressed in a full tuxedo. I felt like a shlub in my Cecil Taylor t-shirt and jeans.

Was surprised when Ferry said Roxy had played MSG back in 1972!

What he didn’t mention is that they were opening for Jethro Tull. According to Ian Anderson, the audience reaction to Roxy was, “We don’t like you.” Yeah, get those glam guys off the stage so we can see some REAL rockin’ with…really long flute solos…and a guy in a bunny suit…

This couple sitting next to me had really stylish off-white outfits. At one point one of them stepped out at the same time as my friend, leaving just me next to this fabulously dressed person, and I thought "Jesus, if people think we're a couple, they're going to look at us and my T-shirt and shorts and think 'THIS mismatch isn't going to be together for long.'"

lol