Roxy Music is a band whose sound has been snatched up by thousands of radio stations but has also inspired the formation of avant grade musical acts such as “Bauhaus”. In other words their music is far reaching seeming to have an almost universal appeal. Bryan Ferry and crew showed that glam rock was more than fashion and hyped up style. They introduced emotional depth and human tangibility to an often self-absorbed and image hungry genre.

Their performances embrace the escapism and sophisticated look attached to glam, but equally emphasizes the serious nature and experimentation of art rock. Roxy Music is also downright fun to see live. Their show is a bustle of excitement. The group often wears classy suits on the stage and are accompanied by backing musicians dressed in equally fashionable attire (you may even see someone covered in glitter). The performance also includes backing dancers which prove to greatly enhance the excitement of the show and inspire the audience to join in the fun. The audience doesn’t really need to be egged on. Typically they are hooked by the first song.

Performances of songs like “Both Ends Burning” channels the overactive shows of soul legends like James Brown. Andy Mackay blasts out screeching sax solos, while Phil Manzanera uses a slide on his guitar to get these nasty blues riffs. Bryan Ferry is singing the lyrics and dancing like a maniac on the stage. On this particular song he blows emphatically into a harmonica building up the wild nature of the song. Ferry is usually covered in sweat mid way through the performance. He simply will not stop moving.

While Roxy Music’s early career consists of songs of this raw and erratic style they are certainly capable of showing a more soft and contemplative side. No album better displays this than “Avalon”. A decent chunk of their setlist is comprised of songs from this album. So prepare yourself for the relax jazz moods of “Tara” or the landmark single “More Than This”. There covers are also brilliantly performed. “Jealous Guy” is a likely candidate as it was a huge recorded success for them. They might even perform a Neil Young cover at one of their shows as they did on their last tour. Roxy Music is a band that tours rather infrequently so if you do get a chance to see them do not miss out.

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