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Roxy Music Concert Review

Wembley Arena, London, 2nd August 1980
written by Steve Sutherland

Melody Maker, 9th August 1980

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Roxy Give Blood

Roxy Music / Martha and the Muffins

More than ever, Bryan Ferry is Roxy Music, fully recovered and confidently in control.

Whether near to tears or waving to the crowd, Ferry's an expert showman, capable of captivating an audience and leading them where he will. The slow, traumatic "My Only Love" and the breakneck "Trash" are equally convincing transformations of old romantic expressions. Through Ferry's strong, expressive voice and rare charisma, they become highly personal, yet commercial statements.

The ability to express emotion without parody is at the core of Roxy's new-found success - as long as Ferry carries that well-publicised torch, Roxy will have massive, moving hits on the radio.

Not that the rest of Roxy's line-up, described by Ferry as "the most expensive band in the world" (no doubt in his pay) are merely there for the ride. When the four gigantic venetian blinds, the sole props of this uncharacteristically spartan, but needless to say, tasteful spectacular, are peeled away, the band work hard for their money.

Phil Manzanera's guitar is economic and impressive throughout, letting loose for a ripping climactic duel with Andy McKay's sax on "The Thrill of it All" and Gary Tibbs' bass is always powerful and especially tasty on the disco oriented "Nothing Lasts Forever."

Special guest performers augmenting the basic studio nucleus turn out to be ex-Kokomo guiraist Neil Hubbard, who keeps a low profile, and Paul Carrack, who provides slick keyboards.

Andy Newmark's hideous drum solo during "Dance Away" was indicative of their only fault, a tendency to extend the songs to accommodate solos at the expense of the show's momentum.

There were no real highlights, and only one or two misjudgements in a generally excellent set which included something old, "Do the Strand" and "Song for Europe"; something new, a less-enthusiastically greeted "Flesh & Blood"; something borrowed, an extraordinary "Eight Miles High" which substituted The Byrds' sacred Rickenbackers for eery echo and came up trumps; and something blue, a mawkish "Rain Rain Rain".

The Wembley crowd, more typical of a family sporting occasion than a rock gig, loudly demanded two encores from Roxy, but more-or-less ignored Martha & the Muffins who looked out of their depth in such cavernous surroundings.

The two Marthas and their boys tried hard to create an impression, but Chris Spedding's "Motorbikin'" aside, their songs were just average, only inspiring interest when they approached the sound of the sublime "Echo Beach" which, of course, was the best bit.

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Text copyright 1980 Melody Maker, used without permission.
With thanks to Grant Goggans.