Finally seeing Roxy Music live and it really felt like something similar to an out-of-body body experience. An incredible journey filled with dreamy soundscapes and spectacular visuals featuring multi-screen projections in celebration of the band’s 50 year anniversary.
Glasgow is their first stop as part of a run of three UK tour dates and it also happens to be one of their favourite places according to mr Bryan Ferry who didn’t hesitate to express his love for Scotland on more than one occasion. These two factors, amongst of course many others, made me feel twice as lucky to have been witness to such a special evening. One by one the band walks in as the instrumental “India” plays in the background and you already know you’re in for a fantastic night.
So many great songs from their career-spanning catalogue but the highlight for me was definitely “In Every Dream Home A Heartache” – I still find it remarkable that a song about an inflatable sex doll can make you cry like a baby; so very powerful. This is one of the things I especially love about Roxy Music, the variety of emotions which they convey through their otherworldly songs.
It was also lovely to watch everyone in the band including original members as well as the equally incredible touring musicians in high spirits and with a constant smile between songs as they were being cheered on by a packed Hydro arena filled with approximately 14,300 people. This was a mostly seated event but sure enough as soon as “Love is the Drug” came on the majority of the venue couldn’t help themselves but stand up for a dance, all the way through to the remaining part of the concert. Towards the end, “Jealous Guy” was another one of these instances where everyone is brought together with the audience singing along to the lyrics. The night saw them off with another iconic song to dance to in the form of “Do the Strand”. The band takes a moment to bow and thank the crowd as Bryan Ferry says “It is always great to be in Glasgow.”
Photography by Marilena Vlachopoulou
