LIVE AT THE APOLLO

In 2001, Roxy Music reformed to play a series of concerts for their many devoted followers. The final gig, at London's historic Apollo theatre, was captured for this DVD, and it's undoubtedly the next best thing to having been there.

The concert features almost all of the original Roxy: vocalist and front man Bryan Ferry is in fine form (and, judging by my wife's heavy breathing reaction, still quite able to enthrall the ladies), saxophonist Andy MacKay is yet terrific (and he still sports his trademark pompadour and pointy sideburns), guitarist par excellence Phil Manzanera is a little grey of beard, but still rocks, and stalwart drummer "the great" Paul Thompson is as hale and hard-hitting as ever.

Missing from the lineup is Eddie Jobson, but he's very ably replaced by the extraordinary violinist/multi-instrumentalist Lucy Wilkins. (Jobson's old hermaphroditic appeal aside, Wilkins is also very nice to look at - as are all of the many ladies gracing the stage!) Bass duties, meanwhile, are expertly undertaken by NYC session man Dev Katz (Roxy never really had a fulltime bassist), and well-known British guitarist Chris Spedding helps to fill out the six string soundscape, and recapture the sound of the old albums (where Manzanera would have employed overdubs and multi-tracking, of course).

The stage and superb sound are further fleshed out by the addition of Colin Good on piano (his mastery of the instrument is very apparent), the lovely, amazing Julia Thornton on percussion and additional keyboards, and Sarah Brown and Yanick Etienne on backing vocals. (The diminutive Etienne, who appeared on the AVALON album, features on that beautiful track, and she can still hit those unbelievable high notes with polished ease.) Everyone, from the original four men, to the hired guns, to the four stunning dancers (who also give the viewer something uplifting to look at!) exudes winsome charisma and camaraderie, and works perfectly together to give the audience a fun, fabulous concert experience.

The DVD's sound is full and sparklingly clear, and the camera work and editing is tasteful and beyond fault - just as one would wish it to be. We get to see everyone on stage shine, at all the appropriate places.

The twenty songs presented here are a real gift for fans (in fact, fans were consulted for input on the tour's set list), and give a well-balanced synopsis of Roxy's entire career. There is a wealth of material from the frantic, hard-rocking early Eno days (Eno's synth lunacy is very well reproduced here), as well as from the later, slicker albums like FLESH AND BLOOD and AVALON. It's all very, very good, but for me, seeing older songs like "Re-make/Re-model," "Street Life," "Ladytron," "Mother of Pearl," "Editions of You," "Virginia Plain" and "Do the Strand" so expertly and joyously performed (indeed, some versions are arguably superior to the old LP versions) is an especial pleasure. Also, watch for the entrance of the entrancing dancers on a smoking "Both Ends Burning" - oh my! In all, this was a magnificent, ultra-engaging concert from start to finish. You may well find yourself chanting "Roxy! Roxy!" along with the delighted audience before the encore!

As an added bonus (as if we needed one!), the DVD also includes a fine documentary, with a press conference that shows Ferry in a very flattering, affable light. As well, there are interviews with Manzanera, MacKay, and Thomson, who come across as very likable and approachable guys - the kind of chaps you'd love to raise a pint with. No overblown rock star egos in evidence here! There is also some interesting rehearsal footage, which makes this DVD even more of a bargain for your buck.

LIVE AT THE APOLLO is a fabulous, flawless concert DVD, from a reformed, but still very vital Roxy Music - one of the most original and exciting acts of the 70s. I can't recommend this one highly enough: it's one of my favourite music DVDs! This is certainly Roxy's most important release since AVALON: if you've ever been a fan, I urge you to add LIVE AT THE APOLLO to your collection as soon as possible! ROXY! ROXY!

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