Bryan Ferry / I’m Talking / Models/ Stephen Cummings @ A DAY ON THE GREEN

@ Rochford Winery

23 February 2019

Hypothetically, if Bryan Ferry was to go public on the stock exchange today, he’d be wise to launch as ‘Spedding, Chalmers, Moore, Meehan & Ferry Incorporated’.

The overwhelming truth of tonights performance is that the team of musicians Bryan has lined up to breathe life into both solo and Roxy classics this time around are second to none. But more about that later.

Stephen Cummings

Traffic to Roachford was typically arduous and unfortunately we arrived late in Stephen’s set.

I’ll be the first to confess, I’m a massive Cummings fan and adore his more recent offerings – mostly the slower torch ballads – so I was eager to hear how he fared with the Day On The Green crowd.

Of the last two numbers that we caught, ‘The Popular One’ was a scorcher. He then finished promptly with ‘(Who listens to the) Radio’. Despite Stephen having sparse percussive backing tracks and a guitarist that was on the money, he seemed to struggle slightly with the vocal delivery on this one – quite why is anyone’s guess, but on the strength of ’The Popular One’ it left me wishing we’d made it in slightly earlier for the full set!

The Models

By comparison, the energy levels stepped up a notch or three when Messrs Kelly, Duffield, Ferry and Davies appeared on the Coldstream stage.

They kicked off in the most surprising fashion – with a very tongue-in-cheek cover of Kraftwerk’s ‘The Model’… Kelly paused four songs in just before ‘Local And/Or General’ to pay heartfelt homage to the fact that Ron Peno and the rest of Died Pretty couldn’t be here today and judging from the applause, there was certainly a lot of love returned by the crowd for that sentiment. (Ron has recently been diagnosed with throat cancer and is currently receiving treatment under the watchful eye of Australia’s top specialist).

Personal highlights from the Model’s set were the Kraftwerk cover, Duffield’s ‘That Guy’ (from their recent ‘Memo’ EP), the evocative ‘Hold On’ from their last album ‘Media’, and Ferry’s beautiful bass work on ‘I Hear Motion’. These guys never disappoint.

The Models Setlist:

The Model (Kraftwerk cover)

Big On Love

Hold On

Happy

Local And/Or General

Two Cabs To The Toucan

Happy Birthday IBM

That Guy

Out Of Mind Out Of Sight

I Hear Motion

I’m Talking

Appearing at only their second performance back after 35 years (if you don’t count their secret Memo warm-up gig a week or so ago) there were plenty of punters unsure just how good a band that hadn’t been on the circuit for all that time would fare today… they needn’t have worried…

‘I’m Talking’ stunned with a 30 minute set that covered pretty much all of their ‘Bear Witness’ album.

Kate, Zan and the rest of the band were super excited to be here and their enthusiasm was contagious – with the crowd responding in kind. Timing is everything and this afternoons slot in the proceedings was picture perfect…

As the sun slowly sunk towards the horizon, I’m Talking provided the perfect slow-burning sundowner soundtrack.

Highlights? Too many to mention but Zan’s ‘Holy Word’ and Kate’s cover of ‘Love Don’t Love Here Anymore’ simply smoked…

Great sax runs from the young stand-in Jordy too. Kate’s parting gesture: “This was our second to last show on this incredible Bryan Ferry Tour… Enjoy the show, he is astonishing …and I thought we were pretty bloody good too! …so thank you very much, good night!”

I’m Talking’s setlist:

Disko

Do You Wanna Be

Holy Word

How Can It Be

Love Don’t Live Here Any More

Lead The Way

It’s Over

Trust Me

Disaster

Bryan Ferry

At exactly 8.30pm, the iconic bass stabs of ‘The Main Thing’ signalled showtime.

As debonair, suave and punctual as ever, a beaming Bryan Ferry jovially saunters onstage. From the get-go the band sound as hot as they look and despite the serious task ahead, these seasoned pros exude a confidence that reassures. Despite the stage being bathed in classic coloured shards, everyone is low lit – including Bryan – and soloists highlighted only when appropriate. Two screens either side of stage portraying the action in stylish film noire also contribute a certain mystique to proceedings. Following ‘The Main Thing’

Ferry hits us with the 1-2 punch of a couple of his biggest solo hits and by the end of the second we’re already a little punch drunk.… the sensual ’Slave to Love’ and the slinky ‘Don’t Stop The Dance’ are both intoxicating and set an impossibly high benchmark for the rest of the evening. Early Roxy track ‘Ladytron’ is the first opportunity we get to see the drummer Luke Bullen, and lead guitarist Chris Spedding really strut their stuff… each play off the other ferociously.

Thundering drums eventually bring us to the iconic solo, which Spedding totally owns tonight. His fingers are a blur as he solos the track well into next week. Outstanding!

‘Out Of the Blue’ (Country Life) features gorgeous spiralling interplay between Marina Moore on violin and local Aussie, Jorja Chalmers on sax.

It’s only the first of a glut of tracks from that album dusted down tonight and the girls’ performance on this will have plenty reappraising the album again. Gorgeous slide guitar on ‘Casanova’ from Spedding – proving once again what a masterstroke his inclusion is. ‘Oh Yeah’ brings out the happy dancers who kick up dust on the path next to the speaker tower. Bryan knows just how to pepper a setlist to make us smile. When the tour was first announced, many wondered just how many Roxy tracks might get a run tonight… All are already over the moon. So far, Ferry’s delving deep and choosing the road less travelled and it’s refreshing to say the least. The dreamy ‘A Wasteland’ segues beautifully into a personal favourite off Ferry’s solo effort ‘Boys and Girls’… Jorja evokes all the feels of the original ‘Windswept’ with her masterful sax that wins her well deserved applause.

A couple of tracks from solo album Bete Noire get a guernsey. The title track played live tonight weaves back and forth like a proverbial snakecharmer and it’s jaw-dropping. The slower ‘Zamba’, featuring Spedding on acoustic spanish guitar is spectacular in its effortlessness… A few who have only come for the hits decide this is their opportunity for a quick pitstop. A great pity. As well as delivering the staples,

Ferry appears to be relishing this opportunity to shine the spotlight on some equally deserving but perhaps lesser known album tracks. ’Stronger Through The Years’, from Manifesto is a perfect example. The whole band are astounding on this. Weaving in and out of their respective parts, in perfect syncopation, they create an intricate sonic tapestry. Super impressive. Jorja Chambers brings her clarinet A-game to ‘Bitter Sweet’. Tonight it possesses all the delicacy of the original. Where does

Ferry find these maestros? They lift the performance massively and to a certain extent carry the great man at points. Now an amazing 73, it’d be foolish to profess Ferry’s vocals have the potency he possessed 50 years ago. When it comes to the big notes, the backing vocalists Aleysha Lei (Gordon) and Hannah Kemoh really do earn their keep. The set is masterfully paced. It’s been six tracks since the last hit and Ferry knows it’s time to come back into the shallows. ‘My Only Love’ is just what the doctor ordered and is rapturously received. As the audience are still coming down from that, he hits us with three more early ones: ‘In Every Dream Home a Heartache’, ‘If There Is Something’ and then ‘Re-Make/Re-Model’. ‘…Something’ was a particular fave of David Bowie who even covered it during his brief Tin Machine phase. It features more sublime sax from Jorja. Tonight has been an abundance of riches… These early cuts, while testing the patience of some, to others are worth the price of admission alone! Those who saw Bryan on his last visit here will remember he performed a very minimal restrained version of ‘More Than This’ so tonights full band rendition is very welcome.

As is to be expected, there are shrieks of recognition for ‘Avalon’ which sees hordes racing down to the barrier behind the sound desk for a better view.

Phones are hoisted aloft and waved madly at the stage in a vain attempt to capture what to them is the iconic moment of the evening. Beautiful vocals from Aleysha Gordon and Hannah Kemoh throughout too. One senses we’re on the home stretch now and the intro to ‘Love Is The Drug’ confirms this. ‘Virginia Plain’ brings Roachford to their feet…. Bryan feigns a walk off before capitulating once more with a superbly rendered ‘Jealous Guy’. Retaining his ever cool composure, he effortlessly whistles his way through to the end without cracking a smile. It’s getting close to curfew and there’s still one song everyone is keyed up to hear. ‘Let’s Stick Together’, the Wilbert Harrison cover that was such a defining moment in Ferry’s career is a fine way to finish up what has been a triumphant return for Bryan.

As is so often the case, the whole is in fact greater than the sum of the parts. Spedding, Chambers, Moore, Meehan, Lei, Kemoh and Cardwell are all so essential to what we have seen tonight and should be well proud of such a blitzing performance. Judging from his broad smile all night, the boss was well pleased.

When we get back to the car a few minutes later, the carpark is a litany of tail lights, engines running with nowhere to go. As we finally get within metres of the exit gate, a small white minibus assertively pulls into the tiny gap we’ve left in front of us. In that split second, we receive a grateful wave from driver Wally Kempton and a glimpse of some very familiar profiles as they pass us by and disappear quickly into the night. Thanks must go once again to the organisers of A Day On The Green for a fantastic lineup of talent and hosting such a great event. Every year the shows just go up another notch. Can’t wait to see how magical the already sold out Elton John shows are in 2020! Bryan

SETLIST

The Main Thing (from Roxy Music, Avalon, 1982)
Slave to Love (from Boys and Girls, 1985)
Don’t Stop the Dance (from Boys and Girls, 1985)
Ladytron (from Roxy Music, Roxy Music, 1972)
Out of the Blue (from Roxy Music, Country Life, 1974)
Oh Yeah (from Roxy Music, Flesh and Blood, 1980)
Casanova (from Roxy Music, Country Life, 1974)
A Waste Land (from Boys and Girls, 1985)
Windswept (from Boys and Girls, 1985)
Bête Noire (from Bête Noir, 1987)
Zamba (from Bête Noir, 1987)
Stronger Through the Years (from Roxy Music, Manifesto, 1979)
Bitter-Sweet (from Roxy Music, Country Life, 1974)
My Only Love (from Roxy Music, Flesh and Blood, 1980)
In Every Dream Home a Heartache (from Roxy Music, For Your Pleasure, 1973)
If There Is Something (from Roxy Music, Roxy Music, 1972)
Re-Make/Re-Model (from Roxy Music, Roxy Music, 1972)
More Than This (from Roxy Music, Avalon, 1982)
Avalon (from Roxy Music, Avalon, 1982)
Love Is the Drug (from Roxy Music, Siren, 1975)
Virginia Plain (single, 1972)