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FERRY, YOU'RE SUCH A TEASE
The Straits Times
by Ong Soh Chin
February 23rd, 2004
Bryan Ferry seduced with his songs. Then, when you got excited, he withdrew, leaving you longing for more IT IS impossible to write about Bryan Ferry without certain lazy cliches popping up. So let's get them out of the way now: Louche, suave, lounge lizard, slinky, lovelorn, cool, stylish. There, I've listed them, so I shall mention them no more. Indeed, Ferry satisfied all these adjectives and more last Friday night. But he certainly took his time to build up a momentum, making one wonder initially if the night would ever take off. For the first part of the evening, it seemed as if the crowd would be getting less of him and more of his nine-piece band, which included a saxophonist and a violinist.
Ferry, generous to a fault, gave his band a lot of stage time, which they maximised by launching into lengthy instrumental solos. As the lights dimmed at the beginning of the night, an attractive long-haired blonde woman appeared on stage, before settling down to play a solo on a harp. Yes, a harp. Depending on how one looked at it, Julia Thornton's performance was either an over-the-top overture or an ironic tribute to Ferry's most famous paramour, blonde model Jerry Hall, who graced the cover of Roxy Music's Siren. Then Ferry came on, sitting at the piano, a vision in smoky elegance in a black raw silk suit by Hedi Slimane for Dior. At the age of 59, he still cut a dashing figure - no sign of middle-age spread and the only indications of age being the lines on his face. What followed was obviously the Heartbreak Covers Project part of the programme as he launched into ballads like Bob Dylan's Don't 1pxk Twice and It's All Over Now Baby Blue, as well as The Platters' Smoke Gets In Your Eyes.
It is to his credit that despite being in an auditorium with about 2,000 other people, his aim was true - each soul-aching note he sang pierced through the core of everyone who had ever loved and lost. I almost got misty-eyed but was thankfully saved by yet another lengthy instrumental solo. Was it the violin this time? Or the guitar? Oh wait, would you believe the entire band? My worst fears were realised - Ferry was nowhere to be seen.
No disrespect to his sterling musicians, which included Roxy drummer Paul Thompson, but it was like going on a romantic date, only to realise that the guy had brought along all his beer buddies. And then he reappeared, in a new Dior suit - this time with a greyish shimmer. As the opening chords of Jealous Guy sounded, all was forgiven. While the song was written and first sung by John Lennon, Ferry proved without a doubt that he now owned it. His rendition was intimate and almost an exact replica of his original recording - it was perfection itself, right down to the last bit of the song where he whistles. That definitely had to count as one of the most magical live moments ever, and if you were there last Friday night, consider yourself blessed to have witnessed it. From that point, he took no prisoners. Slave To Love followed, as well as Roxy classics like Virginia Plain, Love Is The Drug and Do The Strand.
This uptempo part of the night was where he was in his element - it was glam rock with a couture sheen, Ferry playing up the delicious irony with his flamboyant hand and body gestures and his megawatt smile. By the time he returned for his encore with Let's Stick Together, the crowd was up on its feet and dancing. Shame Shame Shame, Woolly Bully and Both Ends Burning wrapped up the 90-minute night. And then it was all over, too soon. Like a consummate lover, he had seduced and vanished, leaving his conquests wanting more. I left the auditorium like a disappointed girlfriend, wondering why he had not said the 1pxgs I wanted him to say. In short, I could have done with a lot less instrumental foreplay just to hear him sing Dance Away and Oh Yeah - the night's unforgiveable omissions. Ferry, like the lovers your foolish heart pines for but your brain has thankfully let go, gave just enough but never went the extra mile.
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