Bryan Ferry – Live At Belfast Castle, Belfast – 2002 – BBC 6 Music –
Bryan Ferry in concert for a Wednesday. One of the most enduring artists, whose music and style have set him several notches above most singers. Ever since his days with Roxy Music, Bryan Ferry has been a remarkable and riveting talent- and some 45 + years since Roxy Music exploded on the scene, he has kept it all fresh and vital, bringing new fans into the fold.
This concert, from Belfast Castle in Ireland in 2002, and recorded by the BBC, covers a wide timeline – from the earliest material via the Roxy-era For Your Pleasure to his then-latest release Frantic. It also features members from the original Roxy Music lineup, who had reformed in 2001 and were touring at the time. However, despite anticipation from fans and rumors that they were, Roxy Music recorded no new material during this time – and whatever new songs were being worked would wind up in subsequent solo projects.
In what has been described as an “elegant, seductive croon” Bryan Ferry has forever established himself as the arch-cool and debonair bon vivant – something that was an ironic juxtaposition with Roxy Music’s glam leanings at the time. But Roxy Music and Bryan Ferry have always gone just a little against type in music as well as presentation. With Ferry maintaining a dual role as group member and solo artist from 1973 on.
It’s gratifying to know he is still actively touring and recording, having finished a tour earlier this past month, including a standout performance at The Hollywood Bowl. 2018 will also see a much-anticipated tour of Europe beginning in April.
If you haven’t caught Bryan Ferry live, you really need to take care of that, since a live show is an experience worth having. One of the finest vocalists since the early 1970s, Bryan Ferry continues to amaze.
In the meantime, crank this one up and take a side-trip to 2002.
