British art-rock band Roxy Music reunited as they were welcomed into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at the Class of 2019’s induction ceremony at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center. Frontman Bryan Ferry, guitarist Phil Manzanera and saxophonist Andy Mackay were joined by a band and backup singers and kicked things off with For Your Pleasure’s “In Every Home a Heartache,” looking like shadows, as they were washed in white white lights. The keyboard wormed its way around Ferry’s voice until things kicked into a psychedelic spectacle.
They played a charging rendition of Country Life’s “Out of the Blue” with Ferry duetting with Mackay’s oboe and an electric violin. They followed that with shortened versions of their Siren single “Love Is the Drug” and their biggest hit, Avalon’s “More Than This.” On “Avalon,” Ferry slowed things down, playing keys and crooning into the mic as the band settled into an easy vibe. Ferry stood back up again and led the band through a sax-blaring rendition of For Your Pleasure’s “Editions of You.” As the audience cheered, the band waved and smiled before they left the stage.
The performance marked Bryan Ferry’s first time playing alongside his Roxy Music bandmates since 2011. The group’s drummer Paul Thompson and keyboardist Brian Eno, both inducted along with their bandmates, skipped the ceremony due to previous commitments.
In an interview with Rolling Stone, Mackay admitted he didn’t think Roxy Music would be voted into the Rock Hall. “I always felt that we were a little too far out there for the general public in America even though we have a strong following in some pockets over there,” he said. “It was very surprising to hear.”
Mackay added that the Rock Hall performance could, potentially, serve as a springboard for a Roxy Music reunion.
“It’s a possibility. We have never actually advertised a farewell tour except in 1975. While we’re all still playing it’s always a possibility. Who knows? It’s been quite a long time now we haven’t played together. Maybe we’d find it a bit strange,” the saxophonist said. “Maybe the Hall of Fame is the thing that will make us think about it.”