Brian Eno is MORE DARK THAN SHARK

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York Evening Press SEPTEMBER 9, 1972 - by J.K.

FLASHY, LOUD AND EXCITING

For a while, it looked as if last night's York Festival pop concert, in the Museum Gardens, was going to be as exciting as a wet firework.

It began with a recital by the Portsmouth Sinfonia, whose claim to distinction is their inability to play their instruments.

For three-quarters of an hour, they strangled a number of popular classical works, adding bits here and missing notes there. You name it and they couldn't play it.

The whole thing, of course, is a joke - but a joke which quickly wears thin. It was not long before the young musicians were being showered with paper planes and requests from the audience to "Get off!"

After that, it was up to Lloyd Watson to try to set things alight. There was never any fear of his being worse than the Portsmouth Sinfonia, but his music was a bit too limited for an audience who were there to see Roxy Music.

When Roxy Music came on stage, they changed everything.

The group are an unusual mixture of hard rock, space-age electronics and 1950 rock and roll. It is a mixture which finds expression in the different way each member of the group dresses.

Lead singer Bryan ferry and saxophonist Andrew Mackay, both with slicked-back hair, look as if they have strayed in from the musical, Grease. The man in charge of the electronics looks as if he is from another planet. The lead guitarist, bassist and drummer look like "normal" rock musicians.

The audience, who had waited patiently for two hours to see Roxy Music, earned praise from police.

A police spokesman said: "From our point of view, this has been a peaceful concert. The audience have been very well behaved and have caused no trouble."