In 1971, Phil Manzanera responded to an ad in Melody Maker seeking “the perfect guitarist for avant-rock group.” He was invited to meet with Roxy Music’s Bryan Ferry and Andy Mackay, who were sharing a house at the time.
“I got on really well with them but I failed the audition,” Manzanera told a mesmerized audience at the Howard Theatre during a recent stop to promote his new memoir.
It’s one of the many stories contained in “Revolución to Roxy,” published a year ago by Wordzworth Publishing. In recent weeks, Mr. Manzanera talked about the life experiences captured in the book in a few select USA appearances.
Obviously, there is more to Phil’s story of meeting Ferry and Mackay, else he never would have gained fame as the guitarist for Roxy Music. Ferry and Mackay originally recruited David O’List, former guitarist with the Nice, but they really liked Phil and invited him to run sound on their shows. As fate would have it, the fussy O’List soon became difficult to work with while the easygoing Manzanera was readily available, and so Phil soon stepped into the originally sought role of guitarist.
At the Howard Theatre in DC on March 25, Phil recalled these stories and many more in a seated interview on stage with John Paige of Universal Media. Phil brought with him a guitar and a small amp. While he did not play extensively, he broke up the conversation with riffs from beloved compositions including a melody where he shared some of the iconic guitar parts from Roxy tunes like “More Than This.”
Watch the official music video for “More Than This” by Roxy Music on YouTube:
With his colorful and global upbringing, it’s no surprise that Phil Manzanera was the perfect recruit for the groundbreaking art rock group Roxy Music. Born in 1951 to an English father and a Colombian mother, Phil spent some formative childhood years in Cuba, where he swore his civilian father was the inspiration for Graham Greene’s “Our Man in Havana.” He encountered his first guitar in Havana, and the die was cast. His journey led him to being appointed an Officer of the British Empire in 2024.
Prior to his book chat at the Howard Theatre, Phil had not played guitar in Washington, DC, since the 50th anniversary celebration of Roxy Music at the Capital One Arena in 2022. In discussing the tour, Phil confirmed it was Roxy Music’s farewell tour, although the band continue to exist and work on reissues and other endeavors related to their legacy.
Bryan Ferry called Phil on a previous Christmas holiday to share his thoughts on Roxy Music’s 50th anniversary, Phil recalled, which set planning for the tour in motion. Phil agreed immediately, and the band had to spin up a business organization to support the effort. Roxy Music had last played for a few songs during their induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2019, but it was “challenging” to mount a tour, he said.
The resulting 12 shows across the United Kingdom, United States, and Canada marked the final performances of Roxy Music, Phil declared at the Howard Theatre: “Roxy Music is not going to be playing live ever again.”
Phil plans to remain active in music, most notably recording a second Quiet Sun album as a follow-up to the progressive rock group’s 1975 debut, Mainstream.
Meanwhile, Phil’s words were food for the soul for hungry Roxy Music fans gathered at the Howard Theatre. A right proper gentleman, Phil spun yarns that kept us glued to our seats. And we were beyond excited when he picked up the guitar to lead us through some musical highlights. You could simply feel the room bursting with joy yet with hushed respect.
Buy “Revolución to Roxy” by Phil Manzanera on Amazon!
Here are some photos of Phil Manzanera appearing at the Howard Theatre on March 25, 2025. All pictures by Mickey McCarter.
