It's Bowie Week!

This is for all non-EC or peripheral-EC topics. We all know how much we love talking about 'The Man' but sometimes we have other interests.
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Otis Westinghouse
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It's Bowie Week!

Post by Otis Westinghouse »

It is around here, anyway.

So, Dr J, tell us EVERYTHING about the Dublin gig (Sat or Sun?).

Good review in the Observer yesterday of the Manchester gig, well largely good, but not written by a fan (the arsehole made fun of/couldn't comprehend the fact that everyone except him knew all the words to Five Years - arsehole, as if that reflected well on him, I've known every single word of it, in fact of the whole LP, since I was 11 or so).

Mojo Bowie special is dear at £6, but well worth it. Ratings of all the LPs (slightly odd top 10, though, Let's Dance is in it, Station To Station isn't!), and Reality gets a too-low 3 out of 5, but lots of great photos, interesting (looking, haven't had time yet) articles, and a fans + writers all time top 20 songs (with Sweet Thing an interesting 12 or so).

And then there's the Reality issue + DVD (see DVD thread). Plus Sound + Vision DVD set. Oh dear, too much of a good thing.

And, let's not forget, Wednesday at Wembley. A special week indeed.

Who else is going to see this tour? I know the Mug is in Boston, the Chair in Toronto and I'm trying to get Bamboo to in Sydney ( :wink: ), but there must be more. Noise? (Though I know Texas ain't on the itinerary.) Should be well worth it. the Observer guy raved about the band - especially Early Slick and Gerry Leonard (who he?) together on guitars, and the Gail + sterling rhythm section is, of course, awesome. And he's overcome his laryngitis and is sounding great, and he looks and moves like he's 30. Check out the setlists (which vary nightly, a la Elvis) on http://www.bowiewonderworld.com/

Come on Dr J, your turn, make me salivate!
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Otis Westinghouse
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Post by Otis Westinghouse »

I know you're there!
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Post by Otis Westinghouse »

Oh OK then, well sorry if you were there Saturday, though maybe you'll show up on film, but Sunday, like Berlin was the dog's bollix:

"DAVID BOWIE's second of two shows at The Point in Dublin, Ireland took place tonight. The lengthy gig, almost three hours saw David and the band play a record thirty-five song set list which ran as follows:

     01. Rebel Rebel
     02. New Killer Star
     03. Reality
     04. Fame
     05. Cactus (plus a snippet of 'Get It On' in the bridge!)
     06. Sister Midnight
     07. Afraid
     08. All The Young Dudes
     09. Days
     10. Be My Wife
     11. China Girl
     12. The Loneliest Guy
     13. The Man Who Sold The World
     14. Fantastic Voyage
     15. Hallo Spaceboy
     16. Sunday
     17. Under Pressure
     18. Life On Mars?
     19. Battle For Britain (The Letter)
     20. Fall Dog Bombs The Moon
     21. Ashes To Ashes
     22. The Motel
     23. Loving The Alien
     24. Breaking Glass
     25. 5:15 The Angels Have Gone
     26. Never Get Old
     27. Changes
     28. I'm Afraid Of Americans
     29. "Heroes"
Encore:
     30. Bring Me The Disco King
     31. Slip Away
     32. Heathen (The Rays)
     33. Five Years
     34. Hang On To Yourself
     35. Ziggy Stardust"

Truly awesome. Let's hope he repeats the same 'second night = three hours' routine in London!
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Post by DrJ »

Ready to salivate? I hope you have a bib on.

I saw four kick ass gigs last week, culminating with Bowie on Saturday. I don't think you'll be disappointed. I had one or two quibbles with the setlist: Five Years was a great choice, but odd choices from the nineties (Motel from Outside, really?). After the gig, myself and the brother went through what he didn't play: Space Odditty, John, I'm only dancing, Starman, Suffragette City, Diamond Dogs, Young Americans, Anything of Station to Station, Low, Fafafafafashion, Let's Dance, Modern Love, Blue Jean, Jump they Say, and so on.

The fun thing about Bowie gigs is that he's so Bowie: Hands on hips, big grin, laid back acceptance of his brilliant catalogue. The two Dublin gigs were being filmed for the official DVD we were informed. The versions of Changes and Life on Mars, brought the house down, moreso than the Ziggy stuff, which was cool. Nice stage set up, good visuals, and it starts great. The support, The Dandy Warhols, weren't up to it, which is a pity, coz I like 'em.

The rest of my week of gigs:
Sunday 16th: Went to Belfast to see Dexys Midnight Runners. I was dying to see 'em but just couldn't make it to their Dublin gig the previous night. This is a pity coz the Belfast venue was very unsuitable: a modern whiten' pine concert hall that was about a third full. BUt the band were amazing. Rowland's voice is untouched by time/drugs and the performance ended up being joyous and revelatory. For the encores I rushed to the front of the stage and watched Kev doing "This is what she's like" from three or four feet away. This meant a lot.

Monday 17th: Bob Dylan at the Point, Dublin. Best of the four times I've seen Dylan. Heartbreaking version of "Girl from the North County". Considering that the first time I saw BD was in 89 and he had a hood over his head and played against a wall of sound, it was nice to see him in a tidy black suit and playing piano for the whole thing.

Thursday 20th: Fleetwood Mac at the Point (again). I am a huge Lindsey Buckingham devotee so I just wanted to see him. The worst gig i ever saw was an outdoors Mac gig in '88 (without Buckingham). Horrible show. I had secured fantastic tickets for this one(front row balcony, middle of house, above the sound desk)I didn't expect to be blown away. I think, all things considered, that this was gig of the week. It seemed to suit that Christine McVie was gone, suited me anyway. Nicks was in great vocal form and looks attractive for the first time in 20 years, but Buckingham is an amazing stage presence and performer. For such a studio boffin, his work last Thursday was revalatory. A solo "Big Love", amazing, a bonkers run through of "Tusk", brilliant. (Tusk, masterpiece album, see this month's Mojo) I left the gig on a high that I hadn't felt since Macca last May. So. Damn. Good. And they mixed the new stuff with the classics better than Bowie did.

Yeah, so there! Enjoy Bowie. Try and get a ticket for the Mac at Earl's Court, I'm considering going to see 'em again in Belfast in two weeks.

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Post by DrJ »

That is a slightly different setlist to Saturday. We didn't get "Be My Wife" or "Fall dogs Bomb the Moon" and some others. Maybe it's because of the DVD.

Still like "Reality". Today I burned a CD of Best of Bowie 93-03. Considering I don't have Heathen, the tracklisting went:

Jump They Say
Miracle Goodnight
Buddah of Suburbia
Strangers When We Meet
Heart's Filthy Lesson
I have not Been to Oxford Town
We Prick You
Hallo Spaceboy
Little Wonder
I'm Afrain of Americans
Thursday's Child
Seven
The Lonliest Guy
New Killer Star
Never Grow Old
Bring Me the Disco King

...but I'm thinking of redoing it...

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Post by Otis Westinghouse »

Thanks, Dr J! Cool indeed. Bib well and truly soaked.

No Heathen? You must. I rate it higher than (the excellent) Reality, I think it will last longer. It's got some great stuff on it. Like your compilation all the same. I think Seven is lovely. Would have added The Wedding too, I have a soft spot for it! Agree The Motel is an odd choice for the setlist. My main disappointment for all the setlists is that Win isn't included, simply cos he said on the Ross radio show they were working on it.

And what a great week. Shame Bowie didn't play Song For Bob Dylan, or even Mac The Knife, in honour of your prodigious gig-addiction. Wish I'd seen Dexy's. Good old Kevin (is gonna be alright).

The thing that gets me about the Mojo LP ratings is they give the universally loathed Never Let Me Down three stars, same as Reality. Just absurd! And they don't rate Bowie at the Beeb, which I think is a stellar document, especially if you got it with the added bonus of the 2000 BBC gig too. They give four stars to a collection I hadn't heard of, really early stuff, Mannish Boys and King Bees and all that, pre the Tony Newley/Laughing Gnome era. Must get that.

OK, let's see what he played tonight at Wembley...
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Post by bambooneedle »

Otis, your excitement is rubbing off on me. The 2 Sydney shows for February are already sold out, but I'll see what I can do about going.
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Post by Tim(e) »

bambooneedle wrote:Otis, your excitement is rubbing off on me. The 2 Sydney shows for February are already sold out, but I'll see what I can do about going.
I phoned when the Sydney shows were first advertised, but at something in the order of $95 for the cheap seats and $174 for the not so cheap seats I thought to myself, "thank you very much, but no thank you!".
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Post by Otis Westinghouse »

Not sure how those convert, but the killing is there to be made. For me, I would have paid well more than I did for the experience tonight. It was heaven. I haven't enjoyed a gig so much since, oh, November 7. A very well put together set of newer and older. I would have preferred a touch more new in addition to the older, and something from the 'plastic soul' era, but what the hell, it was 24 (I think) songs of brilliance. 5 songs off Ziggy (Hang On To Yourself, Starman, Five Years, Suffragette and Ziggy), all perfectly handled, and a bunch of classics like an enormous "Heroes", Ashes To Ashes, Man Who Sold The World. Great renditions of 90s numbers I'm Afraid Of Americans and Hallo Spaceboy. The joy of Under Pressure, with the divine Gail Ann Dorsey doing a very good Freddie. At one ppoint Bowie seemed to spontaneously go into Fantastic Voyage, with some uncertainty over whether they were going to do Days or that. Only four songs off Reality (New Killer Star, Reality, The Loneliest Guy, She Drives The Big Car). A shame not to hear Fall Dog, Days, Never Get Old, Bring Me The Head (which he's played quite a bit recently, and which I absolutely love), and even Pablo Picasso. A cracking Cactus, though, plus Sunday and Afraid from Heathen.

I enjoyed it a lot more than the previous time I saw him. That was on the Outside tour, and he was resolutely not repeating the Sound and Vision tour, so the only classic oldies were radically reworked, e.g. Andy Warhol.

He's a well man. Healthy, wealthy and wise. His teeth lighting up Wembley Arena. He was genuinely appreciative of the applause and the tidal wave of love the audience were heaping on him.

The band are cracking, with Mike Garson still there 30 years after they first collaborated on Aladdin Sane, and Earl Slick cranking it out too. Gerry Leonard very good on guitar too. GAD on bass and the phenomenally good Sterling Campbell on drums are just too perfect as a rhythm section. Campbell is so very tight and hard, yet always imaginative. Great fills and a great sense of building it up to fever pitch. unfortunately he didn't put as many clever little beats into Ashes To Ashes as he did on the BBC 2000 version that came with Bowie At The Beeb, but he puts a lovely little extra bass drum beat in the gaps in Ziggy. Just great. Sound was very good too. And Bowie's voice sounds fabulous. It's giving up those fags and living healthily, of course, and long may it last.

I was hoping he might do a 35-songer, but then I would have missed the last train back and been stranded in London (which happened to me after Springsteen, which made for a fun adventure, but once was enough, thank you). I can't think of a better way to get stranded, though.
Last edited by Otis Westinghouse on Thu Nov 27, 2003 6:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Otis Westinghouse »

Actually, 26 songs. From bowiewonderworld.com:

     01. Rebel Rebel
     02. New Killer Star
     03. Reality
     04. Fashion
     05. Cactus
     06. Hang On To Yourself
     07. Starman
     08. China Girl
     09. The Loneliest Guy
     10. The Man Who Sold The World
     11. Hallo Spaceboy
     12. Sunday
     13. Under Pressure
     14. Life On Mars?
     15. Ashes To Ashes
     16. Be My Wife
     17. Fantastic Voyage
     18. She'll Drive The Big Car
     19. The Jean Genie
     20. Afraid
     21. I'm Afraid Of Americans
     22. "Heroes"
Encore:
     23. White Light, White Heat
     24. Five Years
     25. Suffragette City
     26. Ziggy Stardust
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Post by DrJ »

Fair play to him for varying the setlist everynight. I didn't get Starman, Jean Genie, Fashion, Suffragette cuty. But hey, I got to hear Fame and The Motel (ummmmmm, great)...

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Post by bambooneedle »

Tim(e) wrote:I phoned when the Sydney shows were first advertised, but at something in the order of $95 for the cheap seats and $174 for the not so cheap seats I thought to myself, "thank you very much, but no thank you!".
At least we can get the Reality 2CD Tour Edition.
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Post by Otis Westinghouse »

Yeah, am gonna have to get that one. It will make up for the lack of Reality songs last night. I wouldd have been really happy if he'd done what Elvis did with North and played the entire LP in chunks throughout the set.

And they're making a tour DVD to, going by Dublin!

I played The Motel the other morning (pre-gig preparation, you see), and it's stuck in me head. It would be good live, for sure. But I'll happily stick with Starman. Jean Genie was great. Never been one of my favourites (it reminds me of Pump It Up in that its appeal is pretty limited), but it was just great last night.
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Post by Otis Westinghouse »

Further evidence of the now sadly terminating Bowie week: the Dame herself on Parkinson, kicking off with a ripping Ziggy (boy, have they got that number nailed), the The Loneliest Guy, which is great and a good showcase for post-Marlboro Bowie, but a shame it wasn't one off Reality I didn't see on Wed, and then a nice interview with Bowie being his usual warm, matey, but distant with it self, but as ever saying interesting things, e.g. about his dad, and opting out of the celebrity thing (this with Victoria Beckham next to him).
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Post by BlueChair »

12 days until Bowieday for me!
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Post by Otis Westinghouse »

OK, my friend, will leave you to resurrect this thread then.

And where's Noise got to?
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Post by BlueChair »

Otis, did you hear Bowie is to headline the 2004 Isle Of Wight festival in June?
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Post by Otis Westinghouse »

Fuck! No! He said he'd be back next year, and I read he's playing T in the Park in Scotland. I've never been to a (UK) festival, so this will have to be a first.
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Post by BlueChair »

I'm getting a bit worried about seeing Bowie on Friday.

He had postponed his first two North American days due to the flu, in Atlantic City and Washington DC. And today I've read that he has also postponed his Boston and Philadelphia shows. Hopefully he'll be all better by Friday so I can see him!

Just wanted to mention it also in case someone had planned on attending the Atlantic City, Washington DC, Boston, or Philadelphia shows.

From Billboard:

David Bowie has postponed two additional shows on his North American leg A Reality tour due to complications with the flu. The rocker has now backed out of shows scheduled for tomorrow (Dec. 9) in Boston and Wednesday in Philadelphia. On Friday, he announced the postponement of the planned Dec. 6 tour opener in Atlantic City, N.J., and a Dec. 7 show outside Washington, D.C.

Fans are advised to retain their tickets, as the shows will be rescheduled. The trek is expected to get underway Friday in Toronto.
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Post by Otis Westinghouse »

The Mug has a ticket for Boston, so she'll be looking for a re-date (not clashing with EC, with a bit of luck!). I hope he's up to it for Friday. It would be awful if he gave a laccklustre performance. I suspect he'll come back fighting fit and full of juice. I've been engrossed in the Mojo special, learning lots of stuff about him. As with Costello, I've never read any of the books, just kept away from that, but once you start to read more, you do want to find out. And some of the Mojo articles, e.g. old trooper Charles Shaar Murray, are very good at contextualising his rise to fame in the early 70s.

Fingers crossed!
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Post by BlueChair »

I'm pretty excited.. two days 'til Bowie! A friend of mine picked up a ticket last minute and wants me to give him the rundown on Bowie before the show (he's a fan, but not too familiar with the scope of his career).

Here's hoping Bowie's fully recovered and in full energy. If he can manage to repeat the Glasgow show I'd be happy enough. Great setlist for that one. "White Light White Heat"!
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Post by Otis Westinghouse »

Have your friend send me an email...

WLWH was fine, nice, but give me Fall Dog Bombs The Moon or Days over it any day of the week, or All The Young Dudes, if you want an oldie, and one that Bowie wrote. Cactus live is a corking cover, though.
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Post by BlueChair »

I dunno, Otis... I like Reality and all, but really the only songs from it that I'd care to hear live are "New Killer Star", "Pablo Picasso", "She'll Drive The Big Car", "Try Some, Buy Some", and maybe "Looking For Water." Neither of those songs you mentioned really hit me. Maybe they are better live.

"All The Young Dudes", however, would be on my Top 5 "PLEASE PLAY THIS SONG, PLEASE" list.

I'd love a Velvets song, though I think "I'm Waiting For The Man" would be more fun. :D
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Post by BlueChair »

THIS SUCKS :x :x :x :x :x

Bowie postpones Toronto show
By JAM! Music
An ongoing illness has forced David Bowie to postpone his show at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto on Friday (Dec. 12).

Bowie, battling the flu, hoped to launch his North American tour in Toronto after having to cancel the first several tour dates.

A concert date at Montreal's Bell Centre this Saturday (Dec. 13) is still scheduled to go ahead as planned.

Toronto fans are urged to retain their tickets until a makeup date is announced.
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Post by Otis Westinghouse »

Oh dear, sorry to hear that. It must be pretty bad. Still, better to go when you know he's well than when he's struggling.

My current fave Bowie number, having dug out the "Heroes" vinyl for a recent spin, is Joe The Lion. That would be great live.
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