Month: February 2002

She’s an old-time ambassador…

New Elizabethan : Daily Telegraph : 01/31/02 To mark the Queen’s forthcoming Golden Jubilee, the British Airways magazine ‘High Life’ has compiled a list of “new Elizabethans” highlighting writers, artists, actors, politicians, pop stars and scientists who have “flourished” during the Queen’s 50-year reign. One famous ‘mover and shaker’ was chosen for each of the fifty years from 1952 to 2001. David was chosen to represent 1972, and is one of only five musicians in the list. The others are Paul McCartney (1963), John Lennon (1971), Johnny Rotten (1976) and Bob Geldof (1985). You can read more here and view the entire list, here.

Epiphany : Jam Music : 02/01/02 Danny Michel, whose recent album, ‘Belly Of A Whale’ “featured on a surprising number of ‘top 10 of 2001’ lists”, talked to Jam Music about “his first musical epiphany: “I remember watching David Bowie play The Man Who Sold the World on Saturday Night Live. I must’ve been about seven. He was wearing this big plastic space suit and then he came out and sang the next song and he was wearing a dress. I remember thinking, ‘Who is this guy?’ My parents were worried that I liked it. Then I went and bought a record. I picked Heroes ’cause it had a weird cover and I loved it. Bowie’s the reason I played music.“ Read the complete article here. (steph)

Tibet House Benefit : 02/22/02 Adam Yauch of The Beastie Boys is the latest addition to the line-up for The Tibet House Benefit Concert due to take place at New York’s Carnegie Hall in just (thanks pats) 14 days time! He joins the powerful blend of musical talent under the guidance of artistic director and Tibet House Vice President Philip Glass, which now comprises David Bowie, Bebel Gilberto, Nawang Khechog, The Kronos Quartet, Patti Smith, Tibetan monks from the Drepung Gomang Monastery, and Adam Yauch, with others yet to be confirmed. The concert will inaugurate the Year of the Water Horse. For more information, visit the Tibet House website.

(contributors : steph, spaceface)

:))

It’s a moving world…

www.animation is a fascinating new book by Jenny Chapman scheduled for publication on February 21st through Cassell. Taking a look at every aspect of the moving image on the web, www.animation provides essential reading for all serious design professionals and students alike. Here’s a little bit from the author:

“Web animation is being made not only by animators and graphic designers, but by musicians, engineers and skateboarders, to name but a few. This diversity of inspiration has brought a wonderful richness and variety to web animation design, which is reflected throughout this book.”

BowieNet has three pages of screen grabs given over to it, and deservedly so. This is how the site you are looking at right now is described in the book:

“David Bowie’s official website at www.davidbowie.com, which is designed by UltraStar and NettMedia, combines Flash navigational elements and animation with a delicate, understated colouring and design.”

Tastefully designed, www.animation is well worth checking out, particularly if you are about to embark upon a bit of your own animated web design.

I believe in magic, Angel for life…

Thanks to Kiarrith for pointing out a charming little piece over at people.com. It’s nothing that anybody observing David and Iman over the years will be surprised by, but it’s heart-warming stuff all the same.

Dr. David Givens, director of the Institute for Non-verbal Studies, in California, explains:

“He gives her a genuine or ‘true’ smile and her love for him is equally strong. His genuine affection is returned, in turn, with her true smile. That they feel so comfortable being physically close together reflects a rather long-term relationship. Their upper bodies angling toward each other’s is another sign of close coupledom.”

Altogether now: Aaaaahhhhh….You can read the rest of the article by clicking on the image above.

While we’re talking about Iman, there have been a few updates over at www.i-iman.com, with new pictures in the diary section (including a particularly cute one of little Lexie and her mum) and a few of the more recent magazine articles.

The image above is David’s drawing of his wife, reproduced from the February edition of Harper’s Bazaar, in a feature about what it’s like to be Iman for 24 hours which the lady herself described as “not a bad story” despite “a couple of inaccuracies”.

Let’s bid, under the moonlight, this serious moonlight…

As auction number three ends, the fourth BowieNet eBay auction is about to go live. Again these most desirable items have a Serious Moonlight theme, (it was a hugely popular tour after all) including a genuine Levi Serious Moonlight tour jacket, a well rare pair of Bowie boxing gloves and a Bowie logo pin.

Keep your eye on the BowieNet Auctions Page to view the new items which will be posted later today. Last week’s items finished with a combined total of $226.50, and apart from the percentage that we’ll be donating to the Save The Children charity, the rest of the money will be used for something rather special that we will be announcing in the not too distant future…Oh, how I love to tease!

Last year saw Bowieart launch the Window Pain Project, a six-month series of exhibitions in a window on one of the capitals busiest streets in East London, now in the core of another of London’s most animated districts comes the first of this year’s Window Projects.

In the depths of Piccadilly Circus lies its tube station, a twelve-exit monster of a station with each exit leading to the heart of tourist London, a shopping Mecca and fast food heaven overshadowed by the largest and most expensive advertising hoardings in the UK. Back below ground in the belly of Piccadilly is an instant access route to the largest UK record store, Tower Records. It is here, at this entrance to the store that you will find Graham Hudson’s invasion of a window space usually used for retail promotion.

Created specifically for the space Pusher presents us with a bank of screens in a style familiar to those on a set of Top of the Pops. Hudson’s video installation reconstructs the familiar image of arcades bygone game the pusher-machine. Where coins are swallowed up by a machine that cranks back and forth promising to reward us with more; the epitome of loss and low aspiration. The odds look good, it could be you, but reality keeps the pounds in the hands of those that control the game. The promised coins shine and shimmer within a hypnotic loop, and like the above ground imagery that soars around Eros, it allures you into a love affair with all that dazzles, the quick-fix, low-think materiality of contemporary society. One is left with the reality of broken promises, and even broker pockets.

The artist has also been at work within the store with a series of audio interventions. Throughout a regular day the latest chart toppers can be heard through the store, but for the duration of Hudson’s exhibition this output will be interrupted at certain points in the day. At first such interventions may appear to be in keeping with the clichéd in-store DJ selling new trends and goods. However on closer inspection the interventions mimic the nonsensical dialogue of broadcast advertising’s one-liners and outrageous product claims. The output also includes recordings claiming to be seized by hidden store microphones, featuring couples arguing in the aisles, and non-couples carrying on like it is a singles night in the store. Check out the following link for an example of one of the artists Advotainmants.

EXAMPLE

Bowieart.com is a site that utilises the net to provide information and exposure to talented artists at the most important time in their careers.

Pusher opens 12 February and runs till 13 March 2002
Tower Records, 1 Piccadilly, London, W1
For images and further information on the Window Project or Bowieart contact Beth Mears
+44 (0) 20 7352 4976
beth@kcfa.ftech.co.uk
www.bowieart.com

She’ll lay belief on you…

Mad-as-they-come BowieNutter, Susans, has spent all of her free time recently creating a magnificent BowieNet News Archive. So far this excellent and very useful service stretches back to January 2001, but the mad woman intends to finish this incredible task by taking us back to the very dawn of BowieNet.

Click on this BowieNet News Archive link to take you to the main archive page, from where you can click on any of the months displayed there…then you can navigate backwards and forwards through the months, and all that sort of clever malarkey.

Well done Susans, absolutely brilliant job…but don’t take my word for it. This is what THE MAN had to say:

“Susans has undertaken what is probably the most dangerous and risky task known to man. Typing. Of, course this presents no problem to girlie-girls so Susans should have it all done in about half an hour, I’d guess. What a trouper. What a girl. What a spin. What a rare mood I’m in. Why it’s almost like being…archived. – db”

…watching the young advance in all electric

Ziggy live in 1972 : NME : 02/02/02 In this week’s NME, a double page spread is devoted to a look back at the gigs which inspired the bands taking part in this year’s NME Carling shows. The Pet Shop Boys are asked “What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to?” and Neil Tennant answers : “David Bowie at Newcastle City Hall on the Ziggy tour, June 1972. The venue was half-empty. He was electrifying. He dedicated a song to me and my friends, saying, ‘This song is for the strange people in the audience’.” There is a review of this gig, written at the time, online here at The Ziggy Stardust Companion, which includes the following :- “David Bowie is one of the great enigmas of music. But he showed that he is also one of the great entertainers when he opened at Newcastle’s City Hall last Friday. Armed with his own fine vocals and stage presence, an immaculate sound system, a light show and above all the best rock band I have seen or heard for years, he took the audience by storm.” Anyone for a time machine?

Elephant Man : Playbill Online : 01/30/02 The stage play of The Elephant Man is returning to Broadway, with the opening date set as 04/14/02 (previews from 03/26/02). Kate Burton will play Mrs Kendal, opposite Billy Crudup’s John Merrick. You can read more about this latest revival, here. The definitive interpretation of the lead role in this play has already been given of course. David played the part from 29th July 1980 to 3rd January 1981. Reviews from that time include :- “shockingly good” – New York Post, “wordless and unmoving, he is nevertheless an electric presence.” – Rolling Stone, and “Bowie.. had the audience.. in the palm of his hand.” – BBC. You can read more, here.

Kooks : The Independent : until 02/23/02 Julie Verhoeven the illustrator and fashion consultant who, according to The Independent “should get a medal for service to the industry”. She has, since the late Eighties, not only researched and designed for some of the world’s most renowned names, she has transformed their ideas into immaculately drawn fairytale figures. She has now turned to a far more personal project: a celebration of her favourite records. An exhibition of the results, which comprise her interpretations of, among others, Kooks by David Bowie, Fat Bottomed Girls (Queen), Add It Up (Violent Femmes), and Good Times Roll (The Cars) is at Mobile Home, 42 Theobalds Road, London WC1 (020-7405 7575), until 23 February 2002. Again, more online, here.

:))

I’d like to blow on your horn…

David has written a new journal in which he gives us yet another tantalising glimpse into life in the studio, and the new album.