Month: November 2003

While you played T-time tunes…

As mentioned in yesterday’s news piece, David Bowie will be playing next year’s T in the Park (Scotland’s biggest music festival) at Balado in Perth and Kinross. The event takes place on Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th of July, 2004.

Tickets go on sale tomorrow morning (Monday December 1st) at 9:00am UK time, and they can be purchased through Ticketmaster by calling 0870 169 0100, or online by going here. David will be playing on Saturday July 10th, but, I believe tickets are only available for the whole weekend anyway.

The return of the Thin Wight Duke…

We can confirm that David will also headline the Isle of Wight Festival that takes place the weekend of 11th to 13th June 2004. David will play on Sunday June 13th.

David is reported to have said he has longed to play the legendary event which was revived in 2002. The festival was originally held each summer from 1968 to 1970, and hosted performances by The Who, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix and The Doors.

David said of the festival: “I was so envious of other acts that got to do the other Isle of Wight Festivals – it is really coming back. This is the very first time I have been to the Isle of Wight Festival. Obviously I’ve been to the Isle of Wight, it’s a fabulous place – I used to go there on holiday when I was a kid. I jumped at it, it is a smashing thing to do.”

I can also tell you that there will be a discount for BowieNetters when the tickets do go on sale. Stay tuned for more shortly.

Switch on the TV, we may pick him up on Channel 1…

Those of you who visit the MBs will most likely already be aware of David’s appearance on BBC1’s Parkinson show here in the UK this evening. But, just in case you’re not… you are now!

At the taping of the show on Thursday, David performed a strident version of Ziggy Stardust and a beautifully fragile rendition of The Loneliest Guy. He also went on to have a chat with Parky and the conversation flowed freely covering subjects such as; Big Bowie-eyed Little Richard, poorly-fixed popstar hairpieces, gay Martians, reaching seventy, Mr Jones Snr‘s excursions into showbiz and much, much more.

Tune into BBC1 at 9:30pm this evening. Includes contributions from Clive James and Mrs Victoria Posh.

So I said “So long” and I waved bye-bye…

David Bowie ended the final show of the European leg of his A Reality Tour in Glasgow last night with his usual style and brilliance, and a little extra for good measure. It’s hard not to be whisked along by the sheer enthusiasm of an audience this good and David responded with an evening of total entertainment, confirming for many why he’s still the best solo rock act in the world today.

The 28-song set was a perfect balance of old and new, and though the usual ovation for Life On Mars? was there, (if cut a little short by the relatively quick launch into Ashes To Ashes) there was no doubting this crowd’s enthusiasm for Starman which received the kind of reaction normally reserved for Life On Mars?.

Even though Glasgow was the final date of this European jaunt, the sadness was short lived when David confirmed he would return next year with the following statement: “Not only is this the last show of the tour, but it’s the last show that we’ll ever do, until… The T In The Park, Next year. So, you know… see you there!”

Tickets go on sale for T In The Park this coming Monday December 1st. More on that particular show and The Isle Of Wight festival announcement shortly.

David also referred to the fact that Scotland hadn’t originally been pencilled in when he said something along the lines of: “I’ll make sure we come back here. I won’t make that mistake again.”

There was a touching moment when David grabbed a banner, (made by BowieNetter Charlie) after a very emotional version of All The Young Dudes and just before China Girl. The banner read “THIS ONE’S FOR DEAN” and David held it aloft, saying: “Those of you that know, understand what this is all about.”

Glasgow was without doubt one of the best shows of the tour, but don’t take my word for it… read on after the setlist for a few snippets of reviews from this morning’s Scottish press:

Glasgow November 28th 2003

01 Rebel Rebel
02 New Killer Star
03 Reality
04 Fame
05 Fashion
06 Cactus
07 Afraid
08 All The Young Dudes
09 China Girl
10 The Loneliest Guy
11 The Man Who Sold The World
12 Hallo Spaceboy
13 Sunday
14 The Jean Genie
15 Under Pressure
16 Life On Mars?
17 Ashes To Ashes
18 Starman
19 Be My Wife
20 Let’s Dance
21 Never Get Old
22 Changes
23 I’m Afraid Of Americans
24 “Heroes”

(Encore)
25 White Light, White Heat
26 Five Years
27 Suffragette City
28 Ziggy Stardust

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Excerpts of reviews of David Bowie at the Glasgow SECC November 28th 2003

The Scotsman – Five Star review by Fiona Shepherd

NOW is a good time to be David Bowie, and a good time to be a fan of David Bowie. The Thin White Duke looked more dazzling than ever, his voice is in supple shape and, thanks to his wonderful intuitive band, everything else sounds great too.

…In 2003, this ultra-cool 50-something has wired back into the spirit, the strut and the stance that makes him peerless still. And, by his own announcement, he?s going to do it all again at next year?s T in the Park.

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The Herald

…The 56-year-old has consistently proved through this current tour that age is no barrier to performance. He wowed fans with a raft of classics, obscure gems, and tracks from Reality, his new album.

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The Sun

DAVID BOWIE gave his Scots fans a Reality check last night. The rock legend put on a stunning show for an 8,000 sell-out crowd at the SECC in Glasgow as he wound up the British leg of his world-wide tour.

The 56-year-old superstar wowed fans by opening with classic hit Rebel Rebel before plugging songs from his new album, Reality. …It was Bowie at his best.

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David and the band now have a week off before the madness starts again on Saturday the 6th of December, at The Borgata in Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA.

Screaming above Central London…

Sorry for the delay in posting this one folx, I’ve been waiting for the results of a black and white roll of film I shot, and hopefully you’ll think the result (above) was worth the wait.

There were numerous changes to the setlist last night compared to the previous evening’s entertainment. These changes included one song, Starman, which must be just about the last of the rehearsed songs. Having said that, I know there were some fans outside that managed to hear another song being soundchecked that wasn’t played on the night… and it wasn’t Win!

The audience were up for it again, and proved that at least David Bowie fans aren’t “too London” to have a good time. Anyway, here’s the 26-song setlist followed by a review of the show from regular BowieNet contributor, LizSK2:

Wembley November 26th 2003

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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David Bowie at Wembley Arena: November 26th 2003

For me this was the end. No Glasgow trip possible so last night at Wembley was the culmination of my Reality tour. After 9 gigs (not including Poughkeepsie and Riverside), 12 flights, one hospital visit and more trains, buses and taxis than I care to look at my bank balance over, for me it ended last night in London.

As he raised his arms and sang the last words at the end of Ziggy I shed a happy tear for all the friends I?ve made and songs I?ve heard. It wasn?t the first tear shed. Five Years in Lyon saw to that. Then there was almost getting thrown out of the gig during NKS in Copenhagen, getting lost in Rotterdam, getting elbowed in Frankfurt, 9 hours of driving for Hanover, group hugs and tits out (Keiths?, not mine!) in Manchester, at the front again in Dublin (Eamonn rocks!)? the list goes on and on. So much has happened since October 7th. I stepped into Wembley Arena last night with a huge amount of personal sadness that it was all about to end.

The show has become so familiar, but no less thrilling, to me. The music starts and David’s voice booms out something along the lines of: ?That?s good, let?s try that again?. The lights go out and the animation starts. Rebel Rebel (usually!) opens the show perfectly.

I had hoped tonight would be different to Tuesday?s show since the second nights played in the same venue usually are: I wasn?t disappointed. Fashion instead of Fame, Big Car, an early inclusion of Hang on to Yourself, Be My Wife, Jean Genie, White Light White Heat and Starman for the first time on this tour! It?s always a pleasure to hear Fantastic Voyage too. I?ve never been so floored by a vocal as I am by Gail?s in Under Pressure, the notes she hits are quite astounding. Every member of the band fits perfectly and certainly Gerry has added a dimension to the music I?ve never heard before.

It seemed to me that seeing both nights at Wembley presented a complete picture of the show. The audience, shackled by seating and over zealous security, were appreciative though I was surrounded by the kind of fan who is rather happy to hear the hits and has a bit of a sit down during the songs they don?t know. You could spot every BNetter in the audience a mile off: they were the ones punching the air during the ?ready, set, go!? portion of NKS!

Seeing DB in such a mainstream venue it did make me think about his appeal and the reaction to Life on Mars was the best example of it. There?s something about LOM at the moment that is really getting to me: I can barely get through it without choking up, something that has never happened before to me. Seeing the massive sing-a-long and standing ovation I realised that DB, to us, is this familiar character who every so often tells us silly jokes, hangs out a bit on the MBs and plays shows for us alone. To the other 95% of the audience last night he was an untouchable icon, they were listening to one of the greatest songs ever written and couldn?t quite believe he was standing right there belting it out. When you’re in a massive arena and he’s being appreciated by 10,000 it makes you realise who he really is.

Watching him hold every single person in Wembley enraptured was wonderful and it made me even more grateful that I?ve been able to share so many moments like that over the last 7 weeks.

My thanks go to: David and the band; to my BNet family who made me so welcome in so many European destinations; tvqb and coco for the best after party in history and to Blammo for putting up with my incessant waffling.

Now we?re sending DB across the ocean to carry on this amazing spectacle outside Europe. Treat him well, look after his voice and his belt, enjoy the rest of the tour. I know you will. Bye bye David, we love you.

Liz Tray

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That’s it folx. Here’s to tomorrow night’s last European show in Glasgow.

A London boy, oh a London boy…

David Bowie played his first night at Wembley Arena last night to an uncharacteristically warm reception… for a London audience. There were even similar scenes to Dublin after Life On Mars?, and again David seemed genuinely moved.

The main set list was the same as the first night of Dublin, but Slip Away and Heathen were dropped from the encore. Anyway, here’s the 25-song setlist from last night:

Wembley November 25th 2003

01 Rebel Rebel
02 New Killer Star
03 Reality
04 Fame
05 Cactus
06 Afraid
07 All The Young Dudes
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 The Motel
17 Loving The Alien
18 Never Get OId
19 Changes
20 I’m Afraid Of Americans
21 “Heroes”

(Encore)
22 Bring Me The Disco King
23 Five Years
24 Hang On To Yourself
25 Ziggy Stardust

Hopefully the Dublin pattern will continue for tonight’s second show, that would mean a much longer set, like the second Dublin show.

All of you that visit the BowieNet message boards are no doubt aware of the tragic death of BowieNetter Dean Andrews (wordonawing). It feels a little uncomfortable to be posting this at thanksgiving, but I’m sure you’ll all want to reflect a moment on this sad loss.Dean was killed in a road traffic accident in Wembley at around 7:50pm on Tuesday evening as he made his way on foot to the David Bowie concert at the Arena.Though I didn’t really know Dean personally (I had my first and last conversation with him in Dublin at the weekend) it’s obvious from the many messages on the boards that he was dearly loved by many of you, and that he will be very much missed.It seems that Word On A Wing (the song which inspired the user name that Dean chose) will forever be associated with Dean, and our thoughts go out to his family and loved ones at this terrible time.

Paris or maybe Hell…

I’m sure many of you who have been to any of the recent European dates are used to the sight of a particularly cool looking young dude called Anthony darting hither and thither with a camera glued to his head. Well, this budding director remains busy and has provided a couple more wonderful little films for your enjoyment.

Firstly we have some great footage backstage in Paris, with David chatting to designer Hedi Slimane and lots of other great stuff backstage with the band etc. Plus we have an absolutely hilarious remake of Hitchcock‘s The Birds, starring David and Gail. This latter film also answers the question of what the eerie little song Gail and Cat were singing on Halloween night in Cologne was.

Click on either of the stills on this page to take you to the video page of the Virtual Ticket section, and be prepared for some very big fun. Thanx to Anthony for this priceless stuff, and stay tuned to BowieNet for much more.

Last night they (really) loved you…

Perhaps buoyed from the reception he received during the first show at the Point Depot in Dublin, David Bowie played the longest set of his A Reality Tour last night. Just ten minutes under the three hour mark, the 35-song set featured a few of the less familiar songs that have been played on the tour, such as Sister Midnight, Days, Be My Wife, Fantastic Voyage and Breaking Glass.

The mood was at fever pitch again, and the crowd roared as David once more declared “Our day will come” in Gaeilge, confirming what the crowd thought they had heard the night before.

I decided to rough it with the animals down the front for the first time in a long time, and I have to say I had the time of my life. It’s such a great atmosphere down there, and it makes it easier to understand why people feel the need to queue from 10:30am in the freezing cold!

Anyway, here’s that incredible two hours and fifty minutes, 35-song setlist followed by a review of Saturday night’s show from the Irish Independent:

Dublin November 23rd 2003

01 Rebel Rebel
02 New Killer Star
03 Reality
04 Fame
05 Cactus
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 OId
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

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Starman Ziggy Stills Knows How To Shine: Maurice O?Brian ? Review from Dublin 1st night at the Point 22nd November

It’s over 30 years since that famous alter ?ego Ziggy Stardust fell to earth and reinvented the idea of what a rock star should be. With his sexed-up glam style and screwed-up hairdo, for a generation his music proved every bit as life-changing as Dylan?s before him.

But though it may have changed him, David Bowie proved that he?s still chasing time with a vengeance by treating fans to breathtaking shows at the Point Depot. Those lucky enough to get their hands on tickets were left in little doubt that the Thin White Duke can still lay claim to the title of Rock ?n? Roll?s greatest showman.

And what a show. Playing a set that touched all the best moments of his extensive career, the sense of occasion was made all the more special by the fact that Bowie chose his Irish Dates to record a live DVD top be released worldwide.

The accompanying light and visual spectacle was a sight to behold, but never threatened to outshine the real star of the show. Gliding onto the stage after his ultra-cool band, a magnificent reworked version of Rebel Rebel set the tone for the night.

Looking amazingly young, and of course stylish, for his 56 years, Bowie still manages to project more charisma during one song than most modern-day stars manage in a career.

The songs sound as fresh as ever, and a piano-led Life On Mars provided ample proof of what a remarkable voice he still possesses, but it was the life and energy breathed into classics such as Heroes and majestic set closer Ziggy Stardust that really hit home.

After a captivating two hours, an Oiche Mhaith and one final delighted bow to acknowledge the standing ovation from the audience, he was gone.

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So there you have it, can’t wait to see what’s said about last night’s show.

But don’t forget your date with me

There are a few recent releases that may have got a little lost in the excitement of the European leg of David Bowie’s A Reality Tour… And what better day to remind you of them than a good old traditional shopping day like Saturday! And so, without further ado…

There seems to have been some speculation on the MBs about the release date of the Tour Edition of Reality that we first told you about well over a month ago. (10.14.2003 NEWS: SPECIAL DVD EDITION OF REALITY DUE NEXT MONTH & 10/26/03 NEWS: REALITY TOUR EDITION BONUS DISC) Well, as you know, the album came out this week in Europe, but here’s the information we have right now for some of the other territories, and we’ll give you those TBCs as soon as we have them.

November 17th – UK / Europe – ie whole of Europe, France, Germany etc.
December – Australia / NZ (date tbc)
February 2004 – Japan (date tbc)
December 9th – Canada – Canadian edition only which features just five tracks from the Riverside show, New Killer Star, Never Get Old, Days, Reality and Bring Me The Disco King.

As I’m sure you all remember, this version of Reality is the tour edition which comes with a bonus DVD of the Reality tracks from the Riverside show back in September. I should point out that, unlike the actual broadcast, the DVD is not a 5:1 mix… as Tony Visconti has pointed out:

“I supervised the live 5.1 sound that went out to the cinemas only. After that I went on to produce a new album with the Finn Brothers (Neil Finn and Tim Finn) so I wasn’t available to work on this DVD.”

So there you have it. The 5:1 that was mixed for the broadcast can’t be used for the DVD as it’s a different signal… or something technical like that… Personally, I still think it’s pretty good value for a free DVD!

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It seems that Club Bowie isn’t for everybody, particularly those that can’t dance, Keiths for example, and indeed my good self before anyone demands a demonstration. Anyway, we told you about this a month ago and it’s out this week too… It’s a great way of collecting all these rare and unreleased mixes without shelling out the couple of zillion quid or so it would cost you to get all the original pressings.

Here’s the full track-listing for Club Bowie again for those that missed it the first time we told you about this release last month. (10/30/03 NEWS: NINE TRACK CLUB BOWIE CD DUE NEXT MONTH)

1 The Scumfrog vs Bowie – Loving The Alien
2 David Bowie – Let’s Dance (Trifactor vs Deeper Substance Remix)
3 David Guetta vs David Bowie – Just For One Day (Heroes) (Extended Version)
4 The Scumfrog vs David Bowie – This Is Not America
5 Solaris vs Bowie – Shout (Original Mix)
6 David Bowie – China Girl (Riff & Vox Club Mix)
7 David Bowie – Magic Dance (Danny S Magic Party Remix)
8 David Bowie – Let’s Dance (Club Bolly Extended Mix)
9 Video of David Bowie – Let’s Dance (Club Bolly Mix)

Having said all that about saving money, if you’re as anal a collector as myself, the promos, (of which there were several) will set you back a few bob. Particularly the one on the left, above, that contains an unreleased mix of Starman that didn’t make it to the final release.

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Another recent release that seems to have slipped through the net, is the budget double CD issue of the Philip Glass “Heroes” and Low Symphonies. If you’re already familiar with this stuff, you’ll know just how good it is, if you’re not… buy it now!

Here’s the tracklisitng of both discs, in the order they were originally issued… ie: “Heroes” Symphony followed by Low Symphony.

Disc: 1
1 “Heroes”
2 Abdulmajid
3 Sense Of Doubt
4 Sons Of The Silent Age
5 Neukoln
6 V2 Schneider

Disc: 2
1 Subterraneans
2 Some Are
3 Warszawa

Philip has spoken of completing the trilogy with a Lodger Symphony… Here’s a tip, PG: Do it now!

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This coming Monday the 24th sees the next single release from The Dandy Warhols, and it’s another track from Welcome To The Monkey House. Plan A is the third single from the album, and it contains a live acoustic version of The Jean Genie.

The track features Courtney Taylor-Taylor on vocals accompanied by Brent DeBoer on guitar, and it was recorded live to minidisc at Hotel Tocq, Milan, Italy on March 28 this year. On this version, Courtney has The Jean Genie gender confused although mainly female, while Courtney himself becomes confused after the second verse and chorus declaring: “Alright, that’s all I know. I don’t know the third verse. I even think it’s a good excuse to e-mail Bowie… OK, that’s enough of that… Thanks man.”

Well Courtney, you almost got there. This is the bit you need to learn if you’re considering a full live version with the whole band:

He’s so simple minded he can’t drive his module
He bites on the neon and sleeps in a capsule
Loves to be loved, loves to be loved

(Chorus twice… End)

OK kidz… I think that’s about it. Happy shopping!