Month: March 2004

How can I help you?

I’m sure you’ll all want to join me in giving Stephanie a big warm welcome to the world of BowieNet. Stephanie has come on board (for want of a better term) to help out with the running of the BowieNet e-Team, among other things.

The e-Team is still active and Stephanie has asked me to remind you of that fact and to point out that there are ongoing competitions. Here’s the blurb regarding the latest of those and some other related e-Team stuff:

Many thanks to all the e_Teamers who worked hard this week completing all the e_Team tasks. We will be contacting the winners shortly. But don?t stop now…there is more to do! The next competition centers on spreading the word about the BowieNet Store, the e_Team and the Web site in general.

Over the past few months we have added a lot of great REALITY merchandise to the BowieNet Store and some cool content to BowieNet, and we want everyone to know. The REALITY Tour Book is now available in the BowieNet Store. Be sure to check out a cool preview of the Tour Book we created. The link to the Tour Book Preview is now in the ‘Send/Post A Link’ section. Start spreading the word and earning points!

IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT YOUR POINTS:
Do not be alarmed if your point value is now zero To keep the playing field level, we have decided to reset everyone’s points after each competition.

Without further ado here is this current e_Team competition:

CURRENT COMPETITION:
We need your help to promote BowieNet, and the BowieNet store. Complete the current competition tasks, promote BowieNet in the process and earn the points you deserve. The top 3 point earners as of March 24th at noon EST will be rewarded with a REALITY Film Theme T-shirt from the BowieNet Store!

Thanx for that Stephanie. You can reach the e-Team section by clicking on the logo above… and yes Saxonny, I guess this means the e-mail you received is legit!

Shiruetto ya kage ga kakumei o miteiru…

David’s second show at the Nippon Budokan Hall in Tokyo has just ended, and according to BowieNetter Celine, it was an altogether different experience to last night’s show. Her online communication with me just now was sprinkled with superlatives such as “mind-blowing” and “amazing”.

When I asked her (already half knowing the answer) why it was so different from the previous evening, she responded with one word: “The crowd!”…two words actually, but the same old story: Good Crowd = DB make good show!

David was in particularly fine voice and in top form for jovial banter. “I live with loads of Americans, but there are about seventeen I’m afraid of.” And many more suchlike witty one-liners.Anyway, on with the 29-song set list from Celine, confirmed by an uncharacteristically sober Dave The Owl. Nothing from Handsome Nick B yet, he’s probably stuck in front of a mirror somewhere:

Tokyo March 9th 2004

01 Rebel Rebel
02 Hang On To Yourself
03 New Killer Star
04 Fashion
05 Cactus
06 All The Young Dudes
07 China Girl
08 Reality
09 5:15 The Angels Have Gone
10 The Man Who Sold The World
11 Hallo Spaceboy
12 Sunday
13 Heathen (The Rays)
14 Under Pressure
15 Slip Away
16 Looking For Water
17 Quicksand
18 The Loneliest Guy
19 Afraid
20 Be My Wife
21 A New Career In A New Town
22 Ashes To Ashes
23 I’m Afraid of Americans
24 “Heroes”

(Encore)
25 Bring Me The Disco King
26 Five Years
27 Fall Dog Bombs The Moon
28 Suffragette City
29 Ziggy Stardust

Celine thinks she may have got a couple of good shots, if she did, you’ll be the first to see them… well the second or third, etc. A Reality Tour continues with a final show in Japan at the Castle Hall in Osaka on Thursday.

UPDATE: As you’ve no doubt already noticed, I’ve updated this piece with a couple of Celine’s wonderfully atmospheric shots from the Budokan Hall. Thanx as ever for that Frenchie!

When I originally posted this item, we had yet to hear from Handsome Nick B, who sent in the charming shot above. Seems he was delayed by a prolonged and emotional farewell by his “travelling companion”, Tokyo Joe, who had to end “her” adventure when she was booted off the tour bus in Tokyo.

I’ve managed to produce a computer-enhanced enlargement of TJ (below) for you to print out and keep by your travel alarm, Nick. May have been a little more romantic if she had been facing the camera… But I guess at least it’s a view you’re used to! };-)

OK, Tokyo…

David Bowie’s first Japanese show in eight years ended a few hours ago. He performed a 26-song set at the Nippon Budokan Hall in Tokyo, and according to BowieNetter Celine, his opening greeting to the crowd directly after Rebel Rebel was a touching: “Tokyo mother-fuckers how are you?” Celine says it was a fine performance, that even some over-zealous security and an unusually polite audience didn’t manage to taint too much for her.

Earlier in the day, David, (dressed casually in grey cargo trousers and a hooded sweat shirt) gave a press conference for the assembled media. Our Eri was there and this is what she had to say about it:

David was charming and humorous through the Conference, in a very casual attire as if he were just back from running. He talked to us in Japanese, and told us how he was trying to remember Japanese words. It was funny to hear the first Japanese sentence he learnt back in 1973 was “Tabako wo kudasai”, which means “Please give me cigarettes”.

Also, he told us how he was enjoying his stay in Japan, getting a one-day free ticket for the subways and talking to friendly Japanese people, who were kind enough to tell him the places where he wanted to go, such as the place where he can eat udon, Japanese noodle, if their English was not good enough to show directions.

Also, he was funny enough to ask the reporters many questions, such as how to use the one-day free ticket, Japanese men’s fashion, and if they are playing ‘New Killer Star’ on their radio station. He also mentioned he would like to visit some ‘secret’ places in Kyoto when he goes to Osaka, but he never disclosed where the ‘secret’ places are, of course.

An attendant asked him about the Vittel commercial, which is currently being broadcast nation-wide in Japan. David was impressed to learn it is being broadcast, and he talked about the funny TV commercial with many characters portraying several kinds of personalities David acted as.

We talked about many other things, but I will report it when I finish making the whole transcript. I am grateful for Hayato’s support to allow me to get into the Press Conference, to see one of the most historical event of the music industry in Japan.

I look forward to the full transcript Eri, sounds like you’re having a blast.

In the meantime, I can tell you that David also talked about a possible new direction: “I’m heading for another period of experimentation. I’m at a time when I’m collecting myself before I break all my own rules.” Sounds good to me… I can’t think of a Bowie experiment that didn’t lead to some fine work, and yes, I do include Tin Machine!

Anyway, here follows aforementioned 26-song set, supplied by Celine, cross-referenced by Lydia from Rome and Luis, and officially confirmed by Handsome Nick B who is finally getting to grips with electronic mail, and, from whom, more in a moment:

Tokyo March 8th 2004

01 Rebel Rebel
02 New Killer Star
03 Fame
04 Cactus
05 All The Young Dudes
06 China Girl
07 Never Get Old
08 The Loneliest Guy
09 The Man Who Sold The World
10 Hallo Spaceboy
11 Sunday
12 Heathen (The Rays)
13 Under Pressure
14 Life On Mars?
15 Looking For Water
16 Quicksand
17 Days
18 Sound And Vision
19 Be My Wife
20 A New Career In A New Town
21 Ashes To Ashes
22 I’m Afraid of Americans
23 “Heroes”

(Encore)
24 Five Years
25 Suffragette City
26 Ziggy Stardust

I should point out that BowieNetter Dave The Owl also sent in a version of the set list which I imagine Lord Of The Things gave him a hand with.

A Reality Tour continues with a second show at the Nippon Budokan Hall in Tokyo tomorrow, but I’ll finish with the lovely picture above sent in by Soppy Nick B, which was accompanied by the worrying caption: “Romantic sunset on Mount Fuji from my bedroom window. Wish you were here, Nick B.” Nick is married.

You’d let me know when the time was now…

As you should know via an e-mail from BowieNet by now, there’s yet another A Reality Tour ticket thing going on… and here it is…

April 30th 2004 – Saenger Theater – New Orleans, LA

Click on the image above or go to the A Reality Tour tickets page for all your ticket requirements.

I’m under Japanese influence…

For the last couple of months, BowieNetter Eri Wilde has bombarded me with enthusiastic e-mails regarding David’s visit to her shores, and the creation of an officially recognised organisation, Welcome BOWIE Project page. And now, on the eve of David’s first Japanese shows in eight years I thought you’d like to see what they’ve been up to. Over to Eri for the low-down on the project and those involved:

I am writing to you on behalf of Hayato, the representative of the Bowie Japan Office, which was inaugurated as the officially recognized project of Sony Music Japan for this special occasion. Currently, we have been strongly supportive for David Bowie toward each media in Japan. By utilizing web technologies, we have stepped up efforts to address information. Now, our website has the streaming film of the Reality promotion which was evolved by Agnes B, and the exclusive interview of the photographer, Masayoshi Sukita. Other celebrities will also be continuously introduced there later on.

Link for Japanese version

Link for English version

In addition, the radio station which will present the Japan Tour this time, Tokyo FM: the most prominent Japanese FM station with key stations throughout the nation, will broadcast the special programs such as ‘David Bowie DAY’, and will publish books on Bowie from the publishing arm in time with his visit to Japan.

The Bowie Japan Office for ‘The Welcome Bowie Project’, which is officially recognized by Sony Music Japan and Toshiba EMI, was established here in Japan for David Bowie, to make a big push toward not only his fans, but also various media agencies, and be strongly supportive for him during the period from the release of his new album to his tour in Japan.

The corps d’elite, who have worked on the publication of books and promotional activities on Bowie so far in Japan, will unite in starting promotional activities to take all over Japan by storm. The main members of the project are as follows.

Representative: Hayato Tanizaki
He is so famous that every Japanese Bowie fan knows him. He is very influential to the media connections, and he is trusted by record companies, regarded as a reliable person.

Vice Representative: Tomoya Kumagai
He is the representative director of Slogan, the creative office which plays active roles in wide-ranged genres from web creation to book publication. Recently, he has worked on the production of the official Japanese website of Philip Glass, and held an interview to Mick Rock.

Writer: Takayuki Furukawa
He has been working on translated anthologies. He has been mainly participating actively in writing articles for rock magazines, and interviewing artists.

International PR Staff: Eriko Saeki (aka Eri Wilde)I was appointed as a member of this honorable project for this opportunity. As the International PR staff, I will be in charge of reporting our activities for this project to BowieNet in the future.

Click on any of the images here to get to the Welcome BOWIE Project page, where you can link to various other sites including the official Sony Japan Bowie page which has links to all sorts of goodies including a four part Bowie interview and sections on tour sponsors Agnes B and Honda (Step WGN Spada). Be sure to scroll down and click around the Welcome BOWIE Project page to make sure you get to see everything.

David has a press conference in Tokyo ahead of his first show at the Nippon Budokan Hall on Monday and I look forward to Eri’s reports from both.

All of my life I’ve tried so hard, Doing my best with what I had…

Music Week honoured success across the music business at its annual awards show held at the Grosvenor Hotel, in London on Thursday night. Catalogue release of the year was awarded to EMI for Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars – original motion picture soundtrack. Our good friend, Nigel Reeve, (second from right in picture above) accepted the award along with Jo Brooks and Darrin Evans from EMI Catalogue. As I’m sure you’ll all agree, it’s a well-deserved award for a great campaign and a brilliant piece of packaging.

Best PR campaign of the year was awarded to Stuart ‘I am Earl Slick’ Bell (above) of the Outside Organisation for David Bowie. Another well-deserved award for an ongoing campaign, handled by a bunch of lovely people who should all be proud of their achievements. Well done to both EMI and Outside, and here’s to many more awards over the coming years.

If you want it, boys, get it here thing…

Nigel at EMI has just informed me that the Diamond Dogs (30th Anniversary Edition) that I told you about last month, (02.09.2004 NEWS: DIAMOND DOGS 30TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION) is now scheduled for a June 7th release.

Around the same time, a download version of the release will be made available to purchase through OD2. An extra bonus track on disc 2 of the download version will be an mp3-friendly version of the Sweet Thing, Candidate, Sweet Thing (reprise) medley.

The track will be presented as one single track without the track marks that traditionally separate each section on CD versions of the album. Thus creating an altogether more enjoyable listening experience when playing it back on your iPod… or less trendy mp3 player.

Speaking of Nigel at EMI…

Greetings, Yesterday, we discovered that a potentially harmful virus is being spread via email spoof attacks through BowieNet servers. These emails appear to be from official BowieNet sources due to the “spoofing” of email addresses. In most cases, there is a password protected zip file attachment with a virus inside. Please do not open the attached zip file. Delete the email at once. This virus is a variant of W32.Beagle.J@mm which is not isolated to the BowieNet servers and is affecting domains across the Internet. One of the features of this worm is its ability to use its own SMTP engine to spread through email. This makes it difficult to keep the virus from spreading to other email until it is isolated and deleted. Symantec/ Norton does have instructions for removing this worm. Visit the following link for information and a download to provide protection to your computer from the latest viruses.http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/w32.beagle.k@mm…. We apologize for any inconvenience that this may cause you. Please pass this information on to others who you believe could be affected by this email worm.Thank you,BowieNet Support

As they pulled you out of the OXEGEN tent…

Just to remind you that tickets for David’s headline appearance at the OXEGEN festival on Sunday July 11th, go on sale tomorrow. (02.18.2004 NEWS: SUMMER 2004 UPDATE – TWO MORE DATES ANNOUNCED)

Tickets priced ?59.50 (one day), ?110 (two day) and ?130 (two day including camping) go on sale on Friday 5th March at 9:00am, local time. All ticket prices include booking fee and are available as follows:

In person: from 82 Ticketmaster outlets nationwide or
24hr hotlines: Tel: (ROI) 0818 719 300 (NI) 0870 243 4455
Buy online: www.ticketmaster.ie

Click on the image above to get to the official OXEGEN website, where you can learn more about the festival line-up, including the exciting addition of Pink!