David Bowie on stage at the Berkeley Community Centre a few short hours ago.
Here it comes again…
A triumphant David Bowie has left the stage of the Berkeley Community Centre, following his second show at the venue. Rather than wait for any reports as such, I thought I’d get Erik‘s pictures and the set list posted right away. I will be following up with some fan pictures and a review from BowieNetter charly tomorrow.
Here’s the 28-song set list kindly supplied by BowieNetters, charly, susans and legal_alien, not yet officially confirmed by HNB, who has been caught napping and is most likely producing more CRAP for our enjoyment.
As I say, here’s the set list, independently supplied by three very reliable BowieNetters, and for that reason I’m 100% confident of its accuracy:
Berkeley April 17th 2004
01 Rebel Rebel
02 New Killer Star
03 Looking for Water
04 Cactus
05 Reality
06 All The Young Dudes
07 China Girl
08 A New Career In A New Town
09 The Motel
10 The Loneliest Guy
11 Panic In Detroit
12 Let’s Dance
13 The Man Who Sold The World
14 The Supermen
15 Sunday
16 Heathen (The Rays)
17 Under Pressure
18 Days
19 Always Crashing In The Same Car
20 Pablo Picasso
21 Ashes To Ashes
22 Quicksand
23 Hang On To Yourself
24 “Heroes”
(Encore)
25 Bring Me The Disco King
26 Five Years
27 Suffragette City
28 Ziggy Stardust
UPDATE: Here’s another report from BowieNetter Charly, entitled: Sex On A Zimmer Frame
This evening’s show was welcomed with much anticipation, if it was to be anything like last night, we were in for yet another mad treat. Rebel Rebel began proceedings as usual, Bowie welcomed us (slightly more politely than the night before) and then continued with New Killer Star. “Hi, what you up to?” he enquired. “It’s Saturday night, you should be out somewhere enjoying yourselves”. Looking For Water then graced us and was really rocky. It’s great live. David threw a guitar pick out into the audience and asked “Hold onto this for me. I’ll ask for it back later”. No introduction for Cactus tonight, straight into the song, although he did sing a little extra line at the beginning. “Been told not to talk too much”. Perhaps someone said something to him after last night. Bores – his comical banter is half the fun! Someone threw on a grey dress, (See pic in VT) which an amused Bowie held up and at the end of the song and requested some identification: “So who’s been inside this?” He then pointed at a bloke near the front and said “Ah, you sir. Well thank you, very much appreciated. John is it?” Ha ha.
Reality brought the house down, loud and fierce, another great live rocker. Tristan the cable man untangled Bowie’s wires at the end of the song which provoked Bowie to beckon him over and tease him. “That’s my valet, Tristan”. Bowie then handed Tristan his jacket (the first one) “Will you valet that for me”. Tristan obligingly took it and wandered off stage. “He only does wires, doesn’t do jackets”. He was clearly in a mad mood tonight as he turned round, pointed at Gail and shouted “Sex on a stick”. Looking back at the audience, “I’m more sex on a zimmer frame. Better than being sex on a zimmer. Sorry, I shouldn’t be talking”.
All The Young Dudes and China Girl followed, after which Bowie took a drink, telling us he had something stuck in his throat. Putting his fingers in his mouth and wrestling them around a little he then declared “It’s my tongue!” He did a credible impression of Lou reed, saying he’d been talking to him about throat problems and had asked how Lou overcame them. Producing a spray he told us about ‘Entertainer’s Secret’. “Tastes vile but great for the voice!”
We were then treated to New Career In A New Town, my personal favourite from Low, so I was very happy to hear that again. The Motel and Loneliest Guy provided back to back slowies, which saw most of the audience sitting down (yawn). Bowie declared “It’s got bottom” of the latter, explaining to the mostly American audience that it was an English phrase giving emphasis, and again said it with a rather upper crust English accent. Laughing as they went into Panic In Detroit, another great one I wish he’d do more. Let’s Dance perplexed quite a few people around me, I could see the look on their faces as the intro began. Suddenly realising the words their confused expressions turned to pleasure, ahhhh!
At the end of that, Bowie told us a little rhyme. “The other day upon the stair, I met a man who wasn’t there. He wasn’t there again today, I think he’s from the CIA”. And elaborated to us that it was from this kids rhyme that he wrote the next song, The Man Who Sold The World. The next song, The Supermen, “…has the silliest lyric in the world” said Bowie, while playing with the sound effects pedal for his microphone. Still a damn good song though, especially live.
The next introduction was simple. “Here’s a couple of songs from an album called Heathen. The first one’s called Sunday, the second one’s Heathen.” The Band intro came next and was quite sensible (compared to numerous others) until he got to Gerry. “Gerry Leonard, man of a thousand, somethings. What have you got a thousand of Gerry?” Gerry replied “Thousand Island Dressing”. Under Pressure yet again awoke the audience, and then Days calmed them down again. Someone handed David an envelope which he jokingly opened saying in a rather wimpish voice, “Dear Davy, please play us a song”.
The next surprise tonight was Always Crashing In The Same Car, another great Low number, after which he did a rather silly impression of Larry Grayson “Where’s that Gail, shut that door”. Pablo Picasso was rousing and lively, before Bowie came to the front of the stage and bent down saying “hello”. He took a piece of paper off a little kid, whose name I think was Jeremy (couldn’t quite tell what David said). He unfolded it to reveal a picture which he wanted to show the audience. He asked which camera to hold it up to and wandered around the stage to every other camera except the right one, the images being projected on the video screens at the back of the stage. He joked “Mark, you do this every night. Does it always look like that? Crikey!” Ok, now to the right camera and we could all see the coloured pic of David that had been drawn. “Dear David Bowie, my Dad met you 18 years ago and says can he have that $15 he lent you back…” Bless.
After Ashes To Ashes, Bowie said in his most sincere voice “Well, we’re having a good time tonight, personally I’ve never been happier. I mean that sincerely”. He could have said it with a little more conviction though! The next three songs ended the set, with little banter from David before Disco King opened up the encores. Three more Ziggy numbers and the night drew to a close once more. Bowie muttered “Good night, piss off, God bless” before the band came to the front for the communal bow. Although there wasn’t much unison between them tonight. And that, is San Francisco done with.
Thanx again Charly, see you for that beer very soon!
A Reality Tour continues tomorrow at the County Bowl in Santa Barbara.
