Last night they loved you…
No, not THAT Liz and Phil! BowieNetters LizSK2 (Liz) and iforgot (Phil) were among the numerous BowieNetters present at
————————————————————————————————————-
Gail Ann Dorsey at the Borderline, London ? Jan 20 2005 by Liz Tray
The last time I saw Gail Ann Dorsey was at the closing strains of Ziggy Stardust in the Amsterdam ArenA last June. So how ironic that the same song should end Gail?s first solo show in London since 1993.
Since Gail got the call from DB in 1995 and ran off to join his rock and roll circus her solo work has been put on the back burner. By then she?d made two albums, Corporate World and Rude Blue, and surely had a huge future ahead of her. While I?ve adored every bass lick and soaring note she?s played and sang with Bowie, last night?s acoustic show made me realise just how much her talent is worth. This woman is supremely gifted with a sharp eye for melodies, torch songs and exquisite ballads, and her voice? Well, even last night she was restrained, holding in its awesome power, to save blowing the roof off this tiny venue.
She started with 60s classic Alfie, such a brave choice, and I realised why the NYC Bnetters were so lucky! They get to see Gail?s solo shows every few months and what a treat they are. A packed Borderline roared its appreciation after each song. A few cheeky hecklers got the truth out of Gail about her possible involvement of the upcoming Queen tour, “No, I won?t be doing it. Paul Rodgers didn?t want me! Don?t get me started?”
She played tracks from all three solo albums; the most recent, I Used To Be, came out last year. Before last night I?d never heard one of her songs, despite my parents owning Corporate World some fifteen years ago. I am converted. Tracks like The Fool and Netherland from I Used to Be, Wasted Country from Corporate World and a stunning More Than I Can Give from Rude Blue had the crowd in her thrall.
She again confessed her teen crush on Olivia Newton-John and did a song by her, just before the strangely familiar Ziggy encore. We all sang it together as if back on the tour. I saw Gail dance with David on stage at Hammersmith in 2002. All this time I felt a tinge of jealousy. I realised last night I was jealous of him.
————————————————————————————————————-
Thanx folx…I’m dead envious that I couldn’t be there. I WILL get to see this woman solo one of these years!