Became the special man, then we were Ziggy’s band…
BowieNetter fshion (sic) pointed me in the direction of a BBC story by Patrick Jackson headed
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Ship-lovers and ecologists are battling to prevent the scrapping of a former French ocean liner in India. We look back at the (slightly surreal) glory days of the SS France.
If the ghost of Salvador Dali appears off the coast of Gujarat, he may well be on the deck of the SS France, walking his pet cheetahs. A phantom guitar chord may hang in the air, left behind by David Bowie the day he played the staff canteen.
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It’s well documented that David Bowie arrived in New York after a five-day journey on the SS France on April 11th 1974. But, it’s not widely known that he performed an impromptu set accompanying himself on accoustic guitar with some kind of backing from the more musical of the crew members.
Travelling as a first-class passenger, DB was not scheduled to play during the crossing, but according to the receptionist on board the ship, one Bruno Rabreau, David had apparently heard that the crew were disappointed that he wouldn’t be performing, so he turned up in the canteen with an acoustic guitar.
Bruno remebers the occasion thus: “We enjoyed more than ten songs and especially Space Oddity which was the first one, and a few crew members took instruments too and played with him. It was a really, really good time. He was a very ordinary person and very friendly to us. We really enjoyed it.”
Well, I’m not sure David Bowie could ever be described as ordinary, but I think I understand what Bruno meant.
Of course, what Bruno and his fellow crew members can’t possibly have grasped the significance of, is the fact that this was most likely the true last performance by Ziggy Stardust.
There are those that feel Ziggy died at the Hammersmith Odeon on July 3rd 1973, but it’s undeniable that the Ziggy look continued through The 1980 Floor Show via the Rebel Rebel video and right up to the Diamond Dogs sleeve.
Indeed, Bowie’s appearance in the Diamond Dogs TV advert wasn’t that far removed from the Ziggy look. Still the same hair colour, albeit shorter and side-parted, and the rouge and heavy eye make-up was still there.
Anyway, IMHO, what the crew witnessed on that day was the end of another chapter, before the sights and sounds of America led Bowie down new and unexplored avenues.
Now, if only Bruno could remember the full set list!
You can read the full BBC article