November 2006 – Page 3

You can see me in a ballroom…

I’m afraid the chances of winning on this one were slim as I don’t think we’ve had such an overwhelming response to a competition on BowieNet for a long, long time.

I guess it just goes to prove that there’s nothing so popular for Bowie fans as the man himself doing what he does best in front of a live audience.

Sadly, we can only satisfy ten of the BowieNetters who entered this contest, and there’s not really any point in prolonging the agony further.

Here are those randomly-selected winners who’ll be watching David Bowie live on stage in New York next Thursday…

catnat15
finedavm
ficara
Hikaru.Kobayashi
JGottlieb
LRUIZ
mosco
moss.garden
robpongi
youtoo

If you would all kindly supply me with your personal details, real name, address and telephone number, etc., we’ll be in touch with details on how you get your hands on your ticket on the night.

The dark dug up by dogs…

I had the good fortune to be present at the NFT’s premiere of Scott Walker: 30 Century Man in London on Tuesday evening. (09.18.2006 NEWS: SCOTT WALKER FILM PREMIERE ANNOUNCED FOR LONDON)

Director Stephen Kijak has made a fine film worthy of his subject and his hard work has paid off with the news that the film will be released theatrically in the UK by VERVE PICTURES on February 16th, 2007. The other great news is that it will go to DVD next year too, with lots of great extras, including full length interviews.

The nicest surprise was that this is such a funny film. I have to admit I wasn’t expecting quite so many laughs, but Scott has a refreshingly dry sense of humour.

Kijak himself has a strong sense of humour, highlighted in the film when he hands DB a May 1968 copy of Melody Maker with a Scott Walker front page and an advert for “David Bowie in mime…”! (See above scans from the Blammo archive)

I didn’t get into Scott until the mid to late 70s myself, probably nudged in that direction by Bowie’s sublime renditions of Brel‘s My Death and Amsterdam, both of which Scott had released his own versions of on the first of his four sixties solo albums, Scott, in 1967.

The audience did seem to be peppered with Bowie fans whose presence was highlighted during a Q&A with Kijak afterwards when the first question ventured was: “How did you get David Bowie involved?”, or words to that effect.

BowieNetters can read Stephen’s answer and more, or at least BowieNetter danielcarroll‘s recollection of it, here on the MBs.

Occasional BowieNet contributor, Liz Tray, (aka LizSK2) kindly dashed us off a review of the evening too…and so, here it is:

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Scott Walker: 30 Century Man at the NFT, October 31, 2006. A review by Liz Tray.

Before last night I was familiar with Scott Walker – the man not the music, this I freely admit. I’d been exposed to his music at home as my mum fondly spoke of seeing him live in around 1966 with The Walker Brothers – supported by Jimi Hendrix no less – and happened to end up in the same house as him after the show. She said he was quiet and polite and gave nothing away.

Now, after last night, I feel that I know a tremendous amount about the music and yet only a little more about the man. 30 Century Man, a masterful, gripping documentary by Stephen Kijak, covered his entire career in great depth yet only briefly touched on the subject of Walker’s withdrawal from the 60s pop scene following tremendous success. The pop world as it is now wouldn’t have allowed him to retreat and create a new path for himself, such is the scrutiny on today’s stars. One can only be glad that his fame came in a different era so he could find that space and allow himself to create the extraordinary music he has done, with long breaks, in the last couple of decades.

There’s no doubt that having Bowie as the executive producer of this film gave it a weight that no other artist could have. He must have been the key in attracting the contributors and getting the film made with such style. But most surprising of all is the central interview with Walker, filmed this year, which weaves through the film. I wasn’t expecting so much candour, likeability and humour. Charming and thoughtful, he admitted that his music had been moulded by recurring nightmares for years. And that voice… a soaring, powerful instrument, filled the National Film Theatre. Surely no other artist has the vision and guts to have such a voice at their disposal yet almost misuse it on albums like Tilt and this year’s The Drift.

(Blammo note: misuse? Are you mad, woman?)

Yet, I found the songs of his post Walker Brothers period more mesmerising than his 60s output. His early 70s, self titled, solo albums, leading up to 1978’s Nite Flights had me mentally taking a note to buy them all today. Of the various talking heads – which included Jarvis Cocker, Marc Almond, Alison Goldfrapp, Johnny Marr, Richard Hawley and Lulu, whose clear confusion at hearing Tilt made me chuckle – Eno stood out; he always finds insights you won’t get from anyone else. He remarked on how he had taken a copy of Nite Flights into the recording studio in Switzerland for Bowie to hear – seconds earlier I’d leaned over and remarked that the first track played on screen from that album sounded just like something from Lodger.

And so, to Bowie’s on screen contribution. I had remembered that in 1997, on a BBC Radio One birthday show for his 50th, Walker had recorded a birthday message which caught DB so much by surprise that you could feel his emotions crackling through the radio as he took a moment to take in the unexpected wishes.

(Blammo note: The programme was CHANGESNOWBOWIE and after some silence, David’s fragile response was: ?Whoah?I?m?I?m speechless really. That really threw me. I mean?that man, he?s my hero.?)

In 30 Century Man Bowie’s love for the music and the inspiration he’d received was clear. He spoke with great warmth and it was only then that I realised just how much of an influence Walker had been on Bowie, then and now. He reminisced with a smile about hearing his music in the 60s, the Brel covers, and, looking handsome and healthy, he laughed as he said he’d never wanted to understand exactly what Walker was singing about.

I loved every minute of this insightful documentary, released in London cinemas next February, and the later material, which surely one must need a great concentration and intelligence to listen to, fascinated me the most. This kind of music asks more of the listener than audiences are usually prepared to give but rewards lie in wait The musical sequences that accompanied the songs from Tilt and the first footage ever recorded of him in the studio recording The Drift were like having my eyes opened. I look forward to the journey that lies ahead of me.

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Thanks for that Liz. One final point before I forget it, was Brian Eno‘s reaction to hearing Scott’s contributions to the Walker Brother‘s 1978 Nite Flights album. If memory serves, it went something like this: “Well, I’m ashamed and embarrassed. Have we really come no further since this?”

Both DB’s and Eno’s comments, and indeed the film itself, are fitting tributes to a man who has a vision of a sound in his head, (if that’s possible) that he has now made his life’s goal to capture in the studio…with absolutely no compromise.

Month: November 2006

Exclusive Still Of Db From Scott Walker Film

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Last Chance To Win Tickets For The Black Ball

Scott Walker: 30 Century Man News And Review