“Memory Of A Meltdown Festival”
Hard to imagine that it was exactly twelve years ago this very night that David Bowie closed the tenth Meltdown Festival (which he also curated), with an evening called The New Heathens at The Royal Festival Hall on London’s South Bank.
Performing both 1977’s Low album and the new release Heathen, he hadn’t gigged at the venue for thirty years, when he played the Save The Whale benefit on July 8 1972. His guest that night was Lou Reed.
For the 2002 show, Bowie and band played to a highly appreciative audience of fans and celebrities and this festival finale was considered the highlight of the whole two-week run,.
Aside from Low and Heathen, the five-song encore included a version of The Velvet Underground’s White Light, White Heat performed with support, The Dandy Warhols, in a nod to that 1972 performance with Lou Reed.
David is pictured here at rehearsals at the venue earlier the same day.
(Scroll the images here for pictures from the show and the aftershow)