“We played his songs and felt the London sky”
Tony Visconti and Woody Woodmansey’s Holy Holy with Glenn Gregory play the last date of their current tour in Tokyo tomorrow.
The team here at DBHQ were blown away by last week’s show at London’s SBE on Tuesday, and we weren’t the only ones.
Keep reading for reviews of the London show from various BowieNetters (in alphabetical order) who were in attendance.
Scroll/swipe the images on this page for some wonderful shots from Natalie Loera, Michelle Robek, Gaz de Vere and Chris Youd.
Meanwhile here’s a link to three of the songs on YouTube for those of you that weren’t at SBE on Tuesday.
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All The Madmen by Andy Barding of Cygnet Committee
It’s arguably David Bowie’s most intricate and convoluted work – and certainly not an easy album to play along to. So what kind of people would dare attempt to recreate the whole of ‘The Man Who Sold The World’ live onstage?
Legendary ‘Spiders from Mars’ drummer Woody Woodmansey, whose thunderous beats power the original 1970 Mercury Records recording, has assembled some of the very best musicians that Britain has to offer in his band ‘Holy Holy’. Anybody who saw them on their recent UK and Eire tour will testify that they do a very, very decent job – a faithful and respectful reproduction of that record’s dark and inventive sounds, indeed. So to risk a cheap pun: who are all the madmen (and women) accompanying Woody on his ambitious venture?
Producer Tony Visconti, a big part of Bowie’s story for decades, is back playing bass – reprising those ‘Jack Bruce’ parts that he jammed out in Trident Studios 45 years ago.
Mick Ronson asked him to play like that. Mick, of course, is sadly no longer with us. But his fiery, staccato guitar work, in many ways an early blueprint for what would follow through the Ziggy Stardust years, lives on as a striking feature of this record. No one person could replace him, everybody knows that. But what about two…?
Paul Cuddeford, a left-handed guitar maestro who is often seen on stage alongside Ian Hunter and Sir Bob Geldof is one half of Holy Holy’s extraordinary guitar duo. The other is James Stevenson, red hot axeman from Generation X, Chelsea, Gene Loves Jezebel, The Cult and more. Together they make a formidable racket – you could call them the Ronno Twins – as they jam away to the album’s rockier, jazzier, more freeform passages. Paul and Woody’s 500mph riffing together on ‘She Shook Me Cold’ is another striking part of the show, as is James’ gifted noodling on ‘The Width Of A Circle’.
Ronno is represented in a more direct family way, too: daughter Lisa Ronson and niece Hannah Berridge form two thirds of the “Ronsonettes”, Holy Holy’s all-singing, all-dancing mini-choir. Lisa’s solo spot, singing ‘Lady Stardust’, is a magnificent thing to witness during the second set of Holy Holy’s show (the first half is ‘The Man Who Sold The World’ performed in its entirety, the second is filled with David Bowie songs from the 1969-1973 timeframe). Hannah shines, too, with her keyboard wizardry, sometime recorder-playing and all-important (but easily missed if you’re not paying attention) spoken word part during ‘All The Madmen’… “He followed me home, Mummy… can I keep him?”
Third Ronsonette is none other than Tony Visconti’s daughter, Jessica Lee Morgan (you might have heard Tony say “we’re like the Mafia up here!”). Her backing vocals, augmented by brother Morgan Visconti come encore time, add much to Holy Holy’s rich sound.
Those intricate and delightful piano parts heard on ‘Life On Mars?’ and ‘Lady Stardust’ are the peerless work of Berenice Scott, she of Heaven 17. Speaking of which… the cool-headed dude stepping into David Bowie’s shoes is none other than Glenn Gregory. His forceful voice, always first choice for this Holy Holy job according to Tony V, is perfect for a unique album project demanding such vocal power and versatility.
Right in the middle of this melee sits the extraordinarily talented Terry Edwards, he of Department S, Gallon Drunk and many other celebrated indie outfits. His sax, 12-string acoustic guitar, and percussion roles add important and authentic flavour to the experience. ‘All The Madmen’ and ‘After All’ sound so much better than they otherwise would, thanks to his brilliant and essential musical presence.
Speaking of ‘After All’, what better man to deliver this torch song of crushed hippy idealism than dyed-in-the-wool troubadour Marc Almond? His guest appearance with Holy Holy counts as a highlight for many. And for good reason. Oh by jingo!
‘The Man Who Sold The World’, despite going on to sell a sweet million or two copies over the ensuing decades, has never really enjoyed the same popularity afforded to David’s later RCA releases. Even while fresh in the record shop racks of the early 1970s – and with David scoring some valuable press notoriety points through his penchance for ‘man dresses’ – the LP remained a very, very slow burner. David himself commented that “it sold like hot cakes – in Beckenham. Nowhere else.”
When David made this record, aged just 23, he was emphatically ahead of his time. Woody’s masterful new production is turning fresh ears onto this prog-era classic, peeling back the years – all 45 of them – with a performance that is exhilarating, intricate and chilling. Yes. It’s the gig of the year.
It’s often said of David that his records are ahead of their time. Blessed with this formidable live rebirth, could 2015 be the year of ‘The Man Who Sold The World’?
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The Band Who Sold The World by Natalie Loera
Going to live David Bowie gigs in the past, I was always filled with anticipation, excitement and nervous energy. The combination of a meeting of hearts and minds across generations within an audience, groups of friends joining together to share the moment and of course seeing and hearing David Bowie onstage made it a most unforgettable experience.
That was then, this is now.
The very same excitement was palpable across the board when it was announced that Woody Woodmansey’s Holy Holy was touring the UK again this summer. The complete “The Man Who Sold The World” album had its first ever live outing last year during a small tour in the UK, including two shows in London, with the first show debuting at a more intimate venue called “The Garage” and the second London show then taking place at Shepherds Bush Empire, both of which I saw and was blown away by. All of the UK shows received rave reviews, and quite rightly so.
It could be so easy to dismiss it as a tribute act of the cheesy order, but one couldn’t be further from the truth. This is Rock ‘n’ Roll of the finest order, an absolute treat for the ears and eyes!
The 10 – piece band, all fantastic, successful musicians in their own right, played together with immaculate precision and comfortable ease. Glenn Gregory (Heaven 17) is the perfect vocalist to bring to life all of the songs off of this album, as well as the selection of early Bowie songs performed during the second half of the show. With undeniable charisma and his very own full, inimitable voice, he evoked so many emotions within the audience. “Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide” particularly comes to mind, as that was my own personal tearful moment. He is an absolute joy to watch as he interacts with the crowd and his fellow musicians, including guest vocalist Marc Almond (Soft Cell) who breathes a beautiful sense of drama into “After All,” as only he can. All of the songs were carried by a solid band that managed to recreate the original sounds of a time gone by, yet simultaneously bring it forward into the now with a force that cannot be ignored:
Paul Cuddeford (Ian Hunter, Bob Geldof) and Woody Woodmansey duelling furiously on guitar and drums, Terry Edwards (PJ Harvey, The Blockheads) and Steve Norman (Spandau Ballet) putting more sex into their saxes than you could shake a stick at, James Stevenson (The Cult, The Alarm) and producer Tony Visconti battling it out together on guitar and bass – these are just a few glimpses to help illustrate the musical interaction among the band members, not to mention the raw talent
that we, the audience, were being spoiled with.
It is fair to say that Mick Ronson was ever-present in the room throughout the night, not only for his part in the making of “The Man Who Sold The World” and many other Bowie albums, but also in part because his musical legacy lives on in two of the backing musicians: classically trained niece Hannah Berridge and singer/songwriter and daughter Lisa Ronson, both joined by Berenice Scott (Heaven 17) and Jessica Lee Morgan (singer/songwriter and daughter of Tony Visconti) all
completed and complemented the line – up with beautiful vocals and instrumental harmonies. This became especially evident when Lisa took to the stage for her heart – warming rendition of “Lady Stardust.”
There was another undeniably strong force in the room, and that was, of course, the audience. For two hours, we were transported back in time, yet very much in the moment, enjoying every single minute, singing our hearts out and giving every single person on that stage every bit of love, recognition and appreciation that they deserve. They did, After All, make something very special happen.
This is the band who sold the world a wealth of music and talent and I, for one, will never forget it!
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Time, is waiting in the wings by Liz Tray
Time, is waiting in the wings. How long has it been since I wrote a review containing the words of our leader? Eleven years, I’ll tell you. It seems like another lifetime, the Reality tour. A whole life can be lived in a decade. We’re all different people, yet we’re all the same because our reason for knowing each other is constant. And last night, at the Shepherd’s Bush Empire, it felt like a clock-back reunion; we may be a touch older but those songs that brought us together have lost none of their power. They are for the ages, and it’s that power that sets the Holy Holy shows apart from mere Bowie-oke and makes it a unique and worthwhile experience.
The Man Who Sold The World got a little lost in time, given that it came after his ‘one hit’ Space Oddity and he moved on so fast, as ever, toward Hunky Dory, the impact of which started a torrent of albums never bettered by any single artist. But it’s a superb record, and little of it has been performed live. I myself saw the title track multiple times, though I was too young to hear All The Madmen around Glass Spider time. Width Of A Circle, of course, became an early 70s live staple and it is still a majestic and charged opus – having it open the show placed me in Hammersmith ’73; what a thrill to hear it. Several songs on the album had never been played live before… but I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s talk about the TV we need, even though we have T.Rex. Tony Visconti, musical leader of the show, bassist and general all round good lad, has put together this beautiful project, with at its centre the original Spider, Woody Woodmansey. This man never got his due, and I don’t think anyone will mind if I say that he never quite had the career the others around him did. Bowie did alright. Ronson too; after his Spiders tenure was over he became the first guitarist to play with both Bowie and Dylan, the second being Stevie Ray Vaughn (on Let’s Dance and Dylan’s Under The Red Sky – thanks dad for that fact check!), and the only other one being (briefly) Charlie Sexton (Glass Spider DVD and Dylan’s touring band/recent albums). Towards the end of a life cut far too short, Ronson lent his hand to a magnificent glam-drenched production of Morrissey’s Your Arsenal, which stands up today as a nailed-on classic. Trev Bolder had a varied career, most obviously becoming a crucial member of 70s prog titans Uriah Heep. Mike Garson stayed on and off with Bowie for 30 more years. TV’s CV reads like a who’s who of classic albums. Woody deserved better and this, in the style of rock doc Standing In The Shadows Of Motown, is him getting his moment. It was emotional seeing him up there, delivering the fill to Five Years. His playing throughout was just wonderful, compelling to watch. He’s 64 now, and plays like the 19-year-old he was when they recorded TMWSTW – actually, I think he’s a better drummer now than he was then. A man of few words, he spoke at the end and seemed genuinely grateful to be getting this chance again.
I hadn’t seen this show last year, though many of my friends had, and it was an unexpected pleasure. My fellow BNutters: we are a wonderful, odd, disparate group of humans aren’t we? There were endless reunions with old friends before the show started. Our annual meetups are grand. Yet, seeing a gig with a setlist like that with a couple thousand other people is quite something else. We get to see what these songs still mean, en masse. It’s a moving experience, always, to realise that you’re not the only one who gets it. I remember on my last time seeing him in England, November 2003 at Wembley, turning round to look at my 10,000 companions during Life On Mars? and being just overwhelmed by the power of the song and how it made everyone feel. He wasn’t just ours; these songs are everyone’s soundtracks to life. Of course, his songs make me feel like that every time I hear them, such is their importance to my own life, past, present, future. The band played them with great passion and conviction, and were ably fronted by Heaven 17 leader Glenn Gregory. What an excellent singer he is – those songs are not easy to rend, and he sails through it. My own highlight, I must admit, was seeing Marc Almond. He’s a wonderful singer, with a tone influenced more by Scott Walker than Bowie perhaps, but this is a man living out his teenage fantasy and loving every second of it. What presence he has, bringing huge power and charisma, a delicate grace, to his versions. These are not covers, these are interpretations delivered by a singer who stamps his own personality on them and makes you hold your breath (much like fellow singer of chansons Barb Jungr, the greatest interpreter of Dylan’s canon). His rendition of After All was breathtaking. The entire album was performed, in order, and it held together so well, in such a cohesive whole.
And then, well, the hits started to come. That period, Woody’s tenure, is all killer, no filler. You could play another 20 songs easily; they could have gone on all night. I had purposely avoided looking at a setlist so that rush, that pure, wide-eyed, bouncing dose of happy that I got as each song started was lightning in a bottle. In particular, that Ziggy medley of Freecloud/All The Young Dudes/Oh You Pretty Things made me, for a second, part of a show that I knew only from history. It was magic. And yet more… Soul Love, Lady Stardust (with Mick Ronson’s daughter Lisa singing, a great moment), and… with a gasp… Moonage Daydream. Now that song, perhaps it is my favourite live to hear. I have, oh I don’t know, about 50 bootleg versions of it, from 1972-74, from 1995-97, and from 2002. I heard it once live, at Hammersmith in 2002, and my heart fair stopped. That was the kind of evening it was at the Empire ¬¬– we got to sing those songs (and feel the London sky), not along with the record like we do embarrassingly at home, or drunkenly at parties, but while we are soundtracked by a band who love him as much as we do. I hadn’t felt that in years. So, then, perhaps to the finest moment: I got to hear live, for the first time ever, Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide. It was almost unbearably moving and joyous. I raised my arms and swayed and said I wasn’t alone. Together, we weren’t alone. It’s those moments that make me realise how lucky I am. I got to see him live and write reviews for this very website, which despite some properly ropey youthful writing, I am so proud of. But that era has gone now, all that schlepping around Europe and further. What’s left are the marvellous friends I’ve made, which along with music is his greatest gift to me, and nights like this. What an emotional old fool I’ve become about all this stuff, I know…
We all owe Tony a debt of gratitude for putting this whole thing together. He’s got plenty enough to get on with, album production is a nice living, but he wants to get these songs out there, give them – and their drummer – their due. It’s a wonderful thing he’s done. Everyone both on and off stage is having such a grand old time. Let’s do it every year, together.
The Width Of A Circle
All The Madmen
Black Country Rock
After All (sung by Marc Almond)
Running Gun Blues
Saviour Machine
She Shook Me Cold
The Man Who Sold the World
The Supermen
Five Years
Soul Love
Moonage Daydream
Medley (sung by Marc Almond): The Wild Eyed Boy From Freecloud / All The Young Dudes / Oh! You Pretty Things
Lady Stardust (sung by Lisa Ronson)
Watch That Man (sung by Glenn Gregory and Marc Almond)
Life On Mars?
Ziggy Stardust
Changes
Rock ‘N’ Roll Suicide
Time
Suffragette City
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