Month: June 2002

The IRD (Independent Record Store Directory) is an on-line database of the best indie record stores in the US. They provide links to help find the store closest to you using their Online Store Locator.

The IRD is featuring a special offer to celebrate the release of David Bowie’s new album, Heathen.

Here the deal: There will be special “David Bowie Weekend Celebrations” at 283 independent store locations. Find the closest participating record store, from the directory on the IRD site.

Come out during the weekend of June 8-9: Listen to the new album in-store, pre-buy Heathen and receivea rare collectable 11×17 David Bowie poster (while supplies last), and pick up other special Bowie collectables! You’ll hear Heathen in non-stop rotation the entire weekend at the participating stores!! Check individual store for details.

The IRD website also features exclusive downloads, chats, and enter-to-win contests, plus give-aways at IRD store locations.

And I want to be free…

The FREE TICKETS offer we announced yesterday is reality today, and it couldn’t be simpler to apply. The rules are obvious, you must be a BowieNetter (you’ll have to enter your user name to qualify) and you must be certain you can attend the show, it really isn’t fair to claim tickets you have no intention of using.

The first two shows we are offering are Cologne, Germany on July 12 and Lucca, Italy on July 15. Click the image above or the link below to take you to the entry form. You may apply only once for each date, duplicate applications will be disqualified. You will be prompted to enter your BowieNet username, your phone number, and an alternate email address. The latter pair is for security in the event we need to contact you using a method other than BowieNet Email.

The fifty winners for each show will receive two tickets each, which they can collect from the venue on the night of the show. The winners will be announced on Thursday to give any unsuccessful applicants a chance to purchase tickets via the normal routes.

CLICK HERE TO ENTER!

Good luck folx!

Going to the Roseland show? Have plans afterward? You do now!

Join your fellow Roseland-attendin’, BowieNet subscribin’ members at NYC’s Hard Rock Cafe. They’ve put together a special set-up just for you…

The festivities at Hard Rock kick off when the Roseland show ends and will continue ’til 2:00 a.m.. Make your way over to the Cafe at 221 West 57th St. The first 500 BowieNetters who arrive will be able to eat from the Cafe’s special Late Night Menu, drink at the bar (at Happy Hour prices!) and take part in some very special giveaways. BowieNet members will identify themselves at the Cafe by displaying the special commemorative gift that all Roseland attendees will be given as the enter the Ballroom.

This is our official after-show party – the one place to hang with other BowieNet members after what is sure to be the show of the year!

No R.S.V.P. required, just show up!

See you there.

The Staff of BowieNet

Directions:

The Hard Rock Cafe Manhattan is located at 221 West 57th St, between 7th Avenue and Broadway. You can reach them by phone at 212-489-6565. Full directions can be found online by clicking here

So inviting, so enticing…

You’ve all no doubt read various accounts of David Bowie’s TOTP recording on the MBs. David and the band performed a handful of songs for the assembled BowieNetters and guests, and judging by your comments, a jolly special time was had by all. David chatted and joked between songs, and even invited fans to come and collect autographs at the end of the show.

The songs played were: ‘Slow Burn’, ‘Cactus’, ‘I Took A Trip On A Gemini Spaceship’, and ‘Everyone says “Hi”‘…all for Top of the Pops, and then after a quick costume change David returned with a few Bowie classics for TOTP 2, which were: ‘Sound & Vision’, ‘Ashes to Ashes’ and ‘Fame’, followed by an impromptu duet of ‘Absolute Beginners’ with Gail. The session was rounded off with another take of ‘Slow Burn’ for a BBC children’s show.

By all accounts, the first broadcast of any of this stuff is due on Friday’s TOTP, but we’ll get back to you with a final broadcast schedule shortly. Meanwhile, go check out an excellent journal from Dick Mac, that hasn’t made its way on to the MBs, by clicking here. Thanks Dick, glad you finally…oh no, that would give away your punch-line! };-)

Twirling us round and round and upside down…

The European ‘Slow Burn’ CD maxi-single digi-pack that we mentioned last month (05/08/02 NEWS: BONANZA OF EXTRAS FOR SLOW BURN SINGLE) was released in Europe today. Apart from ‘Slow Burn’ itself, the CD contains four bonus tracks, which are:

Wood Jackson (Outtake from ‘Heathen’ sessions)
Shadow Man (From unreleased “Toy” album”)
When The Boys Come Marching Home (Outtake from ‘Heathen’ sessions)
You’ve Got A Habit Of Leaving (From unreleased “Toy” album”)

You can listen to 30 second samples of each of the songs if you pop over to the ‘Heathen’ news page (06/03/02 NEWS: STREAM ‘HEATHEN’ BONUS TRACKS!) …and while you’re there you can check out the rather detailed press release for the A&E Live By Request event. (06/03/02 NEWS: DAVID BOWIE TO STAR ON A&E’S LIVE BY REQUEST) Get there by clicking on the image above.

Who praised their efforts to be free?

It is with much pleasure that we are finally able to confirm the David Bowie E-Werk concert in Cologne, Germany, on the 12th of July, and a show in Lucca in Italy on the 15th of July. I know many of you have felt a little frustrated over what seems a reluctance on our part to announce these concerts, but as ever, it has been for good reason.

That good reason is the fact that we have managed to procure 100 FREE tickets for BowieNetters for both of these shows! Details of how to obtain these free tickets will be announced before the end of the week. You lucky, lucky people.

I wish you’d tell, I wish you’d tell…

I’m sure I speak for most when I say that all of us unable to attend today’s TOTP taping would love to hear from those lucky blighters that do go. Reports of your day and of David’s performance, including any pictures you may have been lucky enough to snap will be most welcome, and we’ll hopefully put some of your contributions up in the news.

“And, what do we get for a troubles?” I hear you collectively scream? You get to see David Bowie perform in New York for TOTP today, you cheeky tykes…that’s what you get!

Please send your reports to me at TotalBlamBlam@DavidBowie.com as soon as you are able. Have fun, and send our love.

Playing games with the faces…

David Bowie performed a version of ‘America’ at the request of The Robin Hood Foundation last week. Singing solo to a backing track, David wore a “very nice 1930’s Burberry tweed suit, very Gilbert and George.”

The event took place last Thursday evening, May 30th, at The Javits Center in Manhattan. Eye witness reports described David’s performance as “breathtaking and highly emotional” and apparently the crowd “absolutely adored him”. I asked David about his appearance, and this is what he had to say:

“I was asked to do ‘America’ before their auction started. (Auctioneer was Mike Myers.) The evening was opened by Billy Crystal. MC for the evening was Diane Sawyer. I went over straight after my own rehearsals and did the song for them, then went home for dinner.

They raised …wait for it…$14,000,000 in one night. (Yes, million) One of the auction prizes was for ‘Britney to come over to your child’s sleepover party’. Well, then!!To say there were some heavy hitters there would be an understatement.

It’s an amazing charity. It is run and paid for by the wealthy of New York therefore there are NO expenses whatsoever, every single penny made goes to charity. They are the biggest funder of schools in New York’s poorest neighborhoods. They’ve also made it possible for, so far, over 700,000 uninsured kids to get access to health care. Since 1988, they’ve raised literally millions and millions of dollars and started more programs than I can remember.”

You will remember that David performed this same Paul Simon song at The Concert For New York City back in October last year. Along with ‘Heroes’, the track ended up on the commercial release of the concert. We will hopefully have some pictures from Thursday’s performance for you shortly.

Hunky Dory looks a scream, Hang it on my wall…

We are pleased to announce a special offer that has been made available to BowieNetters via Kreative Concepts LLC. The above tapestry is a 71″ x 54″ woven fabric reproduction of the ‘Hunky Dory’ sleeve. As you all know, the original sleeve was a Brian Ward shot hand-coloured by George Underwood and George has himself fully-endorsed this product.

Here’s an excerpt from the Kreative Concepts press release:

Jud Patterson of Kreative Concepts LLC and George Underwood, album cover artist for David Bowie, T-Rex, The Fixx, and Gentle Giant (to name but a few) have collaborated to introduce a full sized tapestry reproduction of Bowie’s Hunky Dory album cover. This tapestry, which measures from fringe to fringe a full 54 Inches wide and 71 Inches tall is fully woven, not printed. It will make an incredible piece for your collection, be it for hanging on a wall or for use as an extra cover for your bed.

For each tapestry sold, 10 per cent of the profit will be donated to a worthwhile (and NOT WASTEFUL) cause. Our initial choice is Nino’s restaurant in New York City. Nino’s has been serving food to the WTC recovery workers absolutely free of charge since the September 11th disaster. They depend upon donations to provide this service.

We feel that 100 per cent of the money we donate will be used appropriately, and though Nino’s is now closed, it is still operational in many aspects, and still in need of donations. When we decide to choose another recipient, we will ensure that the money being donated is efficiently used before making the selection.

Kreative Concepts LLC has kindly offered a $10:00 discount to BowieNetters who order within the next six weeks using a BowieNet e-mail address. Click on either of the images above to take you to the Hunky Dory Tapestry Order Form, where you can use several different methods to purchase the tapestry. Address any enquiries to BowieHD@KKLLC.com and please remember BowieNet is only publicising this offer for Kreative Concepts LLC, so no e-mails to us please.

And nothing has changed.. And everything has changed..

The interviews David has given in advance of the release of Heathen are starting to appear in the press around the world. BowieNetters, Lilith and Pepijn have very kindly translated this article which appeared in the Norwegian entertainments magazine, ‘VG’. Here are a couple of quotes:-

“David Bowie says he has a strong creative urge and that he might write his best music yet in the coming years.”

“This is a cliche about me: That I am a chameleon, and that I constantly change. Reality is, in my opinion, that there is a strong thematic thread in everything that I have done for nearly 40 years. Much of it is about spiritual questions. It has been a part of my life to ask questions.”

Click here to read the entire translation.

:))