A living breathing Jackalope graces the cover of the
‘Looking For Jackalopes Europe Fall 2002’ tour schedule.
Got to keep searching and searching…
Over the last few weeks, I’ve received numerous enquiries regarding the fate of David Bowie’s Jackalope. The creature first made an unidentified appearance as far back as August (08/11/02 SNIPPET: ON THE ROAD) when it was pictured acting the erm… goat with Mr Earl Slick. It then enjoyed even more of the limelight when I posted a beautiful photographic portrait of the potentially dangerous animal, taken during rehearsals at Hammersmith. (09/17/02 NEWS: BLAMMO REPORTS FROM BOWIE REHEARSALS)
The beast could clearly be seen during the next day’s Radio 2 performance at Maida Vale on September 18th, and indeed it became a regular favourite with fans right up until that fateful day on Friday the 27th in Bonn. It transpires that some mean-spirited sort decided this particular Jackalope should be liberated.
Once the alarm had been raised, the road crew and members of the band (and possibly even David, perhaps) hunted high and low until the early hours, but alas, their efforts were in vain. It was looking like the remainder of the shows on the prophetically named ‘Searching For Jackalopes Tour’ would be played Jackalope-less.
And then, as mysteriously as it had vanished, the funny-faced little thing was back again, as evidenced in our Philly rehearsal shot supplied by Mark Plati. (10/25/02 NEWS: BOSTON PIX AND REVIEW ROUND UP) I asked Mr Plati if he could explain, and this is what he told me: “Andrew Burns, the bass/guitar tech, went to the trouble of having another Jackalope flown in from Wyoming.” So now you know. (Click on the image above to take you to the Wyoming based jackalopejunction.com)
The casual observer could be forgiven for thinking they had witnessed the return of the original article, (After all, the two Jackalopes were identical twins) but the sad truth is that the thief is still at large, and who knows what cruelty the original Bowie Jackalope is being subjected to. Obviously there is a substantial reward on offer for information leading to the return of this most unusual and much-missed mammal. };-)