Month: June 2003

Look at Martha rave…

Martha Mooke has contacted me with news of an event that takes place in NY on Monday. She’ll be holding a launch concert/party for the release of her new CD, Cafe Mars. The launch takes place at the very place David heard Martha play back in January 2001. Here’s a bit of her communication:

Hi Blammo – would you let DB fans know that I have a new CD coming out (it’s called “Cafe Mars” with my duo BOWING – electric viola and electric e-bow guitar) and we’re kicking it off with a CD release concert/party on Monday, June 16 at the Cutting Room, 19 W. 24th St., NYC at 7PM?

Admission is $10 and includes performances/party and a CD. Check out www.2105ad.com for more info.

Ten bucks for a gig, a CD and drink… Now that’s what I call VFM, dear member. Good luck to Martha, Bowing and all involved, wish I could be there.

IF ITS 2:30 EST — CLICK HERE TO LOG INTO THE CHAT!!

Since his first appearance on David?s Aladdin Sane album, keyboardist Mike Garson has evolved into one of the longest-standing members of David’s band. Best known for his impressive skills as a pianist, especially those on the haunting Aladdin Sane solo, Mike is also a respected composer and a budding computer artist.

While touring Europe in late 2000 with the Smashing Pumpkins on their last world tour, Mike began experimenting with various art programs in the same improvisational way that he composes music. The result was an impressive ? and growing ? collection of creativity that Mike calls NOW ART?. In an effort to share his creativity with a much wider audience, Mike has chosen to make some of his pieces available for purchase by the general public.

The result is a new online apparel store called ?The Mike Garson Art Experience? that is available http://www.mikegarson.com.

Here are some wallpapers of original Mike Garson artwork for you to download.

DERVISH | MARSEILLE | RAPIDS

Friday I have Monday on my mind…*

Friday the 13th, unlucky for some, but not so for BowieNet subscribers. Without giving anything away, (As if the poster above hasn’t already) we have a special announcement to make early on Monday morning, for BowieNet members only. (8:00am London time to be precise.)

As I say, I can’t tell you the exact nature of the announcement right now, suffice to say, it’s just one of the things that makes your BowieNet membership worth having.

Fully signed-up members will also be pleased to know that we have suspended the monthly BowieNet account, in an attempt to block those who like to take advantage of BowieNet offers, but that have no intention of joining our wonderful community. No longer will you have to compete with such types for any special offers here on BowieNet.

*I know, I know…But it wouldn’t have worked the right way around! };-)

Cover me, cover me…

Well, it seems the exclusive we were hoping to bring you on Monday, (see story beneath this one) has been compromised in part with the early publication of this piece on Billboard.com, (story only available to subscribers) which is also due to appear as a cover story in next week’s Billboard.

Oh well, it’s done now, and you lucky BowieNetters are getting a heads up a few days early… But, be sure to tune in on Monday anyway, because this information isn’t all we’ll be announcing.

David Bowie is poised to deliver a worldwide dose of Reality.

In his most extensive trek in more than a decade, Bowie’s A Reality world tour will begin Oct. 7 at the Forum in Copenhagen and hit Europe, the U.S., Australia, and Japan before wrapping in March 2004.

The tour is expected to be announced Monday.

Bowie will play North America in December and January. Clear Channel Entertainment (CCE) will produce the tour worldwide.

The A Reality tour will support a new Columbia release set for September, which is also the month U.S. tickets will first go on sale. European on-sales begin the weekend of June 20, with the Dandy Warhols as support.

Bowie will play 30 arenas in Europe; North American dates are tentatively set to begin Dec. 4 and run through January. In the U.S., he will play a combination of full arenas, large theaters, and theater configurations in arenas, depending on Bowie’s history in a given market, according to Arthur Fogel, president of touring for CCE’s music division.

“This is really his first major, worldwide tour in over a decade,” Fogel says. “He did a handful of markets on Area:2 last year, and he has done select shows here and there, but he hasn’t done a world tour in more than 10 years.”

Recent live performances appear to have stoked Bowie’s fire for performing live.

“Last year’s shows were such a tremendous high and the audiences so responsive,” he told Billboard. “My band is playing at the top of its form right now, and it would be foolish not to play a tour this year while we’re in such good spirits about the live-show aspects of our work.”

Bowie’s touring band is guitarists Gerry Leonard and Earl Slick, drummer Sterling Campbell, bassist/backing vocalist Gail Ann Dorsey, keyboardist Mike Garson, and keyboardist/backing vocalist Catherine Russell.

This time out, because Bowie is performing in an intimate venue, he should be able to command a heftier price. Fogel says ticket prices are still being determined, “but David Bowie has never gone nuts with ticket prices. We’re probably looking to average about $50 in most markets.”

Bowie, 56, had stated a desire to scale back his touring, at least in terms of magnitude.

“I got pretty sick with touring in the 1980s — the Serious Moonlight and Glass Spider tours were major, major undertakings,” Bowie told Billboard last year. “They are so huge and unwieldy — I stopped doing those type tours altogether.”

Torn apart in the UK…

That select band of stragglers known as UK BowieNetters, should have received an e-mail informing them of the end of the relationship between davidbowie.com and Global Internet, which actually came about a couple of years ago. Subscribers to davidbowie.co.uk have enjoyed a bundled package of their ISP and BowieNet together through Global Internet. But as of today this service is no longer available.

You’ll know if you are a subscriber to davidbowie.co.uk by your e-mail address. For example if my address was totalblamblam@davidbowie.co.uk then I’d know I’m a UK subscriber, but it’s actually totalblamblam@davidbowie.com so I know I’m not a UK subscriber.

What this means is that if you are happy with the ISP and davidbowie.co.uk email address service, you can continue your relationship with Global Internet, but you will no longer have access to the pay area of BowieNet.

If however, you wish to continue as a fully paid up member of BowieNet so that you can enjoy the kind of offers only afforded BowieNet members, then you need to update your billing information now. Please note that as from today, when you log into the site you will be prompted to update your billing information to continue your membership. Once your account is updated you will be signed up for an Annual Membership that is billed $64.99 once every year.

There are some very exciting things happening in the VERY near future that you will not be able to take advantage of unless you are a fully paid up member of BowieNet.

Please email billing@davidbowie.com if you have any questions or concerns.

Just a quick note to inform you that BowieNet email will be unavailable starting this FRIDAY the 13th from 8 AM EST. The upgrade is expected to take between 1 and 2 hours.

Please bear with us during this upgrade period, and we apologise for any inconvenience this may cause you.

Sincerely,
The BowieNet Staff

>>>> PRESALE TIMES, DURATION, and DETAILS TICKETS’ page. (more info below…)– TICKETS WILL BE SHIPPED out 4-6 weeks prior to the date of the show for which said tickets were purchased.– THERE IS NO WILL CALL OR BOX OFFICE PICK UP>>>>> SITE CHANGES >>> LINKS http://www.davidbowie.com/members/tickets/

Is it all just human disguise?

Tony Visconti has kindly sent in some candid shots that he craftily took via a one-way mirror in his recording studio. The shots are of DB in some new disguises that he was trying out before leaving for home, after a hard day singing and guitaring and stuff.

We’ve used these shots without David’s permission, and he’s completely unaware that we’ve blown his cover. So you can help him retain the illusion of anonymity by not accosting him if you see him wandering around New York, bumping into lamp posts and scaffolding, etc.

I have to say, I find the idea of using a mask of one’s own image for a disguise a little bizarre, but then again, that’s David… Mad as cheese! BowieNetters can study larger versions of these pictures by clicking on them.

Tomorrow we’ll be bringing you more shots from this series, such as David dressed as Maxim Gorky and as Robin, (as in the Caped Crusader’s sidekick) and yet another of him trying out a bullet-proof face of Charlie Manson… That’s if he doesn’t rumble our little game first.

If you’ve believed all of this, then you’re more gullible than I could have possibly hoped… Sorry and thank you! };-)

Last night they loved you…

I know it’s not strictly Bowie news, but I’ve had a few e-mails asking how things went last night… so I’m sure you’ll allow me this small transgression.

Grandaddy played a short but intimate show to a very appreciative crowd at the Virgin MegaStore in Oxford Street to celebrate both the release of their new album, Sumday, and their first placing in the UK top 30 with the single, Now It’s On. The band played a fine balance of old and new including the aforementioned single, plus The Go In The Go-For-It and Lost On Yer Merry Way all from the new album,.

They also chucked in a smattering of classics that included Hewlett’s Daughter, A.M. 180 and the Bowie favourite, Summer Here Kids… At least according to recently injured* guitarist Jim Fairchild it’s a Bowie favourite. Jim told me a story he had been told by one of the road crew, of when David went to see the band in New York. Apparently he was quite vocal in his wish for the band to play the song, screaming his request above the din of the crowd! And who can blame him, it is a truly great song.

We didn’t have time to hang around for the Grandaddy signing session, but, judging by the length of the queue, they must have been there for some time. As I said yesterday, if you do get a chance to see them on their current UK tour, then do. See yesterday’s news for the UK dates, and click on the picture above to take you to the Grandaddy website, where you can view the rest of their summer dates.

* Jim was involved in some nasty accident recently, where his shoulder was run over by a large vehicle of some kind. He is on the mend, but it means he certainly won’t be able to perform the likes of the quite awesome Levitz, for which he would normally hold both an acoustic and an electric guitar at the same time!

Next it was straight off to Camden to see Kristeen Young. Unlike most of the BowieNetters present at the Underworld, I hadn’t seen Kristeen live before, so I was looking forward to this, her very first London show. I have to admit I was a little nervous for her, as London audience’s have a reputation for being quite reserved, and are generally miserable sods, unless it’s someone they already know and love.

I needn’t have concerned myself, it was obvious from the moment this vision in pink took to the stage that we were about to witness something unique. Kristeen stormed through an eight-song set that certainly won this audience over, and the fact that she didn’t have a live band behind her didn’t compromise the energy of the music one bit.

Kristeen has an absolutely incredible vocal range, soaring effortlessly through the registers, to the point of shattering the lenses of Keiths’ spectacles**, and reaching the kind of notes audible only to dogs. She is also an accomplished keyboard player and has a unique stage presence, and all of these qualities together make it very hard for me to provide any convincing comparisons.

For the record, the set included: Wake The Dead, Breasticles, Touch Tongues, Yesterday’s Future Man, I Am The Best Of All Things, Lie, We Are The World (Why KY) and Devil Girl. The first three songs and We Are The World (Why KY) are from the Tony Visconti produced new album, Breasticles, which includes the re-recorded duet with David, Saviour, that we told you about recently. (05/15/03 NEWS: KRISTEEN YOUNG COLLECTABLE AND LONDON DATE)

Kristeen, kindly signed copies of the CD after the show, and sales seemed healthy enough to pay for her next trip to London… which won’t be soon enough.

** This didn’t actually happen, but I would pay good money to see it if Kristeen wants to consider it for her next UK show?

Oh no, don’t say it’s true…

David Bowie has contributed a quote for the blurb of the latest Jake Arnott novel, truecrime. The book is published by Sceptre on 18th August and apart from the cover quote from David of: ‘Funny, fast, witty and brutal.’, he has also said this of Jake’s work: Whenever he’s got a new book out I drop everything, knowing that the next couple of hours are going to be pure gangland bliss. Gawd bless ‘im.

Here’s the synopsis for truecrime: It’s 30 years since Harry Starks and his gang kept the underworld of Soho under control, but the consequences of their brutal reign are still being felt. Moving his focus to the greedy 80s and the 90s rave scene, Arnott delivers another hard-edged novel.

Jake’s year of birth, 1961, and his obvious good taste, makes it perfectly feasible that he himself enjoys the music of David Bowie. If not, he’s certainly heard a Mick Ronson tune or two. Those of you familiar with Jake’s work will recall the central character of his last book, (He Kills Coppers) a certain Billy Porter. Billy Porter is the opening track on Ronno’s 1975 solo album, Play Don’t Worry, and contains the line: Billy Porter, You never told me that I needed a gun. Small world, eh?