Month: October 2004

It’s a Drive-in Saturday…

As if a reminder is needed, but here goes anyway. David Bowie – A Reality Tour DVD is released today, apart from in North America where it is released on Tuesday (tomorrow) as is normal in the US.

Reading the MBs, it seems many of you managed to find maverick traders that sold the DVD over the weekend ahead of the release date…particularly in Holland. But I guess you can expect rebellious behaviour from a nation that thought it a good idea to build on swampland! };-)

Don’t forget the BowieNetter viewing parties scheduled for this coming Saturday, all the idea of BowieNetter roginla. You can view the details of the parties here to see if there is one in your area, and if there isn’t, you still have plenty of time to organise one.

BowieNetter antonio also informs me of a big screen viewing opportunity in New York on Saturday. Here’s the low-down:

Cinema Classics in New York City will be screening David Bowie – A Reality Tour on October 23rd @ 9pm with free admission for everyone, it also coincides nicely with the monthly glam-nite “glamdammit” which starts at 11pm… here is the info:

David Bowie – A Reality Tour screening @ 9pm @ Cinema Classics, 332 East 11th St., New York City.

As ever, I am duty-bound to point out that none of these events are organised by BowieNet… However, I’d still love to know how they go and I look forward to the pictorial evidence and any related gossip.

Waiting For The Man(ish Boy)…

Popular BBC 6 Music DJ Marc Riley continues his conquest of the airwaves with another regular slot on the same station he presents his Rocket Science show on Saturdays.

Radio’s biggest Bowie fan now has a new two-hour show from 10:00pm UK time on Sunday nights called MINT. The programme is aimed at record collectors, (thus the name of the show) and looks at collecting and related areas.

Among other exciting items, in tonight’s show Marc has an interview with ex-Manish Boy, Bob Solly, who played organ on DB’s second ever release in 1965, the quite brilliant and underrated single, I Pity The Fool. The 45 was backed by David’s first ever composition to make it to vinyl, Take My Tip…as if you didn’t know!

If Bob is on his usual form you can expect some interesting anecdotes about the young Bowie that you most likely have never heard before.

You can listen to the show live online by clicking on either of Riley’s ridiculously-rouged cheeks in the picture above.

Hit me baby, You win…

We had a huge response to our David Bowie – A Reality Tour DVD contest which ended at noon UK time today.

I had planned to post the winners tomorrow, but you’re more likely to get your DVD by Monday’s release date if we have a head start in getting them out today and tomorrow… all dependent on where you live, of course.

As you know, this was a straight no-questions-asked-names-in-a-hat affair, with ten winners being picked out by the beautifully impartial The Random Generator (TRG?). Here are the names that the wise one selected in an alphabetical stylee:

cjohnstone
federica
ix66
Kismet
michaelwbates
nedkelly
oorwullie
Sinj
strangebuddha
taf1970

If you lucky buggers would like to forward your real names and address to me pronto, we’ll get one of these magnificent prizes out to you immediately.

Gail Ann played guitar…

As we told you ahead of the show, Gail Ann Dorsey played an acoustic set at Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater in New York on October 13th. BowieNet was there to capture the event, and apart from some great audio, young Ant captured some wonderful film too.

You can experience this sound & vision via the GAD Media Player which can be launched by clicking on the image above. There you can hear Spider Song, Untitled and Whether You Are The One.

/If that ain’t enough to quench your Gail Ann thirst, you can also watch the exquisite creature in action as she performs Netherland and David Bowie‘s… Well, there’s a clue in the lyric quote above.

Watch That Man…

It is with much pride that we can exclusively bring you five tracks from the forthcoming David Bowie – A Reality Tour DVD. The five tracks are: Rebel Rebel, All The Young Dudes, The Loneliest Guy, Hallo Spaceboy and Under Pressure.

BowieNet members can view each track in its entirety, (be sure you are logged in before you click on the link) and non-members can view snippets of same. Click on the grab above to get to the David Bowie – A Reality Tour DVD player, where this also a link to purchase the DVD at the SonyMusicStore for an inflation-busting $11.98!

Tune in early next week for five more tracks: Never Get Old, Five Years, I’m Afraid Of Americans, The Man Who Sold The World and Ziggy Stardust.

David Bowie – A Reality Tour DVD is released next Monday the 18th, apart from those territories where such things are released the following day, such as North America.

Don’t forget the BowieNet members only competition for ten copies of the DVD which ends tomorrow (Friday) at noon, UK time. (10.11.2004 NEWS: ONE WEEK TO GO FOR REALITY TOUR DVD – WIN ONE NOW)

Bow wow, woof woof… (Again)

OK, on with the Earl Slick contest…here’s today’s question:

Q4 – What was the make and model of the guitar Earl Slick used on the Diamond Dogs Tour of 1974?

I think that’s a fairly hard one…but you’ve surprised me with the breadth of your Slick knowledge so far. Anyway, we are trying to make it difficult, because, as I’ve said before, this guitar needs to go to somebody who is definitely a big Earl Slick fan.

Keep your answers to yourself for now, as I’ll be asking for them all in one go once the competition ends… not sure exactly when that will be, but I’ll let you know over the weekend.

For details of the great prizes for this contest, see this news item: 10.02.2004 NEWS: WIN RARE EARL SLICK STUFF…INCLUDING A SIGNED GUITAR!

Oh she’s a tongue twisting storm, come to the show tonight…

As mentioned last week (10.07.2004 NEWS: COME AND SUPPORT KY IN CAMDEN NEXT WEEK) it’s well worth popping along to The Barfly in Camden Town for the Kristeen Young show if you’re in the London area tonight… or within travelling distance.

For tickets…please call 0870 907 0999 (Barfly box office) or go here.

Kristeen’s onstage at 8:15pm sharp so you have a full six hours to get your act together. She really is worth the effort.

Stop Press: BowieNetter FredTheGnome informs me that Kristeen’s slot has been moved to 9:15pm… so you have even longer to get there!

I got seven days…

Some of you have noticed the appearance of press adverts recently for the release next week of the David Bowie – A Reality Tour DVD. Apart from those magazine ads, from today, those of you down here in The Smoke should notice bloody great big versions of the poster above plastered around the London Underground.

We will hopefully have one of these huge monsters to give-away and we definitely have ten copies of the DVD to give-away to ten BowieNetters right now.

Please note: The DVD’s we are giving away are PAL – Region 2 encoding. Thought I should mention it as I know some of you may not be able to play them. Formats don’t seem to be a problem here in the UK though.

In light of the recent competition poll I posted on the MBs, I’m going to make this contest a names-out-of-the-hat affair. As dull as I find this method of prize distribution, it seems to be what the majority prefer and I can’t argue that it isn’t the fairest way.

Don’t worry though, I will be mixing up the competitions to cater for all of your tastes. But, we have definitely seen the end of the token collect/points contest for now. More on how to redeem the points you did collect for this shortly… and yes sandyscandy, you will get your signed piece of David Bowie clothing.

However, for those of you that still enjoy a trivia question, perhaps you could name the David Bowie song, Underground, that is also the location you could expect to find “bloody great big versions of the poster above”? ***

To enter this contest, simply send an e-mail to me at TotalBlamBlam@davidbowie.com with a subject line of “Reality Tour DVD”. Usual rules apply: You must send from your BowieNet account or at least provide your BowieNet username. Only one entry per account name.

The competition is open until noon (UK time) on Friday and the ten names that The Random Generator (TRG?) selects will be announced on Saturday. Good luck kidz.

To learn more about the David Bowie – A Reality Tour DVD, see these previous news items: 07.27.2004 NEWS: EXCLUSIVE DUBLIN DVD COVER AND DETAILS & 08.22.04 NEWS: REALITY DVD RELEASE DATE AND PRESS RELEASE & 09.16.2004 NEWS: NO DELAY FOR REALITY TOUR DVD

*** This is a joke. Please don’t really send in an answer. For those still puzzled, though, the answer is Underground.

And the stars look very different today…

Ananova today reports that David Bowie’s Space Oddity has been chosen as the first track to be played on the first commercial space trip for tourists. Here’s a bit from the story:

Bowie top choice for space tourists

David Bowie’s Space Oddity has been chosen as the first track to be played on the first commercial space trip for tourists. The song, first released in 1969, came top in a poll to find the ultimate play list for the trips which are due within three years.

Virgin Radio listeners voted for the songs to be heard on the new three-hour Virgin Galactic flights which will cost £100,000 per person. The track, with the immortal opening line ‘Ground Control to Major Tom’, was inspired by the Apollo 8 Mission.

“Space Oddity is one of those haunting songs that seems timeless so it was fitting it came out top for the first commercial flight,” said Pete Mitchell, of the Pete and Geoff Breakfast Show. “It was a ground-breaking track when it was first released and still sounds amazing today. Back then, it still seemed a distant idea that the common man could pop up to space on a flight but in just a few years we’ll be ready to take passenger flights in space.”

Well you learn something new every day. I never knew Space Oddity was inspired by the Apollo 8 Mission… always thought the inspiration was 2001: A Space Odyssey, but what do I know? Go here for the story in full.

Anyway, well done David… I’m sure there could have been more than just one Bowie song for this playlist. Here are a few more suggestions in case you need them, Virgin: Starman, Moonage Daydream, Hallo Spaceboy, Life On Mars?, I Took A Trip On A Gemini Spaceship, Something In The Air, etc., etc., etc.

Bow wow, woof woof…

OK, after a short break while we waited for the results of an emergency poll, it seems we are safe to continue with the Earl Slick contest…hopefully without the third party contributions this time.

Sorry if this makes no sense to you, you probably don’t use the message boards.

Anyway, as it’s been a while, here are the two questions so far and today’s new question:

Q1 – What is Earl Slick’s real name?

Q2 – What is the link between Earl Slick and PJ Proby?

Q3 – What are the names of Earl Slick’s two dogs?

Keep your answers to yourself for now, (Particularly you TheEMan!) as I’ll be asking for the lot in one go once the competition ends.

See last Saturday’s news (10.02.2004 NEWS: WIN RARE EARL SLICK STUFF…INCLUDING A SIGNED GUITAR!) for details of the great prizes for this contest