Month: November 2008

Blu blu, electric blu…

Those of you hoping to gather the family around the TV for a Christmas viewing of The Man Who Fell To Earth on Blu-ray this year may be disappointed.

Despite previous reports on here (05.17.2008 NEWS: THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH DUE ON BLU RAY & 08.22.2008 NEWS: CRITERION TMWFTE BLU RAY RELEASE DETAILS) and the fact that the Criterion site and Amazon still have the disc listed for a December 16th release, it seems it has now been delayed until January 6th next year.

At least that’s according to High-Def Digest who seem to know about these things. If their story ends up being inaccurate, you may want to vent your frustration on BowieNetter Zardoz who pointed me in the direction of this item. 😉

STOP PRESS: It seems the Reality package we told you about last week (11.25.2008 NEWS: REALITY CD+DVD 2 DISC SPECIAL EDITION) has been put back one week to December 8th in the UK, while it remains the 9th for the US.

Ch ch ch ch changes…

Yesterday marked the 61st anniversary of the National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation and Pardoning. The current ceremony dates back to the year of David Bowie’s birth and this year’s ceremony, above, will be the last time President George W. Bush pardons a turkey.

I think this may be one Thanksgiving that the rest of the world celebrates with you America. Happy thanksgiving to one and all!

Just watch me now…

Last month we posted a news piece regarding Thurston Moore‘s presentation of David Bowie’s videos at MoMA on December 1st. (10.20.2008 NEWS: THURSTON MOORE TO PRESENT BOWIE VIDEOS AT MoMA) We followed that with a contest to win three pairs of tickets (10.23.2008 NEWS: WIN MoMA BOWIE VIDEO PRESENTATION TICKETS) and we announced the three winners of that contest a week later. (10.30.2008 NEWS: MoMA BOWIE VIDEO PRESENTATION TICKET WINNERS)

Well now MoMA has kindly given us two more pairs the winners of which The Random Generator selected from those original entries.

So now these five members have each won a pair of tickets.

chas
daligala
gmoney
MeetingVenus
shammy

If you could all please forward your real names to me, I will respond with further instructions on how to attend this coming Monday, December 1st.

If you’ve not been lucky with winning tickets here on BowieNet, don’t forget that the remaining tickets will go on sale on Monday.

A limited number of tickets will be available on the day of the event beginning at 1:00 p.m. at the Museum’s Lobby Information Desk.

Ticket Admission prices: Adults $10; MoMA Members $8, Seniors (65 and above) $5; Students (with valid I.D.) $5.

The public may call 212/708-9400 for detailed Museum information.

See our previous news story (10.20.2008 NEWS: THURSTON MOORE TO PRESENT BOWIE VIDEOS AT MoMA) for further information and the press release section from the same day for more details.

Meanwhile, I’ll leave you with a link to a preview of the event by Saul Austerlitz over at The Village Voice.

I know a Government man…

Speaking of gay San Franciscans, (see yesterday’s news) out this week (no pun intended) is the soundtrack CD for Gus Van Sant‘s brilliant film, MILK. In the unlikely event that your unfamiliar with it, here’s the synopsis from the official MILK site…

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From the acclaimed director Gus Van Sant (Good Will Hunting and Elephant) comes the powerful and inspiring story of California’s first openly gay elected official, Harvey Milk. With a powerhouse performance in the leading role, Sean Penn (Mystic River) and supporting cast Emile Hirsch (Into the Wild), Josh Brolin (No Country for Old Men) and James Franco (Spider-Man 1, 2 and 3) bring this unforgettable story to the big screen.

Gay Rights Activist. Friend. Lover. Unifier. Politician. Fighter. Icon. Inspiration. Hero. His life changed history, and his courage changed lives.

In 1977, Harvey Milk was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, becoming the first openly gay man to be voted into major public office in America. His victory was not just a victory for gay rights; he forged coalitions across the political spectrum. From senior citizens to union workers, Harvey Milk changed the very nature of what it means to be a fighter for human rights and became, before his untimely death in 1978, a hero for all Americans.

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The soundtrack kicks off with David Bowie’s Queen Bitch and it’s available now through Decca.

Whoo hoo…

Released via Sony next Monday (December 1st, December 9th in the US) is the above 2 disc special edition CD + DVD of Reality.

As you’ve no doubt worked out, the set includs the Reality album and the Reality Tour DVD.

He’s so divine, his soul shines…

We posted this one a couple of weeks back and here’s what we asked of you…“simply give us the name of the chap that designed the front cover at the top of this piece and include a tiebreaker of no more than three words that you think best describes him.”

Of course, the answer was Rex Ray and here are the five winners accompanied by their splendid and well considered tiebreakers…

DEmerson ~ Yul Brynner Lookalike
Sinj3 ~ Mischievous Multifarious InkMonkey
subquetaneous ~ Perfumed Parlor Snake!
wldjareth ~ Innovative Brilliant Timeless
zardoz ~ Balding Piss Artist

Well done folx…I think that about covers it. Send me your shipping details and you should have your Bowie Giftpack in time to re-wrap it for your niece’s Christmas gift.

We’ve really got a good thing going…

The January 2009 issue of UNCUT magazine has a free supplement rounding-up the best releases of 2008.

David Bowie – Live Santa Monica ’72 made it to the top five best reissues of 2008, see article above.

Elsewhere in the mag in the regular CH CH CH CH CHANGES feature, there’s a pictorial retrospective of Roxy Music’s Phil Manzanera with the following words from Phil accompanying the above picture…

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(2006 Bowie is far left, Manzanera is fourth from right)

This is on David Gilmour’s On An Island tour. It was interesting for me: I’d known about Bowie from The Three Tuns in Beckenham. Gilmour was a friend of my brother’s when I was 16. Robert [Wyatt] was a friend of Bill and Ian MacCormick’s. Crosby, Rick Wright I knew…but it was the first time I’d been on a stage with Bowie, Gilmour and Robert. Bowie was incredible. Crosby was a delightful person. Graham Nash is not in the picture because he’d popped out to the loo!

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You weren’t too bad yourself actually, Phil.

Come see, come see, remember me?

Were you at David Bowie’s show at The Rainbow in London’s Finsbury on Wednesday August 30th 1972? If so, how good is your memory?

We’re trying to collect some information together regarding this particular show and we need your help to fill in the blanks.

If you did attend, how much of the set can you remember? What do you recall regarding the stage show itself? Perhaps you still have your ticket stub, or other related memorabilia, or even some pictures you took on the night.

If you think you can help, (non-members are also very welcome to participate) please send your recollections to me here.

If we use anything you submit on these pages you will be rewarded with a print of the above advert signed by David Bowie.

Funk to funky…

Our old friend Brigitte ‘Schoki’ Schokarth has been in touch with details of an Ashes To Ashes remix due next month as the lead track on Julian Hruza‘s 4-track SUPER SOUND EP.

Here’s a bit regarding th erelease from Julian himself…

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“New years eve 2006: I work as DJ. I play Ashes To Ashes. People react in a strange way. They’re telling me: We cannot dance to that. I don’t understand. I love to dance to this song!

It still led to me remixing that song: 130 bpm, repeats of the voice, clicks and louder snare. Tried it out in Pudel in Hamburg. And yeah! This time people were dancing.

So I asked the guys in Mr. Bowie’s camp if I could get the rights for it. A few days later came the answer: “David says he enjoyed the mix and it is okay to move ahead with this”.

Perfect! I celebrated in front of my laptop with a glass of Welschriesling and after EMI also gave their permission, I pressed the remix on Vinyl.?

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The SUPER SOUND EP is released as a four track 12″ vinyl EP on December 5th. You can go take a listen on Julian’s MySpace page and you can order the vinyl here.

Meanwhile, I’ll leave you with the track listing…

Ashes To Ashes RMX
Stockholm City
So Me Core
Help Me

Dear cover band, you’re playing my tune…

We may not have been featuring the myriad Bowie tribute bands as frequently as we once did, but that doesn’t mean they’re any less active.

However, rather than listing all the shows, I thought it best to link to a relevant page for each of the bands. Click on each of the images here for details of that outfit’s particular gigs.

They appear here in alphabetical order starting with The Bowie Contingent above and The Bowie Experience, Diamond Dogs, Duffo and Space Oddity below.

If you want your Bowie tribute band’s details featured here, drop me a line.