Its web was also unique in that it had many layers, Like floors in a building…
I had a few e-mails regarding a BBC online item last week entitled:
In the piece, the BBC music reporter, Ian Youngs, traced the history of Stadium Rock from The Beatles at Shea Stadium in New York in August 1965 up to U2‘s ZOO TV Tour of 1992/93.
For obvious reasons the Live Aid event from 1985 was singled out as was David Bowie’s Glass Spider show from 1987…
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DAVID BOWIE – GLASS SPIDER TOUR, 1987
Bowie pioneered the art of performance over several world tours, combining rock with theatre, costume and choreography.
The Glass Spider tour, which began at the Stadion Feijenoord, Rotterdam, and was seen by three million people, was the culmination of his elaborate efforts.
U2’s long-time stage designer Willie Williams says: “That has become the blueprint for Madonna, Janet Jackson, Britney, Kylie…
“There will be one set of costumes and they will do a few songs, then there will be another big scene change and move on to the next thing. Bowie crossing rock ‘n’ roll with Broadway was where that began.”
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I know I’m not the first to suggest that the Claw stage set design for U2?s current 360° Tour has echoes of the Glass Spider set. And I’m certainly not suggesting that Mr Williams is diverting that comparison by mentioning other artists.
As he says: “Bowie crossing rock ‘n’ roll with Broadway was where that began.” …in fact that crossover is something that DB experimented with on the 72/73 tours culminating in the brilliant rock theatre of The Diamond Dogs Show of 1974…all predating the other examples in the BBC item. And then of course, there was also The Serious Moonlight Tour of 1983.
However, it is a nice nod to DB that U2 are walking on stage to Space Oddity on this tour, as I’m sure many of you reading this have either witnessed first hand or watched on YouTube.