'A Promoter's Tale - Rock At The Sharp End' by Geoff Docherty

The David Bowie Gig

On 13th March 1970, David Bowie &The Hype, supported by Principal Edwards Magic Theatre, Circus and Man appeared at The Fillmore North in Sunderland. Admission was 10/- and the fee for the band was £150. The Hype consisted of Tony Visconti on bass, Mick Ronson on lead and John Cambridge on drums.

As promised by TBB, when he was kind enough to mention this book in BowieNet News recently (10/15/02 NEWS: BOWIENETTERS MAKE GOOD (PART 236)), here are some unpublished reminiscences from both Geoff, the promoter, and Mike Brown an attendee at the gig.

Geoff Docherty - Author "A Promoter's Tale"

"I got a call from London, asking if I would like to book David Bowie. The Fillmore North was going quite well then, and David Bowie wasn't a draw in those days. But - it sounded interesting - 'David Bowie', and the way he portrayed himself, and I said to myself "This could be a good gig". I decided to take a chance and book him, but on the night, not many came, which I had thought might happen - just about 500 attendance in a 3000 capacity gig. So anyway, he came out on the stage, dressed as he was - very unusual - and when he started to sing, he just had such a unique voice. It had passion and it had sincerity, which is the first thing I personally look for, and I'm sure thousands of other music fans do, and he was just a natural (laughs) it was there, you were transfixed, you just couldn't take your eyes off him. Wherever he walked on the stage you were just looking at him all the time. He went down really well. The crowd who were there really listened intently - I could see they really liked him and he appreciated it. I think he enjoyed the gig, cos he could see that the small audience who were there were listening. Afterwards - in those days it was a revolving stage, and we revolved it - and I went backstage and he went out of his way to shake hands with me. He leaned forward and that sincerity which had been on the stage earlier came out in his voice and he said this with real heartfelt emotion, "Thanks for having the courage to book me" and his hand lingered and I thought, "What a smashing chap! He's just done a great performance and here he is having the courtesy to come up and speak to me like that - how nice". I thought, "I'll definitely book him back", but it wasn't to be, because he went off around the world and everywhere he played the same thing happened and he became huge and outgrew The Fillmore North. But the night holds a great affection for me and for the people who were there."

Mike Brown - Attendee

David came on stage at The Fillmore North dressed in what looked like a kind of silver lame suit with huge blue wings and a cape. The wings were like a collar to the cape. He sang 'Space Oddity' and possibly ' The Man Who Sold The World' and may have done a Velvet's song. It was a good gig, there were a lot of people there and he was enthusiastically received and I can remember that he looked very confident and talked to the audience. At the time, I was interested in alternative, underground music and I used to go to all of the gigs at The Fillmore North. I think people recognised 'Space Oddity', - that's the bit I can remember the cheers for. He looked pretty strange, I have to admit, although I can't remember anyone commenting on that, but he just looked really weird - I'd never seen anybody like him. I didn't really get into his music until 'Hunky Dory' - via my interest in Velvet Underground - but I've never forgotten that night. I've seen him on TV a couple of times lately and I've enjoyed what I've seen. As usual, he's experimenting and trying different things and I've always admired that about him. He's never stood still."

Of course my next job was to find a picture of David at the gig, but sadly I'm beaten on that score, unless you know different? The photographs here were taken at a gig at The Roundhouse in London, possibly two days before the Sunderland gig, and I mailed them to Mike to ask him to check them out. He mustered up a few friends who attended the gig with him, and they sent me this consensus:-

Whether right or wrong.. We've convinced ourselves that the outfit in the pic wasn't exactly as he wore at the Locarno.... The shirt was different - as we remember he had a tight top of the same, or similar silver/blue sparkles ...possibly a body-stocking of some kind?

Interestingly, one of us thought that he sported actual large wings, and looked a little like an Icarus figure...but most of us felt that he wore a long blue cloak, the stand-up collar of which was enormously exaggerated, to look like large wings - which stood up at least two feet, and kinda drooped over to each shoulder. The overall effect was almost a sort of "Superhero" - guise....and from the depths of memory - there was a character called "Dr.Strange" who had a similar cloak...maybe that was what caused my recollection?? I seem to think that he discarded the cloak and "wings" after a number or two/three - as I don't recall him performing all the way thru with it all??

Anyway, I hope that may be of some obscure use...I must of course put all kinds of warnings on this info in regard to old hippie memories not being as acute as we would all like!

I love the 'Icarus' memory! It was very kind of Mike to take such an interest in talking to us, and he even mailed me again later, including some images of Dr Strange to illustrate his theory.

I hope you enjoy this little tale of 'Bowie yesteryear', but must just add that the Bowie content of the book is only a page or two, so please don't buy it on the strength of that. Geoff did a signing in our city at the weekend which was mobbed.. The man at the front of the queue had three copies of the book and his face was alight with joy at the memory of those hippy days. He met his wife at one of the gigs and has been happily married for 30 years.. awwr.. Such is the power of music, eh?

 

Here's one last quote about the Bowie gig, from the book itself:-

- The night proved to be a magnetic marriage of rock and theatre, brilliantly executed to Bowie's own original compositions... Afterwards, David shook me by the hand and thanked me for having the courage to book him. I was touched by this act of courteousness and appreciation. Even though the gig had lost money, it was of little consequence as anyone with a modicum of perception could sense that success was inevitable for someone so talented.

You can go here to read more about the book.

:))

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