Super-fit David Bowie in New York tonight. Pic by Helen2.
It's the rain before the storm...
David Bowie stormed through a high-octane set of both new and old songs at The Chance Theater in Poughkeepsie tonight... a set that included a couple of completely unexpected, but most welcome surprises.
As you know, the line-up of musicians was essentially the same as the Heathen tour, (but minus Mark Plati) and apparently "the band rocked big time", as the more excitable among us would say.
David himself played guitar (the Supro, a big body 6 string Gibson... and possibly a white Gretsch, but probably not!) and harmonica, and was in jovial mood, even making jokey references to yours truly being stuck here in London! Cheeky sod.
I've only communicated with women who attended the show so far (thanx LizSK2, H2 and Susans) so as you can imagine, David apparently looked very fit and most hot indeed... as witnessed in Helen's pic above.
Anyway, I'll stop waffling (seeing as I wasn't even there) and I'll leave you with the set list plus a little review from a very happy LizSK2:
Reality
Modern Love
New Killer Star
Cactus
Battle For Britain (The Letter)
Pablo Picasso
Afraid
Fall Dog Bombs The Moon
Sister Midnight
I'm Afraid Of Americans
She'll Drive The Big Car
Suffragette City
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Fantastic Voyage
Never Get Old
The Man Who Sold The World
Rebel Rebel
Hang On To Yourself
Heathen (The Rays)
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DAVID BOWIE AT THE CHANCE THEATER, POUGHKEEPSIE, NY: AUGUST 19TH 2003
Tonight a man changed my life. Not for the first time or the last but it was a watershed moment. I'd only ever seen db in stadiums or upstairs at Hammy. This was worlds away. I could not believe the size of the venue. It was tantamount to him playing in your living room!
I've never felt such a sense of excitement and anticipation. I'd be lying if I said the other attendees weren't a part of that. Having spent the day building up outside the venue with so many wonderful Bnetters, whipping each other up into a frenzy, was thrilling and I felt honoured to be part of it.
So when the lights dimmed and a shock of blond hair atop the greatest artist in the world appeared at the back of the stage I knew we were in for a night to remember.
Clad in pale blue denim trousers and jacket with a black T shirt saying 'Metal World' he looked the picture of perfection. The band cracked into the title track from the new album which really does rock quite hard, as someone may have said. Then.. Modern Love. I was really shocked to hear this one, very ripped up and fast but a wonderful surprise.
The show was extremely well balanced, 3 songs from Heathen (Afraid, Cactus and the title track to finish) which were greeted like the classics they have become; a couple of oldies and 6 songs from Reality.
I was feeling nervous about the new songs and clearly so was David. At first I thought it might be false modesty but he really did seem to be worried about how the new material might go down and how it might sound. It's a mystery to me why Never Get Old isn't the first single. New Killer Star is a wonderful record (played *so* well tonight and sang with heart by everyone; amazing considering it hasn't been released yet) and definitely a single but Never Get Old is just superb. A hit!
Fall Dog went down extremely well, a lovely song. He didn't fail to notice our appreciation and how well these tunes were going down. Pablo Picasso almost brought the roof caving in. And they just kept on coming: Battle For Britain; TMWSTW; Rebel Rebel and a quite wonderful version of Iggy's Sister Midnight, followed by a great rendition of I'm Afraid of Americans.
The crowd, packed into this tiny theater, were hot and sweaty throughout, gasping for air. David made some hilarious references to Blammo not being there, giggling about Blam stuck in London and even did an impersonation of the possible whinging "Bloody BowieNet, no f***ing fringe benefits, I'm stuck in London!". And since we all know Mr Blam it was roundly applauded. "See Blammo, I know how to cut corners don't I?"!
I have never jumped and sang and hollered as loud in my life. You can never go back once you've been to a show of this size. Waiting outside the venue beforethe show. the band, then David, arrived and waved. Then David came out and talked to us with the considerable charm we all know he has in spades. He signed various things and, having never been as close to him, I was rather open mouthed I think. But it occurs to me that the guy who said hi to us and was not the same guy as the one on stage. He goes through a transformation the like of which I've never seen, a supreme act. He is simply mesmerising on stage.
The MB Scrooge's will hate this but I must tell you that this man has been working out, and I don't just mean boxing: I mean down the gym! He has not looked this good since the disrobing performances of Tin Machine. Buff isn't enough of a word. The piercing screams of the teens behind me attested to that. Every so often Helen (breakingglass), Emily, cartal and Pretty Thing (whose hand David held during a song, to her delight) would turn to me and each other and mouth silent 'OMG's' because we just could not believe how incredible he looked.
The mood was so frenzied at least 5 of us (including me) started grabbing his calf during Never Get Old and almost pulled him offstage! And don't even get me started on Hang On To Yourself, Suffragette City and an exquisite version of Fantastic Voyage: these songs rocked the Chance so much they'll need to put in new floors tomorrow!
This year (and some of next) are going to be shows like you've never seen, and I know you've seen it all. He's so fit and raring to go. He's ready for this world tour, and so are you. See you on the road!
Liz Tray
PS - Love and thanks must go to the wonderful Dickmac (and Mrs Mac) and Luis for the generosity and hospitality I've come to know all New Yorkers by. Thanks L, for the ticket and for letting me win at pool. Thanks Dick, for putting me up and putting up with me :)
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Thanx again to LizSK2 and Helen2 for the review and pix respectively... and to Susans for confirming the setlist. We'll hopefully have more pictures tomorrow, and anything else of interest relating to tonight's show. Roll on September the 8th!