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1978 Low and Heroes Tour
(Page 2 of 3)



Now on to the east coast where a further four shows were to be played - one each in Melbourne and Brisbane and then two final Australian shows in Sydney.

Bowie's final Australian tour interview was aired just after the Sydney show.





MELBOURNE CRICKET GROUND (Sat, Nov 18)


On November 18, Bowie played an outdoor gig at the iconic home of Australian cricket and football.

Colloquially known as 'the G' (or 'MCG'), the venue boasted a capacity of 40,000 for the Bowie concert making it easily the largest concert of his career thus far.

Arriving a day before the concert, the band stayed at the Hilton Hotel which is located just opposite overlooking the venue.



Above: View of the MCG and Hilton Hotel in 1979.

Apart from it's sheer size, the MCG is notable as the site of the first international cricket match between England and Australia, the 1956 Olympics and the 2006 Commonwealth Games among numerous other national and international events.

Above: Kerry Packer at the same venue, the same year - we are fairly sure this wasn't the Bowie concert!!


Determined to make the most of Bowie's first visit to Australia, fans in Melbourne began a major feat no longer seen in the era of online ticketing and allocated seating.

The camp outside the MCG began 3 weeks before the actual concert. Many had already queued an additional week for the actual tickets.

Eventually the effort was picked up by the local press and by Bowie himself.

A fictionalised version of the queue was later depicted in the film Dogs in Space starring Michael Hutchence. Further information here (link soon to be added).
Melbourne Bowie Queue, 1978. Photos from Bruce.



Finally the Melbourne show began. Billed "come rain or shine" - it poured!

Bowie's guitarist Adrian Belew enthused:

"Oh that was an incredible show. There was a huge expectation and everyone's waiting for you to come".

Bowie fan Sharon Coults recalls:

"Instead of singing 'Fame' Bowie sang 'rain' and was in a jovial mood. He threw his microphone into the crowd at the end of the concert and nearly caused a riot. The girl that caught it put it down her underpants to keep it safe." 

Melbourne 1978. Photo sent in by Bruce.
Melbourne 1978. Photo sent in by Bruce Butler.
The guy with the bleached hair is Phill Calvert, drummer for Nick Cave's band The Birthday Party.


Sean Mayes, Bowie's keyboardist, recalled:

"It was pouring and the bedraggled fans had a punk look with their ruined hair and streaky make-up. But the mood was fantastic - when you're soaked you don't give a damn".


Melbourne 1978. Photos sent in by Bruce Butler.


During the second half of the show, the crowd went wild. In the encore, crowd members let fireworks off.



Melbourne 1978. Photo sent in by Bruce Butler.



Melbourne Tour Poster. Image from Bruce Butler.
Melbourne Set List:

1. Warszawa
2. "Heroes"
3. What In The World
4. Be My Wife
5. The Jean Genie
6. Blackout
7. Sense Of Doubt
8. Breaking Glass
9. Fame
10. Beauty And The Beast
11. Five Years
12. Soul Love
13. Star
14. Hang On To Yourself
15. Ziggy Stardust
16. Suffragette City
17. Art Decade
18. Alabama Song
19. Station To Station
20. Stay
21. Rebel Rebel


The band left Melbourne the day after the concert heading for Brisbane. It was still raining as they left.


IMPROMPTU CLUB APPEARANCE (Mon, Nov 20)

Bowie and the band had a couple of spare days in Brisbane before the next major concert.

On the Monday, it was the first wedding anniversary of Tony Mascia (Bowie's bodyguard) and the entourage headed off to a couple of night clubs.

By the time they reached the second club, Sean Mayes and Coco had left but the others stayed on.....



Above: Stuey George (left) and the late Tony Mascia (right) in Australia.

In an exclusive with BDU, Boom Crash Opera member Peter Maslen has filled in some of the details:


"I believe the band was called Stax.

We had a residency at a city nightclub then called Top of the State. We played there 6 nights a week for many months.

To our surprise, David Bowie and entourage of about 15-20 people arrived at the club.
Being an early week night, there wasn't many people out, so Bowie et al had a hassle free venue in which to drink and party. I can tell you, the Champagne was flowing that night.

Stax played a variety of music, but when we saw who had arrived, we played our most 'funky' tracks.
In a break, Dennis Davis (drummer for Bowie) who had heard us playing BT Express and Stevie Wonder songs, asked me if he could play my kit, to which I agreed.

Light headed from all the sudden 'free' drinks going around and with no obvious security around him, I brazenly walked over to David Bowie and introduced myself ...


'Hi David ... I'm Peter Maslen, welcome to Australia' ...

He gave me a big, somewhat curious smile as if he was unsure of my next move, but as I walked away he said 'thank you'!

(I mean really .. what were we possibly going to talk about? I was 19 and stupid)!

All night as the drink continued, people kept getting up and jamming on stage and Dennis Davis was loving playing drums to BT Express and T-Connection songs.

At some point, I noticed that the musicians who were resident at the nightclub on the 30th floor of the Lennons Plaza in George St (about 1k away) had arrived and were jumping up onstage and joining in.
Above: Peter Maslen pictured in 1978, around the time of the Bowie jam.
The bass player from the Lennons band was legendary Barry Sullivan (R.I.P.) who played with Chain, Renee Geyer and LRB (incidentally, Barry was a sole parent of his 5yr old son Shannon, who was also present this night and reflects on this event to this day).
My strongest memory of that night now over 30 years ago, was getting back on the drums (Dennis wanted to sing by this stage), Barry Sullivan on bass, most of the Bowie band playing guitars and keyboards to some funky tune and as I looked up out of my drunken haze, I see David Bowie on the centre mic singing something that resembled Fame.

I remember saying in my head ... 'I'm onstage, playing with David Bowie'!!

Much more jamming and frolicking happened after this, but sadly, I really don't remember much ... no, I never went back to their hotel and partied till the wee hours, but I do remember inviting a girl to the show, who was not impressed by my starry state and left me in damage control.
Above: Barry Sullivan from Lennon's Plaza band. He was considered one of Australia's finest ever bass players. More info about him here.

Not long after that experience, I moved to Melbourne and most notably became the drummer in Boom Crash Opera and many, many others in a long career which still continues".

~ Peter 'Maz' Maslen, 2010.



In addition to the resident band, the Top of the State was show casing a drag review around the same time.

Known as "The Peter Moselle Revue", the show featured local performers including Holly Brown and Phaedra Nunn-Smith - both of whom appear to have met Bowie that night.

"Sean [the revue manager] called me very late one night to say that Bowie had just walked in with his entourage and hanging off his arm was none other than Holly Brown!

Holly was one of the drag queens in the show and quite the glamourpuss! Certainly as gorgeous as Romy Haag in my opinion."

~ Mr. Kenneth, Brisbane.


Later when Holly introduced Bowie to her co-performer Phaedra Nunn-Smith. Phaedra recalls:

"I was so gob smacked and speechless - he really does have an aura.

[David] walked off with Holly. She looked like the drag queen that had swallowed every canary ever born .... and I so wanted it to be me."

~ Phaedra Nunn-Smith

Above: Sean and Phaedra, 1978. Below: Flyer for the Peter Moselle Review.



The following night, Bowie was set to play another huge concert - Lang Park, Brisbane.


BRISBANE (Tue, Nov 21)


Lang Park (now known as Suncorp Stadium) has been the home of Rugby League football in Brisbane since 1957.

For this one night in 1978 (and for one more night in 1983), it would be host to some of the most greatest music ever performed.

In Brisbane, things initially looked a lot like Melbourne in that fans camped at the gates with canvas awnings spread above their sleeping bags.

During the concert, the crowd was reportedly very lively and one girl down the front kept fainting.


Brisbane 1978. Photos sent in by Selwyn. Photos taken by his girlfriend.


There were several reports in the press the following day about noise from the concert. As one newspaper reported:

David Bowie today received some noisy feedback from Queensland's minister in charge of noise, Mr Russ Hinze, following the pop star's open air concert lasty night.

"These pop singers come out here to make a quick quid by disturbing our peace and tranquility," Mr Hinze said. "The fact that he's pommie as well wouldn't help".

Mr Hinze, who is the minister for local government, said the newly-formed noise abatement authority will investigate complaints that last night's Bowie concert at Lang Park, Brisbane, disturbed the peace. It was reported that the noise was loud enough to be heard 6 km away. Residents of the suburbs of Paddington, Bardon and Milton described it as "intolerable".


Brisbane 1978. Photos sent in by Selwyn. Photos taken by his girlfriend.


In the hotel lobby prior to the Brisbane concert, Sean Mayes spotted a magazine called 'Young Australians'. He suggested it to Bowie as as song title.


Left: Sydney 1978 by Josephine. Right: Adelaide 1978 by Bruce.



SYDNEY (Fri, Nov 24 - Sat, Nov 25)


Back in Sydney, Bowie and the band again stayed at the Sebel Town House at Elizabeth Bay. In it's day, the Sebel was Australia's most recognised celebrity hotel.


Left and centre : Bowie relaxing at The Sebel. Photos sent in by Tim from Perth. Right: The Sebel today - Australia's premier rock n roll hotel has now been remodeled into apartments.


On the night of their arrival, Dennis Davis and Roger Powell jammed with Bette Midler's band in nearby King's Cross.

The gig took place at the Manzil Room which was a popular live venue and the 'in place' back in the 70s.

The following evening, Bowie, Coco and Sean Mayes saw Bette Midler live at the State Theatre.

"It was a marvelous, hilarious and dazzling show. I was amazed how Bette had managed to get familiar with all the local jokes and put-downs" said Sean.  

Bette Midler in Australia, 1978.
Photo by Bruce Butler



Peter Frampton was also in town and Bowie visited "He's very friendly. Just as sweet as he used to be in school!".

The two Sydney shows took place at the former Showgrounds which was situated right next to the Sydney Cricket Ground.


Now the site of Sydney's Fox Studios (right), The Sydney Showgrounds was originally host to the annual Royal Easter Show. It held several rock concerts through the years such as Led Zeppelin in 1972 (25,000 attended), ABBA (1977), KISS (1980) and the annual Big Day Out festival (1992-97). The venue hosted four Bowie concerts (two in 1978 and two again in 1983). According to austadiums, by the late 90's, the showground was no longer needed and the venue was bulldozed. The main members stand has been kept and converted into offices.


The first Sydney show was reportedly subdued, but the final one was a stunner - and one of the best of the whole tour.


Sydney 1978. Photo sent in by Tim from Perth


Sydney 1978. Ticket set in by Bruce Carter.
Photos sent in by Tim from Perth.


For the second encore, Bowie returned to the stage alone. Leaning on the mic stand, rapturous noise broke over him like heavy surf.

"What would you do if I sang out of tune! NO!!!"

He then started singing along to a beer commercial:

"I feel like a Tooheys, I feel like a Tooheys, I feels like a Tooheys or two"....."We'll be back next year, I promise".


Sydney. November 24, 1978. Photos by Bruce Butler.


Sydney. November 24, 1978. Photos by Bruce Butler.


Sydney. November 24, 1978. Photos by Bruce Butler.


Reviews of the Sydney shows were ecstatic. Stephen Dowse's review for an English newspaper concluding that Bowie was "undoubtedly the total master of his environment and physically and intellectually the most exciting performer in the world today".


Article sent in by Mike from England.



Sydney. November 25, 1978. Photos by Bruce Butler.


Sydney. November 25, 1978. Photos by Bruce Butler.


Sydney. November 25, 1978. Photos by Bruce Butler.


In 1978, tickets for David Bowie's Sydney concerts cost $12.50 AUS (equal to 8 pounds UK at the time). There were over 40,000 tickets snapped up for the two shows.

While in Sydney, Bowie was awarded a plaque for "Outstanding sales" by the Australian office of RCA. It was later given to charity.

On their last day in Australia, Bowie and the band spent time at Dennis Garcia's retreat in Gosford, NSW.


Sydney photos by John Larkin. To see full versions, visit John's page.



WILLESEE INTERVIEW (Nov 28)
On November 28, Bowie's final TV appearance for the 1978 Australian tour was shown.

The 13 minute segment on Willesee at Seven included an interview in addition to clips of 'Space Oddity', "Heroes" and Just a Gigolo.


Sydney photos sent in by John Larkin.



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