Concerts Versus CDs

Another emerging trend concerns live performance. In 2008, it was shown that British artists earned more from concerts than CD sales.

In Australia, established icons like Eric Clapton, Neil Young and Billy Joel announced their second round of national tours since the ill fated termination of Bowie's Reality tour.

Meanwhile, Bowie fans still wait and hope for a fully fledged comeback.

Line of the Year

Finally, another Age writer - Patrick Donovan - has identified The Hold Steady's latest album as having the year's finest line in it's opening statement...."Me and my friends are like the drums on Lust for Life"....of course a reference to the Pop-Bowie adrenaline-charged classic.

The album titled Stay Positive has also ranked among the year's finest based on critical consensus.

"On the prowl through the crowd...to the beat of the city..."

Surfing on the hands of concert goers is not something that happens for guitar legend Adrian Belew - unless of course he happens to be playing The Corner Hotel in Richmond!

Adrian's concerts over the last week have revisited the brilliance of 2006 complete with a re-enactment of the crowd surf that occurred for the first and only time in his long career. The above photo and more can be seen at Fitzroyalty's blog.

This week, New South Welshmen have two final chances to see Belew blaze local venues:

"Femme fatales emerged from shadows...To watch this creature fair..."

Alternating many of the same venues as Adrian Belew has been Jeff Duff's amazing celebration of Bowie songs performed by some of the country's finest (more photos here courtesy of Not So Nice Duck's photo blog).

Like the Belew shows, these are unmissable:

Tim from Perth has sent in both 1978 television interviews of Bowie in Australia. These are low quality but still interesting and unique:

For those who missed it, here is a short video I put together with audio from the recent Waiata doco...




Also, rememeber that the entire doco is now available by webcast on this page.

Finally, a reminder to tune in to the radio doco Down Under The Moonlight on Wednesday Nov 26 (all the details including international start times posted below).

A wealth of exclusives are appearing over the next week in commemoration of Bowie's first tours downunder.

Low / Heroes 'The Oz Tour'

First up is a mass of never before seen photos and pages surrounding Bowie's Low/Heroes Oz tour.

Having taken place on this month in 1978, this would not have been possible without fans that were on the scene and now 30 years later are opening their collections for this exclusive. Bruce Butler alone provided access to well over 100 items (happy big 5-0 Bruce).

ENTER HERE

Bowie's Waiata (and an unreleased song!)

Lean back on your radio (or internet connection) this coming week because there's not one but two Bowie radio shows heading our way.

As previously mentioned, in November 1983, David Bowie became the first rock star in history to be welcomed on to a Maori marae. At this event, Bowie performed an exclusively written song and now 25 years later, a radio documentary titled Bowie's Waiata is taking place.

If you're outside New Zealand, you can still tune in - via internet streaming. After the program is aired, a webcast (with slightly altered content) will be available on this page filed under 'B' for Bowie.

Prior to the Bowie segment, Radio NZ has an interview with Ralf Hütter (Kraftwerk) who performs in Auckland next week. They also feature the new Guns N Roses album which has been 14 years in the making and is released the same day. The full program is here.

The starting times are specified below (world time zones vary so if you're outside NZ, click on the link provided).

Special thanks to Liisa and the Music 101 Minions for the info and thanks to BDU member Rachel Stephenson for the initial tip about this.

Down Under The Moonlight

Sam Coley who produced the above documentary has contacted me about another exclusive radio doco that he's produced called Down Under The Moonlight.

Centred around Bowie's 1983 Western Springs concert (which is still New Zealand's biggest ever show for a solo artist), the 2 hour feature will be broadcast on Wednesday November 26 on the Radio Hauraki network in NZ and also streamed via the internet.

Give or take a few minutes, the show commences on the exact 25th anniversary of the original concert! Again world time zones vary so if you're outside NZ, click on the time link below.

Sam has also sent me the following 2008 pictures of Geeling (New Zealand actress from 'China Girl') and Frank Simms (1983 backing vocalist). Click for enlargement:

'Down Under The Moonlight' Tracklisting

Ray Davies - one of England's greatest songwriters - and a major inspiration to Bowie - will be featured Australian TV tomorrow (Sunday 16th Nov).

Ray discusses his songs and how they came about. Interviews include Bob Geldof, Elvis Costello and David Bowie.

Thanks Jacqui for the info.

... that David Bowie told the band to play.

The first Bowie concert in the Southern Hemisphere occurred on this day 30 years ago.

So far BDU has amassed literally hundreds of items such as
photos, ticket stubs, etc. and these will be unveiled shortly.

This is a final shout out to any others that have 1978 material,
please contact me ASAP!

I have some doubts regarding the legitimacy of this release but it appears that Bowie's Sydney 1987 performance is finally available on CD.

Available through Amazon, Target (US) and even locally via JB Hifi, the track listing reflects the original VHS and DVD release (unlike the the fairly recent Glass Spider' Special Edition which had audio CDs from Montreal).

Anyway, the really strange thing is the label - not 'good old' EMI but rather something called 'Immortal'.

Discuss this topic at Bowie Downunder

David Bowie tribute band Ashes to Ziggy are back and working full steam ahead.

A few shows have been booked in Canberra and there are plans to commence touring nationally.

Check out their new promo video here on myspace.

Hook into the silver screen this summer by booking in some Bowie flicks.

Melbournians have a choice of Labyrinth in the open air above Swanston Street or Zoolander in the gardens courtesy of Moonlight Cinemas. The latter also appears in Perth, Sydney and Adelaide.

David Bowie, Talking Heads, Radiohead, The Clash and the Ramones are the subject of The Young@Heart Chorus, a group of seventy and eighty-year old senior citizens singing rock songs.

The movie/doco has a limited Australian Village and Hoyts release (both end Wednesday) and a major New Zealand release that opened yesterday all over the country. The soundtrack album (pictured left) is also now available digitally.

Watch Golden Years here on Youtube.

Dogs In Space is a 1987 Australian film that re-creates the Melbourne 1978 David Bowie queue in it's opening scenes.

Noted for the roll of Michael Hutchence (as Sam Sejavka), the film depicts a ragtag collection of outcasts who survive on a diet of old TV space films, drugs, Iggy Pop, Nick Cave......and David Bowie.

As we await the long overdue DVD release, check out this fantastic opening sequence on youtube:



Discuss this topic at Bowie Downunder

This new section at BDU aims to describe the local history surrounding Bowie issues in Australia and NZ.

It's a big task - and as it says - a work in progress, so please take a look and if you see anything missing, email me at mrdavidbowie@yahoo.com.

Only the 1960s and 1970s are up so far.

ENTER HERE

Discuss this topic at Bowie Downunder

November 2008 marks the 30th anniversary of first Bowie downunder tour. To mark the occasion, BDU is set to gain a major update.

If you have any interesting items, stories or perspectives surrounding the 1978 tour in AUS/NZ event, please send them to mrdavidbowie@yahoo.com for inclusion.

Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence
Selwyn from Auckland has sent in some more exclusive 'behind the scenes' candid shots.

Local Artists VS Bowie
Updated. Now includes youtube clips of the relevant artists.

Bowie on Chart
A short article including some AUS chart positions.

In 1976, a Melbourne based musician named Dennis Garcia released an electronic album with a difference.

Rather than using conventional methods of playing music with his hands, Dennis Garcia built an album entirely around bio-electronic techniques. Wired up with feedback devices, cables and electrodes attached to his head, he would produce music by "thinking" it!

Somewhere in the scheme of things, David Bowie must have heard about Dennis Garcia and in 1978, when he found himself a keyboard player short, it was Dennis that took the stage for Bowie's first shows in Australia.

If the presence of Philip Glass and Adrian Belew on our shores isn't enough, prepare yourselves for Kraftwerk.

The influential electronic band was a major inspiration for Bowie in what he describes as "their singular determination to stand apart from stereotypical american chord sequences" and their "wholehearted embrace of an european sensibility displayed through their music".

Australian dates are part of the first national Global Gathering Festival - a popular UK dance festival that has now made it's way here. The New Zealand gig appears to be an exclusive show.

Facebook members can RSVP their attendance on this page.

Some of Bowie's non music based influences can be explored in an Auckland exhibition of French film maker Chris Marker.

Among the items is major video installation of Marker's 1962 sci-fi time travel film La Jetee (a major reference in Bowie's video for Jump They Say) and a video installation titled Owls at Noon Prelude: The Hollow Men based on TS Elliot.

The exhibition is free and runs from 10 AM to 5 PM each day until September 27.

David Bowie's lead guitarist, co-songwriter, co-vocalist, band leader and musical director Adrian Belew will return to Australia in December for the Adelaide Guitar Festival and further East Coast shows.

This tour will be Adrian's first ever with his own band in Australia following his tour two years ago with local players to ecstatic reviews and packed rooms.

The live shows feature King Crimson favourites, classics from Adrian's many solo albums, spirited improvisation, and special solo moments by Adrian.

The Adrian Belew Power Trio consists of Julie Slick (bass) and Eric Slick (drums). The Slicks are a brother and sister duo whom he met at the famous School of Rock (yes, the same one immortalized for the silver screen by Jack Black) when he was there instructing a class of musical whiz kids on how to play and survive in the music business. From there Adrian quickly invited the two most talented kids in the room to join him on tour and they have been touring since 2006, playing together all over the world.

BDU Facebook members - RSVP your attendance here. Dates as follows (click for more info).

Links:
Adrian Belew (Australia Tour on Bowie Downunder)
Adrian Belew (Official)
Adrian Belew (Myspace)
Adelaide International Guitar Festival
Karen Conrad Publicity

Showcasing the dark, darker and darkest songs of David Bowie, Nick Cave, Jacques Brel, Tom Waits, and more.....

At the beginning of last year's Edinburgh Fringe Festival, an award-winning architect turned cabaret chanteuse named Camille O'Sullivan emerged from the wings of a packed, steamy Spiegeltent and sashayed through the crowd in a blood-red cocktail dress, kissing and caressing male and female audience members like a purring cat. Her version of Nick Cave's God is in the House - a twisted ode to small-town mentality - became rather menacing and unsettling, especially for a visibly trembling man in the front row over whom O'Sullivan draped herself as she whispered the song like a caustic lullaby. "I actually met that guy after the show," she says, "and he said, 'I'm a scientist and I've never seen anything like that.' I just said, 'Don't worry, it happens all the time.'"

Following her performances of Suffragete City and Rock'n'Roll Suicide in Dublin, one reviewer claimed her as a truly peerless interpreter of Bowie: "She does dark so well - Nick Cave’s People Ain’t No Good was mesmeric and Bowie’s Five Years had me weeping as if I’d never heard it before, segueing into a goose-bump-raising Dark Side of the Moon.

Recently at Glastonbury, she closed her rock-festival debut by tearing into Moonage Daydream dressed in only a red corset and wellies.

Links:
Camille O'Sullivan (Australia Tour on Bowie Downunder)

Jim Henson's legacy is currently being celebrated at the Australian Centre of Moving Image (ACMI) in Melbourne.

Included in the 10 day season is a Saturday and Sunday night screening of Bowie's Labyrinth.

Other parts of the program range from rarely screened experimental works to the pioneering puppetry of Sesame Street.

Simone Ubaldi will be featuring Labyrinth this afternoon (Saturday from 12pm) on 102.7 FM 3RRR radio.

Listen to 3RRR streaming here. Previous Film Buff Forecasts are here.

Thank you Cass for the info.

Courtesy of youtube, BDU now has a page compiling classic TV moments of Bowie down under. You can find the first batch of videos on our Facebook group here including the ability to add comments.

Bowie Downunder now has a page on the ever growing social network Facebook. Essentially, it's another way we can connect and communicate.

Facegroup members, enter here.

New users, sign up here.

The BBC fantasy-drama series Ashes to Ashes (the sequel to the Life on Mars series) will begin airing in New Zealand on Wednesday 13th of August at 9:30 PM on Prime Trivia.

Set in 1981, Bowie and New Romantic Fans should watch out for scenes featuring the Blitz kids, a group of then-unknown people who frequented the Blitz nightclub at Covent Garden, London.

Fashioning themselves on Bowie and Roxy Music, the Blitz Kids rejected the punk ethos (for which they were bored) and this is now widely considered the birth of New Romanticism. In early episodes, Steve Strange (who appeared in DB's Ashes to Ashes video) performs. A sinister Pierrot clown based on Bowie's 1980 imagery also appears stalking one of the show's main characters.



Having averaged a massive 6.5 million viewers per episode in Britain, a second series of Ashes to Ashes is currently in production. No word yet on an Australian screening of the first series, however, one rumour suggests that Channel 10 has bought the rights.

As reported today on Bowienet, Jeff Duff will perform his Ziggy show at Sydney's Vanguard on Friday 22nd of August.

As one of Australia's most popular tributes at present, Jeff's show will include some new faces like Brydon Stace and some familiar ones like Noiseworks bassist Steve Balbi and backing band 'Diamond Dogs'.

More information at The Vanguard website.

Tickets can be purchased here at Moshtix.

Keep your eyes peeled for the recent David Bowie edition of UNCUT magazine.

The feature article "His Greatest 30 Songs" has contributions from a stellar cast of musicians, friends and media people.

The bonus CD is packed with Bowie covers by the likes of King Crimson, Ed Kuepper, Mercury Rev and more.

The Australian release date for Live Santa Monica '72 appears to be Saturday 5th of July but no word yet on a NZ release.

The album is being touted as a limited edition CD with special packaging. It follows the UK release (June 30) but preceeds the US by two and a half weeks (July 22).

Details and ordering at Sanity and JB Hifi.

Iggy Pop's update of Australia's first rock n roll hit (originally recorded with David Bowie as 'Real Wild Child' but now re-done with Melbourne band Jet) can be seen and heard in the clip below.

The song now has a release date of July 19. An album titled The Wild One will be released on August 23.

TV show Asia Downunder has the following report on Geeling Ng (the star of Bowie's 'China Girl' video) who recently appeared on New Zealand's Dancing With the Stars:

Direct marketing outfit Guthy-Renker is currently pushing their Midnight Special range of DVDs on late night TV.

Notably one of the DVDs contains Bowie's performance of 'Space Oddity' from The 1980 Floor Show in brilliant and unprecedented quality.

For more info and ordering, see this site.

Scheduled for July 12, 2008, Melbourne's very own Labyrinth Masquerade is set to return bigger and better in 2008.

Hosted by the fans, held for the fans, the Labyrinth Masquerade turns one of the most beloved and bewitching scenes from the David Bowie / Jim Henson fantasy film Labyrinth into a real-world experience for everyone to enjoy.

The masquerade will be held at The Regal Ballroom in Northcote, you can learn all about it at the Guild of the Golden Owl website.

You can also visit the Labyrinth Masquerade on Myspace and Facebook.

David Bowie guitarist Kevin Armstrong (Live Aid, Absolute Beginners, Labyrinth, Tin Machine, Outside) was recently in Australia as a touring guitarist for Sinead O'Connor. Of the eight dates played in Oz, his personal highlight was the Byron Bay Blues and Roots Festival.

When asked about his all time favourite Bowie moment, Kevin said "Live Aid show for sure. I took a helicopter with him that day to Wembley and flew over the stadium - it was amazing."

A 2 DVD deluxe edition of Labyrinth will hit stores on May 28 according to Sanity Music.

Special Features include:

* Slipcase packaging
* High-definition film transfer
* 2 new behind-the-scenes documentaries featuring re-discovered footage and interview with the creators
* Making-Of documentary

As far as we can tell, this release appears to be the same as the Anniversary Edition (pictured right) that was released overseas in 2007.

In celebratation of the 50th anniversary of Australia's first rock hit, Iggy Pop has re-recorded Johnny O'Keefe's The Wild One which he originally covered in 1986 with David Bowie (synthesiser, programming and production duties).

On the new version, Iggy collaborates with Melbourne band Jet who he calls "a real good tough little Australian-style rock band" who "in certain ways remind me of AC/DC".

Read the full article here complete with some interesting Bowie recollections from Iggy.

Some people never got over Mick Ronson. David Bowie's platinum-haired guitar-slinger and arranger of the early '70s was the glam glue on Lou Reed's Transformer album and Bob Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue; the face on Debbie Harry's T-shirt circa '78 and Morrissey's mentor in the early '90s.

Now his drop-dead melodies, crunchy guitar tones and shy supernova style are guiding lights for the Ronson Hangup, a gang of Melbourne riff-rock recidivists with resumes as long, tangled and dazzling as that guitar solo on Moonage Daydream.

Their starry-eyed debut album, Our Day, is all fireworks and soaring transistor radio hooks with landslides of vocal harmony. The band is weighing up offers from several record companies, aiming to grace Debbie Harry's T-shirt collection this New York summer.

http://www.myspace.com/theronsonhang

Six years after release, the Best of Bowie is currently the top selling music DVD according to Dirt Cheap CDs.

Having been awarded two times platinum in Australia, the DVD is currently retailing for $15. Dirt Cheap's entire range of Bowie bargains can be viewed here.

Following Reality - David Bowie's state-of the-art cinema experience, Australian's on Thursday night (April 10) witnessed the astounding U2 3D.

The Melbourne premierre at IMAX opened with the impressive Australian U2 Show then shortly after midnight, audience members were immersed in 3 dimensions of concert footage filmed mostly in Buenos Aires 2006 (but some also in Melbourne 2006).

When recently asked about whose gig he would like to see in 3D, Bono replied "Prince could do a spectacular 3D film" before adding "Maybe David Bowie in a different way".

Melbourne | Sydney | Brisbane | Adelaide | Perth

The 1967 New Zealand edition of David Bowie's self titled debut album has emerged as the rarest of all known formats of the LP.

As featured in Record Collector and now Bowienet news, the NZ format would probably fetch over £450 if it became available.

The differences from the UK edition are subtle - a considerably darker cover picture and a reduced back image to make room for the copyright warning and both 'His Masters Voice (NZ) Ltd' and Deram script.

Acclaimed Kiwi novelty band Flight of the Conchords release their full-length debut album on April 21 including their excellent David Bowie parody which is track 14 on the CD.

The TV series (including the episode titled Bowie) will likely show later this year in Australia. Network 10 have secured the rights.

A new release of Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence has surfaced via Umbrella entertainment.

The powerful prisoner-of-war drama which features David Bowie in one of his greatest roles has been released locally on DVD with a range of bonus features including the 30 minute "making of" documentary titled The Oshima Gang in addition to interviews with Jeremy Thomas and Ryuichi Sakamoto.

* Merry Xmas Mr Lawrence at Umbrella

* Merry Xmas Mr Lawrence at EzyDVD

* Merry Xmas Mr Lawrence at JB Hifi

Following her appearance on Dancing With The Stars, Geeling Ng (of "China Girl" fame) has popped up in a few gossip mags and newspapers over the last month.

Now 47 years old and the manager of an Auckland restaurant, Geeling told Women's Weekly that being on tour with Bowie in 1983 "blew her mind".

An article from the NZ Herald can be read here whilst an article on throng.co.nz is here.

Sanity online are indicating a May 24 release of Anywhere I Lay My Head, the debut album of Scarlett Johansson which features the backing vocals of David Bowie on two tracks.

This date is four days after the international release.

JB Hifi have a wide range of Bowie CDs discounted to only $9.99.

The sale lasts until the end of March.

Available now in stores with music by David Bowie and based on a best selling novel by Hanif Kureshi, is the DVD release of The Buddha of Suburbia.

Naveen Andrews (Lost, The English Patient) stars as an Anglo-Indian teenager growing up in 1970's suburban London. Both amusing and disturbing, this story of sexual and political awakening is accompanied by a bonus music video by David Bowie.

* Buddha of Suburbia at JB Hifi Online

* Buddha of Suburbia at Sanity Online

* Buddha of Suburbia at EzyDVD

Interesting to note that one of Heath Ledger's last projects was a Bowie one.

Just on a year ago, it was reported by local media that Heath Ledger had launched his own record label called Masses Music Co.

The first person to be signed to the label was a young Perth singer named Grace Woodroofe - for whom Ledger became manager.

Ledger directed and shot Woodroofe's first video clip - a cover of the David Bowie song Quicksand - at the Edison Club in LA in Feb 2007. The following week, the self-described "indie blues'' chanteuse recorded a song for her debut album with US singing star Ben Harper.

After her time in LA, Grace returned home to Perth to complete her final year of high school. The current status of her Bowie cover, video (and ensuing album), however, remains tight lipped for the moment.