From the first shows of the Ziggy Stardust-Tour up to his last concerts in 2004 never stopped being innovative and crossing limits. Here is a review of the 15 best live appearances of David Bowie.
“Starman” (1972)
David Bowie had been active in the British pop scene for seven years in 1972, but only with this appearance of “Starman” at BBC was he really established as a cultural size. It was the first time that a mass audience got to know Ziggy Stardust and the newly founded Spiders from Mars. The performance made Bowie an idol for children in all of England. And this enthusiasm should soon spread over the course of the Ziggy Stardust tour worldwide.
“Rock and Roll Suicide” (1973)
The screeching fans, who filled the London Hammersmith Odeon on July 3, 1973, had no idea that they witnessed the last ciggy stardust concert. Until Bowie turned to her before the last addition of “Rock and Roll Suicide”. “It was one of the greatest tours of our lives,” he said. ‘Of all the shows of this tour, we will remember this for a long time. It is not only the last show of the tour, but also the last show we will ever play. ”
This was at the height of ciggy mania. Bowie could have continued the show for a few more years. But he was smart enough to see that you always leave your audience with the desire for more.
“Young Americans” (1974)
Although he did not make it clear at the time, Bowie did not intend to withdraw from the stage in 1973. He was only finished with Ziggy Stardust. Already next year he returned to the stage with a radically different look and sound. Inspired by American soul music. Here he sings “Young Americans” in The Dick Cavett Show With a young Luther Vandross as a background singer.
“Stay” (1976)
David Bowie’s music developed in the mid -1970s at incredible speed. He also took so much cocaine that he could hardly remember to have done a lot of it.
Especially his masterpiece Station to station from 1975. There are not many professionally recorded pictures of Bowie on the Station to station-Tour 1976, so take a look at how he “stay” in The Dinah Shore Show sings.
“Beauty and the Beast” (1978)
The last David Bowie tour of the 1970s was a 77-show of a comprehensive effort around the globe, in which Adrian Belew from King Crimson played on the guitar. They occurred as a opening advocate of Low and Heroes up, but played a wide cross -section through Bowie’s entire work.
The tour was on the live album Stage Sticked, but this publication does not really do justice to her. Take a look at the many bootlegs from this time to get a better impression of the tour. Here is an outstanding performance of “Beauty and the Beast” from this time.
“China Girl” (1983)
After a five -year break, Bowie returned to the stage to Let’s dance to promote. The album was so popular that he was able to perform in stadiums in his career for the only time. Stevie Ray Vaughan was originally booked as a guitarist. However, he left the band during the rehearsals. And was replaced by Earl Slick. The tour was a huge spectacle full of choreography and elaborate effects. This is “China Girl”, a song that he wrote together with Iggy Pop during the Berlin time in the 1970s.
“Absolute Beginners” (1987)
It was very difficult for Bowie to surpass the “Serious Moonlight Tour”. When he tried the “Glass Spider Tour” in 1987, he received some of the worst reviews of his career. It did not help him below average Never Let Me Down applied. And played on a huge spider -shaped stage that was full of dancers. Although in retrospect it was not nearly as bad as the legend suggests. Here he plays “absolute beginners”. Take a look at the guitarist. This is actually Peter Frampton. He was a youth friend of Bowie. And when Francton’s career stalled, Bowie liked to bring him into his band.
“Space Oddity” (1990)
Bowie’s career was in a clear downturn in 1990. He had absolutely no desire to become an oldie. So he started a tour where he promised that this would be the last opportunity for everyone to hear his hits in the concert. It was a very clever way to sell tickets and start the new decade with a clean vest. The tour was so innovative that Bono and The Edge saw them as inspiration when they put together U2S “Zoo TV”. Every evening started with “Space Oddity”.
“Hurt” (1995)
Nine Inch Nails were on her absolute commercial climax in 1995, and David Bowie was almost at the end of his. Nevertheless, they merged for a tour this summer, where nin performed as a opening up every evening. To ensure that the young audience did not leave the hall in the middle of the concert, Bowie appeared at the end of the nin part, and there was no break before his set began. The best moment of the evening came when Trent Reznor and Bowie sang “Hurt” together.
“I’m Afraid of Americans” (1997)
During most of the 1990s, Bowie stated his promise to never play his old hits again. Fortunately, in 1997 he published a new song with “I’m Afraid of Americans”. Trent Reznor produced a remix that Bowie brought back to MTV for the first time in more than a decade. And this summer he went on tour again. Here is a live recording of “I’m Afraid of Americans”. In many ways, this laid the foundation for his incredible comeback in the 2000s.
“Thursday’s Child” (1999)
After years of trying to sound modern, Bowie simply decided to give up the fight. And to focus on a collection of great songs for his LP published in 1999 … Hours put together. The cover shows a young Bowie who weighs the old Bowie. Almost as if the man who made all these great albums in the 1970s was another person. The lead single “Thursday’s Child” (the title comes from a line in Eartha Kitts Autobiography) was a clear sign that it was in the best form again. And when he went on tour to promote her, he played the hits again.
“New Killer Star” (2003)
Nobody knew at that time, but David Bowies tour 2003–04 to support Reality Should be his last tour. He went with a bang. The band consisted of musicians who had accompanied him throughout his career. Including Mike Garson, keyboardist by Spiders from Mars, and Earl Slick, guitarist from Station to station. The setlist dedicated the same time to all eras of his work. Bowie was in top form every evening. Here is “New Killer Star”, one of the outstanding tracks from the punctual underestimated Reality.
“Heroes” (2004)
The stage of the Reality Tour 2004 shouldn’t actually end at the Hurricane Festival in Germany on June 25th, but Bowie had strong chest pain before entering the stage that evening. He somehow got the appearance behind him. And was then taken to the hospital, where he was operated on because of a clogged artery. The rest of the tour was canceled. Bowie clearly has pain in this appearance of “Heroes”, but he still does his best.
“Life on Mars” (2005)
A little more than a year after the sudden end of the Reality Tour returned to the stage at the Fashion Rocks event in the Radio City Music Hall. He played “Wake Up” and “Five Years” with Arcade Fire and “Life on Mars” alone. For some reason he had a blue eye and looked very frail. That makes the performance all the more poignant and powerful. It seemed like the beginning of a live comeback, but unfortunately it shouldn’t happen.
“Changes” (2006)
This performance of “Changes” with Alicia Keys at the Black Ball 2006 in New York would not be particularly remarkable. If it hadn’t been Bowie’s only public appearance. The song was part of a set of three songs, which also included “Wild is the Wind” and “Fantastic Voyage”.
Keys accompanied him at the “Changes” final. This was one of his earliest hits in which he warned the rock establishment. “You will soon get older”. And so it was a suitable final point.