Greatest David Bowie live performance?

I was at the second night which was the one that came very close to four hours in length. No cameras, I'd heard it was pro-audio for a possible live album. Again, just rumors, but would make the setlist make sense.

I don't remember the scream, but I'll have to check the partial audience recording I have of the show

 

It is indeed that gig. Thanks. Yep, I'm a Dane. And Horsens, Denmark is my hometown

 

Cool, it was a great gig. Bowie seemed like he was having fun!

 

1996 Phoenix Festival was already mentioned but I'll second it. I'd loved his music during the 70's but during his 80's commercial phase, I'd pretty much lost interest. One day I watching highlights from the Phoenix Festival being shown on MuchMusic. This 20 minute segment played & I was blown away. Bowie in full rock god mode. I think I bought 1. Outside the next day. Another band that I thought was incredible that day that I'd never heard of before was Manic Street Preachers. I became a fan of them that day as well.

 

Don't think it is the greatest or know about audio or video of it. But at the 1983 US Festival, The image of David Bowie staring at a human skull, singing Cracked Actor, is an image I will never forget.

 

Growing up with Circus and Cream magazine the Diamond Dogs era with cherry picker etc and the 76 Station to Station Thin White Duke tour looked most appealing

(So did Lamb Lies Down on Broadway)

Did Fripp ever sit in live?

Robert played with Gabriel behind the curtain


Sadly never saw David
Avoided Glass Spider
And had tickets but ended up not being able to go to 2004 tour in New Orleans

 

Live aid makes me cringe
That band was terrible
Reworkings a mess

 

You can't deny how great the Serious Moonlight DVD is. Phenomenal band. One his best performances. I would love to see additional footage.

 

I was there too, pretty close up, and that's one of the main memories I have as well.

 

I love this record so much. Earl Slick is so great on this.

 

Bowie did the same routine with the skull during the whole 1983 tour - you'll see it in the "Serious Moonlight" video.

The "Cracked Actor" bit goes all the way back to 1974:

 

Oatsdad I hope you made it to the rescheduled Atlantic City show on May 29, 2004! It was by far and away my favorite Bowie concert of all time. I had not seen him since Sound + Vision at Giants Stadium in 1990, a show that felt at times that he was on autopilot. the 20o4 show was so phenomenal. The audio is up on youtube, highly recommended.

 

I attended the Phoenix Festival each year between 1995 and 1997.

The 1996 event was a nightmare -- traffic gridlocked for miles around, soaring temperatures -- and many Bowie fans missed his performance, as they were unable to gain entry to the site on time.

I left home that morning, and made good time, but the last ten miles or so to Long Marston took several hours. Can't remember what time I finally arrived, but it was in plenty of time to see Bowie. I was one of the lucky ones, as, by all accounts, the traffic got worse as the day progressed.

But yeah, great performance from Dave. There's a soundboard recording of his full set that is worth seeking out, if you're keen.

 

One of his last with Ronno - Heroes, with Queen, at the Freddie Mercury Tribute. Notable also
for theLord's Prayer at the end, and for David looking sharp in his lime green suit:

 

The Lord's Prayer was up there with The Laughing Gnome in the list of Bowie's few ill-advised career choices! Pure cringe-inducing.

 

Indeed. Everyone present just sort of stood there in silent disbelief. It seemed to go on for ever. It remains one of the few moments when I felt embarrassed to be a Bowie fan.

Looking back, "All the Young Dudes" was the highlight, for me, that night. Bowie, Ronson, and Ian Hunter together onstage.

It's not a favourite gig, though.

 

I was watching it live at home and as soon as he started it was an 'Oh ****, he's not going to...' moment...and like you say, it seemed interminable!

 

I'm sorry to say I completely agree. It was the moment he hit rock-bottom for me. Interesting that Brian May cast the moment in a more positive light in his tribute to the man (see above somewhere). Bowie himself tried to dress it up as art during an interview shortly afterwards by saying he thought there should be more of a place for prayer in rock 'n roll. Sure Dave, I thought.

 

I did make it to the rescheduled show - and the one they added, as well!

That was the only positive that came out of the postponed show: they added a second AC concert.

I saw Bowie 14 times across 2003-04 - wish it'd been more!

 

Been loving this lately. The footage with Jeff Beck that was cut from the last ziggy show release? New audio released last year by the soundman is mixed in here.

 

The aforementioned 2004 Bowie Atlantic City show:

 

I regret not hitting more of those shows. I work saturday nights so the 2nd AC show and Holmdel were out ... damn, I hope I spent those vacation days I didn't use on Bowie on something worthwhile.

 

Indeed, it is so. The buzz at the time was tremendous and the anticipation and excitement in the air almost made it a great show even before they walked on the stage. When they did, to strobes and Clockwork Orange music, it was explosive. Everyone knew the performance was being broadcast live. And each audience member received a Ziggy bag with posters and pins and the redone album cover slicks (or maybe these were the posters, I can't quite recall) for Space Oddity and The Man Who Sold The World. Naturally these artifacts have been lost to time (in a move and perhaps stolen). I don't recall an opening act.

 

Okay, we were at the two different shows, then. I was at the shorter of the two.

As for the recording, I remember reading that all of the shows on that tour were recorded. There was a fan voted disc that was released to Bowie.net members made up of tracks from that tour. Took so long for them to get it together, I was no longer a member when it was released.

 

Tower theater Philadelphia. ZIGGY STARDUST debut.....unbelievable