Bowie's Astoria gig 1999

Speaking of tribute shows, this weekend I watched the Bowie show that was featured in the BBC proms a few months after his passing.

For those who are not aware, the BBC Proms is an annual series of classical concerts that are held at the Royal Albert Hall over several weeks during the summer.

This particular concert featured an orchestra with various featured singers including Marc Almond, Anna Cavill, Amanda Palmer, Neil Hannon, Laura Mvula and John Cale.

Watching it again, I was mostly impressed with the performances and particularly the song selections. For example, 3 songs from Blackstar were performed, including a quite bewitching version of the title track. I was also quite surprised that After All was performed.

 

Weird how little Slick was used on Next Day/Black Star. He really shines on Valentine's Day.

Someone got a cassette of those early songs to Bowie late on the Earthling tour and the seed was planted. Might have been some publishing reasons for some songs as well.

 

It is a bit strange that Slick only appears on three songs on The Next Day. Gerry Leonard and David Torn handle guitar duties on the rest of the tracks. I've always wondered when Torn was brought into the sessions as I know Robert Fripp was approached for the album and declined. Torn has a Fripp like sound and I wonder if he was brought in after Fripp passed. The guitar sound on the title track is particularly "Frippish." I wonder if Slick's absence is related to the tour he did with the New York Dolls in 2011? Probably left him unavailable for some of the recording. One of the highlights of The Last Five Years documentary was watching Slick, Leonard, Torn, and the rest of the band play the Next Day songs.

Blackstar, as you of course know, featured none of Bowie's last backing band which makes sense given it's inspiration and the sound Bowie wanted.

 

Yeah, the choice to use all new players on Blackstar was deliberate. Slick is only on a few tracks simply due to scheduling, there was no falling out with Bowie.

 

Imagine seeing Mr B perform the Blackstar tracks in small venues with the jazz band he put together.
I am sure many of you have thought about this too...that which we shall never see!
(I am bringing this thread back to the broad subject of DB performing live and imaginary performances..!)

Also, someone mentioned the BBC proms Blackstar tribute too; that was a really interesting set of performances. I imagined the kind that DB himself would have enjoyed. Bit more varied in style/eclectic.

 

Absolutely. It's tantalising to imagine. I seem to remember Donny Mcaslin suggesting that Bowie had indicated that he would like to perform with them in a small club. I am not sure how realistic that was. I suppose at that stage he would have been hopeful to beat the cancer. Indeed I get the impression that in his last months his work gave him a great deal of comfort. I tend to think that was behind the comment to the Lazarus team after the première of that show that he wanted to start a sequel.

However I am kind of glad that he didn't perform live after 2004 (apart from those few guest appearances). He seemed to be at the top of game on the Reality tour and despite how it ended I think that tour was a kind of crowning achievement for his live career. It would have been a shame to see him struggling (however gallantly) to reach those highs again.

I also think it must have been quite rewarding for him to have ended his career where the focus was purely on the new music rather than needing to reference past glories.

 

While it's in no way the same or similar to how DB would have done it, Mccaslin did an amazing job on "Lazarus" with some key Bowie collaborators at the tribute concert at the Cutting Room earlier this year and it made me consider how the Blackstar songs would have translated if DB hadn't been sick and been able/willing to perform.

 

'Lazarus' begins at 57:03 btw!

 

Great capture, thank you! It was such a great show. Great performers, great choice of songs, fine venue. db would have heard it from his rooftop down the road...xx