Valentine's Day with Ziggy '73
Feb 14, 2011 19:19:26 GMT
Post by davidcantello on Feb 14, 2011 19:19:26 GMT
As it's Valentine's Day I thought I'd share this account from a fan called Binky Philips who went to NY's Radio City Music Hall show on February 14 1973. He recalls: "My dear pal, David, about the Bowie show I'd seen the night before at Radio City Music Hall. It was only Bowie's second time in New York and it was everything that the Carnegie Hall show hadn't been. An extravaganza!
Bowie, in a mere four months, had become a STAR! The show was sold out! The buzz was deafening!
Playing Radio City, Bowie was clearly prepared and determined to take advantage of every stage gimmick the venerable venue had at its disposal. Hydraulic stage risers, smoke machines, scrims, absolutely incredible lights, an augmented band of at least 7, foxy female techs, 5 or 6 costume changes... And what costumes, fashion-forward into the next century! Something "Oooo, ahhhh!" cool was happening during almost every song. And Bowie himself was much further out... bigger redder hair, blatantly obvious make up, almost anorexic-thin, and utterly androgynous (we all loved the fact that, in an age when virtually any gay celebrity was still in the closet, David Bowie was a straight guy pretending to be gay).
The show ended with Bowie suddenly and shockingly collapsing toward the end of the encore, [Rock 'n' Roll Suicide] just as he got to the line "Give me your hands...". A bodyguard, dressed all in black rushed out of the wings and picked Bowie up like a limp broken doll and carrying him off stage with the lights going black... What the... Did he faint? Had he been shot?! The audience's reaction was in disarray. A minute later, I realized I'd just witnessed one of the great Rock'n'Roll exits of all time."
Bowie, in a mere four months, had become a STAR! The show was sold out! The buzz was deafening!
Playing Radio City, Bowie was clearly prepared and determined to take advantage of every stage gimmick the venerable venue had at its disposal. Hydraulic stage risers, smoke machines, scrims, absolutely incredible lights, an augmented band of at least 7, foxy female techs, 5 or 6 costume changes... And what costumes, fashion-forward into the next century! Something "Oooo, ahhhh!" cool was happening during almost every song. And Bowie himself was much further out... bigger redder hair, blatantly obvious make up, almost anorexic-thin, and utterly androgynous (we all loved the fact that, in an age when virtually any gay celebrity was still in the closet, David Bowie was a straight guy pretending to be gay).
The show ended with Bowie suddenly and shockingly collapsing toward the end of the encore, [Rock 'n' Roll Suicide] just as he got to the line "Give me your hands...". A bodyguard, dressed all in black rushed out of the wings and picked Bowie up like a limp broken doll and carrying him off stage with the lights going black... What the... Did he faint? Had he been shot?! The audience's reaction was in disarray. A minute later, I realized I'd just witnessed one of the great Rock'n'Roll exits of all time."
Jack
