I don't think I can add much more to Gerry's review except to add that there was a free bar and there were no barriers at the front of the stage. It really was a very intimate setting and what a treat Bowie gave us. The Earthling tracks were very impressive live and worked well with his older material. The balance struck was exactly right. The only criticism that possibly could be made was the volume of the bass during the drum 'n bass set. My vibrating oesophagus certainly gave me a new meaning to the phrase "dance inwardly"! However, that's nothing a twiddle on the control desk couldn't fix. Bowie certainly proved he could bend the drum 'n bass rhythms to his own sounds.
Below are some other reviews from the Irish press:
David Bowie graced Dublin with a surprise show at the Factory in Ringensed on Saturday, treating 300 lucky space cadets to a bass-heavy explosion of old tunes and new beats. The Thin White Duke seems to enjoy doing secret gigs in Dublin, and many of us have fond memories of the time he played the Baggot Inn with his band, Tin Machine, back in the mists of time. We don't have such fond memories of the music, however, since Bowie was, to put it kindly, in the "crap" phase at the time, but it was great just to have been there.
On Saturday night, however, not only did we get to bask in the close presence of a rock legend once again, we also got to hear some classic Bowie songs along with some of the better offerings from his recent albums, 1.Outside and Earthling. Not a single Tin Machine tune to be heard, although sometimes the widdly guitar playing of Reeves Gabrels sent you spinning back into that obsolescent era.
Bowie's current band also features Aladdin Sane alumnus Mike Garson on Keyboards and samples, bassist Gail Ann Dorsey and drummer-percussionist Sachary Alford, but before the band launched into the festival set which they'd been rehearsing this past month there was the small matter of Bowie's current musical fixation for the new model dance genre known as drum'n'bass. The first hour of the set was an extended experiment in psychotic loops and block-busting bass, and only the hardcore clubbers could endure the stomach-pummelling bass frequencies which throbbed from the speakers.
After a short break, Bowie gave songs from Earthling their first live airing, but the tiny crowd gave a big cheer for Fashion, perfectly upgraded to suit the band's bass-heavy sound. Gail Ann Dorsey shared lead vocals with Bowie for Under Pressure, but Heroes and Scary Monsters were handled with panache by the Dame himself. The Man Who Sold the World got the drum'n'bass treatment, falling neatly among newer songs like Looking for Satellites and I'm Afraid of Americans.
Just when we were beginning to get used to Bowie's recent, robust output, the man suddenly whipped out an acoustic guitar and dug up the organic spirits of Quicksand, and Queen Bitch, getting all bluesy for The Jean Genie, then going into rock'n'roll overdrive for Lou Reed's White Light/White Heat and I'm Waiting For My Man. Bowie topped off his surprise party with All the Young Dudes, forgetting the words of the second verse and laughing loudly at the renewed innocence of it all."
By Kevin Courtney - Irish Times 19th May 1997
There's a kind of heady aphrodisiac that surrounds so called "secret gigs". The feeling that by gaining access you're instantly part of the inner sanctum and therefore entitled to some intense intimacy that no full scale show could ever hope to emulate.
Being in such a small room with the thin white duke was quite an unnerving experience - for all of five minutes. After that you saw straight through the hype and actually found yourself appreciating the man for what he is a pure star.
Some may choose to call it navel gazing, but for the first 45 minutes of Saturday night's hush hush gig, Bowie delivered an electric dose of drum 'n bass sampling that proved beyond any doubt that he hasn't lost the edge (or the cheek bones).
Sure, it sounds cliched and it's probably far more hip to dissect the gig and drag out the flaws - but Bowie still rocks, just like he did according to the taxi man who brought us to the gig, when he saw him in London over 30 years ago.
The greatest hits part of the gig was an added bonus - while most aging rockers are turning their past into a fitting pension, Bowie is still coming up with the goods and, unlike the blatent pretensions of U2 and their Pop Mart tour, he's able to do it credibily - without sceaming about it from the rooftops.
Then again, what's that 'ol Will Shakespeare said? Empty cans rattle the loudest.
Aileen O'Reilly, Evening Herald, Monday, May 19th, 1997.
The "Thin White Duke" kicked up his heels with a vengeance on Saturday night in what must have been one of the most low key soirees Dublin has ever hosted.
Despite numerous reports regarding Bowie's proposed secret Dublin gig, it remained a hush hush event with information regarding the venue only being given to ticket holders at the eleventh hour.
Bowie, who's been a familiar figure on Dublin's social scene for the past number of weeks, raised the roof at the Factory on Saturday night when he turned up as an extra special guest of the Quadraphonic club.
According to Buzz O'Neill of Quadraphonic: "His latest album, Earthling, is heavily drum 'n bass orientated, so once he'd popped down to check out what we were doing at the club he was really keen to get involved. The night itself was a serious success. He was in top form and from the word go he really got into it and had a great time. He admitted later that he was well pleased with how it went on the night."
Only 250 guests, all of whom had secured their #10 tickets at Friday night's Quadraphonic club in the Kitchen nightclub, were admitted to the low key bash where they partied the night away until the small hours of Sunday morning - with Bowie as their personal DJ.
Bowie, in true benevolent form, arrived on stage without a trace of pomp or ceremony, welcomed everyone to the "rehearsal" and got stuck into a 45 minute set of drum 'n bass sampling that left even the most avid dancers gasping for air.
Later, after a brief pause for breath, he returned and launched into a greatest hits set that kicked for well over an hour and a half and saw the sartorial Englishman do justice to some of the greatest cuts from his repertoire including: Jean Genie, Rebel Rebel, Under Pressure, and his current release, Little Wonder.
Bowie, who's been residing in the Clarence during his Dublin stay, was joined on Wednesday by his wife and former Tia Maria girl, Iman. The pair will return to London today where Bowie is to resume recording immediately.
Aileen O'Reilly, Evening Herald, Monday, May 19th, 1997.
Miss O'Reilly's facts for the article above are slightly inaccurate. Bowie's second set lasted 2hrs and he did not sing Rebel Rebel. Nonetheless, I hope you've enjoyed these reviews.