Some people think Lou Reed is the father of alternative music. They are wrong. On October 8, 1997, twelve hundred David Bowie fans had a religious experience. From a career that spans more than three decades, the master performed a 3 1/2 hour show which he said he will never repeat.
On stage for the first few moments, I noticed just how good he looked! (Sorry, I cant help myself). After 50 years--most of them filled with drug and alcohol abuse--Bowie shines like Dorian Gray. His blond frosted hair did not move throughout the entire show!! He joked with the audience with a familiarity that he has never displayed before. The Chili Pepper setting was so intimate and interactive. His mismatched eyes cut through the crowd like a moonage laser beam! I was stunned. I have been to well over two hundred concerts in my life. Ive met bands before the show, during the show and after the show. None of that was necessary with Bowie. He was playing only to me.
In his khakis and flowing white shirt he started out with a beautiful acoustic version of Dead Man Walking. (Let me tell you, Bowie is anything but that. His energy throughout the show was unyielding). Next, Quicksand brought inspiration with its flippy lyrics..."Knowledge comes with deaths release." Moving forward, Bowies rendition of The Velvet Undergrounds (Lou Reeds old factory band) Waiting for the Man was superb. He hasnt played that one since 1972!!!! The devilish look in his eyes remained throughout and Gabrels, the guitarist, brought back memories of Ziggy Stardusts late Mick Ronson. The pace took a slowdive into Jacques Brels My Death a hauntingly sad existential look at ones mortality. Jean Genie blues strains and Under Pressures incredible vocals brought the crowd into the anticipated frenzy. Im Afraid of Americans, the Trent Reznor mix, was sung by Bowie with nothing held back. (He even grabbed his crotch while proclaiming God is an American!). He almost made me afraid. I should mention that the Man did go back on his promise of a few years ago to never play any of his Greatest Hits again. He did play Fame, Fashion, and the aforementioned Under Pressure (which, by the way, has never been played on any Bowie tour EVER before).
During the second and third sets Bowie played a lot of newer songs having a more industrial feel to them. The crowd definitely got a second wind when he went off into technoland with videos to match. Bowie made his saxophone sing while dancing throughout. He gave us a treat with O Superman, a Laurie Anderson tune that I personally am glad she wasnt present for. He kissed his guitarist, made sexual gestures with a big eye balloon and then the woman in front of me passed out. I cant say I was too sorry because I now had a much better view of Bowie. Panic In Detroit was performed like the classic it is and a few songs later Bowie thrilled the audience with (again) Lou Reeds White Light, White Heat. But dont think that makes Bowie Reeds follower, for it was Bowie who produced Reeds greatest hit Walk on the Wild Side.
I could go on and on with the set list of 36 songs. But for me it was the end of the show that really did it. He played 1971s The Man Who Sold the World in a sparse but brilliant arrangement with the finale All The Young Dudes. You may know that song as the Bowie-written Mott the Hoople tune. I walked away from the show with the feeling that I too, would never have an experience like that ever again. It was the concert of my lifetime.