This is the fourth time I had seen them on tour,  billed as the Final Tour.  I had mixed emotions, delight at hearing  Bowie songs played live, sadness that this is to be the last time, and a fin de siècle sense about proceedings.

Tony Visconti, Bowie’s long time producer and friend is 82, Woody Woodmansey is 76, Glenn Gregory himself is 68. This was their fifth date in five days- a punishing schedule for pensioners, and Gregory has been playing summer Heaven 17  festival dates before embarking  on a  Heaven 17 tour in the autumn. As fans there comes a point when we should allow our heroes to put their feet up

It was a fabulous night in front of a large Saturday night crowd, the band are superb. Visconti and Woodmansey enjoyed star billing, but that was only part of the story. Visconti’s bass was mellifluous  throughout, particularly on Lady grinning Soul and dexterous on the notoriously tricky Ashes to Ashes. James Stevenson channelled his inner Ronson, drawing  wild applause , to the full for Width of a Circle and Moonage Daydream. I remember seeing him play with the rudimentary Chelsea before graduating to the Alarm and the Cult.  He was at ease in these more august surroundings.

Paul Cuddeford shared guitar duties with Stevenson with the Alarm, but just a few weeks ago was playing to 80,000 at Croke Park as part of the Boomtown Rats with whom I have seen him play before. So skilled, and was killer on Rebel Rebel and lady Grinning Soul

Jessica Lee Morgan is as talented as her mum, Mary Hopkin and dad Tony Visconti. She sang. She played acoustic guitar and blew a mean sax  part.

Unheralded keyboard player is Janette Mason who is an internationally famous jazz pianist, her work on Life on Mars and Lady Grinning Soul was exquisite

I first came across Glenn  Gregory in the original Human League at the Rainbow London supporting Siouxsie  and the banshees. He was magnificent and still is. Even better he brough Rachel Marshall with him to assist on vocals, a woman who clearly did not listen to her headmistress’ s guidance on skirt length at school, but had harmonies to die for and looked delighted to not have to sing Temptation.

Gregory is the man who makes Holy Holy happen ( witness the Cunio debacle with DAM last year). A great singer, British with stage presene and a genuine affection for Bowie and his music. His false start on Panic in Detroit, and transposed lyrics on Space Oddity, just made us love him more.

I thought the setlist was excellent, Lady Grinning Soul and Panic in Detroit were exceptional, for me Suffragette City, Jean Genie and  Watch that Man were missed.

Stevenson paid a touching tribute to Ronson before Eight line Poem, Visconti said a few words of appreciation before the encore, Woody sucked the energy out of the crowd immediatley after with an extended rambling speech which was a shame, drummers should concentrate on drumming which he did very well.

A fantastic show, and a fitting farewell

Setlist

Warszawa (extract)

Five Years

The Width of a Circle

Lady Grinning Soul

Ziggy Stardust

Time

Quicksand

Changes

Ashes to Ashes

Eight Line Poem

Panic in Detroit

Rock ‘n’ Roll With Me

Drive-In Saturday

Space Oddity

The Man Who Sold the World

Starman

Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide

Life on Mars?

Moonage Daydream

Encore….

Where Are We Now?

Rebel Rebel