My start point is that I bought The Ziggy album on release, subsequently bought every one of Bowie’s records on release, saw him several times live, and have seen several tribute acts all of whom I have enjoyed, but to differing degrees.
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I saw both Holy Holy tours and/ loved them, Marc Almond and Glenn Gregory reinvented the songs they sang. particularly Gregory’s “Watch that Man” and Marc’s “After All”. I also review theatre professionally so have seen my fair share of jukebox musicals. This makes me no better than anyone else, nor my view more important, but it does give me some objective perspective
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I was thrilled when the tour was announced, and delighted that Carlos was running the show. He had previously been Bowie’s MD , and on Isolar 2 had been a part of rearranging many older songs melding them with the new. What could go wrong?
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The premise of this tour was a challenge, a performance based upon just those Bowie albums in which DAM had played, two of which had long instrumental sections ( low and heroes) and one of which ( Lodger) , was amongst his weaker selections of songs.
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Having an opening section devoted to the instrumentals would have been more daring and bold particularly with the talented Axel Tosca on keyboards, and minimal need for vocals. An opportunity missed.
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This was compounded by the choice of an American unknown as singer on a European tour. Why choose to make things difficult for yourself?
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Cunio in the lead singer role did not work for me. He sang in a register consistently higher than David with an alarming tendency to screech- David moved with “animal grace” . Cunio’s movement and persona were seemingly modelled on Tina Turner. Unlike David, he was unable to be a storyteller with the songs, apparent immediately with the opening “Joe the Lion” and then with an excruciating misread of “DJ”. I am not sure that he understood some of the songs he was singing.
Unforgivably he berated the Sheffield audience for not applauding loudly enough at the end of “Blackout”, the second song: “Is that all you’ve got”? he asked. An unknown American berating a Steel City audience who had taken a chance on a cold Novemeber Sunday and paid to see him. That was brave. I have stood on the Shoreham and Kop in Sheffield – these sleights are not taken lightly.
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He subsequently went on to forget the words to “Golden Years” as a horrified Alomar tried to work out where to take the song with Cunio’s miscue. He was no more than a burlesque performer, a pantomime dame, who wouldn’t survive a musical theatre role.
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Kevin Armstrong on lead guitar is an accomplished player- but had no part in the origination of the songs played, and frankly looked uncomfortable for the entire evening, failing to nail Fripp’s guitar part on “Heroes” or Slick’s on “Golden Years”
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A running time of an hour and three quarters was just right, with numerous songs receiving a rare, or first, live outing. “Red sails” was a treat and worth the admission money just to hear the live refrain of Bowie’s bizarre lyric
“ The hinterland, the hinterland
We’re gonna sail to the hinterland
And it’s far far, far far far, far far far away”
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Musically there were highs and lows in equal measure. “Red Money” was sensational- but why did it not segue into “Sister Midnight” which Alomar co wrote and Bowie was present for when it was recorded? And no “China Girl”?
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Axel’s overture style piano intro to Ashes to Ashes was wonderful, but wholly inappropriate for an encore piece and should have opened the show- there was a glorious excerpt from “Right”, the waltz time signature worked well, but strangely the synth outro disappeared.
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I had much anticipated the live debut of one of my favourite Bowie lost gems “the Secret life of Arabia”. It started well with Alomar and Murray to the fore. Then to my horror Tal Bergman was given a drum solo. Drum solos during live gigs ended with the demise of Keith Moon and John Bonham for a reason- they are lousy self indulgent nonsense that kill the pace of an evening. The song ,which comes alive with rhythm, was brought to a grinding halt . Armstrong had previously been touted as MD but Alomar looked as though he was pulling the musical strings ,so I do not know who to blame.
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Carlos repeatedly made reference to “his” band and B2B ( be to be) as a philosophical concept rather than Back to Berlin . that was just as well as Scary Monsters, Lodger and station to station were not made in Berlin.
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Alomar asked us to buy tour merchandise on the grounds that a portion of proceeds would go towards putting the late Dennis Davis’s son through college. Davis drummed on four Stevie Wonder albums, eleven of David’s, and toured with him up to 2003, his eldest son drums for Public Enemy. There should be no shortage of cash. It was a crass request.
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There were several highlights which made the evening worthwhile. “ Look back in Anger” was earth shattering, led by a thunderous Tal Bergman drum part. Cunio did well with a slowed down, lower register “Heroes”- and “Boys keep swinging” pulled everyone to their feet. Lea Lorien, Alomar’s daughter was impressive on keyboards and soulful backing vocals- she was underused.
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In an anecdotal overheard conversations assessment in the pub , and on the walk to the car park I would say that it was a 50/60 split, for and against, of those opinions I heard or asked. I came to the show with no preconceptions. I did not want to see a sound alike or look alike but instead an interpretation of the originals as Paul Rodgers did with Queen, and Frank Carter has done with the Pistols in very different ways. Toyah and Fripp do a far better version of Heroes vocally and on guitar. Carlos should have hired them. The appointment of lead vocalist was pivotal and required thought. Rick Astley with the Blossoms playing the Smiths was an outrageous choice- and worked outrageously well. Anna Calvi’s “Lady grinning Soul” showed what can be done with a little imagination.
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I went hoping for the best and to be impressed. I wouldn’t go again, most of the tribute singers I have seen have done a better job than Cunio. George Murray’s last public appearance was in 1980 on Saturday Night live and has had no subsequent involvement in the music industry. Both he and Alomar are in their mid 70’s. Touring is a gruelling undertaking, I doubt I he we will see this again. Kevein Armstrong, was moaning about his hotel room on social media the other week like an OAP on a coach trip. Tony Visconti and Woody’s Holy Holy was a far superior coda to the Bowie era.
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That is not to say that I did not enjoy the evening, I did for a chance to hear songs live I would not normally hear. It is also not to say that others around me had a far more positive impression- some did. I sat in a position close to the stage and very similar to the positions I had for the Stage shows at earls Court, having a virtually identical perspective and appreciation of Carlos Alomar- thanks for the memories.
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Set List
Joe the Lion
Blackout
Beauty and the Beast
Look Back in Anger
Breaking Glass
D.J.
Repetition
What in the World
Boys Keep Swinging
Yassassin
Red Sails
Sound and Vision
The Secret Life of Arabia
Red Money
“Heroes”
Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)
Golden Years
Fashion
Ashes to Ashes
It’s No Game
Scream Like a Baby
Re: American tour prospects/ the future I have lived worked and holidayed in America. Touring is an entirely different physical, practical and commercial proposition there. George had not played live for forty five years. In his mid 70s is he really up for it? – New York to Los Angeles is 2448 miles, London to Moscow 1556 miles. – My belief is that the fundamentals of the DAM project will need re-evaluation. Bowie was a worldwide superstar. Even amogt the Bowie cognoscenti DAM is a niche acronym. That is not good for marketing. – Furthermore DAM no longer exists as Dennis is dead. The Berlin trilogy doesn’t exist- Lodger was recorded in Switzerland and New York. Again not good for marketing. – The true third album, on which DAM played was The Idiot, mostly composed by Bowie, which was mixed at Hansa. When George and Carlos hit the “Red Money “ groove I was willing them to segue into “Sister Midnight”. And what about “China girl”? – The fourth Berlin album of the quartet is “Lust for Life”, recorded at hansa, on which Alomar played, and featured “The Passenger”, another hit opportunity missed to showcase his skills. Kevin Armstrong , a talented name guitarist, had nothing to do with DAM, or the DAM era. Not good for marketing. – Most of the venues did not sell out, two were cancelled. Almost all were sub 1000 capacity. At the Sheffield show I attended they sold 800 seats in an 1800 standing capacity hall. Two weeks previous, heaven 17, featuring Bowie repertoire ( from holy, Holy) veteran Glenn Gregory, a local lad , sold it out. Even the 1172 london barbican did not sell out. Something was very wrong. – I enjoyed the gig I attended. But in my opinion Cunio was not up to the job of leading the show. He didn’t sell tickets- and he did not create a buzz as the tour unfolded thus selling tickets. Queen got it right with Paul Rodgers, Incredibly, and bizarrely, Rick Astley and the Blossoms were a perfect fit for the Smiths tribute gigs. I saw west end star Mazz Murray sell out Birmingham’s 2200 capacity Symphony Hall singing Dusty Springfield. Vocally, and commercially, Cunio is not in the same league. I have seen Bowie tribute acts Absolute Bowie and the Bowie Experienced play to bigger attendances at Nottingham Royal Concert Hall and Wolverhampton Grand Theatre. – I care about the Bowie legacy. We all do here. I do hope that those who make decisions reflect on the above.
Garyswordz 