This review should be read as a companion piece to yesterday’s Nottingham review.
And so for the 46 mile yet meandering rural 90 min drive through the beautiful Peak District. A treat in itself.
“Sometimes I get the urge to move on- so I pack up my bags and move on”
The contrast in venues could not have been greater, the capacious impressive modern Royal Concert hall in Notttingham was built in 1982 and seats 2500. The ornate, quaint, compact Royal Opera house in Buxton was built in1903 and holds 902.
Buxton was still only the third night of the tour and the first on consecutive nights enabling the cast to establish both a groove and momentum. This is an intimate, in person show, and the compact surroundings immediately suited the performers.
The setlist was identical to Nottingham bar the withdrawn “Aladdin sane” which had previously segued into “life on Mars”. The latter benefitted from a stand alone presentation by long hair. The running time, including 20 minute interval is around 100 minutes and feels about right having already been pared back from the opening night. Much improved set changes and reduced breaks between songs aided the cause too.
The increase in confidence was palpable from everyone. X’s “Rock n roll Suicide” grew immeasurably. When originally, written it was a song of salvation to all teenagers navigating those turbulent years -“You’re not alone” Bowie reassured. Those same teenagers are now in their 60’s, and sitting in the audience, in place of teenage angst, they now contend with relationship breakdowns, the death of loved ones, and broken dreams ( as well as lives well lived). The cry, today, of: “you’re not alone” is no less heartfelt, and just as apposite.
Musically there had been a shift too. Guitarist Laura Browne is clearly a meticulous note picker, but tonight she cut loose, bending the notes on her solos, particularly on a splendid “Moonage daydream” and savouring her guitar hero moments like Earl Slick and Mick Ronson did.
Similarly tonight Dave Rice’s fluid bass playing came to the fore, most notably during a sublime “Absolute Beginners”.
Once again Damon Oliver’s saxophone playing was a delight, making me wish that we could have heard him perform on “Sorrow” and “Man Who Sold the World”- but there is only so much time, although surely they could have squeezed in a 3.31 “Suffragette City”? ( perhaps as a final encore).
The uplifting “Heroes” final drew everyone to their feet after the sombre “Lazarus” and “Black star”, songs which Bowie himself never lived to play live. “Heroes “ has undergone a metamorphosis over the years. Originally a lovers’ lament, Bowie performed it at the 9/11 fundraiser and transformed it into a personal empowerment torch song, which was how our trio of Bowies (Sian Crowe, Elliot Rose, Greg Oliver) performed it on the night. The evening won a much deserved standing ovation
Another outstanding evening, I have seen the show twice, you need to see it at least once on the remaining dates at Glasgow/ Guilford/ Bath/Bournemouth/ Leicester / Northampton and London West End lyric theatre up to mid February 25.
Garyswordz 