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Isolar II: The 1978 World Tour (AUS/NZ)

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Perth (Tue Nov 14 & Wed Nov 15)
David Bowie played a concert in Perth on November 14, 1978 and at the last moment, added a second concert (not originally on the schedule) on November 15.


Both concerts were held indoors at the Entertainment Centre - a relatively new circular building with a capacity of 8,200.



Perth Entertainment Centre


The Perth Entertainment Centre was Western Australia's largest indoor venue until it's closure in 2002 and demolition in 2011.

The venue held
all of Bowie's pre-millenium concerts in that state (two in 1978 and a further three in 1983). Of those two early tours, it contained Bowie's only indoor shows in Australia/NZ.




Below and Right: Some of the very last pictures taken at the venue that was listed in The Guinness Book of World Records
(the largest purpose built regular theatre containing a proscenium arch in the world). More here at the blog, 6000 Times


The Concert

  "The opening song for both concerts was 'Warszawa'...memorable because very few of the audience was aware Bowie was on stage until he did his vocal part. 'Station to Station' was in the middle. It was a chance for Bowie to change outfit while we were impressed by the guitar work and the sound system.

The support act for both nights were The Angels. They were really hot. I remember one reviewer describing the group at the time as a young Mick Jagger in front of T-Rex - on uppers! The first night I was afraid Bowie wasn't going to be able to follow them - they were that good and the crowd ate them up. No fear...Bowie wiped them away!"


~ Kim Van Weert, Bowie fan.

The second Perth concert was apparently not announced until the morning after the first concert!

Not surprisingly, it was only about half full and made up of mainly hardcore Bowie fans who attended the first night and then dragged along a friend or two to see it all again.

According to fans, the second night was
the pick of the two concerts and Bowie enjoyed himself and joked with the crowd.


Dennis Garcia
Band member Roger Powell (synthesiser) did not play with Bowie in Perth or Adelaide. Instead, he played with his regular band, Utopia.

In his place was local musician Dennis Garcia (pictured left and right).

Hernado's Hideaway

After the first gig, Carlos Alomar, Sean Mayes and some of the crew went to Hernando's Hideaway - a place that was gradually transitioning from a fledging cabaret jazz venue to that of a venue central to the Perth punk scene.

Unfortunately Hernando's was left with a scratch band for this night as nearly all of Perth's musicians were at the Bowie show! The band witnessed something that was described as "very untogether".

Click here
to view Kim Salmon's guided tour through this venue and other places important to punk in 1970s Perth.

Connections


After the second night, Bowie and some of the crew went to Connections nightclub.

Connections is still open today - and along with "The Court",
it is home to Perth's alternative sexuality music scene.


Swan River Cruise


On the Thursday, their day off, Paul Dainty (promoter) hired Bowie and his band a motor launch to cruise along Perth's main tributary - the Swan River.

In Perth, the band stayed at the Sheraton Hotel which had opened in the early 70s as one of the first international hotel brands in the city. In 2011, the Sheraton was rebranded as the Pan Pacific Hotel.


Cruising down the Swan River with friends.
Photo from Sean Mayes' diary "We Can Be Heroes".


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