Brisbane Concert, Feb 17, 2004

The Australian leg of the Reality tour opened at the 13,500 seater Brisbane Entertainment Centre - the same venue Bowie played on his last visit some 17 years age.

Located 16 kilometres north of the city, the Brisbane concert was indoor and sheltered from what was a particularly notable bout of very hot weather - even by Brisbane summer standards.





By 7 PM, the area outside the arena transformed into a beacon of activity and several fans dressed up to mark the occasion - some complete with Aladdin Sane lightening makeup.

BEC David Bowie Ticketek map and BEC Time Sheet.

The opening act was Something for Kate - as was the case in all following Australian shows.

Bowie and Something For Kate .


At around 8:45, Bowie took the stage.

As in Wellington, the start-up involved an instrumental jam before Rebel Rebel kicked in. Again, after a rousing version of All The Young Dudes, Bowie invited the audience to sing China Girl from the very beginning! - but as to be expected, the audience fumbled. Bowie was in a playful mood - on several occasions, getting down into a sprint position and running towards the front of the stage to entice the crowd.

Bowie in Brisbane. Camera security at this show was unbelievably tight but was fortunately eased up in subsequent shows.

Debuting downunder was Looking for Water which became a staple throughout the remaining Oz shows. Another surprise was Always Crashing in the Same Car which appeared in the encore.

During the band introduction - just before Bowie introduced Gail Ann Dorsey - BDU member Anthony yelled out the name 'Hollywood' to which David laughed and replied 'Hollywood? What has that got to do with the price of chips? Hollywood. Alright. Ummmm' before Gail Ann explained that 'Hollywood' was a name she used on a Velvel record.



'Ziggy Played Guitar'. Photo by Adam D.


Following the concert, many fans decided to rock on at the Troubadour Bar in Fortitude Valley - a meetup organised by local Bowie guru Diamond_Dave

Press Articles:

The following day, reports in the press were ecstatic. Securing most of page 3 of The Courier Mail, Noel Mengel reported that Bowie's show was better than his 1983 and 1987 concerts and on a par with Lang Park, 1978 - a show that is frequently cited as one of the most memorable rock concerts among those who attended.



Page 3 of The Courier Mail, Feb 18 2004.



Front page of the Today section of The Courier Mail.



Front cover of local music rag Time Off, Feb 11-17, 2004.

Concert Transcript:

REBEL REBEL

Soooooo......Brisbane you crazy mother fuckers, how are ya doing? It's a pleasure to be here.....to play our songs for you. We're ready to go.

NEW KILLER STAR

REALITY

Hi Tristan. So how ya doing up here? So you want something that you know?

(opening strains of Fame......'is it any wondeeeeerrrr?')

I better give you something you know.

FAME

There's a great American band and I think they're reforming again next year which I'm really happy about because they're really good. They're called The Pixies.

(cheers)

Good for you Brisbane! What a classy act. This is a song of theirs I recorded last year. It's called Cactus. Great song. Yeah.

CACTUS

Thank you. So, ah, It's probably not too early to ask you if you want to sing, yeah? You kind of look.......you're very polite people aren't you?

(Opening guitar strains)

You're nice people!

ALL THE YOUNG DUDES

That wasn't at all bad. That was pretty good. Especially that girl right up there, she was fantastic. Yeah, you......you in the pink. It's true.

You're all looking! Like I could hear her, yeah? Sure I could. Now listen that was so good......here is the mic, you're going to sing this one as well, here you go!

CHINA GIRL (Truncated)

That was fucking tragic. We'll stop the sing-a-longs right there. I'll tell you what - I'll do this one and you do the next one. And then we can play that game all night.

CHINA GIRL

Thank you so much.

I had an album in the 70s called Low and this is an instrumental from it. It's called:

A NEW CAREER IN A NEW TOWN

Thank you. THANK YOU! Thank you at the back! Oh, I must keep remembering to talk you. Are you alright up there? I can see you perfectly clearly - don't worry. You - I can see the guy in the yellow, the girl in the pink over there. I can see you just as clearly. Your initials are TJ and it's written right there on the top of your pocket. Like 6 rows down from the very top. No not you. The one next to you. Yeah.

So listen I've played you already two new songs from my new album and I insist. This is insistence. I got to keep a hand there -gotta make sure I keep it there. I insist that I play you another one. This is one I like very much. It's a quiet song.....so you can sit down.

(shouts of 'No' from the audience).

No? You're lovely! This one's called:

THE LONELIEST GUY

(Bowie gets down into sprint position and runs to the audience)

Hey that's cool. That's really cool. That got a lot of applause. I'll do that one again!

(repeats the sprint)

This game is easy isn't it? And entertaining. I love it.

(repeats the sprint)

Haha. Oh what a great day it was today. It was really sunny. You probably don't notice that because it's sunny here all the time. I come from England so like *that* looks sunny to me.

This is a song......this was one of the first songs that kind of got known by me:

THE MAN WHO SOLD THE WORLD

HALLO SPACEBOY

SUNDAY

(Looking at his guitarists)

You're very noisy tonight Spooky, Slick. You've got a noisy thing going there, yeah. Why is that? It's all those boxes. Yeah break them up. Give them a good kicking. Go on son!

(Turns around to face the audience)

Oh sorry, forgot you were there!

I'd like very much to introduce you to everyone on stage with me tonight. Wait a minute, I've just got one more run!

(sprints towards audience)

Oooooh! I'm gonna be doing that all night now.

On the guitar over there is a guy who has worked with me off and on since 1974. He's also worked with John Lennon and many other people. Earl Slick on guitar.

Somebody who has been working with me even longer than Earl. At the back there, Mike has been with me since 1972 - since the first Spiders crew. Mike Garson on keyboards.

Same hair style. Same hair style.

On keyboards, congas, tambourine mandolin, guitar and vocals: Catherine Cat Russel.

Someone who has worked with Soul Asylum, Duran Duran, B52s and with me quite a long time now is: Sterling Campbell on drum kit.

On the whole drum kit. An amazing thing, an absolutely true story......his mother bought him that drum kit when he was 12 years old and he's used it every day ever since. All the bands he has ever worked with 0 the same kit that his mum bought him. Isn't that incredible?

What do you mean - that wasn't true? I'll get you for that.

(laughs) Look at me. Go on look at me.

From Ireland on guitar: Gerry Leonard

(shout of 'Hollywood' from audience member, Anthony)

Hollywood? (laughs) What has that got to do with the price of chips? Hollywood. Alright. Ummmm.

(Turns to Gail) What's that, you get it do you?

(Gail says: 'Yes, that's a name I used on a Velvel record')

I haven't introduced you yet - you can't do that!

You have to wait. Let me see. Oh I see. OK. Are you part of the conspiracy?

(more shouts from audience)

What?

In the 80s, I wrote a song with Freddie Mercury. I want to do that song right now. And taking Freddie's part is Hollywood herself Gail Ann Dorsey. OK Sharon?

UNDER PRESSURE

Gail Ann Dorsey......from Hollywood!

LIFE ON MARS?

Mike Garson on piano. Maybe there is Life on Mars. I can imagine the Americans going up there - taking the spacecraft up there in a few years time. ?????? sure. But taking it up there anyway. We'll get there one day. And then we'll find out. What shall we do now?

(Numerous shouts from audience)

If you're all going to talk at once, I'm going to have to make the decision. So you're better off. This is a new song. It's called:

LOOKING FOR WATER

You get very lonely sometimes. This is a song I wrote in the 70s about that very thing and it's called:

BE MY WIFE

Thank you.

I rarely write songs for pieces of furniture but I couldn't resist in this case. This piece of furniture has done so much for me over the years......and I've been a real shit back. So to make up for that, this is for you stool.

DAYS

Thanks very much. Thanks a lot.

I got this album from which this song is taken. Um, 1967. And I was the first person in Britain to have the album.

WHITE LIGHT, WHITE HEAT

ASHES TO ASHES

I'M AFRAID OF AMERICANS

Too true.

'HEROES'

(Encore)

I'll drop a song in here that I haven't done for a long time. This one is called:

ALWAYS CRASHING IN THE SAME CAR

FIVE YEARS

SUFFRAGETE CITY

ZIGGY STARDUST

Thanks for a great night folks. Thanks a lot.

NEXT PAGE: Bowie's Band Play Exclusive Gig at Tiny Sydney Venue!


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