DAVID BOWIE
“Few artists command as much respect—and reverence—in the music world as David Bowie. He avoided the clichés that have befallen most 50-something rock stars by cannily keeping up to date with musical trends, still releasing inspired new albums, and never merely relying on the past…New tracks such as ‘New Killer Star’ and the cover of the Pixies’ ‘Cactus’ were brilliant.”
--Cameron Adams, THE HERALD SUN (Melbourne, Australia), 2/27/04
“Fit, happy, jovial even, David Bowie has found a way to avoid the frozen-in-history trap that has caught many of his contemporaries. The solution is as simple as the stage set on this tour: new songs that are as capable of exciting us now as he did a generation ago…to finally, after 33 years, hear him sing ‘The Man Who Sold The World’ could make the night worthwhile on its own. But that a haunting new song like ‘The Loneliest Guy’ or a jagged ‘I’m Afraid of Americans’ still kick stones means no one need feel guilty about the nostalgia…His voice is in great shape, he looks and acts half his age and seems to be having one great time…The old was revitalized and contextualised and the new was worthy of standing alongside…a return worth celebrating.”
--Bernard Zuel, SUNDAY MORNING HERALD (Sydney, Australia), 2/23/04
"...(Bowie) can tour the world with a show that offers more than feel good greatest hits. There also is musical adventure and new songs that can match the power of the old, delivered by a resilient rock legend..."
--Noel Mengel, COURIER MAIL (Brisbane, Australia), 2/17/04
“David Bowie let it be known he was here to please--not tease...Kicking off his first Australian jaunt since 1987's Glass Spider Tour…a capacity crowd of 13,000 at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre on Tuesday night...Bowie and his blistering six-piece band (including famed 1970s guitarist Earl Slick, Bowie collaborator of 30 years Mike Garson on keyboards and powerhouse drummer Sterling Campbell) rehearsed 50 songs for the A Reality Tour, which has played to sold-out crowds in 17 countries in the past seven months...mixed album tracks with pop gems like ‘China Girl,’ the set perfectly showing off his vocal dexterity and the importance of his contribution to popular music over the past 35 years."
--Suzanne Simonot, GOLD COAST BULLETIN (Brisbane, Australia), 2/19/04
"David Bowie opened his first Down Under tour
in 17 years last night with a powerhouse and fun-filled journey through a career
spanning more than three decades...Bowie won the crowd over with a thumping
rendition of ‘Rebel Rebel’ to open the show and he had them in the palm of his
hand for the rest of the
performance…This was a rocker clearly enjoying himself..."
--Steve Connolly, AAP (Brisbane, Australia), 2/18/04
"...this was simply about him playing his songs--no theatrics, no theme, no glass spider. The emphasis was instead on his voice (which sounded, quite frankly, bloody fantastic) and 30-plus years of fantastic music...Perhaps the biggest surprise was how well Bowie’s new stuff fared; tracks from Reality proved he’s well and truly back on form creatively, with the spare, touching ballad The Loneliest Guy and the dark cover of the Pixies’ already spooky Cactus causing genuine chills. But it was his version I’m Afraid of Americans from 1997’s under-rated Earthling album that provided perhaps the biggest highlight of the night. While the lyrical content couldn’t have been timelier, the ferocity that Bowie and band brought to the track, turning it almost into heavy metal, underscored the song’s meaning far better than words."
--Brett Collingwood, RAVE MAGAZINE (Brisbane, Australia), 2/24/04
"...simply amazing. "
--Leanne Levinge, SCENE MAGAZINE (Brisbane, Australia), 2/24/04
"To say Bowie is in fine form would be an understatement. A cracking show, Bowie remains as vital onstage now as he has at any time in his career."
--TIME OFF (Brisbane, Australia), 2/24/04
"...the concert had all his musical flavours: folk, glam rock, soul, blues, disco, funk and techno, old gems peppered with songs from recent return-to-form albums Reality and Heathen...Unlike the recent spate of nostalgia tours, Bowie's A Reality Tour stands apart because of his strong recent work...His bellowing, golden voice and commanding stage presence make him the consummate live entertainer."
--Paul Harris, THE AGE (Melbourne, Australia), 2/27/04
“He performed such a powerful show…10,000 fans were on their feet.”
--TOKYO CHUNICHI SPORTS (Tokyo, Japan), 3/9/04
“His performance voltage is still the same as his earlier days! He moves and sings evergetically and his 10,000 fans seemed to be totally enjoying it.”
--NIKKAN SPORTS (Tokyo, Japan), 3/9/04
“He had the 10,000 audience on their feet.”
--SPORTS NIPPON (Tokyo, Japan), 3/9/04
“His performance and singing were so powerful…The staging was entertaining using some visual effects on the back screen and he charmed the 10,000 fans that gather at Budokan.”
--SANKEI SPORTS (Tokyo, Japan), 3/9/04
“Rock legend David Bowie made a stunning comeback on Thursday night at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. To the delight of thousands of fans, he even performed songs like ‘China Girl,’ which were banded from his first concert in 1983 because authorities deemed them too controversial…The crowd roared, breaking into a sing-along, when Bowie kicked off the concert with ‘Rebel Rebel.’”
--Ken The, CHANNEL NEWSASIA (Singapore), 3/5/04
“Fit and energetic, the chameleon of rock dipped at will into a reservoir of 26 albums, and accompanied by a stellar six-piece band, fired up the 10,000 crowd to leap to their feet, sing along and pump their clenched fists to the beat…A sprinkling of new and old kept the pace up, as ‘Pablo Picaso’ sat comfortably with ‘Starman’…Staying cool throughout, tresses tumbling in the breeze, Bowie applied some theatrical timing to link tracks. ‘I’m Afraid Of Americans,’ a pointed reference to the world today, segued into an optimistic ‘Heroes,’ perhaps the highlight and the climax of the two-hour concert with its intense, raw-edged rendition and Bowie’s impassioned vocals.”
--Kanaan Chandran, THE
BUSINESS TIMES (Singapore), 9/5/04
“It was blistering, masterful and combined enough of the old and new, the rock stuff and the slow songs, the hits and the obscure tracks, to make everyone in the audience happy…While Bowie was undoubtedly the (prettiest) star, much credit goes also to his superlative backing band—arguably the best in the business today…Light as a feather on quiet numbers like ‘Days,’ they cranked up the decibels on rockers like ‘Suffragette City’ and ‘I’m Afraid Of Americans.’”
--Ong Soh Chin, THE STRAIT TIMES (Singapore), 9/7/04
“No band has actually sounded this good at the Indoor Stadium.”
--Gerrie Lim, THE BIG O (Singapore), 3/4/04
“That Bowie circa 2004 is a man at peace with his own legend is evident from the assured performance witnessed by thousands at Singapore Indoor Stadium on an extraordinary March evening…blowing the audience away with the power and authority of his material and execution. Playing at least eight songs from his most recent releases, Bowie boldly declared that he is still a creative force to be reckoned with in the new millennium.”
--Kevin Mathews, THE BIG O (Singapore), 3/4/04
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