NASHVILLE |DATE: OCTOBER 24, 1997
FROM: MITCH SCHNEIDER/TRESA REDBURN
BOWIE FEVER CONTINUES:
HIS 'EARTHLING' TOUR WINDS ITS
WAY TO SOUTH AMERICA;
SHOOTS VIDEO WITH TRENT REZNOR
FOR NINE INCH NAILS-RECONSTRUCTED
VERSION OF "I'M AFRAID OF AMERICANS,"
SET FOR HEAVY ROTATION ON MTV;
LAUNCHED MTV LIVE NEW MUSIC SERIES
"LIVE FROM THE 10 SPOT";
LIVE PERFORMANCE FROM
NEW YORK'S RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL
TO BE SEEN
NOVEMBER 1 ON VH1'S BROADCAST OF THE
"GQ MEN OF THE YEAR" AWARDS
As his new Nine Inch Nails-reconstructed song "I'm Afraid of Americans" begins to make its presence felt at radio–with a video featuring Trent Reznor set for heavy rotation on MTV–DAVID BOWIE will now wind his way through South America on his critically acclaimed and hugely successful "Earthling" tour. Launching October 31, these South American dates are bringing him to such countries as Brazil, Chile and Argentina before wrapping November 7.
These concerts come on the heels of what has certainly been a triumphant time for BOWIE. His North American "Earthling" tour consisted of 26 dates, all of which sold out and garnered huge critical accolades. He followed this with his first-ever show in Mexico City at the Autodromo Stadium on October 23, while the single "I'm Afraid Of Americans" entered the charts at #22.
A particular tour highlight was BOWIE week in New York City. His one-two-three punch kicked off with a galvanizing performance Monday, October 13 at the intimate Supper Club. It was attended by the diverse likes of Mary Tyler Moore, Conan O'Brien, Sheryl Crow, Fred Schneider and Rick Moody. Moody is the author of the novel on which the hotly tipped film The Ice Storm is based; its soundtrack features the acoustic BOWIE song "I Can't Read," which he performed at the Supper Club.
Writing in the New York Times, Ann Powers noted: "The volume soared (during 'I'm Afraid of Americans') and the screen behind the stage lit up with warped images as MR. BOWIE ridiculed decadent consumerism over a tight drum-and-bass groove. Crashing from that song into 1979's grandiose 'Look Back In Anger' and then slinking into the mock exotic 'Seven Years In Tibet,' from Earthling, MR. BOWIE and his band pushed the evening toward a fever pitch…several highlights were newer, including 'Little Wonder,' from Earthling, which stood up next to the innovations that once made MR. BOWIE the first electronically charged rock star."
Meanwhile, the headline in the New York Post declared "Ageless Bowie 'Clubs' Em!" and Dan Aquilante raved in his review: "BOWIE–always a showman–seemed like a young turk rather than a musical legend wrapped in his own alienation…Of the new material, the man's version of 'I'm Afraid of Americans' was clearly the evening's showstopper. In that number, the jungle beat was thick and mesmerizing as BOWIE leaned into the crowd, gritted his teeth, and actually began to look terrified as he wailed his fears about Americans, as well as the rest of the world." Elsewhere, critic Matt Diehl has written: "His live shows have been nothing less than electrifying, no small thanks due to the best backing band since Spiders From Mars."
BOWIE fever continued the next night when he kicked off the new MTV live music series, "Live From The 10 Spot," at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, New York. BOWIE was originally set to perform on the show in December, but agreed to fill in at the last minute–canceling his own anniversary plans with his wife Iman–for the Rolling Stones since Mick Jagger was saddled with a sore throat. On the hour-long show, BOWIE and his band–guitarist Reeves Gabrels; keyboardist Mike Garson; bassist Gail Ann Dorsey; and drummer Zachary Alford–performed nine songs, but treated the crowd at the Capitol Theatre to an additional (untelevised) three tunes. Beyond its October 14 airing, the BOWIE "10 Spot" is having additional showings on MTV.
Without missing a beat, BOWIE performed a third consecutive show in New York, this time at Radio City Music Hall–with a full-length concert set following the GQ "Men of the Year" Awards. Midway through the set, BOWIE cleared his throat and good-naturedly quipped, "Excuse me, I'm having a bit of a Jagger." The set will be seen Saturday, November 1 when VH1 broadcasts the GQ Awards at 3:00 PM and 7:00 PM and Sunday, November 2 at 5:30 PM and 12:00 midnight (all times ET).
At all of these shows, BOWIE dived headlong into fiery performances of "I'm Afraid of Americans," the BOWIE/Brian Eno-penned track from EARTHLING that contains BOWIE's sly lyrical observations about modern-day America. With the October 14 arrival of the "I'm Afraid of Americans" EP on Virgin, there are now six new versions of the song. The running time of the EP is 40 minutes. Five are remixed by Nine Inch Nails–with Trent Reznor lending background vocals on one version–and Ice Cube offering a guest rap on another. A sixth remix was created by England's Rupert Parkes, aka Photek.
BOWIE and Reznor also joined forces for the video of "I'm Afraid of Americans," which has just been added to heavy rotation on MTV. Shot by the hot video directing team known as Dom and Nick (who've recently lensed clips for the Chemical Brothers and Oasis), the video is set in lower Manhattan and finds BOWIE (the Englishman) who's chased through the streets by Reznor (the American taxi driver).
In an October 17 story in the Los Angeles Times, BOWIE noted, "Trent and I were drawn to each other's work before we ever met, and I think, if I can speak for both of us, that (the EP) is a tentative step towards a much more unified working relationship. What that will be, I'm not really quite sure. We'll stay autonomous artists, of course; but I think that in working together on some effort, we could do something earth-shattering–probably something like neither of us has done before."
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