Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Bowie

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  • andin,

    Was introduced to Bowie when schoolfriend Alastair Riddell got his records.
    Many hours listening to them. Amazing
    The Western Springs concert ’78? was it. Amazing sound
    The intro train was incredible. and Bowie superb.
    He has gone gracefully into that void after life
    Bye David

    raglan • Since Mar 2007 • 1891 posts Report Reply

  • linger, in reply to Bart Janssen,

    every generation has had a unique Bowie that is their own to remember. From each unique starting point many of us have then explored the other Bowies

    This point was quite well made by Mitch Benn in September 2015. (The episode is currently unavailable, but there's a good chance it'll be repeated in the next few weeks.) Benn also notes how hard it is to make a generic "Bowie" parody rather than referencing specific Bowie songs.

    Tokyo • Since Apr 2007 • 1944 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Soon Lee,

    To anyone who ever grew up in a conformist community, where [INSERT NON-MAINSTREAM ACTIVITY HERE] was frowned on if you’re lucky, or got you beaten up or worse if you weren’t, Bowie told us it’s okay to be different in the most emphatic way possible: he lived it.

    Philip Matthews noted on Twitter just now that we haven't had a Bowie tweet from John Key (Andrew Little paid tribute last night – favourite album Station to Station.)

    Well, he is the guy who told the Dom Post's "Taste Test" his favourite music was "Easy listening". In a way, they're polar opposites – the bright, brave freak and the beige fitter-in.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Kumara Republic, in reply to Chris Morris,

    I also saw his tour at Athletic Park 5 years later – not the Glass Spider one. A lot better stage performance but not as much soul there.

    Speaking of the Glass Spider tour...

    Kiwi urban myth about David Bowie's Glass Spider tour finally put to rest

    The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel, in reply to linger,

    generic “Bowie” parody

    respectfully I offer...

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Joe Wylie,

    Attachment

    Big ups to the unknown author of this.

    flat earth • Since Jan 2007 • 4593 posts Report Reply

  • izogi, in reply to Russell Brown,

    Philip Matthews noted on Twitter just now that we haven’t had a Bowie tweet from John Key

    I’m not sure what I’m supposed to take from such a comment, but at the risk of a political distraction to some otherwise wonderful reminiscing which has caused me to reflect on how Bowie's affected my life in ways I never realised at the time, is there significance in the PM not tweeting about this? His last two tweets were Happy New Year and Merry Christmas.

    I haven’t tweeted anything about David Bowie, either.

    Wellington • Since Jan 2007 • 1142 posts Report Reply

  • Mike O'Connell, in reply to Ian Dalziel,

    He's been out jamming with the Mick Jaggernauts...the lyrics are brilliant!

    Who recalls this, Bowie's ode to the Chubby Little Loser (aka Ricky Gervais) in Extras

    And more Ricky Gervais, talking about Bowie in 2008

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 385 posts Report Reply

  • Soon Lee, in reply to Mike O'Connell,

    Matinee Idle just played that bit of Bowie on "Extras".

    Auckland • Since Apr 2013 • 145 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to izogi,

    is there significance in the PM not tweeting about this?

    Not really. It was light-hearted. But David Cameron and Andrew Little have ...

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • simon g,

    It's actually quite a relief that Bowie's tributes are happening in the political off-season. Nobody is having to pretend (tweets are a choice, answering interview questions less so). Hearing the hacks (not only Key) tell us how they were inspired by [memo to staffer: insert hastily Googled album title here] would invite and earn scorn.

    A propos, the non-conformity Bowie represented is intriguingly confusing for those FM radio stations, the very definition of conformity, the home of boxes with labels. Today I've heard quite a few of his songs aired, but you can hear the programmers' thought wheels turning: "We're rock, aren't we? Rebel Rebel is ours, but send Let's Dance over to Classic Hits. Who gets Kooks, is that Easy Listening?"

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1333 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    Prime TV are re-running the David Bowie: Five Years doco at 8.30pm tonight. From a review:

    What this film does is tell Bowie’s ascent to mega-stardom in five different years of his career. The first is about Bowie as the glam-rock superstar Ziggy Stardust while the second year focuses on his flirtation with Philadelphia soul music and his Thin White Duke persona. The third is about Bowie’s Berlin trilogy with Brian Eno while the fourth year is about the making of his 1980 album Scary Monsters and the groundbreaking videos he would make for two of its singles. The fifth and final year is about Let’s Dance and becoming part of the mainstream after being known as a cult artist.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Soon Lee, in reply to simon g,

    A propos, the non-conformity Bowie represented is intriguingly confusing for those FM radio stations, the very definition of conformity, the home of boxes with labels. Today I've heard quite a few of his songs aired, but you can hear the programmers' thought wheels turning: "We're rock, aren't we? Rebel Rebel is ours, but send Let's Dance over to Classic Hits. Who gets Kooks, is that Easy Listening?"

    And yet not unexpectedly, the non-conformist Bowie tribute that was this afternoon's Matinee Idle was met with a heap of abuse.

    Auckland • Since Apr 2013 • 145 posts Report Reply

  • Rob Hosking, in reply to Soon Lee,

    And yet not unexpectedly, the non-conformist Bowie tribute that was this afternoon’s Matinee Idle was met with a heap of abuse.

    Yeah. That was extraordinarily meanspirited.

    South Roseneath • Since Nov 2006 • 830 posts Report Reply

  • Bart Janssen, in reply to Soon Lee,

    with a heap of abuse.

    eh I thought folks expressed their disappointment that the tribute was not the one they were hoping for.

    Even if the DJs wanted to offer less played tracks I found their tone of mixed jocularity and "fuck what the punters want" to be less than pleasant.

    Can't say it made me feel better on a day of sadness.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 4461 posts Report Reply

  • Kumara Republic,

    Attachment

    Here's my visual tribute to the Starman himself.

    The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report Reply

  • JP Hansen,

    Regarding that earlier posted famous gif which failed to embed correctly (which I thought was brilliant), here's the backstory and some more of the artist's work.

    vice.com/read/the-story-behind-that-famous-gif-of-all-of-david-bowies-hairstyles

    Waitakere • Since Nov 2006 • 206 posts Report Reply

  • nzlemming, in reply to Sacha,

    Prime TV are re-running the David Bowie: Five Years doco at 8.30pm tonight.

    Thanks for that. Saw this in time and the DVR is on. Vodafone/Sky still says it's Leonard Cohen, but it's recording and that's what matters.

    Waikanae • Since Nov 2006 • 2937 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Bart Janssen,

    Even if the DJs wanted to offer less played tracks I found their tone of mixed jocularity and “fuck what the punters want” to be less than pleasant.

    Can’t say it made me feel better on a day of sadness.

    I was guilty of a negative tweet or two. I don't enjoy the show's format at the best of times and I turned it off fairly quickly today.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Dangerous Minds has a great post:

    These fan-shot clips of David Bowie and the Spiders from Mars in Dunstable, supporting the then brand-new Ziggy Stardust album on June 21, 1972, have been sync’d up to live recordings. I’m unsure if the audio is from the same show, sometimes they’re really in sync, other times less so, but it’s close enough for rock and roll.

    YouTube user bri2kay is who we have to thank for this Ziggiful bounty. Considering the scarcity of Ziggy-era footage, this is gold. And there’s a lot more where these came from.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Chris Morris,

    The concert at Athletic Park was part of the Serious Moonlight tour which Uncle Google tells me was 24th November 1983

    Taupo • Since Jan 2016 • 2 posts Report Reply

  • nzlemming, in reply to Russell Brown,

    I don't enjoy the show's format at the best of times and I turned it off fairly quickly today.

    Yeah, I'm the same, so I didn't bother. Shame, it could be good, but somebody removed adult supervision a few seasons ago and it's all too self-indulgent now.

    Waikanae • Since Nov 2006 • 2937 posts Report Reply

  • George Darroch,

    Look up here, I’m in heaven.


    Ain’t it just like me?

    This stunning album deserves repetition. We’ll remember him for everything else, and we’ll remember him for this.

    WLG • Since Nov 2006 • 2264 posts Report Reply

  • izogi, in reply to Russell Brown,

    I’m unsure how I’d cope beyond small doses, but I enjoy Matinee Idle. As far as today was concerned, I figured that if I’d wanted to hear major hits again and again then I’d go to Youtube, or any number of other sources. Not being highly invested in the music industry, they introduced me to a side of him I’d never really known. Plus, the injected doco about Bowie’s visit to Takapūwāhia Marae in Porirua (this one?) was fab.

    I guess the tone’s not universal, but I don’t think it’s fair to assume most of the criticism they read out is from seriously irritated people, considering part of their long-established format aims to try and encourage listeners to jestfully complain about how dreadful the show is.

    I prefer it over Jesse Mulligan’s show, which hasn’t yet captured me.

    Wellington • Since Jan 2007 • 1142 posts Report Reply

  • George Darroch,

    And this one too. It was a farewell, and we didn’t know it.

    Say goodbye to the thrills of life
    When love was good, when love was bad
    Wave goodbye to the life without pain
    Say hello, your beautiful girl

    Say hello to the lunatic men
    Tell them your secrets they’re like the grave
    Oh what have you done, oh what have you done
    Love is lost, lost is love

    It seems so obvious now, the cancer affected face, the Ashes references. Oh man.

    WLG • Since Nov 2006 • 2264 posts Report Reply

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