The Straits Times - 17th January 2004

Bowie's coming

By Tommy Wee


GROUND Control to Singapore fans of David Bowie: The British rock icon will play at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on March 4.

Bowie, who is 56, last performed in Singapore in December 1983, as part of the Serious Moonlight Tour at the National Stadium. Some 10,000 people attended the concert then.

This time around, he will be here as part of the Asian leg of his Reality tour, on the back of his recently released album of the same name. He has already sold out concerts in Britain, Europe, North America and Australia.

Singapore will be his first Asian stop, after which he will proceed to play dates in Hong Kong and Japan. The tour, organised by New York-based events organiser Clear Channel Entertainment and Hong Kong-based concert promoter Live Limited, is scheduled to play to over one million people in 17 countries over a seven-month period.

Ms Colleen Ironside, managing director of Live Limited, who organised The Rolling Stones concerts here in March last year, says: 'We're really excited about bringing Bowie to the region. The show is going to be absolutely fabulous. He and his band look great, and they sound superb.'

She adds that it will cost around $1 million to bring the star to Singapore.

Bowie, accompanied by an entourage of 50, will be backed by an all-star line-up of musicians who also worked on the Reality album - drummer Sterling Campbell, bassist and backing vocalist Gail Ann Dorsey, keyboardist Mike Garson, guitarist Gerry Leonard, lead guitarist Earl Slick, as well as backing keyboardist and vocalist Catherine Russell.

It is not known if Bowie's wife, Iman, and children will tag along for the trip.

While the Reality concerts will showcase his extensive catalogue of songs, Bowie has promised to alter set lists to keep each show distinct.

Ms Ironside says: 'Basically, Bowie just wants to re-visit his fans in Asia.

'He's doing a world tour and he just wants to come out to play.'

Tickets for David Bowie's Reality Tour concert at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, priced between $75, $125, $195 and $255 go on sale today at Sistic (tel: 6348-5555 or www.sistic.com.sg).


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