David Bowie News May 2002

David Bowie - Wonderworld News - What's Gone On?

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WOOD JACKSON AND FORTHCOMING TOY
31st May 2002

Check out the SONY Dutch website to hear 30 second snippets of DAVID BOWIE'S bonus tracks 'Wood Jackson', 'Shadowman', 'When The Boys Come Marching Home' and 'You've Got A Habit Of Leaving' - Click here to listen - (from Grant)...

For those asking what is now happening with DAVID BOWIE'S Toy album? David has stated that he will 'continue to release tracks as 'specials' for CD singles so that not too much time goes by before they are available. Then, along with all the unreleased tracks, gather them all up and release them as an album'. He goes on further to state that 'Trouble is, as is usual with me, I'm already thinking about new songs and projects'. - (from BowieNet)...

HEATHEN: A STAR IS REBORN
31st May 2002

Today's issue of the GUARDIAN newspaper in the UK contains a review of DAVID BOWIE'S next album Heathen, set for release on 10th June on ISO Records.

In the Review section, Alexis Petridis reviews the album, giving it 4 out of 5 stars. The piece entitled 'A star is reborn', alongside a large colour photograph, states 'It may be David Bowie's 27th studio album, but it's also one of his best.'

The review waffles on a little too much about Stuart Maconie's comments on David's choice of artists for his Meltdown Festival. Enough already, Maconie apologised. End of story, no need to relive it all again for the sake of a tenious back handed link.

The link by the way is relating to the fact that Heathen is more exciting and adventurous than anything produced by the bands he has chosen for Meltdown. Well erm... yes... quite... unless db was going to play all 30 days of the festival he IS going to be pushed to find any other musicians of the same calibre.

When we finally get to the "review" part, Petridis has done a fine job of explaining how the songs feel and sound, pretty much spot on when he states it's 'packed with fantastic songs, liberally sprinkled with intriguing touches'.

You can read the full article online at the Guardian's website.

(To hear this CD, call 09068 626828 and use code 1358*)

SPEED OF LIFE: NEW JAPANESE BOOK
30th May 2002

A new publication is due for release next month in Japan entitled 'Speed Of Life' by Takayuki Furukawa, featuring a complete translation of DAVID BOWIE'S 70s lyrics.

Not for 10 years (since Sukita's 'KI') has a new David Bowie book been published in Japan. David Bowie's lyrics have never been translated properly in Japanese for 30 years!, there is no doubt that this book will give all the young dudes in Japan a new understanding of the 70s Bowie's great works.

The book contains the following subjects:

1) Almost all the lyrics from Bowie's works 1967-1980 (except Pin Ups) and Iggy Pop's two Berlin works (both original text and Japanese translation, with explanatory notes and comments).

2) The complete BBC sessions 67-72 (data with comments).

3) Bowie in Japan 70s (April 1973, April 1977, December 1978 pic by Koh Hasebe and the 70s tour dates).

4) DB Discography 64-02 - Official albums / DB compilations / Soundtracks / VA compilations / Contributions (centered on CD issues, with album covers, all in English).

     Speed Of Life: The Complete Lyrics 1967-1980
     Translation and comments by Takayuki Furukawa.
     384 pages, b/w, 210mm x 135mm. Cover photograph by Sukita.
     Price 3,800 yen. Published by Shinko Music Pub. Co. Ltd.

From Cat from Japan.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DUNCAN!!!
30th May 2002

Wishing you a very Happy 31st Birthday Dun :)

Have a great day and I hope you get everything you wish for

Many happy returns and best wishes from

Paul - aka 'Rednik' and everyone at Wonderworld

DUTCH HEATHEN LISTENING SESSION
30th May 2002

The International David Bowie fan club THE VOYEUR, in co-operation with Sony Music Holland and Plato Leiden, proudly presents the first European New Heathen listening session.

All David Bowie fans are invited to experience the new David Bowie album Heathen. The listening session wil be held Monday June 3rd, 2002 from 15:00 until 17:00 hours at Plato Leiden, Vrouwensteeg 4-6, Leiden, The Netherlands.

The first 100 fans pre-ordering the limited 2cd edition of Heathen (with extra bonus disc) will receive the very limited pink Slow Burn vinyl single for free!

Worldwide only 1,000 copies of this single are pressed. Pre-ordering is only possible when you attend the session in person.

Be surprised, Monday at 15:00 hours.

The Voyeur - email: thevoyeur@home.nl - homepage: http://go.to/bowiefanclub

MAJOR WORLD TOUR IN MIND?
30th May 2002

DAVID BOWIE has wrote in his current exlusive journal on BowieNet that "he's getting to the point" where he feels it would be great to do a full blown major World Tour. He states: "there are so many new pieces now that I've not performed over in Australia, Japan and South America."

Unfortunately it won't be this year because his daughter Lexi is far too young to leave for long periods and she's not old enough to travel for a while longer.

He feels "a real need to keep writing this year" and "always goes with his gut feeling for what is right."

He concludes with... "next couple of years though? Who knows?".

From BowieNet.

LIKE A ROLLING STONE
29th May 2002

Issue 898 of Rolling Stone magazine in the USA contains a few DAVID BOWIE items of interest inside. Page 17 includes a small article on the Tribeca show, it mentions db but with no photo of him. Then on page 18 there is a relly nice shot of him with a youn girl and it appears to me as if they are playing patty-cake!! (no kidding). One page 55 there is a full page picture of db and announcement of the live concert for Saturday 15th June on A&E. Also on page 82, there is a nice review for Heathen by David Fricke and picture of db with the title reading 'Bowie Playing Bowie'.

You can read part of the article 'Bowie playing Bowie, with class' here online at the official RS website.

From Terri S.

DAVID BOWIE'S YOUNGEST FAN?
28th May 2002

Many congratulations to Wonderworlder ROGER B and his wife RUTH who have just become the very proud parents of newly born EMILY.

Emily was born four days ago on Friday morning, 24th May, making her the latest resident of 'Bowie Town' (aka Bromley in Kent).

So which song did DAVID BOWIE'S current youngest fan get to hear first? Appropriately it was 'Fantastic Voyage'. Roger says it wasn't by design, it just happened to be the first track on the CD he had in the player. He can think of no more appropriate song for all the fun and discovery she has ahead of her in this big wonderful world.

We all send our very best wishes for the future to Roger, Ruth, Emily and the family. Everyone says hi!

DAVID NOMINATED FOR BEST CAMEO
27th May 2002

Reminder: Don't forget to vote for DAVID BOWIE - he has been nominated in the MTV.com 2002 Opinion Polls for 'Best Cameo' performance in the Ben Stiller movie Zoolander.

You can vote for David online here as many times as you wish

The MTV show will air on Thursday, June 6th at 9:00pm (EST).

AND ME I'M ON A RADIO SHOW
26th May 2002

Some upcoming DAVID BOWIE appearances and reviews on BBC Radio 2 and 3 next month include the following:

8th June - Saturday
     RICHARD ALLINSON ON SATURDAY
     Starting: 15:30 GMT. Duration: 3 hours
     BBC Radio Two - website
With an interview with David Bowie and the Radio 2 Wall of Sound, a chance to pick a hit to be played instantly, the best music from the past five decades and the newest releases.

9th June - Sunday
     MIXING IT
     Starting: 23:00 GMT. Duration: 1 hour and 5 minutes
     BBC Radio Three - website - Mixing It
Mark Russell and Robert Sandall present eclectic sounds from music's cutting edge and preview David Bowie's Meltdown Festival.

In addition to the main venues Radio 3 will be presenting the BBC Radio 3 Free Meltdown Programme in the Royal Festival Hall Ballroom. The details of these events are to be announced soon so listen out for highlights on Radio 3.

Don't forget, no matter where you are in the world you can tune into BBC Radio programmes via their website.

AND THE PAPERS WANT TO KNOW...
26th May 2002

Quick round-up of several worldwide newspaper and magazine interviews with DAVID BOWIE...

In today's AFTENPOSTEN newspaper in Norway 40 år! Å, herregud complete with large colour photograph from Tribecca - Read online here...

David features in the June edition of INTERVIEW magazine in the USA with a, yes you guessed it, an interview...

The current issue of Entertainment Weekly there's an interview with David and Moby. The piece is entitled 'Loving The Aliens' - along with some excellent photographs. Read what David Bowie and Moby have to say about 9/11, the state of music, and more in the excerpt of Entertainment Weekly's May 31, 2002, cover story by Jeff Gordinier. Click here to read an excerpt online...

DB TO APPEAR ON THE LETTERMAN SHOW
26th May 2002

DAVID BOWIE is scheduled to make an appearance on the Late Show With David Letterman on Monday 10th June at 11:35pm on the CBS channel.

Music guest: David Bowie, Actor: Christian Slater.

MANCHESTER GIG UPDATE
26th May 2002

The line-up for DAVID BOWIE'S performance at 'Move' in Manchester at the Old Trafford Cricket Ground on Wednesday 10th July has now been finalised. Joining David will be Suede, Divine Comedy, Electric Soft Parade, The Real People and compered by Mark and Lard.

Tickets are still available from the following outlets:
Way Ahead Box Office 0161 237 5554 / NME Ticket Line 0870 1663663 / gigsandtours.com / Ticketmaster 0870 4000 700 (24 hours) / ticketmaster

And in person at: Manchester Town Hall Info Centre / Warrington Parr Hall / Virgin Leeds, Birmingham and Newcastle / Virgin Megastore (Manchester and Liverpool) / Royal Court Box Office (Liverpool).

No booking fee for cash purchases by personal callers to Lancashire County Cricket Club.

Unreserved seating/pitch standing tickets available. Gates open at 3:30pm. Subject to licence.

Move... an Urban Music Event is presented by Virgin Trains and sponsored by NME 5.0, Century, Uncut, Manchester Evening News and Virgin Trains.

THE SONG THEY'RE PLAYING ON THE RADIO
26th May 2002

Yesterday on his Radio 2 show JONATHAN ROSS besides playing DAVID BOWIE'S next single 'Slow Burn' also played a weird and wonderful version of 'Let's Dance' by a Japanese guy (sorry name not known). Best described as a "stripped down" version you can hear a clip by visiting Jonathan's website at the BBC.

Regular Wonderworlders who post on the message board will have noticed that JR has been posting himself on the board for the last week or so. For those doubting Thomas', he did kindly mention on his radio show yesterday that it is indeed him posting up there and not some impostor. So now you know.

ROCK ON RONNO
26th May 2002

Today marks the birthday anniversary of the immortal MICK RONSON. Born 26th May 1946 - 29th April 1993 - Love on ya Mick, rest in peace.

When Mick Ronson died of cancer on 29th April 1993, the music world lost a man of many talents: songwriter, arranger, producer, multi-instrumentalist, and a brilliant guitarist whose searing lead style provided the earthly grounding for a new generation of rock flamboyance in David Bowie's character of Ziggy Stardust.

Sadly missed but never forgotten. Rock on Ronno.

THE BITS FLEW FAR AND WIDE
25th May 2002

In the current issue of Entertainment Weekly there's an interview with DAVID BOWIE and MOBY. The piece is entitled 'Loving The Aliens' - along with some excellent photographs. Read what David Bowie and Moby have to say about 9/11, the state of music, and more in their excerpt of Entertainment Weekly's May 31, 2002, cover story by Jeff Gordinier. Click here to read the piece online...

Concert Live Wire have an online review of DAVID BOWIE'S eagerly awaited new album Heathen...

RecordsRecords in New Zealand currently have the ultra-rare DAVID BOWIE promo foldout sleeve NZ-only 7 inch in their annual auction, which closes May 31st. See the list at www.recordsrecords.co.nz...

GLAM-OU-RAMA presents Bowie Nights May 30th: There's a new club in town. London town, playing all that was best about glam and glitter rock with a music policy totally biased towards Mr. Bowie ensuring that he gets played every half hour or so. All London based Bowie fans should come on down to our monthly parties at the Buffalo Bars (beside Highbury and Islington Tube) and pretend you're back in 1975. They are recreating the glamour of the early days of glam. Their next night is Thursday (30th May) and the one after that is 30th June, right after Bowie's Meltdown performance so they hope to have a big Bowie showing there. Check out their website for more details of the club and flyers to get in cheap (from GlamKitten)...

BOWIE LIVE BY REQUEST
23rd May 2002

DAVID BOWIE is to appear on the A&E channel in the USA. 'Live By Request' is to be broadcast on 15th June at 9:00pm EST.

The performance will also be repeated on the following dates:

     16th June at 01:00am ET (A&E Channel)
     23rd June at 12:00pm ET (A&E Channel)
     27th June at 09:00pm ET (A&E Channel)
     28th June at 01:00am ET (A&E Channel)

A bona fide breakthrough in music television programming, Live By Request provides a unique showcase for some of the most popular recording artists of all time. The only truly interactive music show on television, radio, and the Internet, this pioneering program places superstar artists in an intimate setting and offers fans the opportunity to request favorite songs - via telephone or the Internet - throughout the live broadcast.

Since its inception on A&E, Live By Request has been garnering spectacular popularity and critical acclaim. Live By Request has earned an Emmy Award for "Outstanding Performance for a Variety or Music Program" and a Cable ACE Award for Music Performance.

Previously Columbia Music Video have made available on DVD and VHS, individual programs from Live By Request. These DVD editions feature Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound, interactive menus, instant access to songs, artist discographies and websites, as well as value-added material not seen in the original broadcasts.

(Ed. Fingers crossed this David Bowie performance will eventually find it's way onto DVD and be released by Columbia Records).

HEATHEN SPECIAL PACKAGES AND COMPETITIONS
23rd May 2002

At the official David Bowie Store - not only you can pre order DAVID BOWIE'S new album in all it's various formats - but you have the opportunity to acquire special packages available to everyone who orders their copy of Heathen here between now and June 7th!

When you purchase David's latest CD Heathen from the official BowieNet store, you will receive:

Free trial access to BowieNet, the official David Bowie online community located at www.davidbowie.com, for the month of July.

10% off all subsequent purchases in the official BowieNet store for the month of July

A limited edition Heathen button, while supplies last!

Automatic contest entry where...
20 people win official Heathen promotional posters
15 people win Ziggy Stardust 2002 Posters
10 people win limited edition davidbowie.com tee-shirts
5 people win Ziggy Stardust 2002 Signed and Numbered Lithographs
4 people win XM Radio satellite receiver/subscription packages
GRAND PRIZE: One winner gets four PRIME tickets to any stop on the AREA 2 tour - North America or Europe and a signed limited edition Heathen CD

55 Winners in All! - Prizes will be announced June 10th on www.davidbowie.com

BOWIE LISTENING PARTY GIVEAWAY
23rd May 2002

Hear DAVID BOWIE'S new album Heathen first! Check the list of cities for the dates and times where you can experience the new Heathen album accompanied by never before seen Bowie images.

Go here to enter to win a pair of tickets: www.columbiarecords.com/contest/Bowie/

     San Francisco: SONY Metreon - 24th May - 7pm and 8:30pm
     Portland, Oregon: NW Film Center - 29th May - 8pm
     Chicago: Gene Siskel Film Center - 23rd May - 10pm
     Philadelphia: IMAX at Ben Franklin Institute - 28th May - 8pm
     Austin: Mercury Club - 23rd May - 8pm
     Denver: Gothic Theater - 29th May - 8:00pm
     New York City: The Screening Room 30th May 7:30 and 8:45pm

More information and details here.

FISCHERSPOONER TO COLLABORATE WITH DB?
22nd May 2002

FISCHERSPOONER who are one of the recent additions to the line-up for DAVID BOWIE'S Meltdown Festival in London on June 21st are to play their debut UK gig at The Bridge at the end of this month.

NME reports that the band have hinted that they may be working with Bowie.

"I'm a big fan of David Bowie," Warren Fischer told NME. "I'll just say we put in a request to hopefully collaborate with him."

LIPSTICK TORPEDO WEEKEND GIG
22nd May 2002

Glam tribute band LIPSTICK TORPEDO are playing at The Red Lion in Stevenage on Saturday 25th May. The set includes many DAVID BOWIE classics as well as tracks by connected artists like Mott The Hoople and Lou Reed, plus a host of other gems from the era.

The Red Lion is in High Street, Stevenage Old Town, Hertfordshire. Admission is free and the band will be on at around 8.45pm.

From Alan Galaxy @ www.lipsticktorpedo.co.uk

OH HE'S A TONGUE TWISTING STORM
21st May 2002

DAVID BOWIE tribute singer ROB STORM is teaming up with Gary Mullen, aka Freddie Mercury (the 2000 winner of Stars In Their Eyes) this coming weekend.

It will be unique in as far it will be the first live performance of 'Under Pressure' albeit by tribute artists.

Friday 24th May is at Bishop Stortford Football Club and Saturday 25th May performance is at the Chislet Welfare Club at Haresden, Canterbury.

Anyone who is in those areas and would like to come along for an hour of Queen and an hour of David Bowie classics culminating with our version of Under Pressure is more than welcome to pop along.

Fri 24th May - Bishop Stortford Football Club, Bishop Stortford.
Sat 25th May - Chislet Welfare Club, Haresden, Canterbury, Kent.

More details and information can be found at Rob's website at Alternative David Bowie UK.

From Rob Hughes (aka Rob Storm).

THE BITS FLEW FAR AND WIDE
20th May 2002

The June issue of Q magazine features a "glowing" review of Heathen by David Quantick, along with several photographs and a full page advert for the new album...

The official SONY website in Germany is reporting that DAVID BOWIE will be playing live in Cologne, Germany at the 'E-Werk' festival on Friday 12th July. Read the full story here...

Apparently JONATHAN ROSS after his excellent interview with David on Saturday afternoon - is currently posting on the BW Message Board talking about all things Bowie, comic books and tracks from Heathen. Don't forget that Jonathan will be DJ'ing in the ballroom at The New Heathen's Night at the Royal Festival Hall on the 29th June. Go read what he has to say...

THE KRONOS QUARTET are to play live in London at The Barbican on Tuesday 21st May at 7.30pm, tickets £6-£20 (from TheLodger)...

BOWIE ON TV
20th May 2002

French TV magazine programme MK2-TV are currently making a short film about DAVID BOWIE as there is to be a retrospective of his work in Paris in November 2002 at the Cité de la Musique...

DAVID BOWIE is scheduled to make a live TV appearance on 'Late Night With Conan O'Brien' on 19th June at 12:35am ET on NBC TV in the USA...

Parts of the recent live performance by DAVID BOWIE at the Tribeca Film Festival in NYC is to be used in the upcoming MTV documentary. 'MTV Presents: Inside The Tribeca Film Festival' featuring David Bowie, Counting Crows, Sheryl Crow and Wyclef Jean will be broadcast on Friday 24th May at 8:30pm ET on the MTV channel in the USA and on the following day 25th May at 9:00am...

UPDATES TO BOWIE'S MELTDOWN FESTIVAL
20th May 2002

New additions and amendments to the bill for DAVID BOWIE'S Meltdown Festival in London are:

Thursday 13th June - Royal Festival Hall
The London Sinfonietta performing Philip Glass' Low and "Heroes" / from the Music of David Bowie and Brian Eno
8:00pm - ticket prices £15.00 and £12.00.

Friday 21st June - Royal Festival Hall
Fischerspooner, with special guests Gonzalez.
(In the Ballroom) The Langley Schools Music Project (Revisited) / Terry Edwards and The Scapegoats play Bowie Dub and Ska.
8:00pm - ticket prices £17.50, £15.00 and £12.00.

Tuesday 25th June - Royal Festival Hall
The The, with special guests Baby Zizanie featuring Jim Thriwell (Foetus) and Jim Coleman (ex Cop Shoot Cop)
8:00pm - ticket prices £20.00 and £17.50

Check out the Royal Festival Hall official website.

BOWIE PHOTOGRAPHER COMPETITION
19th May 2002

TechTV's Be a Rock Photographer! - For one special night you can be a rock photographer. Your subject for the night: the legendary DAVID BOWIE. Hang out backstage, show off your All Access pass, and snap shots with your new, top-of-the-line Nikon® Coolpix® digital camera!

You'll zip to New York courtesy of Bowienet, Nikon®, WireImage and TechTV, and you'll spend the evening at the exclusive BowieNet Members Only Concert at The Roseland Ballroom on June 11th, 2002.

Your personal guide through the night is Kevin Mazur, one of the world's leading photographers. He's worked with David Bowie, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Elton John, Madonna, and many other stars. Kevin will show you how to do it right: the angles, the attitude, the shots, everything.

Full details can be found at www.techtv.com

UK RADIO INTERVIEW TODAY
18th May 2002

Reminder... Don't forget that DAVID BOWIE will be appearing on the JONATHAN ROSS radio show on BBC Radio 2 today (Saturday 18th May).

The radio interview will be via telephone from New York and the JR show will be playing the new single 'Slow Burn' for the first time anywhere. You can listen in to the radio show worldwide online via the BBC website.

The Jonathan Ross Show on BBC Radio 2 starts at 10:00am (GMT).

Update: If you missed yesterday's live telephone interview with db - you can relive it here

DAVID NOMINATED FOR BEST CAMEO
17th May 2002

DAVID BOWIE has been nominated in the MTV.com 2002 Opinion Polls for 'Best Cameo' performance in the Ben Stiller movie Zoolander.

You can vote for David online here

The MTV show will air on Thursday, June 6th at 9:00pm (EST).

GERRY LEONARD TO PLAY THE VILLAGE
16th May 2002

Greetings Earthlings... SPOOKY GHOST (aka Gerry Leonard) has been invited to open a night in the Village Underground in New York next Wednesday May 22nd @ 8:00pm.

Haunting to begin at 8:00pm till 8:45pm. Martha Wainright and Joe Hurley to follow. $10 Cover Charge. Paul Bryan on the Bass and Doug Yowell on the drum.

Please say you are there to see Spooky Ghost if you do come. Do Come. I will be there, more emotionally challenged than you, so you can feel good about yourself.

Best wishes Mr. Ghostly

Village Underground, 130 West 3rd St, (Mac Dougal / 6th Ave)
Tel. 212 777 7745

Check out the Spooky Ghost website @ www.spookyghost.com

Get your free Spooky Ghost mp3 files here

Gerry appears on DAVID BOWIE'S Heathen album and is also a member of his backing band for the forthcoming live performances and concerts.

DAVID ON JONATHAN ROSS RADIO SHOW
15th May 2002

The JONATHAN ROSS radio show on BBC Radio 2 will be playing the new DAVID BOWIE single for the first time anywhere. He'll also be giving David a call in New York with a bit of luck - let's hope he can contain himself!!

Ross announced over the weekend that he will be interviewing David this coming Saturday afternoon - 18th May.

You can listen in to the show online via the BBC website

CLASSIC BOWIE INTERVIEW IN AUSTRALIA
14th May 2002

Today's issue (14th May) of the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper contained the following interview with DAVID BOWIE entitled 'Classic Bowie'.

Classic Bowie - May 13th 2002
Richard Strauss is one of the major influences on David Bowie's heralded new album, Sean Sennett reports.

Relaxed in an armchair surveying the Manhattan skyline, David Bowie is looking remarkably well. Off the fags since December, the artist formerly known as the Thin White Duke is back in business.

A chameleon throughout his career, over the past two decades alone Bowie has formed and disbanded Tin Machine, traded in trip-hop, collaborated with the artist Damien Hirst and even floated the Bowie name on the stock exchange. Now, he's delivered Heathen, his best new work since 1980's Scary Monsters. The album bristles with all the artistry of a man again in touch with his powers.

Heathen appears as a follow-on to the restoration that began in 1999 with the release of hours... Largely recorded in upstate New York, Heathen sees Bowie reunited with his old sparring partner, producer Tony Visconti. Together the pair have worked on such seminal Bowie works as The Man Who Sold The World, Young Americans, Aladdin Sane, the "German trilogy", and Scary Monsters.

Despite the relationship, Heathen is hardly revisionist. "When I was working with Tony Visconti, the idea of how we'd done things in the past was certainly at the front of my mind," Bowie begins. "As an artist, I wouldn't want Heathen to smack of anything I'd already done, though I don't think we shied away from techniques we'd used in the past. "What I wanted to do was pull together all the things I thought were central to me as a writer and singer and create a piece of music that has its own time. I hesitate to use the word 'timeless', because it sounds immodest but I really think we were trying to create a timeless piece of work."

An unexpected influence on the mood of Heathen was German composer Richard Strauss. "I haven't really said this to anybody," Bowie says conspiratorially, "but, one of the things that has gotten to me over the years is Strauss's Four Last Songs. They literally were the four last songs he ever wrote. He was in his 90s when he wrote them. There was Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. They are such moving pieces of music that I just wanted to start something that in a pop/rock way captured some of the gravitas, the spiritual questioning, that was so evident on those four songs of his.

"My daughter (Alexandria Zahra Jones, born in August 2000 to wife, Somalian supermodel Iman Abdulmajid) had just been born and I really wanted to write about a world that maybe I thought had let her down. I wanted to put out some warnings to whoever that higher spirit is to correct things, because I want a place where my daughter can grow up safely; walking open-eyed into her ambitions. I don't want her having to dodge bullets."

Bowie denotes a sense of British amateurishness in his work. A "cathedral out of matchsticks" is one description the artist has bandied about. "There's a homemade quality (on Heathen). We didn't tamper with things merely to make them more refined. I like things that are structurally transparent; you can kind of feel how they were put together. The music and the art I most admire often have that particular quality. "I'm like anyone else; I'm terribly impressed by a wonderful Renaissance painting, the pure bravado and the grandness of the technique and all that, but it's not actually the art that affects me the most. A little piece of outsider art will have much more of a major impact on me if it's roughly hewn in chalk on some cardboard."

An artist of Bowie's stature has no trouble luring famous friends into the studio. Moby and Air are currently working on remixes while Dave Grohl (Nirvana/Foo Fighters) and Pete Townshend appear on the album proper. For Bowie, Townshend remains something of a mentor.

"At least on Scary Monsters, he was actually in the bloody studio," he says, and laughs. "I think he downed a bottle of wine, he put it away in those days, and he did the full windmill with the arm. It was great. I was looking through the window going, 'Look, it's Pete Townshend'. It was rather fab. "This time around, it was crazy here (in New York) at that particular time. The New York concert (a fundraiser for September 11) was happening. We were trying to rehearse and record. We all had our own separate lives outside of that concert, we just didn't have the time to work together. "I sent the track Slow Burn over to him. He sent me a selection of takes, but I took his first take. His playing is so deeply felt. I really love that solo. There's a contained anger in it. It's so representative of Pete."

When the conversation turns to New York, Bowie becomes animated. It was there he developed his friendship with John Lennon. It was there he attended his first American gig at Madison Square Garden. "I was in the middle of a Ziggy Stardust tour and I flew over on a Friday to see Elvis on the Saturday night. It was just brill. I flew back again on Sunday for the Monday night gig. For about two weeks I was Presley (laughs). I was so gobsmacked by the show. It was a fantastic experience. "I went dressed as Ziggy Stardust. I had the red hair, the big boots, the full kit. I got there late and I had really good seats about 10 rows in. I had to walk down through these really quite conservative Americans. I had to presume that he saw me, and I thought it was the worst, most humiliating feeling ever (laughs)."

The title Heathen reflects Bowie's wit and state of mind. He uses the word with a certain irony. "I guess I am a Heathen, in so much that my leanings are towards Buddhism. According to my Oxford (dictionary), if you're not a member of the three Judah/Christian (sic) religions then you're a Heathen," he laughs. "As a Buddhist is neither an Islam (sic) or a Christian or Jewish, then he's got to be a Heathen. A Buddhist is a Heathen, so is a Hindu; it opens a whole can of worms."

THE AGEING WHITE DUKE:
Heathen's sonic terrain is dominated by a yearning quality. Producer Tony Visconti's trademark strings soar, but at the heart of the record is an awareness of a ticking clock.

"As you become an older man," Bowie says, "there's a finality about things, and an awareness of a finite length of time. Actually, what you are doing is feeling a moment, because that's all you have. The next moment it might be (grabs heart) 'Whoooosh!'. "When you're young, you don't know very much and you're always 'becoming' something. "There is a point around the 40s that you actually 'become' your being, and you know you're not going to change very much from what you are right now. At this period, the body is starting to die and, as you get older, you're going to be left more and more with your thoughts and not with very many actions to be able to carry them out. "You really have to take stock of what you want as a writer, or what it is you want out of your life. It's not a negative thing or a miserable thing. It's a slow awareness of what reality is."

From 96db Freak via www.smh.com.au

MOVE CLIP: BOWIE AT THE TRIBECA
13th May 2002

Check out this brief video clip of DAVID BOWIE at the Tribeca Film Festival in NYC on 10th May. The stars of rock, comedy and film joined together in lower Manhattan Friday night for the MTV Rock and Comedy Concert as part of the Tribeca Film Festival events.

Click here to view www.upn9.tv/news/ Judy Echavez reporting from Battery Park City - (Win Media Player)

Thanks to DavidE for the pointer.

BOWIE AT THE TRIBECA
11th May 2002

Dressed in a sharp red leather jacket and tight brown jeans, DAVID BOWIE and his band played five songs last night at New York's MTV Rock and Comedy show in front of 10,000 people.

On a beautiful evening near the Statue of Liberty at Battery Park, the opener - 'China Girl' - an MTV crowd pleaser, but very well done and received. (David starts by saying "I'm your new neighbour, I'll be stopping over for tea later." - Don't we wish!).

'Slow Burn': I now love this song. Takes a bit to sink in, but live it really sounded great. Band is Mark Plati, Earl Slick, Mike Garson, Gail Ann Dorsey, Sterling Campbell, Catherine Russell and 'Spooky Ghost' guitarist Gerry Leonard, who really shone on this number. The three guitar attack really works well!

'Afraid': much more rocking than I expected based on the crummie I had heard. Quite good. 'Let's Dance': DB doing some great hip thrusts. Did the "Samba opening" before lowering the boom. The whole crowd into it - they really jammed at the end. Great.

And then 'I'm Afraid of Americans' which was just phenomenal. Really heavy. (I had seen and heard them do this at soundcheck). Highlight of the five songs probably.

So there is a very brief report. David looked and sounded great (as usual). Really superb show - exceptional. The whole show in fact was a terrific time (Robin Williams in particular was hysterical!) - can't wait to see it on MTV - and then Roseland!

From David Emerson (website).

FREDDIE MERCURY TRIBUTE CONCERT ON DVD
11th May 2002

As mentioned last month (8th April) the FREDDIE MERCURY Tribute Concert featuring DAVID BOWIE'S complete set is scheduled for release this coming Monday on 13th May.

The region 2 package will contain two DVDs. The first disc will contain the second half of the show only, whilst the second disc will be home to a host of extra features.

The benefit show from Wembley Stadium in London on 20th April 1992 brought together a whole host of stars. Highlights of the show for me were David and Annie Lennox performing an amazing version of Under Pressure, with Annie quite definitely star struck singing with one of her biggest idols. This benefit show also marks the final live performance from Mick Ronson, who performed with David and Ian Hunter on a memorable rendition of All The Young Dudes.

The track listing is as follows:

     Tie Your Mother Down - Queen/Joe Elliott
     I Want It All - Queen/Roger Daltry
     Las Palabras De Amor - Queen/Zucchero
     Hammer To Fall - Queen/Gary Cherone
     Stone Cold Crazy - Queen/James Hetfield
     Crazy Little Thing Called Love - Queen/Robert Plant
     Too Much Love Will Kill You - Brian May
     Radio Ga Ga - Queen/Paul Young
     Who Wants To Live Forever - Queen/Seal
     I Want To Break Free - Queen/Lisa Stansfield
     Under Pressure - Queen/David Bowie/Annie Lennox
     All The Young Dudes - Queen/David Bowie/Mick Ronson/Ian Hunter
     "Heroes" - Queen/David Bowie
     '39 - Queen/George Michael
     These Are The Days Of Our Lives - Queen/George Michael
     Somebody To Love - Queen/George Michael
     Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen/Elton John/Axl Rose
     We Will Rock You - Queen/Axl Rose
     We Are The Champions - Queen/Liza Minelli/Full Cast

Disc Two features a documentary made by DoRo about the event, including backstage footage and rehearsals, and features an introduction by Roger Taylor filmed recently. There is also a short piece on the Mercury Phoenix Trust and still photographs from fans and from the official photographers.

The television version of the documentary will be broadcast on May 25th on Channel Four and June 15th on VH1.

Edition Details:
     - Region 2 encoding (Europe, Middle East & Japan only)
     - PAL, Box set
     - Number of discs: 2
     - Catalogue Number: 4928699

Release Information:
     Studio: EMI Records (UK)
     DVD Release Date: 13th May, 2002

List Price: £24.99 - Our Price: £23.99 - You Save: £1.00 (4%)

You can pre order the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert DVD now.

MELTDOWN FESTIVAL ADDITIONS TO LINE UP
11th May 2002

FISCHERSPOONER, THE THE and YEAH YEAH YEAH'S are the latest bands confirmed for this year's DAVID BOWIE'S Meltdown Festival in London between June 12th - 30th.

'Gorillaz Space Monkeyz Dub Session', a one-off Meltdown event which was to see Damon Albarn's virtual band collaborating with the ex-Specials vocalist Terry Hall on 21st June has been pulled, due to an 'injury' to an unspecified band member. However, Fischerspooner will now play on that night instead.

Other new additions of note include The The at the Queen Elizabeth Hall on June 25th, Six By Seven and David Kitt announced as the support for Mercury Rev (June 27th) and New York's Yeah Yeah Yeah's as special guests to Supergrass (June 28th).

Other recent additions include Luke Haines on the Television bill (June 19th), and Peaches in support of Suede (June 23rd).

From nme.com via Andy

BOWIE MTV TRIBECA SET LIST
11th May 2002

Around about now DAVID BOWIE and his band play live on stage at the MTV Tribeca Film Festival at Battery Park City in New York City. The show started at 7:00pm, and David's set list due to be performed is: 'Slow Burn', 'Afraid' (both from 'Heathen'), 'China Girl', 'Lets Dance' and 'I'm Afraid Of Americans'.

Other artists on the bill include Sheryl Crow, Counting Crows, Wyclef Jean, Robin Williams and Jimmy Fallon.

Parts of this concert will be used in an upcoming documentary to be broadcast on 24th May at 8:00pm on MTV in the USA.

THEY FALL ON TODAY...
10th May 2002

Thirty-two years ago on this very day... DAVID BOWIE was awarded an Ivor Novello Award for 'Space Oddity' as Best Original Song at the awards show at the Talk Of The Town in 1970. David performed live on the show that night accompanied by the Les Reed Orchestra. The event was transmitted live via satellite to over 60 closed-circuit outlets in America, including New York's Carnegie Hall. It was also broadcast in France, Spain, Australia, Holland and Venezuela, but not in Britain, where it was broadcast live on Radio 1 and 2 at 10pm-11.30pm.

Thirty-three years ago on this very day.. DAVID BOWIE performed at The White Bear Public House at 198 Kingsley Road, Hounslow, in Middlesex, England. The White Bear was the home of The Strawbs own 'Arts Lab'. The band invited David down to their Lab to guest on the BBC2 'Colour Me Pop' TV programme. The band played songs including: 'The Man Who Called Himself Jesus' and David appeared with them miming to one of their songs 'Poor Jimmy Wilson', accompanied by Tony Visconti. The programme was transmitted the following month on 14th June 1969 at 10:55pm by the BBC.

(Ed. If you're ever in the area, on the corner of Denbigh Road and Kingsley Road, or by chance happen to drive by, you might be surprised to stumble upon a huge 8 foot, 800 pound White Polar Bear outside the pub - then you'll know you're at the right place).

ROSELAND TICKETS ON SALE TODAY
10th May 2002

Reminder: Tickets for the DAVID BOWIE members only show on 11th June 2002 at the Roseland Ballroom in New York City, will be made available for BowieNet Members to purchase online TODAY (Friday, May 10th) at 10:00am EST (that's 3:00pm GMT). At present members are limited to two tickets per member to ensure that every member can bring along a companion if they so choose. More details from BowieNet.

Venue: Roseland Ballroom, 239 West 52nd Street, New York, NY.

Visit the Roseland Ballroom official website for maps, directions and much more information.

COLDPLAY COVER BOWIE
10th May 2002

COLDPLAY are planning to cover DAVID BOWIE at their forthcoming Meltdown Festival show. The group are finishing their second album, which as revealed by nme.com will be titled 'A Rush Of Blood To The Head'. Songs from the album will be played the Bowie organised festival at the London Royal Festival Hall on June 22. Group member Will Champion told Radio 1 that they were planning a tribute to their curator, and even hinted he might join them onstage. He said: "Hopefully at Meltdown, which we've been asked to do by David Bowie, which is quite an honour, we're going to try and cover a song by the great man. There might be a surprise guest appearance."

From nme.com

HEATHEN SONGS REVIEWED ON BW MB
10th May 2002

Check out a review of each track of DAVID BOWIE'S eagerly awaited album Heathen on the BowieWonderworld Message Board kindly posted by 96db Freak... Impressions of Heathen by Stu.

Also Olaf also sent a link to his review (in German) of Heathen... Heathen Review.

SLOW BURN FIRST SINGLE RELEASE
9th May 2002

SLOW BURN will be the first single from DAVID BOWIE'S album Heathen. The single is schedule for release on 1st July.

The track will be release in various formats: Promo CD sampler, promo 7" vinyl single, two European CDs, two UK CDs and UK DVD.

Bonus tracks included in this first single release include 'Wood Jackson' and 'When The Boys Come Marching Home', which are both outtakes from the Heathen sessions. 'Shadow Man', 'You've Got A Habit' and 'Baby Loves That Way' from the unreleased 'Toy' album.

PROMOTIONAL FORMATS

     Limited Edition promotional only vinyl 7"
     Slow Burn
     Wood Jackson (Outtake from 'Heathen' sessions)

4-track promotional CD sampler
     Slow Burn
     Everyone Says Hi
     Gemini Spacecraft
     Sunday (Moby Mix)

EUROPEAN SINGLE FORMATS

     CD Single
     Slow Burn (Edit)
     Wood Jackson (Outtake from 'Heathen' sessions)
     Shadow Man (from unreleased 'Toy' album)

     CD Maxi
     Slow Burn (Edit)
     Wood Jackson (Outtake from 'Heathen' sessions)
     Shadow Man (from unreleased 'Toy' album)
     When The Boys Come Marching Home (Outtake from 'Heathen' sessions)
     You've Got A Habit (from unreleased 'Toy' album)
     Slow Burn (video)

UK SINGLE FORMATS

     CD1
     Slow Burn (Edit)
     Wood Jackson (Outtake from 'Heathen' sessions)
     Shadow Man (from unreleased 'Toy' album)

     CD2
     Slow Burn (Edit)
     When The Boys Come Marching Home (Outtake from 'Heathen' sessions)
     You've Got A Habit (from unreleased 'Toy' album)

     DVD
     Video for Slow Burn
     Audio only for Baby Loves That Way (from unreleased 'Toy' album)
     Plus extra video clips and pictures.

From TBB via BowieNet.

ASH ADDED TO MAIN STAGE LINE UP
8th May 2002

MOBY is pleased to announce the addition of ASH to the Main Stage lineup for the Area: 2 Festival!

Listed below is the lineup for the Tent, along with each act and the venues where you will be able to see and hear them.

     Carl Cox
     Washington DC, Philadelphia, Holmdel, Wantagh, Toronto, Detroit.

     John Digweed
     All Dates.

     DJ Tiesto
     Washington DC, Philadelphia, Holmdel, Wantagh, Toronto, Detroit, Denver, LA, SF, Seattle.

     DJ Dan
     Chicago, Denver, LA, SF, Seattle.

     The Avalanches
     Chicago, Denver, LA, SF, Seattle.

     Dieselboy
     All Dates.

     DJ Tim Skinner
     All Dates.

From www.moby.com

DOVES ADDED TO AREA: 2 LINE UP
7th May 2002

The DOVES currently doing very well in the UK charts, Dieselboy and Blue Man Group have been added to Moby's US Area 2 tour, which starts on July 28th in Virginia.

According to moby.com Doves and Blue Man Group will join DAVID BOWIE and Busta Rhymes on the main stage and Dieselboy hits the dance tent, joining Carl Cox, John Digweed, DJ Tiesto, The Avalanches, and DJ Dan.

From Andy via www.playlouder.com

HEATHEN ON LIMITED VINYL EDITION
5th May 2002

Vinyl freaks and real record collectors will be pleased to know that DAVID BOWIE'S Heathen album is also to be released in a limited edition vinyl format. The album is scheduled for release on June 10th in the EEC and June 11th in USA on David's own label - ISO Records - via Columbia Records.

     Heathen (CD)
     CD WOW!
     £8.99 including free delivery

     Heathen (CD)
     List Price: $18.98 - Our Price: $13.99 - You Save: $4.99 (26%).
     Amazon - Order here

     Heathen (Limited Edition CD with Bonus Disc)
     List Price: $21.98 - Our Price: $20.88 - You Save: $1.10 (5%).
     Amazon - Order here

     Heathen (Import with Bonus Disc)
     List Price: $41.49 - Our Price: $37.34 - You Save: $3.15.
     CDNow - Order here

If you live in the US and pre order from Amazon - your CD will arrive in your postbox on the day of release.

(Ed. Contrary to what some people have been posting on various message boards if you PRE ORDER or PURCHASE any album or single online they DO register as chart sales. Any advance orders are registered as first week sales, as I have been saying all along).

THE BITS FLEW FAR AND WIDE
5th May 2002

You might like to know that I was listening to RADIO 2 this afternoon and Richard Allinson said that DAVID BOWIE will be a guest on his show Saturday June 8th (from Chris)...

Rumour... There's no official confirmation yet but I believe that the Heathen bonus Japanese CD disc contains a twelve page full colour booklet and features the following tracks:

     1. Sunday (Moby remix)
     2. A Better Future (Air remix)
     3. Conversation Piece (re-recorded version 2002)
     4. Panic In Detroit (outtake from 1979)

From David G.

BOWIE TICKETS WANTED
5th May 2002

Got any spare DAVID BOWIE tickets? The following Wonderworlders are trying to obtain tickets they unfortunately missed out on. Please email them if you can help out in any way.

WANTED: Two tickets for 5th July - Denmark Horsens - please email AlexA.

WANTED: One ticket for 29th June - London Meltdown Festival - please email RogerB.

WANTED: One ticket for 18th July - Switzerland, Montreux Jazz Festival 18th July - please email Chris.

WANTED: Two tickets for 31st July - Area 2 Festival gig in New Jersey, PNC Bank Center - please email Icarus.

WANTED: Tickets for 6th August - Area 2 Festival gig in Detroit, Michigan, DTE Engergy Music Center - please email Sarah.

Check on the BW Message Board for people selling, exchanging and wanting various Bowie tickets.

LOVING THE SCUMFROG
5th May 2002

Check out the latest DAVID BOWIE video collaboration with Scumfrog via the-raft.com.

The Scumfrog Vs Bowie: 'Loving The Alien'

New York producer The Scumfrog has re-constructed David Bowie's 1985 classic hit, 'Loving The Alien'. Already doing the business on dance floors up and down the country, The Scumfrog Vs Bowie version of 'Loving The Alien' is out now on the Positiva label.

Click here to check out the E-card. Go to www.the-raft.com/sneakypeek to watch the video.

Tracklisting: 1. Loving The Alien (Radio Edit) / 2. Loving The Alien (Original Club Mix). Catalogue Number: CDTIV172.

Scumfrog Vs Bowie - Click to purchase here.

BOWIENET MEMBERS GIG AT ROSELAND RESCHEDULED
4th May 2002

Due to unforseen scheduling conflicts the BOWIENET members only gig at the Roseland Ballroom in New York City - original scheduled for 10th June - has now been rescheduled one day forward to 11th JUNE.

Tickets will be made available for BowieNet members to purchase online next Friday, May 10th. At present, tickets will be limited to two per member.

From TotalBlamBlam via BowieNet.

'SLOW BURN' DOWNLOAD ONLINE
4th May 2002

'Slow Burn', one of the tracks from DAVID BOWIE'S next studio album release Heathen is now available to download via the internet.

This track featuring some excellent playing from Pete Townshend on lead guitar can be downloaded via AOL. Click here to download.

From TheDeuce.

BowieNet members can also download this song via www.davidbowie.com, this is the first of many tracks from Heathen which will be made exclusively to members of the official website.

Click here to listen to Slow Burn using your RealAudio player.

BOWIE READY TO HIT FANS FOR SIX
3rd May 2002

Manchester Evening News - May 3rd 2002.

POP icon DAVID BOWIE is bringing his ever-changing act to Greater Manchester. The star man will open the Move music festival at Lancashire County Cricket Club's Old Trafford ground on Wednesday, July 10, making the event a four-day affair.

The concert will be Bowie's only outdoor appearance in the UK this year. He has agreed to play only one other concert in the country at London's Meltdown Festival, which he has organised - and that has sold out. Now as many as 20,000 north west music fans will get a chance to see him live, supported by Suede and Divine Comedy.

Bowie, 55, who is married to supermodel Iman, last performed in the city in a small-scale concert at Manchester Academy in 1997. But the singer has been a regular visitor to Manchester throughout his career. During his Tin Machine period in the eighties he performed at the International 2, in Longsight, and a decade earlier he appeared at the Free Trade Hall.

"David Bowie is a tremendous artist and we are thrilled he has chosen to appear at the Move event," said Simon Moran, of promoters SJM. "He'll be playing tracks from his new album along with a selection of the favourites."

Heathen, released on June 11, will be his first album in three years.

The first day of Move, which is sponsored by Virgin Trains and the Manchester Evening News, will also be headlined by US pop punks Green Day. Paul Weller, Manchester's Ian Brown, Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros, indie guitar group Shed 7 and adopted Mancunians Haven will all perform on the Friday. And the grand finale on Saturday sees Manchester take centre stage yet again with New Order topping a bill which includes Mercury Music Prize nominees Doves and Elbow, Happy Mondays, Black Grape star Shaun Ryder's new outfit SWR and Chorlton's versatile five-piece Alfie.

Tickets for David Bowie at Move go on sale at 9am tomorrow, costing £27.50, and are available from Lancashire County Cricket Club on 0161 282 4074; Piccadilly Box Office on 0161 832 1111; Way Ahead Box Office on 0161 237 5554; and Virgin Megastore.

By Nick Webster.

MANCHESTER TICKET INFORMATION
4th May 2002

Please note: the Lancashire County Cricket Ground Box Office is CLOSED on Saturday's. It is open tomorrow SUNDAY for personal callers to order their tickets for DAVID BOWIE'S performance on 10th July.

The LCC box office is also CLOSED on Bank Holiday Monday. Today (Saturday) you can purchase your tickets via Piccadilly Box Office and Way Ahead. Click here for telephone numbers, online purchases and information... Bowie 2002 Performances.

Or purchase online NOW via WayAhead.

BOWIE TO PLAY MTV ROCK AND COMEDY CONCERT
4th May 2002

DAVID BOWIE is to perform live at the upcoming MTV Tribeca Film Festival on Friday MAY 10th in New York. The three hour show also features Sheryl Crow, Counting Crows, Wyclef Jean, Robin Williams and Jimmy Fallon.

BowieNet members can obtain free tickets to this event via www.davidbowie.com - there will be a random drawing for dozens of free tickets to this performance.

The show entitled 'MTV Presents Inside The Tribeca Film Festival' will be staged at Battery Park City / State Street and South Street. Doors open at 5:30pm on Friday 10th May, show starts at 7:00pm until 10:00pm. David and the band will be performing at least three or four songs.

Parts of this concert will be used in conjunction with a documentary to be aired on May 24th at 8pm EST/PST on MTV.

Visit MTV.com website.

BOWIE BITES BACK
4th May 2002

Friday's UK newspaper THE TIMES ran a 'right to reply' from DAVID BOWIE concerning the rather "sniffy" comments made by Stuart Maconie who criticised David's choice of line up for his Meltdown Festival last week.

Bowie bites back by David Bowie

Last week in The Times Stuart Maconie criticised David Bowie for his Meltdown line-up. Here he defends himself.

I somehow think that Mr Maconie's publication of his disappointment in this year's Meltdown was written to provoke a response from me. Well done. Here it is, albeit a short one.

At one point he bemoans the booking of certain acts as being redolent of the mid-Nineties and Britpop. Can you say fashion victim? I might suggest that Suede have been around a lot longer and have come to represent a lot more than that and are still one of the very best bands in Britain.

Moreover, and amusingly, Mr Maconie pines for artists of the calibre of Iggy Pop, Brian Eno and Kraftwerk. (Does anyone see an era compulsion here?) His imagination is certainly bubbling over. I would never have thought of that package. Just beyond my inventiveness.

As for his charge of the inclusion of "over-exposed" artists, my choice of billing reflects both my populist and fringe tastes in music. Note that within (ahem!) living memory Blur, Jarvis Cocker and Radiohead have been performing guests of Meltdown (all on the same year, as it happens). Could we agree that the Dandy Warhols are this year's Blur, both fine bands?

And here I will use an extract from Mr Maconie's own article to make a second point: "Elvis Costello showcased one of the last performances by the fabled New York busker Moondog. Last year Robert Wyatt mixed up the otherworldly pop of Gorky's Zygotic Mynci, jazz greats like Jack DeJohnette and John Surman plus veteran avant-gardists the Residents and Terry Riley. Wyatt surprised many by asking Dave Gilmour of Pink Floyd to perform; he in turn astonished many by choosing lo-fi Virginians Sparklehorse to play with him and Wyatt joined them on stage."

Well, that was two festivals' worth. How about this for simply one festival's worth? As Sparklehorse have already played at Meltdown, I have chosen Mercury Rev, a band some would say are even better than the Glittery Trotters.

I am also pairing on the same bill the rarely seen Daniel Johnson with the astonishing the Legendary Stardust Cowboy (a coup, if ever I smelt one). A live score to the controversial French film La Haine performed by Asian Dub Foundation, and the monstrous the Lonesome Organist. Is this not, as Mr Maconie himself favours, "poncy" enough? Possibly he has not heard of any these artists as, in his article, he didn't mention any one of them, nor indeed several others that I haven't mentioned here. This has to be the reason he was so selective with his listing.

Bearing in mind that Mr Maconie is an Eighties ex-NME journalist (also a key to why he would bother to mention my wearing make-up and having done much to increase sales of something called "henna") that can't be so. Reluctantly, I suspect he just wanted to be sniffy.

Meltdown (020-7960 4203) is at London's South Bank from June 12 to June 30.

You can read the full article here at The Times Online.

MANCHESTER TICKETS ON SALE THIS WEEKEND
3rd May 2002

Tickets go on sale this Saturday morning at 9:00am (GMT) 4th May for DAVID BOWIE'S performance in Manchester at Lancashire County Cricket Ground in Old Trafford on July 10th.

Tickets are priced at £27.50 and will be available from the following outlets... by telephone at Piccadilly Box Office 0161 832 1111 and Way Ahead 0161 237 5554. Online through www.gigsandtours.com

Suede and The Divine Comedy have been rescheduled as the support acts for the show - See the Bowie 2002 performance page for updates.

All tickets to the Move festival have also been available via the Virgin Megastore (Manchester and Liverpool) and Royal Court Box Office (Liverpool) it might be worth trying those outlets too.

HEATHEN PROMO CD COVER SONGS
2nd May 2002

Here's the lowdown on the three cover songs that appear on the promotional CD for DAVID BOWIE'S eagerly awaited album 'Heathen' scheduled for 10th June release (11th in USA) on ISO Records via Columbia Records...

'Cactus' the Pixies track written by Black Francis (aka Charles Thompson) appeared on their 'Surfer Rosa' album in 1988. The track is spiked with T.Rex's 'The Groover' and was penned from a prison inmates pleas for his girlfriend to rub her dress with blood and sweat and send it to him.

'I've Been Waiting For You' was originally written by Neil Young for his self titled album 'Neil Young' from 1968 on Reprise Records, which coincidentally was also covered by The Pixies. Kim Deal took on vocal duties and it appeared on their 'Complete B Sides' compilation album released last year. You'll also remember that David performed this track live during the Tin Machine 'It's My Life' tour which appeared on the 'Oy Vey Baby' video release.

'Gemini Spacecraft' was written by Norman Carl Odam (aka The Legendary Stardust Cowboy) and was originally entitled I Took A Trip On A Gemini Spaceship. Apparently on David's version he has reworked the lyrics from the original. No doubt you know that the 'Ledge' is making a live rare appearance at the Meltdown Festival in June at David's request.

Another coincidence is that the 'Ledge' also wrote a track called Cactus. If you'd like to learn a little more about 'The Ledge' pop on over to www.stardustcowboy.com and www.angelfire.com/ca3/ledge/. Better still get yourself a ticket and go see him perform at the Meltdown Festival next month.

AREA: 2 FESTIVAL TICKETS ON SALE NOW
1st May 2002

Update: Click on the TOUR DATES search box at the top or bottom of this page. Type in 'Bowie' and you will find tickets for various David Bowie shows currently available for purchase.

Moby's Summer Festival AREA: TWO TOUR which features DAVID BOWIE as co-headliner, along with Moby, Busta Rhymes, Carl Cox and Digweed performing are set to appear at the following venues from Canada down to Los Angeles..

     JULY 28th - Washington, DC - Nissan Pavilion
     JULY 30th - Philadelphia, PA - Tweeter Center
     JULY 31st - Holmdel, New Jersey - PNC Bank Center
     AUGUST 2nd - Wantagh, New York - Jones Beach
     AUGUST 3rd - Boston, MA - Tweeter Center
     AUGUST 5th - Toronto, Canada - Molson Ampitheater
     AUGUST 6th - Detroit, Michigan - DTE Energy Music Center
     AUGUST 8th - Chicago, Illinois - Tweeter Center
     AUGUST 10th - Denver, Colorado - Pepsi Arena - City of Lights
     AUGUST 13th - Los Angeles, LA - Verizon Ampitheater
     AUGUST 14th - San Francisco, CA - Shoreline Ampitheater
     AUGUST 16th - Seattle, WA - The Gorge

Members of BowieNet can also obtain special tickets via davidbowie.com.

You can also obtain tickets by using the search box above or via sponsors MTV2 before they go on sale to the public. Just visit mtv.com/bands/tourdates/area_two at 10:00 am (Local Time)* on Wednesday May 1st, for the presale password and instructions for buying tickets.

* Local Time means - tickets go on sale when it's 10:00 a.m. in the city where the venue is located.

See the 2002 performance listing page for all announced David Bowie appearances.

LITTLE WONDER FRIDAY GIG
1st May 2002

Tribute band LITTLE WONDER play a live gig this coming Friday (3rd May) at The Freight House, Rochford, Essex, UK. Visit their website at www.changesbowie.co.uk for more details and information, as well as forthcoming bookings.

HEATHEN PROMOTIONAL CD INFO
1st May 2002

Several people have emailed to say that they've received their promotional copies of DAVID BOWIE'S Heathen album. The promo tracklisting is the same as mentioned elsewhere but it's missing two David Bowie penned tracks 'Marching' and 'Wood Jackson' originally mentioned in the official Heathen press release last month - and do not appear on the promotional copy.

Whether this will be the final tracklisting for the Heathen album or the order will change we'll have to wait and see. Whichever happens, you can probably expect the tracks to appear on the Japanese bonus disc and probably appearing as bonus tracks on future single releases.

The promotional CD tracklisting for Heathen is:

     01. Sunday (4:45)
     02. Cactus (2:56)
     03. Slip Away (6:05)
     04. Slow Burn (4:40)
     05. Afraid (3:27)
     06. I've Been Waiting For You (3:00)
     07. I Would Be Your Slave (5:13)
     08. Gemini Spacecraft (4:05)
     09. 5.15 The Angels Have Gone (5:00)
     10. Everyone Says Hi (3:59)
     11. A Better Future (4:10)
     12. Heathen (4:16)

Every single person who emailed in had nothing but praise on hearing the album. Some of the comments included: "Without doubt THE best thing since Scary Monsters"... "I can't stop playing it"... "I've been playing it non stop for 3 days"... "It's on a par with Outside - if not better."... "I CANNOT wait for these forthcoming Heathen shows"...

Heathen is scheduled for 10th June release (11th in USA) on ISO Records via Columbia Records - you can pre order your copy now.

Last Updated: 31/5/02

BowieWonderworld Reminders

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Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert DVD release featuring Bowie's full set released in the UK now. You can Order the DVD now.

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