glass spider tour wiki

David Bowie’s 1987 Slump Held Its Own Weird Magic

His much-maligned album Never Let Me Down and the dazzling Glass Spider Tour it spawned were the work of a veteran artist in the throes of metamorphosis.

In his 1980 song “Ashes to Ashes,” David Bowie sang of how his long-running character, the doomed astronaut Major Tom, was “hitting an all-time low.” Seven years later, Bowie found himself in similar straits. Never Let Me Down , his seventeenth album, was released in April of 1987 to middling sales and critical hostility. It was his first album in 16 years to fail to crack the British Top Five. The Glass Spider Tour, lavish and overstuffed, kicked off a month later and was equally panned. As the magazine Smash Hits trolled at the time, “If Dame David Bowie is such a bleeding chameleon, why, pray, can’t he change into something more exciting than the skin of an aging rock plodder?”

Bowie turned 40 that year, and he became caught in a backlash against rock’s aging aristocracy. He’d pulled off a coup at the start of the decade with the massive, career-boosting success of his album Let’s Dance , but by 1985, he was hamming it up with Mick Jagger during their hollow cover of Martha and the Vandellas’ “Dancing in the Street.” The slickly produced and tepidly executed Never Let Me Down was panned as being just as self-indulgent. Time hasn’t softened that consensus. Thirty years later, in his book On Bowie , Rob Sheffield called Never Let Me Down “an all-time low”—as if to echo Bowie’s own lyrics in “Ashes to Ashes.” Lesser albums by popular artists are routinely relegated to the dustbin of history—or at the very least, the tail end of online rankings and listicles. But there’s as much to be learned from the dead ends and disappointments of great artists like Bowie as there is from their triumphs and masterpieces.

Recommended Reading

Capturing David Bowie

David Bowie's Perfect Farewell

The Resurrections of David Bowie

Never Let Me Down , ironically, was one of Bowie’s biggest letdowns. There was a sly self-awareness about his conversion from cult figure to mainstream figurehead following Let’s Dance , a quality sorely missing from the plasticity of Never Let Me Down . The track “Shining Star (Makin’ My Love)” is stiff and static, and it’s marred even further by a rap verse from the actor Mickey Rourke, who spits some egregious rhymes about Leon Trotsky and Adolf Hitler. Listless arrangements and cellophane-thin tones render the songs as robust as soda fizz. “Too Dizzy,” a song so emblematic of ’80s blandness that it makes Phil Collins sound like Otis Redding, was even removed by Bowie from the album’s reissues. “What, for me, was a bitter disappointment was the way [ Never Let Me Down ] turned out. It wasn’t played with any conviction,” Bowie laments in Christopher Sandford’s book Bowie: Loving the Alien . “It was studio-fied to such an extent that, halfway through the sessions, I was going out to lunch and just leaving everyone to it.”

For all of Bowie’s self-deprecation, Never Let Me Down actually marked an upward creative shift. The artist had more songwriting credits on the album than he did on either of his two previous albums, 1983’s Let’s Dance and 1984’s Tonight . And for the first time since 1980’s Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps )—the album that contained “Ashes to Ashes”—he does more than just sing; he contributes guitar, harmonica, and keyboards to the recording, closer to the hands-on process he used in his ’70s prime.

Two of the album’s singles, “Day-In Day-Out” and “Never Let Me Down,” fare far better in retrospect than much of the pop-rock of 1987. The former song, despite a muddled if well-meaning message about urban poverty, boasts brassy hooks and a gutsy vocal performance from Bowie; the latter is a mix of crooning atmosphere and sultry danceability drawn straight from his Let’s Dance playbook. Meanwhile, deep cuts and B-sides like the anthemic “Zeroes” and the stripped-down, infectious “Julie” were overlooked in the rush to tag Bowie as yet another ’60s-spawned rocker who, by 1987, had lost his luster.

It’s easy to see why Never Let Me Down left so many Bowie fans and critics crestfallen. After a three-year break from releasing studio albums, this trailblazer known for his restless innovation and reinvention seemed content to tread water. But judged on its own merits, the album reflects an interplay between social consciousness, rosy nostalgia, and Bowie’s growing desire to reconnect with his craft—the superstar remembering he’s a songsmith.

Nowhere is that more evident than on “Glass Spider.” Buried in the middle of Never Let Me Down , the track is a throwback to Bowie’s high-concept work of the ’70s, most obviously Diamond Dogs and The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars . It begins with a poetic, spoken-word monologue detailing a mythic creature who would decorate its web with the bones of its prey, “creating a macabre shrine of remains.” What follows is a haunting phantasmagoria tailor-made for newbies who had bought into Bowie after his major work of 1986—a starring role in Jim Henson’s dark fantasy film Labyrinth . At the same time, it dog-whistled to his longtime fans who missed the theatrical, science-fictional Bowie of old. Stark and exquisite, “Glass Spider” remains one of Bowie’s great, underappreciated songs.

The Glass Spider Tour was a more complicated affair. Bowie launched it in May of 1987 with a series of press releases around the world, in which he claimed that the upcoming concerts—spread across seven months and three continents—would be “overflowing with makeup, costumes, and theatrical sets.” It being the excessive ’80s, quantity conferred quality. The set included a 60-foot-tall illuminated spider that hovered menacingly over the stage. Bowie descended from that monstrous prop every night, seated in an office chair and reciting his monologue from “Glass Spider,” except for the nights when it was too windy to safely permit it. The stage show was comically extravagant, with up to a dozen dancers and instrumentalists flanking Bowie at any given time. A loose narrative drove parts of the performance, but the interstitial bits mostly added up to flimsy excuses for catwalks, scaffoldings, garish jumpsuits, astronaut costumes, and lots of gold lamé.

Yet this was Bowie. Although he’d dialed back his thespian tendencies since Let’s Dance , was it really so unreasonable to see him back under the veritable proscenium arch? Critics thought so. This was the year that the most buzzed-about rock album was U2’s The Joshua Tree , released in March—an album that heralded a wholesale rejection of early-’80s glitz in favor of a gritty, earnest air of dressed-down authenticity. Framed in that context, the magazine Sounds dismissed the tour as “frenzied schlock and half-baked goofing.” Chris Roberts, a former staff writer at Melody Maker admitted in David Buckley’s book Strange Fascination , “There was overwhelming peer pressure not to like [The Glass Spider Tour].” Yet, Roberts added, “It was ambitious, challenging, weird, strange, mental, and barmy, and that’s got to be good.”

Indeed, The Glass Spider Tour is as underrated as Never Let Me Down . Released as a concert movie in 1988, Glass Spider shows an acrobatic, outlandish troupe backing their equally larger-than-life frontman. The famed guitarist Peter Frampton, a childhood friend of Bowie’s, adds a fluid virtuosity to the longtime guitarist and bandleader, Carlos Alomar, who performs intrepidly with his hair sculpted into punky spikes. The set list ranges from classics like “Rebel Rebel” to fan favorites like “Sons of the Silent Age,” and from fresh singles like “Day-In Day-Out” to covers of two of Bowie’s prime influences, The Stooges and The Velvet Underground. It’s spectacular, beautiful, charmingly pretentious, and weirdly magical. Dwarfing everything is the six-story spider hunched over the stage—as impossibly grandiose, intimidating, and iconic as Bowie himself.

After the tour ended in New Zealand in November, the band and crew ceremoniously destroyed the massive prop. “It was so great to burn the spider in New Zealand at the end of the tour,” Bowie recalls in Strange Fascinations . “We just put the thing in a field and set light to it. That was such a relief!” Whether or not he realized it at the time, it was a symbolic act. Soon after returning home, Bowie began a new project that would signal a rebirth of sorts: the rock band Tin Machine, a lean, back-to-basics quartet whose self-titled debut in 1989 presaged the rise of alt-rock and grunge. Having hit the height of ego and extravagance on The Glass Spider Tour, Bowie submerged himself in a humble group that erased his name from the marquee. Tin Machine wasn’t particularly well received either, but it put Bowie back on the path of relentless reinvention he’d been walking since the ’60s. He didn’t have to hit rock bottom to get there; he had to be hoisted 60 feet in the air.

Never Let Me Down may indeed be a midlife crisis set to music, an album expressing longing for the glamour of youth as well as a confused desire to recapture it. But there’s nothing inherently wrong with that; it’s no less valid than an album written in the passion of post-adolescence or under the shadow of death. Bowie himself delivered all of the above, and everything in between, throughout his half-century-long career—up to and including his sprawling swan song, 2016’s Blackstar . But with Never Let Me Down , and the attendant spectacle of The Glass Spider Tour, Bowie unwittingly painted a jumbled, overambitious self-portrait of a veteran artist in the throes of metamorphosis. It was uncharted territory, even for a man who built an identity around changes. Which is why, for all its flaws, Bowie’s 1987 work remains some of his most audaciously dazzling, and some of his most human.

• Rock Hall Inductees Announced
• Rock Hall 2024 Roundtable
• Best American '70s Rock Bands
• Ulrich Childhood Home for Sale
• Artists Not in the Rock Hall

When David Bowie Launched His Eye-Popping ‘Glass Spider’ Tour

David Bowie  was a performer ahead of his time – in his music, his image and his live performances. His 1987 Glass Spider tour was the biggest live spectacle of his career, an undertaking so massive that Bowie would never attempt to repeat it, despite the trek's success.

The tour was in support of the Never Let Me Down  album, which was intended as a return to rock for Bowie after exploring mainstream pop on previous releases. He conceptualized a big, bold, innovative experiment in blending an arena rock show with theatrical elements, groundbreaking staging and choreography.

"It's written and structured with various thematic devices," Bowie said at the time. "If this works the way I hope it does, then the next step for me will be to write a piece specifically for arenas and stadiums, which is almost like taking a musical on the road that has one narrative form all the way through, with a cast of characters, and is written for epic theater. I'm testing the waters with this tour."

Bowie assembled a team that included five dancers (under the direction of choreographer Toni Basil, famous for the No. 1 hit "Mickey"), saxophone, trumpet, congas and violin. He tapped Peter Frampton – who had just launched a semi-successful comeback after several years of retirement – to play guitar on both the album and tour.

Watch David Bowie Perform on the Glass Spider Tour

The entire ensemble rehearsed for 12 hours a day in New York before kicking off the tour on May 30, 1987 at Stadion Feijenoord in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The set list included the bulk of the new album, as well as a number of lesser-known songs from Bowie's catalog. The massive stage set consisted of a giant spider with vacuum tube legs that were lit from the inside, and Bowie would emerge from the spider's head for the show's dramatic encore.

The tour was financially the most successful of Bowie's career to that time, but both it and the album it supported were met with a mixed critical reception. Though Bowie would later state that he felt the tour paved the way for many elements that became important in subsequent live productions from other acts, he found the rigors of the show so exhausting that he chose to scale down his future road shows.

The tour was documented in a popular home-video release, Glass Spider , a year later in 1988, and then released on DVD in 2007.

Every David Bowie Single Ranked

More from ultimate classic rock.

Flashback: David Bowie Faces Heat on Glass Spider Tour

• By Andy Greene

Andy Greene

David Bowie ‘s 1987 Glass Spider tour is widely seen as the one of the worst things he ever did, right up there with his 1967 single “The Laughing Gnome,” his 1984 cover of “God Only Knows” and his widely ignored 2000 movie Mr. Rice’s Secret . It’s become shorthand for something pretentious and over the top, a cautionary tale for what happens when an artist gets so big and famous that nobody can tell him something is a bad idea.

See Five Decades of David Bowie Videos

Watching the footage over a quarter century later, it’s easy to see what all the fuss was about – but it’s nowhere near as terrible as the legend suggests. Beyond the fact that the production seems tame by today’s standards, it was hardly the first time Bowie incorporated dancers and theatrics into his stage show. His 1974 Diamond Dogs tour was equally over the top. He also busted out mime moves on the Ziggy Stardust tour in 1972/’73, and not much else about those shows can be considered restrained. 

A big part of the problem is that he was touring behind Never Let Me Down , which even Bowie later admitted was not a strong album. His previous two projects were the soundtrack to Labyrinth and Tonight . Neither of them were up to Bowie’s high standards. 1983’s Let’s Dance was obviously an enormous success, but some fans were turned off by its MTV friendly sound. The next four years were defined by a Jim Henson children’s movie, a campy duet with Mick Jagger, a Pepsi commercial with Tina Turner and a couple of subpar albums, so by the time he hit the road in 1987 the critics were ready to pounce. 

Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff Have Reached Their Limit

Meet the girthmaster, the onlyfans creator who makes up to $80,000 per month, opioids came for country music. it’s fighting back, from vmas drama to 'thank you aimee': a timeline of taylor swift's feud with kim kardashian, kanye west.

He gave them a lot of criticize with the Glass Spider tour. Pepsi sponsored the whole thing (paving the way for huge money tours in the future) and some nights Bowie seemed to be sleepwalking through his hits. Guitarists Carlos Alomar and Peter Frampton didn’t always mesh well together, and the giant spider hovering over the stage did look a little ridiculous. Many fans were shocked to see Frampton onstage, but it had been 11 long years since Frampton Comes Alive . Bowie and Frampton grew up together, and he was more than happy to give his old friend a high-profile gig. As you can see from this video of “China Girl” and “Rebel Rebel,” Bowie was in fine voice, and the tour isn’t quite as bad as its reputation.

Bowie realized that the Glass Spider tour was a misstep, so when it was finished he decided to do something radically different. Remembering how much fun he had working with Hunt and Tony Sales on Iggy Pop ‘s albums in the late Seventies, he decided to reconnect with the duo and formed Tin Machine along with guitarist Reeves Gabrels. They cut an album and launched a club tour, playing only new material. It was the polar opposite of everything he did on the Glass Spider tour, yet many people seemed to hate it even more.

Lou Gramm on Foreigner's Long-Awaited Rock Hall Induction: 'Justice Has Been Done'

• Juke Box Hero

Dasha Wants to Get Country Music Audiences Dancing Again With Hit Song 'Austin'

• Boot Scootin'
• By Josh Crutchmer

Maya Hawke Details Toxic Love in New Single, 'Hang in There'

• Chaos Angel
• By Charisma Madarang

Rick Ross' Drake Diss Video Is Actually Self-Promo (And It's Genius)

• Laughing With You
• By Tomás Mier

St. Vincent Looks Inside to Reveal 'Big Time Nothing' on New Song

Most popular, quentin tarantino no longer making 'the movie critic' as final film, prince william’s bond with his in-laws sheds a light on his 'chilly' relationship with these royals, judge grants nicki minaj's husband, kenneth petty, permission to travel internationally for 'pink friday 2' tour, south carolina plans to buy women’s final four center court, you might also like, stephen chow to produce ‘king of comedy’ variety show with china’s iqiyi, wwd’s new book celebrates black creatives’ impact on culture and style in ‘black in fashion’ , the best yoga mats for any practice, according to instructors, stephen colbert once laughed so hard at ‘tropic thunder’ his wife thought he was dying, cvc ipo offers glimpse into private equity giant’s sports strategy.

Rolling Stone is a part of Penske Media Corporation. © 2024 Rolling Stone, LLC. All rights reserved.

Verify it's you

Please log in.

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

Music: Bowie's Glass Spider Tour

By Jon Pareles, Special To the New York Times

• Aug. 1, 1987

Overkill reigns in David Bowie's latest stage show, the Glass Spider Tour, which played its first American date Thursday at Veterans Stadium here and goes to Giants Stadium in New Jersey on Sunday and Monday. The two-and-a-half-hour set frequently looks far different from a standard rock concert, as Mr. Bowie has been promising. But when it does, in some of its most ambitious numbers, it often looks just plain silly.

The production calls for five dancers along with Mr. Bowie and his six-man band, performing under (and at one point, atop) the canopy of a giant ''spider'' with eight lighted legs, moving jaws and a head lighted like a jukebox - a superbly flexible set. There are film projections, props and performance-art-style bits with spoken words, along with such standard stadium effects as giant video screens; Mr. Bowie even ''flies.'' The show is spectacular, but too often it's spectacular for its misjudgments.

Mr. Bowie is clearly trying to do something extraordinary. The set opens with the Kronos Quartet's recording of Jimi Hendrix's ''Purple Haze'' - an example of the high culture-mass culture combination Mr. Bowie is after - and continues with his song ''Up the Hill Backwards,'' which declares, ''It's got nothing to do with you/If one can grasp it.''

Indeed, long stretches have nothing to do with crowd-pleasing. Although the current band plays more conventional, big-beat rock than most of Mr. Bowie's touring outfits (complete with hard-rock guitar solos by Peter Frampton), the set plays down hits in favor of bleaker songs about the clash of cultures (''Loving the Alien''), totalitarianism (''Big Brother,'' ''87 and Cry'') and utter alienation (''Scary Monsters,'' ''Sons of the Silent Age''). The set is also weighted toward Mr. Bowie's dramatic ballads (''Absolute Beginners,'' ''Time'') rather than his rockers.

Mr. Bowie probably hoped to merge his most nightmarish lyrics with dreamlike dancing for an eerie, unsettling show. The dancers run, jump and tumble around the stage (and around Mr. Bowie), enacting shoving matches and dispensing repetitive gestures - a man swinging a baseball bat, group gestures like sign language - that suggest a half-baked version of the choreographic theater of Pina Bausch. Early in the show, ''Day-In, Day-Out,'' with dancers on three stories of scaffolding, promises a dizzying overload of visual activity.

But for all the energy the dancers bring, the choreography fails. It's by Toni Basil, whose 1970's troupe, the Lockers, brought the robotic motion and acrobatics of street dancing to television. Over the last decade, however, moves that seemed startling have become commonplace - and instead of deepening Mr. Bowie's songs, the hair-flinging, shoulder-twitching and rubber-robot routines tame them. ''Dancing With the Big Boys'' looked like an outtake from the movie ''Flashdance''; a line from that song, ''This can be embarrassing,'' was all too appropriate.

The more arresting images occurred when Mr. Bowie was partnering a single dancer. He sang ''Sons of the Silent Age'' to a dancer who swayed back and forth as if he were moving her by telekinesis; in '' 'Heroes,' '' he started the song on his knees, roped, with a dancer gradually unfurling his bonds and home-movie images from the Soviet Union flickering behind him.

Along with '' 'Heroes,' '' though, the best parts of the show were those in which the dancers had been dispatched to dressing rooms and Mr. Bowie stepped forward and simply led his band in such songs as ''Rebel Rebel,'' ''The Jean Genie,'' ''Young Americans'' and the new ''Beat of Your Drum.'' His movements became more authoritative, though no less stylized and oblique; it again became clear what a charismatic actor Mr. Bowie can be. Even the music seemed crisper without the visual distractions.

In ''Fashion,'' the dancers gang up on Mr. Bowie, pushing him around and even tossing him head over heels. The number could speak for the show itself, which puts Mr. Bowie's music far too much at the mercy of its staging.

• Today »

• City & Culture
• Food & Drink
• Film & TV
• Music Features
• Music Reviews
• What's In Your Fridge

35 years ago today: David Bowie brings his massive Glass Spider Tour to Vancouver

Thirty-five years ago today--on August 15, 1987--David Bowie brought his huge Glass Spider Tour to BC Place Stadium.

The added bonus was, the Thin White Duke had Peter Frampton on lead guitar, and that dude can play!

Sadly, I didn't get there in time to see openers the Georgia Satellites, who were one of my fave bands at the time.

Here's my review, which was published in the August 21, 1987 issue of the Georgia Straight .

Fans of the Georgia Satellites who were expecting to see the hard-rocking Atlanta band open for David Bowie at the scheduled time of 7 pm last Saturday (August 15) were in for a rather nasty surprise. The Satellites' gig was pushed ahead to 6:30 pm so patrons of the scheduled 5 1/2 hour concert would have time to catch public transportation before the midnight cut-off.

Despite the efforts of the promoters to let ticket holders know about the last-minute change through radio, TV, and the daily papers, Georgia Satellites fans who didn't hear about the time change got shafted.

I was one of them.

On the positive side, the Duran Duran set was actually quite good--a lot better than I thought it would be. From the press box the sound in the dome still resembled a cheap ghetto blaster, but at least there wasn't that irritating echo you usually get up there, thanks to careful speaker placement.

Duran Duran started off with the James Bond track "A View to a Kill", and headed through such hits as "Union of the Snake", "Hungry Like the Wolf" and "Wild Boys" (during which Simon Le Bon pulled off a rather nifty handstand). They also did a couple of tunes from the band's splinter groups, Power Station ("Some Like It Hot") and Arcadia ("Election Day").

At about 10 o'clock the 35,000 fans finally got what they'd been waiting so long for, and as the lights went down Bowie's spikey-haired rhythm guitarist Carlos Alomar came strolling out, knocking off Van Halen-type guitar licks, while a voice from the scaffolding high above kept yelling, "Shut up!"

That voice belonged to Bowie himself, who descended from the belly of a huge, translucent, glowing spider while reciting the poetic opening lines of the song "Glass Spider". Dressed in an oversized red jumpsuit and matching suede boots, the 40-year-old pop star was joined by the rest of his band and five dancers.

In no time at all, a huge throng of fans had assembled at the front of the stage, leaving those who had paid upwards of $300 for front row seats to think about other ways they could have spent their money. From across the stadium, the performers looked like insects, but thanks to two massive video screens, most of the on-stage action was visible.

With Peter Frampton's inspired guitar freak-outs leading the way, the Bowie band made its way through new material ("Time Will Crawl", Iggy Pop's "Bang Bang") and older stuff ("Heroes," "Rebel Rebel") before the marathon night of rock and roll came to an end, just before midnight.

POPULAR ON STRAIGHT.COM

Where to try vancouver’s most unique burgers, powell river is onto something good, vancouver’s hong kong fair returns to the shipyards, vancouver cheap eats that are actually cheap—and actually tasty, the straight playoff bandwagon is ready to roll, new acapella group vancity harmony set to debut in june, evanescence announces canadian tour with vancouver kickoff, vancouver folk music festival announces its 2024 lineup, still hanging in there, kingsgate mall celebrates a half-century of glorious sadness, the cultural prowess of eugene, or, more on straight.com, confessions, dear parents.

I can only speak through my own experiences, however I’d like to offer some advice to those out...

I was biking/you were walking at Richards and Georgia. You looked stunning with your strawberry...

• ONLINE/VIRTUAL
• CLASSIFIEDS
• BEST OF VANCOUVER
• GOLDEN PLATES

FEATURED GUIDES

Georgia straight guide to the 34th annual dancing on the edge festival, indigenous stories, education: upgrade your skills for a dramatically new world.

• David Bowie albums

Glass Spider (Live Montreal ’87)

Released: 31 July 2007

David Bowie: vocals, guitar Carlos Alomar, Peter Frampton: guitar, vocals Carmine Rojas: bass guitar Erdal Kızılçay: keyboards, trumpet, congas, violin, vocals Richard Cottle: keyboards, saxophone, tambourine, vocals Alan Childs: drums

Tracklisting

• ‘Intro’/ ‘Up The Hill Backwards’
• ‘Glass Spider’
• ‘Day-In Day-Out’
• ‘Bang Bang’
• ‘Absolute Beginners’
• ‘Loving The Alien’
• ‘China Girl’
• ‘Rebel Rebel’
• ‘Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)’
• ‘All The Madmen’
• ‘Never Let Me Down’
• ‘Big Brother’ / ‘Chant Of The Ever Circling Skeletal Family’
• ‘’87 And Cry’
• ‘Sons Of The Silent Age’
• ‘Time Will Crawl’
• ‘Young Americans’
• ‘Beat Of Your Drum’
• ‘The Jean Genie’
• ‘Let’s Dance’
• ‘Blue Jean’
• ‘Modern Love’

Glass Spider was first released in 2007 as part of a special edition package containing a DVD of David Bowie’s 1987 world tour of the same name, and a two-CD set recorded in Montreal, Canada.

Songs for the Glass Spider Tour were absolutely fun, especially performing ‘Chant Of The Ever Circling Skeletal Family’ , ‘I Wanna Be Your Dog’, ‘Loving The Alien’ , ‘Sons Of The Silent Age’ , ‘Bang Bang’ , ‘Time’ , and a few from the album which translated quite well live, like ‘’87 And Cry’ , ‘Never Let Me Down’ , ‘Time Will Crawl’ , and ‘Beat Of Your Drum’ . The live concert video is a very good representation. We really worked hard on the material.

The Sydney film was reissued on DVD, with remixed audio, in 2007. There was a standard edition, and a special edition with the live double album.

The bonus album contained an almost-complete show recorded more than two months previously, at Montreal’s Olympic Stadium on 30 August 1987 . The audio, originally recorded for radio broadcast, omitted encores of ‘I Wanna Be Your Dog’ and ‘White Light/White Heat’ , but contained six songs not included on the video.

A different live set, titled Glass Spider Live , was released in the Netherlands in 2008 on vinyl and double CD. This took the Sydney audio from the original VHS mix, and was an unofficial release.

Glass Spider was reissued in 2018 as part of the Loving The Alien (1983-1988) box set. It was retitled Glass Spider (Live Montreal ’87) and had new artwork.

Latest Comments

in the Sydney concerts and I was at all 9 Charlie Sexton was in town and that’s why I wanta be your dog was on there. Charlie came out for the encore. I believe this was the first concert ever to use radio mics and they had only five channels so 5 mics. Every single show was different which you wouldn’t know unless you saw them all but it was due to theatrical issues, early shows just had numbers left out and about show 4 on there were delays as they tried to fix it often more than 10 minutes. I hear the set was meant for Stadiums and the Sydney Entertainment centre at the time was too small for the set. At this time he still had his apartment in Elizabeth Bay a Sydney suburb and I’m sure he stayed there. He lived in Sydney on and off. At the time there was no online at all and I and others slept outside the Entertainment Centre to get front row tickets for the first 2 concerts that went on sale. So worth it and he was so good and we didn’t see him again until he played 2 concerts at the same venue with the reality tour where I think he was at his best.

A small correction about the personnel: Charlie Sexton was never part of the Glass Spider Tour band. This is a common misunderstanding as he is included in the official tour video, but he was only a special guest for the encores at that show in Sydney. I think he might have been supporting act in some shows in the States, but he never played with Bowie at Montreal or any other shows apart from Sydney. Source: listen to the band introduction from the Montreal recording and you’ll hear all the band members and no Charlie.

Ps. Thanks for a great website.

Thanks Anders – now corrected.

What about VHS 1988 Glass Spider concert Sydney Astralia

Leave a Reply

• Albumography
• Miscellaneous
• Bowie on Film

An interview with Viktor Manoel, Glass Spider Tour dancer.

Hello Viktor. How did your dancing career begin?

My career began with Mexican Folkloric dancing. I had an argument with my dad regarding my personal life choices, so I moved out and got into dancing. It was at that time that I performed “The Deer Dance” – then I turned 18 and began going to clubs, where I got into urban dance. Back then, I met several friends and we were part of a style known as “Punking”, later called “whacking”. I’m the last of those dancers.

At the end of the 70’s, dancing with that style, I landed an audition with Diana Ross, for a show in Las Vegas. I didn’t get that gig, but I did land a job with Grace Jones, and we would work together for three years. I then returned to the united states at the end of the tour and I began taking lessons, whilst also performing with an androgynous Punk group at a night club called “Peanuts”. That time began shaping my androgynous look, decked out with high heels.

Before working with David Bowie, what was your impression about his music? did you have any favorite albums?

Something that stood out to David was the fact I wasn’t a huge fan. I liked some of his songs, I remember “Fame” because it was a huge hit when I graduated from High School. Ironically, Grace Jones also had a song called Fame and I also auditioned for the film called Fame but I didn’t get the part.

So I liked Fame, Look Back in Anger, Cat People…but I wasn’t a fan, and he liked that.

How was your audition for the tour?

Toni Basil had come to see my shows at Peanuts, and she also attended some of my Jazz classes, at the time I had also begun teaching. She asked if I was interested in auditioning for David, and she said I had to bring in a Bowie track. I chose “Dancing With The Big Boys” because at the time my life was pretty difficult, and I craved to make something out of my talent. I think that because of the way I was, I could engage in meaningful conversations with David, we talked about art, books, ideas…he asked me what music I was listening to, and he asked for my opinion about bands that could open the show for him.

Above, Toni Basil & Debbie Harry with David in 1987.

What was it like hanging out with Toni Basil?

I met Toni in 1975, she was familiar with my urban dancing career but also my technical, more professional side, as I had the opportunity to work with big ballet companies in the united states. I looked younger than I was, at 23 I looked 16 but danced very professionally, so they wanted me to dance for them, and took me under their wing with a scholarship.

When I was young my teacher wanted to send me to Mexico to dance with Amalia Hernandez, but I declined. I was just beginning to figure out who I was as a person, and the last thing I needed was to relocate. I didn’t dream about being a famous person, I just wanted to make art, I never chased fame.

Tell me about your audition, you picked “Dancing With The Big Boys”. What did the song mean for you, and what choreography did it inspire you to perform? What impression did you make on David with it?

(Laughs) Ah, Dancing With The Big Boys! I was familiar with the song because I used it in my classes. For me, it meant that it was time to dance with the big boys, in the big leagues. Toni requested that I auditioned just like I danced at the club. Long hair, women underwear, an athletic cup and heels. I didn’t arrive to it with any choreography, it was all free-style, on the spot. When I came onstage, there were many urban dancers there, all straight, and they began laughing when they saw me. Me, being the way I am, got quite upset. That fuelled my dancing, and I danced my heart out, I even danced on top of the speakers. The ceiling was the only spot I didn’t dance on. When the song finished, their jaws where on the floor. They were like “What the fuck just happened?”. The day before I had auditioned for Madonna, “Who’s That Girl world tour”. It was different to the Bowie audition, because for Madonna you had to learn the choreography. That was a very intense period in my life, lots of people were demanding that I changed the way I looked, the way I danced, even my manager.

I auditioned for Madonna on Friday and for David Bowie on Saturday. I then went to church and prayed, I asked god to give me the big break with either one. I told myself: “Whomever, calls me first, that’s whom I’ll go with” because I didn’t want to have to choose between them.

Monday morning at 7 AM, my phone rang. I answered and it was Toni Basil calling me from New York. She told me “Pack your bags, we’re going on tour” I said what? and she told me “David watched your video…he just watched 30 seconds and he said who’s that guy? I want him on my tour” he didn’t even finish watching the full audition, he said “get me that guy”. I also landed the Madonna gig, I had to call the producers and tell them I wasn’t available, I thanked them and packed my bags for New York.

Correct me if I’m mistaken, did you make the Spanish dialogue for “All The Madmen”?

No, that was Carlos Alomar.

How did David define your role for the tour?

He told me I was going to represent his shadow, his past, and his consciousness. Toni video taped everything I did, not just the choreography but even when I ate, slept or practiced my moves. From time to time she would come over and say “Look at that you’re doing here…you see that? I want you to do that on stage”. A lot of my moves came from what they recorded on those tapes.

What was it like meeting David for the first time?

(Sighs) What was it like…well I’ve always been a very professional person. When I met him I approached the situation like a job, he was my boss. He had some requests for us, he wanted us to stand in front of the camera, and tell a joke. When it was my turn, I stood in front of the camera and I said “I don’t have a joke to share…because I don’t think the world is a funny place right now” many of my friends were dying from AIDS complications. He liked that, he said my intensity reminded him of Jim Morrison (laughs). When we were in Rotterdam, he stood me aside and began talking with me about the tour, the stage and all his plans. Then he started talking about AIDS and I told him “I know what’s happening, I’ve been seeing it from the very beginning”. He apologized, he said he didn’t mean to make me feel as if I wasn’t aware of it. I told him about my experience working in the film “Staying Alive” with John Travolta. That was the first time I heard about something that was happening, something that didn’t even have a name back then, some New York dancers told me about it, and I shared that with him.

Is that why Dancing With The Big Boys also resonated with you? because of the line “Something’s going on in society”?

What went through your mind the first time you saw the gigantic spider?

I loved it! on the other hand, David was very much looking forward to my reaction when he showed me my wardrobe. He feared I wouldn’t want to wear it. When he showed it to me he said “I want you to be an androgynous cross between Jim Morrison, Prince and a Bullfighter” I want people to look at you and not be able to figure out who you are…what you are. I told him “Of course, I’ll wear the clothes, they won’t wear me”. The interesting thing about the spider is that when I was a child I used to have recurring nightmare, that I was running in a field and suddenly I fell to the bottom of a well. Then a huge spider would come along and cover the well, blocking the light. That happened one time during rehearsal…I was lying on the floor and I gazed the spider’s belly, and it immediately brought me back to that nightmare I had as a child.

When he familiarised himself with my career he told me he wanted an androgynous character on stage, he was curious about what I experienced at those clubs. I used to wear blue contact lenses, and he also loved that…he told me he envisioned me as the mother spider!

What do you recall about the New York rehearsals?

They were wonderful…I have beautiful memories of those rehearsals. I love working, it makes me feel depressed if I’m not working, and those rehearsals were hard work. For me being on board that tour was the culmination of all I had worked for during my entire career. David was always filming everything, he would look back on those tapes with Toni and he would pick out what he liked. During our breaks we would talk about films, art, music…we had a similar sense of humour, but he was a lot more sarcastic. It was intense. I had to rehearse wearing high heels, for 8 hours. Picking up stuff, lifting people around. During the rehearsals, I called my answering machine to hear my voicemails and discovered I had a message from the choreographers and producers of Michael Jackson. They wanted me to make an audition for his Bad tour. I had to call them and thank them for the opportunity, but I declined because I was already committed to David’s tour.

What was it like working with the dancers in the tour?

I was already acquainted with Melissa Hurley through technical dance, Skeeter Rabbit through urban dancing, he was a “popper locker”. I met Spazz through Toni Basil in the early 80’s and I had heard about Constance, as she was beginning to become known in the scene. Working with them was interesting and also challenging, but at the end of the day we were all friends. I was the dance captain, I was the one who looked into having the dance crew insured. During rehearsals we were throwing David around and I asked “what’s gonna happen if we hurt him or if he falls down? Who’ll be getting sued?”. There were some moments of tension, I had to be very strict with them, in part because that’s the way I work and also because it’s what Toni had asked me to do. I was familiar with the business side of dancing, and they were not concerned with that, so I was the only one wondering what would happen if David got hurt. That’s when I got insurance for each one of us, it was something new at the time but nowadays all dancers on tour are insured.

Was it daunting to perform at those enormous stadiums?

Funny you should ask that. At the beginning of the shows, I would descend from the same spot as David, from the top of the spider’s head! I would arrive to the shows 2 hours before the rest of the guys…I would inspect the stage and I treated the dance floor as my home. I would say hello to everyone involved, the crew, the catering…I would then lie down for a moment on the floor before putting my make up and costume on. David was curious why I could perform in front of those large audiences and not feel nervous. He asked “have you ever been afraid before, have you been nervous about dancing?”. I told him I arrived early to get acquainted with everything and everyone, to feel at ease before performing later, that helped me relax.

David had very fond memories about the concert in Berlin, he recalled singing “Heroes” that night to the city still divided by the wall, and how it was the most emotional and significant performance of the song for him. Do you recall that night as well?

Yes!…(laughs). Everytime I went up and down the spider I could hear police sirens, I could even hear the people singing his songs. It was overwhelming, it made me cry. I broke down and he was worried about me, he could see it was having a big impact on me. He said “Are you alright?” and I told him “No…that wall shouldn’t be there, it’s not ok”. I remember the police, the screams, it all affected me deeply. The next day he took the dancers to the other side of Berlin, but he didn’t take me along. Coco came to tell me he wasn’t bringing me along, and wanted to make sure it was ok for me and I told her “Of course, I understand…I don’t want to see”.

Time was one of your favorite songs during the shows right?

Yes, absolutely. Time is still one of my favorite Bowie songs, because of the lyrics. I loved seeing him perform that song, descending like an angel. It was thrilling, and it moved me each time.

The tour is now considered pioneering in its own right, because of the ambitious stage set up and all the theatricality, preceding stadium shows from other artists that would also adapt massive props. Back then, did you feel you were taking part in something ahead of its time?

Of course! It totally felt that way. You know, he organized a meeting with us, because things changed when the tour got to America. Several songs were dropped, including my number, which was Dancing With The Big Boys, in favour of more hits. David knew the tour was ahead of its time, it’s a pity people didn’t know. I think they are still processing it in the present. After Glass Spider I noticed a lot of tours that were trying to look like it. I can’t speak for the other dancers, but I did feel like we were doing something transcendent.

So your favorite song was dropped from the setlist, was that the same meeting where David told you not to mix art with business?

Yes, and he told me not to take anything personally. Artistically, David was like my big brother during that tour, so of course he wanted to make sure I understood why the changes happened, he didn’t want to make it seem like we didn’t matter. He also warned me to never let my talent become the only thing that defined me.

There are some really superb recordings of the tour out there, like Sydney, Ottawa, Platz der Republik, Montreal…have you heard all of these shows?

I don’t really go out of my way to listen to every recording from the tour, I have to be picky about what I hear, because memories do come flooding.

Do you enjoy watching the DVD?

Of course! I enjoy it. David loved the parts when I strutted across the stage and all eyes were on me, instead of him. He really liked that. He gave me a huge opportunity, I see the tour and the pictures through his eyes, because he was very kind with me.

Do you feel the Glass Spider DVD is a good representation of what it was like to witness the tour, or it falls short?

It represents the time when the tour changed, I enjoy watching it. The overall tone of the show changed dramatically.

What was it like shooting a music video with David Bowie ? ( Time Will Crawl)

That was very, very interesting…look closely at the shots where they used me, the parts of the lyrics where I’m seen, it’s not random. He got a kick out of how I understood the references in his lyrics, I could tell which books he had read. David was so intelligent, but also incredibly kind, he gave us the floor and we felt free to express ourselves. He’d then fetch his camera and record.

It’s been mentioned there is a shelved version of the video, the one we’re all familiar with being the second version. Do you have any insight into this discarded video?

It’s more or less the same, just different angles and different lighting.

I’ve read people describe David as a “tour guide” of sorts when they traveled with him, because he was so informed and so well read about all the places that he visited. Did you enjoy seeing the world with him?

Yes, he was like that. However, I did not go out that much during the tour. I had a bad experience in Italy and afterwards I decided to avoid going out. I didn’t appreciate people screaming or running after us when we were out with him. I didn’t enjoy that side of touring, going out and having people approach you, I valued my privacy. David gave me a character to work with on stage, that was all.

What did you use to do during the extended drum solo after “Big Brother”?

I was always observing by the side of the stage, just in case anything happened. Once, when they were doing Fashion, David dropped the batteries of his microphone. I gazed at them on the floor. I grabbed a mic, turned it on and rushed to deliver it to him. He stared at me for a moment and then began singing. So yes, I was observing everything going on.

What about that rumour that the spider was set on fire at the end of the tour?

Haha, I don’t know what to tell you about that, as I wasn’t there when it allegedly happened. Maybe he did, maybe he didn’t, who knows! (laughs).

Never Let Me Down was re-worked in 2018 according to David’s wishes, he stated he wanted to re-do the entire album but only worked on one song. Then the rest of the album was tackled by a team of his trusted collaborators. Have you heard the 2018 album? What do you think about it?

I’ve heard some of the new recordings, such as Glass Spider. I prefer the raw quality of the original album, it sounds like it had been recorded in a garage, it’s beautiful and simple.

What career opportunities landed after you had a David Bowie tour under your belt?

There were a lot…but I also declined a lot. It was an incredible opportunity. But a lot of people wanted me to do exactly the same thing. It caused me a lot of stress. I got rid of my long hair, I wanted to leave things behind and move on to the next thing. I didn’t want to participate in something I didn’t believe in. If the artist I was going to dance for didn’t stand for something I felt personally connected with, I preferred not to take part. I don’t want to dance just for the sake of doing it.

Do you have any fun memories of the tour?

A ton! Here’s one for you: at the end of the tour everybody was asking David for his autograph, but I didn’t ask him for it. To me it was work, I was not there as a fan, so why would I ask him for an autograph? When I returned home and I unpacked my stuff, I found the tour book they had given us, and it had an earmarked page. He insisted on signing it! (laughs).

Last question, how did you react to the news of David’s passing and what did you think of Blackstar?

It was very interesting…I was chatting with a friend of mine whom was the book keeper for Duran Duran, and we talked about David’s birthday. That sunday I had a dream…in my dream he was trying to give me a phone call but he couldn’t grab his phone. When I woke up I began reading the news and somebody had sent me the Lazarus video. I heard the song and was struck by the lyrics. All the things going on in the video…they reminded me of conversations we had had about Judy Garland, Over The Rainbow and the Narnia closet. And then he said “Dropped my celphone down below”! I still dream about him and I always remember that during the year we worked together he was always concerned about my well being, physical and emotional. What I stood for at the time, was not widely accepted, and he worried about me.

Interview by Francisco Beristain, exclusively for David Bowie News. © 2021.

Edited by Nick Vernon.

Many thanks to Viktor Manoel.

Share this:

• Share on Tumblr

Comments are closed.

Recent Posts

Contact & Socials

David Bowie News | Celebrating the Genius of David Bowie.

Email us: [email protected]

You can also LIKE us on Facebook at Facebook.com/DavidBowieNews

Follow us on Instagram: @davidbowienews

Twitter: @davidbowie_news

Threads: @davidbowienews

#BowieForever

earofnewt.com

Interviews with rock legends since 1982

David Bowie’s Glass Spider tour helps Frampton come alive again

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON AUG. 21, 1987

By steve newton.

Old rockers never die, they just play guitar for David Bowie.

At least, that’s what Peter Frampton was doing at B.C. Place last Saturday .

But Frampton and Bowie actually go back a long way–all the way back to the art school they used to attend in Bromley, 12 miles south of London

“When I was 11 or 12 we used to bring acoustics to school and jam on the art block stairs during lunchtime,” says Peter. “There was a nice echo there, ya see.”

In an interview at the Four Seasons Hotel before last Saturday’s show, Frampton told me that Bowie called him up last summer about playing on his latest album, Never Let Me Down . Frampton was in Chicago, touring to promote his Premonition album on a bill with Stevie Nicks.

“David said he’d heard the Premonition album and liked my playing very much, and asked if I would think about playing some  of that on one of his. So I said, ‘Absolutely!’ ”

Frampton travelled to Switzerland to lay down the LP’s lead guitar tracks, which he did in only ten days.

“I’ve done quite a few sessions over the years, and the most frustrating thing about doing sessions for other people is when they don’t know what they want. And David is the first person that I’ve worked with who has a picture of exactly the way he wants it to go. If I was slightly off the direction that he wanted to go he’d just get his demos out one more time and play them for me.”

While in Switzerland, Bowie and Frampton went out to eat at a Mexican restaurant, and that’s when Bowie invited Frampton on his massive Glass Spider tour. Peter wasn’t about to let an opportunity like that pass by, so he put his own solo career on hold to play with his old buddy. He says the transition from frontman to sideman was a pretty easy one.

“The end result is that I get to play guitar all the time–which is great. ‘Cause if I was only allowed to do one thing–to play guitar, or write songs, or sing–then I’d prefer to play guitar.”

“And also it’s Dave , which is fantastic. I’ve always wanted to be on the same stage at the same time, and play together–so that’s one dream that has come true. And it’s a great band.”

A lot of people were surprised to learn that Peter Frampton would be touring as Bowie’s guitarist–especially since Bowie has the power to choose just about any player he wants (he snagged Stevie Ray Vaughan for his previous Serious Moonlight tour). Since Frampton has been pretty much out of the limelight in recent years, has the Bowie gig rescued his career somewhat?

“I wouldn’t say he rescued my career–I wouldn’t quite put it like that. But it was a very nice move on his part to ask me. I can’t say that it hasn’t put me in front of a lot of people, way more than I could attract on my own. But I rescued my own career last year by bringing Premonition out. which I’m very proud of.”

At the age of 37, Peter Frampton has seen a lot of ups and downs during his career. He first came on the scene as the guitarist for Humble Pie, trading nasty licks with Steve Marriot. Then he skyrocketed to fame in the mid-’70s with Frampton Comes Alive! , which sold 12 million copies and became the most successful live album of all tme.

Then, just as fast as his popuarlity had risen, it dwindled. Looking back, Peter has his own explanation for the turns his career has taken.

“ Frampton Comes Alive! brought me a lot of happiness, but also made it very easy for me to make mistakes. The album was a phenomenon, and therefore there were no rules–just gut feelings about what one should do.

“My gut feelings were that we should hold back, and not flog this face to death, which is in fact what happened. When something is hot it’s hot and the media will use it in every form–radio, TV, print, everything. I was on the front of every magazine worldwide. And people get bored–did you know that?

“I don’t hold any grudges, and I’m very happy with the way things are right now, but if I could just go back and visit that time again, I would take four or five years off after Frampton Comes Alive! before I even thought about releasing anything else. But the idea back then was: ‘Let’s take advantage of this situation and release something as quickly as possible.’ And I only had six months in which to write and record the following album, I’m In You , which is my least favourite record. I think it sort of says it right there–rushing into something where the quality’s just not there.

“Now, if you look at Michael Jackson, his followup to Thriller is just coming out now–and do you know how long Thriller ‘s been out? So I think a lot of people have learned from my mistakes.”

To hear the full audio of my 1987 interview with Peter Frampton subscribe to my Patreon  page, where you can eavesdrop on over 375 of my uncut, one-on-one conversations with:

….with hundreds more to come

Share this:

Leave a reply cancel reply, discover more from earofnewt.com.

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Type your email…

Continue reading

{{pretitle}}

{{description}}

Playing Now

WATCH: David Bowie’s phenomenal Glass Spider tour

Yes, it’s him again!

In 1987, after starting what Bowie would call a grueling world tour in Toronto in March, David Bowie’s Glass Spider tour would make it’s last stop at Western Springs on November 28th.

The tour was, at that point, the longest and most expensive tour Bowie had embarked upon in his career. At the time, the tour's elaborate set was called "the largest touring set ever".

Bowie was joined by long-time friend Peter Frampton on the tour. Frampton said "I don't have a book to sell; I don't have an album to sell; I'm just here as a guitarist. The pressure is off. I'm enjoying myself”.

The tour was financially successful and well-attended but the negative critical reception of the album and tour led Bowie to not only abandon plans for other elaborate stage shows, but to reconsider his motivations for making music.

"[The Glass Spider Tour is] the most physical tour that I've done ever. ... It's relentless, it never stops. I'm bruised as hell. I feel like a worn out rag doll." said Bowie in 1987.

Here’s the whole concert, caught in Sydney. Look for some Frampton brilliance at 30.50 with Loving the Alien and also for the guitar battle during The Jean Genie. Bowie is outstanding in his theatrics, his vocals and the concept he came up with, regardless of what the critics of the day said.

Discover more stories

Watch Elton John's reaction to Metallica's 'incredible' live cover of 'Love Lies Bleeding'

The Sound workday

Loverboy Unleashes Iconic 'Live In '82' Performance: A Blast from the Past in High Definition!

DavidBowieWorld.nl

David Bowie 1987 Glass Spider Tour

Tour by David Bowie Start date 30 May 1987 End date 28november 1987 Legs 3 Shows 86

David Bowie Tour band 1987 – The Glass Spider Tour • David Bowie – vocals, guitar • Peter Frampton – guitar, vocals • Carlos Alomar – guitar, backing vocals, music director • Carmine Rojas – bass guitar • Alan Childs – drums • Erdal Kızılçay – keyboards, trumpet, congas, violin, backing vocals • Richard Cottle – keyboards, saxophone, tambourine, backing vocals

Tour dancers • Melissa Hurley • Constance Marie • Spazz Attack (Craig Allen Rothwell) • Viktor Manoel • Stephen Nichols • Toni Basil (choreography)

Tour design • Allen Branton – Lighting design • Mark Ravitz – Set design • Christine Strand – Video director

Tour Date – City – Country – Venue

Promotional press shows 17 March 1987 Toronto, Ontario,Canada,Diamond Club 18 March 1987 New York City, New York,United States,Cat Club 20 March 1987 London,England,Player’s Theatre 21 March 1987 Paris,France,,La Locomotive 24 March 1987 Madrid,Spain,,Halquera Plateaux 25 March 1987 Rome,Italy,Piper 26 March 1987 Munich,Germany,Parkcafe Lowenbrau 28 March 1987  Stockholm,Sweden,Ritz 30 March 1987 Amsterdam,Netherlands Paradiso

Europe 30 May 1987 Rotterdam ,Netherlands,Stadion Feijenoord 31 May 1997 Rotterdam ,Netherlands,Stadion Feijenoord 02 June 1987 Werchter,Belgium,Rock Werchter 06 June 1987 Berlin,Germany,Platz der Republik 07 June 1987 Nürburgring,Rock am Ring 09 June 1987 Florence,Italy,Stadio Comunale 10 June 198 7 Milan,Stadio San Siro 13 June 1987 Hamburg,Germany,Festwiese Am Stadtpark 15 June 1987 Rome,Italy,Stadio Flaminio 16 June 1987  Rome,Italy,Stadio Flaminio 19 June 1987 London,England,Wembley Stadium 20 June 1987 London,England,Wembley Stadium 21 June 1987 Cardiff,Wales,Cardiff Arms Park 23 June 1987 Sunderland,England,Roker Park 27 June 198 7 Gothenburg,Sweden(Cancelled) Ullevi Stadium Hisingen,Eriksbergsvarvet 28 June 1987 Lyon,France,Stade de Gerland 01 July 1987 Vienna,Austria,Praterstadion 03 July 1987 Paris,France,Parc départemental de La Courneuve 04 July 1987 Toulouse,Stadium Municipal de Toulouse 06 July 1987 Madrid,Spain,Vicente Calderón Stadium 07 July 1987 Barcelona,Ministadio C.F. 08 July 1987 Barcelona,Ministadio C.F. 11 July 1987 County Meath,Ireland,Slane Castle 14 July 1987 Manchester,England,Maine Road Football Ground 15 July 1987 Manchester,England,Maine Road Football Ground 17 July 1987  Nice,France,Stade De L’Ouest 18 July 1987  Turin,Italy,Stadio Comunale di Torino

North America 30 July 1987 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,United States,Veterans Stadium 31 July 1987 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,United States,Veterans Stadium 02 august 1987  East Rutherford, New Jersey,Giants Stadium 03 august 1987  East Rutherford, New Jersey,Giants Stadium 07 august 1987  San Jose, California,Spartan Stadium 08 august 1987  Anaheim, California,Anaheim Stadium 09 august 1987  Anaheim, California,Anaheim Stadium 12 august 1987  Denver, Colorado,Mile High Stadium 14 august 1987  Portland, Oregon,Civic Stadium 15 august 1987  Vancouver, British Columbia,Canada,BC Place Stadium 17 august 1987  Edmonton, Alberta,Commonwealth Stadium 19 august 1987  Winnipeg, Manitoba,Winnipeg Stadium 21 august 1987  Rosemont, Illinois,United States,Rosemont Horizon 22 august 1987  Rosemont, Illinois,United States,Rosemont Horizon 24 august 1987  Toronto, Ontario,Canada,Canadian National Exhibition Stadium 25 august 1987  Toronto, Ontario,Canada,Canadian National Exhibition Stadium 28 august 1987  Ottawa, Ontario,Frank Clair Stadium 30 august 1987 Montreal, Quebec,Olympic Stadium 01 september 1987  New York City, New York,United States,Madison Square Garden 02 september 1987 New York City, New York,United States,Madison Square Garden 03 september 1987  Foxborough, Massachusetts,Sullivan Stadium 06 september 1987  Chapel Hill, North Carolina,Dean Smith Center 07 september 1987  Chapel Hill, North Carolina,Dean Smith Center 10 september 1987  Milwaukee, Wisconsin,Marcus Amphitheater 11 september 1987  Milwaukee, Wisconsin,Marcus Amphitheater 12 september 1987  Pontiac, Michigan,Pontiac Silverdome 14 september 1987  Lexington, Kentucky,Rupp Arena 18 september 1987  Miami, Florida,Miami Orange Bowl 19 september 1987 Tampa, Florida,Tampa Stadium 21 september 1987  Atlanta, Georgia,Omni Coliseum 22 september 1987  Atlanta, Georgia,Omni Coliseum 25 september 1987 Hartford, Connecticut,Hartford Civic Center 28 september 1987  Landover, Maryland,Capital Centre 29 september 1987 Landover, Maryland,Capital Centre 01 October 1987 St. Paul, Minnesota,St. Paul Civic Center 02 October 1987 St. Paul, Minnesota,St. Paul Civic Center 04 October 1987 Kansas City, Missouri,Kemper Arena 06 October 1987 New Orleans, Louisiana,Louisiana Superdome 07 October 1987 Houston, Texas,The Summit 08 October 1987 Houston, Texas,The Summit 10 October 1987 Dallas, Texas,Reunion Arena 11 October 1987  Dallas, Texas,Reunion Arena 13 October 1987 Los Angeles, California,Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena 14 October 1987 Los Angeles, California,Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena

Oceania 29 October 1987 Brisbane,Australia,Boondall Entertainment Centre 30 October 1987 Brisbane,Australia,Boondall Entertainment Centre 03 november 1987 Sydney,Sydney, Entertainment Centre 04 november 1987  Sydney,Sydney, Entertainment Centre 06 november 1987  Sydney,Sydney, Entertainment Centre 07 november 1987  Sydney,Sydney, Entertainment Centre 09 november 1987  Sydney,Sydney, Entertainment Centre 10 november 1987  Sydney,Sydney, Entertainment Centre 13 november 1987  Sydney,Sydney, Entertainment Centre 14 november 1987  Sydney,Sydney, Entertainment Centre 18 november 1987  Melbourne,Kooyong Stadium 20 november 1987  Melbourne,Kooyong Stadium 21 november 1987  Melbourne,Kooyong Stadium 23 november 1987  Melbourne,Kooyong Stadium 28 november 1987  Auckland,New Zealand,Western Springs Stadium

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”THE SONGS” _builder_version=”4.5.1″ _module_preset=”default”]

From  The Man Who Sold the World

• “ All the Madmen “

From  Aladdin Sane

• “ The Jean Genie “
• “ Time “

From  Ziggy Stardust: The Motion Picture

• “ White Light/White Heat ” (originally from  White Light/White Heat  (1968) by  The Velvet Underground ; written by  Lou Reed )

From  Diamond Dogs

• “ Big Brother “
• “Chant of the Ever Circling Skeletal Family”
• “ Rebel Rebel “

From  Young Americans

• “ Fame ” (Bowie,  John Lennon ,  Carlos Alomar )
• “ Young Americans “

From  “Heroes”

• “ ‘Heroes’ ” (Bowie,  Brian Eno )
• “ Sons of the Silent Age “

From  Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)

• “ Fashion “
• “ Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps) “
• “ Up the Hill Backwards “

From  Let’s Dance

• “ China Girl ” (originally from  The Idiot  by  Iggy Pop , written by Pop and Bowie)
• “ Let’s Dance “
• “ Modern Love “

From  Tonight

• “ Blue Jean “
• “Dancing With the Big Boys” (Bowie, Pop,  Carlos Alomar )
• “ Loving the Alien “

From  Never Let Me Down

• “’87 and Cry”
• “ Bang Bang ” (Pop,  Ivan Kral )
• “Beat of Your Drum”
• “ Day-In Day-Out “
• “Glass Spider”
• “ Never Let Me Down ” (Bowie, Alomar)
• “New York’s in Love”
• “ Time Will Crawl “
• “Zeroes”

Other songs:

• “ Absolute Beginners ” (from  Absolute Beginners )
• “ I Wanna Be Your Dog ” (from  The Stooges  (1969) by  The Stooges , written by Pop,  Dave Alexander ,  Ron Asheton  and  Scott Asheton )
• “ Lavender’s Blue ” (traditional)
• “ London Bridge Is Falling Down ” (traditional)
• “ War ” (from  War & Peace  (1970) by  Edwin Starr ; written by  Norman Whitfield  and  Barrett Strong )
• “Who Will Buy?” (from the musical  Oliver! )

Rehearsed, but not performed:

• “Because You’re Young” (from  Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) )
• “ Scream Like a Baby ” (from  Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) )
• “Shining Star (Makin’ My Love)” (from  Never Let Me Down )

[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

1 thought on “David Bowie 1987 Glass Spider Tour”

Most brilliant concert in L.A.

Leave a comment