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So then I ran back to AMan, jumping and laughing and shaking...I went back to the car and tried to compose myself and shook for about 10 minutes. I put up my camera, not wanting to risk losing the film if I took it inside the venue (having already experienced the loss of 1 throwaway camera in Philly!). So the wait in line begins and soundcheck starts - I'm Deranged was played and a hilarious Country/Western version of Scary Monsters (Johnny Cash version). We finally get inside and stand 1 head back, right in front of Bowie and witness the LEGENDARY 3 hours and 45 mins, 36-song concert! I knew we were in for the ultimate when he came out and asked, "Do you want a short or a long set? You gotta minute?" I pushed my hands further and further apart and shouted "Looonnnnggg" (of course!) And he warned us to call our mamas, that they would be there until Saturday!




~Setlist~
From the only bootleg that exists (order is questionable)

1. Dead Man Walking (acoustic)
2. Quicksand
3. The Supermen
4. Always Crashing In the Same Car
5. Waiting For The Man
6. My Death
7. The Jean Genie
8. Strangers When We Meet
9. I'm Afraid of Americans
10. Seven Years In Tibet
11. Fashion
12. Looking For Satellites
13. Fame
14. Voyuer of Utter Destruction
15. Under Pressure
16. The Heart's Filthy Lesson
17. Hallo Spaceboy
18. Scary Monsters
19. Little Wonder
20. The Last Thing You Should Do
21. Battle For Britain (The Letter)
22. V-2 Schneider
23. Telling Lies
24. White Light/White Heat
25. O Superman
26. Moonage Daydream
27. Queen Bitch
28. Outside
29. Stay

Other songs that were played that didn't make it to the boot (the guy ran out of tape or was changing tape!): -
30. Panic In Detroit
31. I Can't Read
32. Look Back In Anger
33. Is It Any Wonder
34. Pallas Athena
35. The Man Who Sold The World
36. All The Young Dudes





The concert was awesome, highlighted for me by Bowie hugging my pig and telling Gail "It's mine" and then he added it to the others on her amp (mine was the only pig thrown at this concert, during the SYIT lyric "when pigs can fly" ~ since then I've asked Gail if she still had her pig collection that was on her amp and she said yes!). Also, he sang spread-legged over my RaMOANa sequinned panties ("Oh RaMOANa" was sequinned on the front, and "HFL" was sequinned on the back of these purple George t-back panties from England I had) which I had thrown during Hearts Filthy Lesson (during "oh ramona, if there was only something between us, other than our clothes"}. Other highlights - touching Reeves guitar, AMan getting a piece of the eyeball and all of us covered in moondust.




I loved watching the superman have the greatest time performing and giving so much to his fans - he talked to us a lot between the 2 breaks and the whole concert was like he was challenging us, trying to blow us off our numbing feet and at the end of it all, he appreciated we hung in there with him every step of the way - exhausted, dehydrated but totally blown away by this awesome concert-marathon. Several of us yelled our thanks to Bowie and he also thanked us.




We could not help but wonder about Bowie - his artistry in his lyrics and music notwithstanding, what was he getting out of all this? The man could not be making any money from these concerts (1,000, possibly 1,500, people at $45 a head at this venue! Enough to pay security maybe!). And the way he was enjoying every minute of it and smiling and talking to us, the concert was both intimate and awe-inspiring.




We get home and AMan shows me the Earthling CD cover - Bowie stands in a tattered Union Jack jacket, but he LOOKS FORWARD. Look at the back of the cover - "you" stand in the same position as Bowie with the same view, but photo-reversed - you are standing in his "shoes"? He is standing with us? We should look forward? (Then AMan tells me Earthling, unscrambled spells 'Real Thing' ha!). He leads us to THINK but does not tell us what to think....I had found Bowie. We continue to discover more "Bowieness" in his music, lyrics, live shows and Bowie fans and crave for more!


Thanks for the memories and the marathon concert and THE defining moment in my Bowie history!
~ by RaMOANa
P.S. - don't miss the Bowie Talk transcript from this show.






Transcript

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