[182.1] BOWIE NOT SO ZOWIE

The Odeon Cinema in Brighton is one of only five link-ups throughout the world slated to satellite link a live David Bowie concert (on 8 September 2003). Bowie remains a curiosity in modern music. A rock icon from the '70s who has stayed fashionable in po-mo circles today, he has continued his association with the artistic avant garde (the ICA, European expressionism, American minimalism) without ever being particularly radical himself. Some of his work (the 'Berlin period', the re-working of his Brian Eno collaboration, 'Low' by Philip Glass) retains an interest. But my abiding memory, unfortunately, is of the 'Glass Spider Tour' ('Let's Dance') in the mid-1980s -- one of the ultimate triumphs of empty spectacle over musical content, worsened by the logjam in the Wembley Arena parking lot. But perhaps I am being too harsh. Then again the Bowie site confirms one's worst expectations. Shop 'til you drop the chord...

Jeff Payton adds: "In the end 68 cinemas in 22 different locations took part. Maybe the Brighton media was late to catch up with this! You're right about Bowie artistically, though."