| As a Bowie fan from the early days of Hunky Dory and Ziggy Stardust (spelchec Piggy Sturdiest), I was ecstatic to find out about the low key dates in my local area. I was tipped off about the date for ticket sales and was lucky with tickets for Newcastle Riverside and Leeds Town and Country Club. I was away on holiday when the tickets were delivered and they werenāt at home when I returned with only one day to go before the first gig. After much angst, I woke up at 4 in the morning realising that the (Bowie fan ) postman would have taken them to our business address for someone to sign the recorded delivery. I jumped out of bed and ran across the road in my nightie and wellingtons and there they were! Only a few hours to go until the gig. When we arrived, the gig was already full, but the girl on the door told me that they had had twenty tickets returned from the credit card booking agency, and some people had walked up to the door and bought a ticket earlier that evening! If David wanted to get back to his roots, you couldnāt get nearer than that. The Newcastle Riverside holds about 800people, and is an Indie, Dance type gig which hosts unknown bands nights with the occasional big name. Recent appearees include IanDury and the Blockheads, and Unbelievable Truth. It was a hot August night,and the heat inside was already stifling.The audience was mixed right across the age range, 20ās, 30ās and 40ās as well as some wildly enthusiastic teenagers, some cross dressed and gothed, some who had been at the Newcastle Mayfair Placebo gig some weeks earlier. When David hit the stage, the audience went wild. I guess no-one in the building had seen him close-up before. He opened with Quicksand, just him and the acoustic guitar, truly, pinch-me, unbelievable. Those otherworldly, introspective bleak and personal lyrics which touched a chord with so many over the years. I wonāt go through the whole set list but highlights for me included David and Gail Annās duet on Lindsey Andersonās ĪOh Supermanā. Pure voices carrying a strange and sweet message, Davidās mimicry of flight on one of the new songs from Earthling, David really singing his heart out on Looking for Satellites (Satelliiiiiites), and that great reprise of Lou Reedās White Light ,White Heat - eat your heart out Ziggy. Thanks guys, you made this lady very happy! I think the band were glad to quit that night. Reeves was complaining about the heat and David was soaked in sweat, must be a record for North East England. I was glad to have the chance to see the band again a few days later, as I really couldnāt take it all in the first time. Leeds Town and Country Club is a larger venue (approx1500), again filled with a mixed audience. Before they opened the DJ played ĪChangesā and the whole crowd sang along to every word - great to be among so many like minded people. It was another blistering performance, with tracks from Outside and Earthling strong and impressive. The young rhythm section were making their presence felt, Reeves was on virtuoso form, and the man himself was in great voice and obviously really enjoying the night. He camped it up on Jean Genie, his 1950ās starlet impersonation on the slowed up line Ītalking about Monroeā has given me some sleepless nights I can tell you. David, you and the band gave me the biggest grin for weeks - Thank you
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