To celebrate what would have been David Bowie‘s 70th birthday, last night saw a special tribute concert at Brixton Academy featuring Gary Oldman, and a host of special guests. Check out footage, photos at the setlist below.
‘Celebrating David Bowie With Gary Oldman And Friends’ saw the actor and friend and collaborator of the late music icon curate an evening featuring in his honour, featuring a cast of Bowie’s past collaborators, friends and more – including past touring members of his band as well as special guests including La Roux, Keane’s Tom Chaplin, Simon Le Bon, members of Spandau Ballet and many more.
Other guests included Def Leppard frontman Joe Elliot and Mr Hudson, while the performances were backed by the London Community Gospel Choir, a string section and an all-star cast of Bowie collaborators including guitarist Earl Slick, former King Crimson frontman and and touring guitarist Adrian Belew, pianist Mark Garson and bassist Gail Ann Dorsey – who fronted a number of legendary tracks including ‘Space Oddity’ and ‘Young Americans’.
Highlights of the evening included Gary Oldman’s emotional opening of ‘Dead Man Walking’ before singing ‘The Man Who Sold The World’, La Roux’s rendition of ‘Golden Years’, Tom Chaplin delivering ‘Life on Mars’, Duran Duran frontman Simon Le Bon delivering ‘Let’s Dance’, Adrian Belew’s selection of late 70s and early 80s material, Angelo Moore’s animated performances as ‘N***a Stardust’, Grammy-winning singer Gaby Moreno’s impassioned vocal delivery of ‘Five Years’, and Def Leppard frontman Joe Elliot’s lively and personal touch on ‘All The Young Dudes’. “This is a religious experience – let’s take these people to church,” he said, introducing the track.
“David, I can feel him,” said Garson towards the end of the set. “He effected all of our lives in more ways than we ever knew.”
