David Bowie

Glastonbury Festival 2000 reviews

David Bowie
Pyramid Stage
22:20 25th June 2000

From the Thursday night rumours were circulating about Bowies set, headlining on the Pyramid stage the Sunday. Would he be playing his new stuff or old and, indeed, would he be playing at all due to laryngitis? Finally we received word that he would be playing a large selection of old numbers and had promised Michael Eavis that this would be his best gig ever. Apparently he had cut ten songs from his planned set in order to meet the midnight curfew which is enforced by a £20,000 per minute fine for any over runs. Anyway, by Sunday night expectations were riding very high and the vast majority of people at the festival seemed intent on getting to see him.

An hour before he was due to come on the front of the stage was packed with those who had grown up with Bowie and younger converts.

After a rapturous reception Bowie, resplendent in a cream and gold brocade frock coat started gently with Wild Is The Wind before bouncing into China Girl. After a little banter about his experiences at Glasto thirty years ago Bowie wound the clock back and really got things moving with Changes and Life On Mars. Things slowed for Bowies "favourite love song from the eighties" Absolute Beginners and then Ashes to Ashes, but not for long, launching straight into Rebel Rebel. The middle of the set was all old favourites, Fame, All The Young Dudes, The Man Who Sold The World and Station To Station. Anyone who had been hoping to hear his classics would have been sated by now but there was much more to come.

After a track from his new album his excellent female bassist took the mike for Under Pressure giving Bowie a break before the master driving the crowd on with Ziggy Stardust. This was followed by a reworking of Heroes with a heavier, slower bass line which, whilst excellent, could have benefited from a more prominent lead guitar. But by now the crowd, which had sung practically every song with Bowie, was eating out of his hand.

The encore consisted of Let's Dance and the fabulously rocky I'm Afraid of Americans. Judging by the crowd reaction, there will be plenty of thrilled fans queuing up to buy his new album.

Throughout it felt that this was a very special gig, for Bowie as well as his fans. He was clearly delighted by the reponse and, judging by peoples comments and the number of people that had stayed on for the Sunday night it was the highlight of the weekend. Bowie came to Glasto and showed what a real superstar is made of.