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TIBET HOUSE BENEFIT 2003

FEBRUARY 28th 2003

 

Musicians:

  • David Bowie: Vocals

  • Gerry Leonard: Guitar

  • Tony Visconti: Bass

  • Martha Mooke, Gregor Kitzis, Meg Okura, Mary Wotten: Scorchio Quartet

Repertoire:

Loving The Alien | Heathen (The Rays) | Waterloo Sunset | Get Up, Stand Up

On February 28th 2003 Bowie took a break from the Reality sessions to make his third annual appearance at the Tibet House Benefit concert at Carnegie Hall, alongside such artists as Laurie Anderson, Ziggy Marley, Rufus Wainwright and Ray Davies. In keeping with previous years his choice of songs was both unusual and revealing, opening with a delicate acoustic rendering of "Loving The Alien" for which he was backed only by Gerry Leonard on guitar. It was the first time he had performed the number since the Glass Spider tour and, given the mood of the western world in February 2003, as millions marched in protest while a US-led coalition prepared to invade Iraq, it was a timely and provocative revival. This was followed by a similarly pared-down acoustic reading of "Heathen (The Rays)", supported by a beautiful string arrangement orchestrated by Tony Visconti and played by the Scorchio Quartet, with support from Leonard on acoustic guitar and Visconti on bass. There followed Bowie's duet with the legendary Ray Davies on The Kinks' classic "Waterloo Sunset", for which the pair were backed by Lenny Kay and members of the Patti Smith Band, and at the end of the concert Bowie joined in a mass rendition of Bob Marley's "Get Up, Stand Up".

The Complete David Bowie by Nicholas Pegg

The Complete David Bowie

by Nicholas Pegg

New Edition: Expanded and Updated

"This is the best Bowie reference book one could ever hope for"

Tony Visconti

Quote: "I've never heard a Kinks songs that I didn't like" - David Bowie 2014
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