| A Reality Tour | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tour by David Bowie | ||||
| Associated album | Reality | |||
| Start date | 7 October 2003 | |||
| End date | 23 July 2004 | |||
| Legs | 5 | |||
| Shows | 113 | |||
| David Bowie tour chronology | ||||
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A Reality Tour was a worldwide concert tour by David Bowie in support of the Reality album.[1] The tour commenced on 7 October 2003 at the Forum, Copenhagen, Denmark continuing through Europe, North America, Asia, including a return to New Zealand and Australia for the first time since the 1987 Glass Spider Tour.
Originally scheduled to play in 24 countries over a ten-month period, the tour was curtailed after the Hurricane Festival performance in Scheeßel, Germany on 25 June 2004, as a result of Bowie being diagnosed with an acutely blocked artery that required an angioplasty procedure.[2] The previous performance at the T-Mobile Arena, Prague, Czech Republic on 23 June 2004 had been interrupted as Bowie was forced to leave the stage believing he was suffering from a trapped nerve in his left shoulder. A previous incident in Oslo on 18 June 2004 saw Bowie being struck in the left eye with a lollipop thrown by a member of the audience.[3] On 6 May 2004, a performance at the James L. Knight Center, Miami, FL was cancelled after a lighting technician fell to his death prior to Bowie going onstage.[4]
Contents |
Bowie promoted this tour with appearances on primetime television shows such as The Tonight Show and on AOL Sessions.[5]
A DVD video of the Point Theatre, Dublin performances of 2003 was released as A Reality Tour in 2004. A CD on the same performances was released as A Reality Tour in 2010.
Bowie sought to perform in the format of a stadium concert with less focus on elaborate staging and more focus on the musicians in his band. The stage featured a number of platforms, some extending into the audience, as well as multiple video-screens projecting artistic images and live footage of the concert along with many colored lights for effects. The stage was typically placed at one end of the stadium or arena with seating in the stands or on the field itself with a back-stage area on the far side of the stage.[6]
The musicians were dressed in casual but colorful outfits; nearly each musician had a set of outfits in different colors, such as Bowie's cut-off shirt and neckerchief or Gail Ann Dorsey's dress. Musicians were free to move about the stage as their instruments permitted with wireless amplification, though Bowie and Dorsey interacted most often as part of the acts.
Each concert began with an introduction on the main video-screen, during which the band would enter the stage and prepare the opening number. After the opener, Bowie would greet the audience with the flexible line, "Hello, [city name], you crazy bunch of motherfuckers" as a sign of welcoming. The performances, between the somewhat staged pieces, were informal often with a dialog between Bowie and his audience, jokes, band introductions, and the occasional "Happy Birthday To You".
The set list included tracks spanning Bowie's 30 plus years in the music business, from The Man Who Sold the World (1970) all the way to Reality (2003), along with collaborations such as Sister Midnight (with Iggy Pop) and "Under Pressure" (with Queen), and snippets and teasers of Bowie classics such as "Space Oddity" and "Golden Years". There is a bit more focus, however, on tracks from the albums released since the Earthling World Tour in 1997, Heathen (2002), and Reality.
The only exception from his latest albums is 'hours...' (1999); no tracks from this album were included, possibly due to poor reception of the album. Other albums with no appearance included Space Oddity (1969), the cover album Pin Ups (1973), the ill-received Never Let Me Down (1987), the albums produced with the band Tin Machine, and Black Tie White Noise (1993).
A notable inclusion into the tour were the tracks from The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust, usually performed as the final encores. "Ziggy Stardust" was nearly always the finale of each concert.
The inclusion of tracks from Let's Dance and Tonight was also notable, considering a fan tendency to reject the albums as "too commercial", seeing the return of the singles "Modern Love", "Blue Jean", "Lets Dance," "China Girl", and a semi-acoustic version of "Loving the Alien".
The interpretations presented often a heavier and more complex sound than those of the album releases to suit the band for which the Reality album had been written; a more dynamic "Rebel Rebel" which later saw a release as a bonus track was arranged as an opener which included notably some audience participation, though on a few occasions "New Killer Star" or "The Jean Genie" were played first. Use of audience vocals appear in a number of songs, most notably in interpretations of "China Girl", in which Bowie first invited the audience to sing on their own, only to inevitably fail, and then restarted the song singing it on his own. The process occurred somewhat vice-versa during performances of "All the Young Dudes", in which Bowie's voice was somewhat out of range to sing the chorus.
| Date | City | Country | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warm-up show | |||
| 19 August 2003 | Poughkeepsie, New York | United States | The Chance |
| Satellite show Live performance beamed via satellite to cinemas and theatres across Europe and due to time delay the following day across Asia, Japan, Australia, North America and South America[7][8] |
|||
| 8 September 2003 | London | England | Riverside Studios |
| Europe | |||
| 7 October 2003 | Copenhagen | Denmark | Forum |
| 8 October 2003 | Stockholm | Sweden | The Globe |
| 10 October 2003 | Helsinki | Finland | Hartwall Areena |
| 12 October 2003 | Oslo | Norway | Oslo Spektrum |
| 15 October 2003 | Rotterdam | Netherlands | Ahoy Rotterdam |
| 16 October 2003 | Hamburg | Germany | Color Line Arena |
| 18 October 2003 | Frankfurt | Festhalle | |
| 20 October 2003 | Paris | France | Palais omnisports de Paris-Bercy |
| 21 October 2003 | |||
| 23 October 2003 | Milan | Italy | Forum D'Assago |
| 24 October 2003 | Zurich | Switzerland | Hallenstadion |
| 26 October 2003 | Stuttgart | Germany | Hanns-Martin Schleyerhalle |
| 27 October 2003 | Munich | Olympiahalle | |
| 29 October 2003 | Vienna | Austria | Wiener Stadthalle |
| 31 October 2003 | Cologne | Germany | Kölnarena |
| 1 November 2003 | Hanover | Preussag Arena | |
| 3 November 2003 | Berlin | Max-Schmeling-Halle | |
| 5 November 2003 | Antwerp | Belgium | Sportpaleis Antwerpen |
| 7 November 2003 | Lille | France | Le Zénith |
| 8 November 2003 | Amnéville | Le Galaxie | |
| 10 November 2003 | Nice | Palais Nikaia | |
| 12 November 2003 | Toulouse | (Cancelled due to illness) Le Zénith de Toulouse |
|
| 14 November 2003 | Marseille | Le Dome de Marseille | |
| 15 November 2003 | Lyon | Halle Tony Garnier | |
| 17 November 2003 | Manchester | England | MEN Arena |
| 19 November 2003 | Birmingham | National Exhibition Centre | |
| 20 November 2003 | |||
| 22 November 2003 | Dublin | Ireland | Point Theatre |
| 23 November 2003 | |||
| 25 November 2003 | London | England | Wembley Arena |
| 26 November 2003 | |||
| 28 November 2003 | Glasgow | Scotland | SECC |
| North America | |||
| 6 December 2003 | Atlantic City, New Jersey | United States | (Postponed due to tour band illness) The Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa |
| 7 December 2003 | Fairfax, Virginia | (Postponed due to tour band illness) Patriot Center |
|
| 9 December 2003 | Boston, Massachusetts | (Postponed due to tour band illness) FleetCenter |
|
| 10 December 2003 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | (Postponed due to tour band illness) Wachovia Center |
|
| 12 December 2003 | Toronto, Ontario | Canada | (Postponed due to tour band illness) Air Canada Centre |
| 13 December 2003 | Montreal, Quebec | Bell Centre | |
| 15 December 2003 | New York City, New York | United States | Madison Square Garden |
| 16 December 2003 | Uncasville, Connecticut | Mohegan Sun | |
| 20 December 2003 | Nassau | Bahamas | The Atlantis Paradise Island Hotel |
| 7 January 2004 | Cleveland, Ohio | United States | CSU Convocation Center |
| 9 January 2004 | Auburn Hills, Michigan | The Palace of Auburn Hills | |
| 11 January 2004 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Target Center | |
| 13 January 2004 | Chicago, Illinois | Rosemont Theatre | |
| 14 January 2004 | |||
| 16 January 2004 | |||
| 19 January 2004 | Denver, Colorado | Fillmore Auditorium | |
| 21 January 2004 | Calgary, Alberta | Canada | Pengrowth Saddledome |
| 24 January 2004 | Vancouver, British Columbia | General Motors Place | |
| 25 January 2004 | Seattle, Washington | United States | Paramount Theatre |
| 27 January 2004 | San Jose, California | HP Pavilion at San Jose | |
| 30 January 2004 | Las Vegas, Nevada | The Joint (Hardrock Hotel) | |
| 31 January 2004 | Los Angeles, California | Shrine Auditorium | |
| 2 February 2004 | |||
| 3 February 2004 | Wiltern Theatre | ||
| 5 February 2004 | Phoenix, Arizona | Dodge Theater | |
| 6 February 2004 | Las Vegas, Nevada | The Joint (Hardrock Hotel) | |
| 7 February 2004 | Los Angeles, California | Wiltern Theatre | |
| Oceania | |||
| 14 February 2004 | Wellington | New Zealand | Westpac Stadium |
| 17 February 2004 | Brisbane | Australia | Brisbane Entertainment Centre |
| 20 February 2004 | Sydney | Sydney Entertainment Centre | |
| 21 February 2004 | |||
| 23 February 2004 | Adelaide | Adelaide Entertainment Centre | |
| 26 February 2004 | Melbourne | Rod Laver Arena | |
| 27 February 2004 | |||
| 1 March 2004 | Perth | Supreme Court Gardens | |
| Asia | |||
| 4 March 2004 | Singapore City | Singapore | Singapore Indoor Stadium |
| 8 March 2004 | Tokyo | Japan | Nippon Budokan |
| 9 March 2004 | |||
| 11 March 2004 | Osaka | Castle Hall | |
| 14 March 2004 | Wan Chai | Hong Kong | Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre |
| North America | |||
| 29 March 2004 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | United States | Wachovia Center |
| 30 March 2004 | Boston, Massachusetts | FleetCenter | |
| 1 April 2004 | Toronto, Ontario | Canada | Air Canada Centre |
| 2 April 2004 | Ottawa, Ontario | Corel Centre | |
| 4 April 2004 | Quebec City, Quebec | Colisée Pepsi | |
| 7 April 2004 | Winnipeg, Manitoba | Winnipeg Arena | |
| 9 April 2004 | Edmonton, Alberta | Rexall Place | |
| 11 April 2004 | Kelowna, British Columbia | Skyreach Place | |
| 13 April 2004 | Portland, Oregon | United States | Rose Garden Arena |
| 14 April 2004 | Seattle, Washington | KeyArena | |
| 16 April 2004 | Berkeley, California | Berkeley Community Theatre | |
| 17 April 2004 | |||
| 19 April 2004 | Santa Barbara, California | Santa Barbara Bowl | |
| 22 April 2004 | Los Angeles, California | Greek Theatre | |
| 23 April 2004 | Anaheim, California | The Theatre at The Arrowhead Pond | |
| 25 April 2004 | Loveland, Colorado | Budweiser Events Center | |
| 27 April 2004 | Austin, Texas | The Backyard | |
| 29 April 2004 | The Woodlands, Texas | The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion | |
| 30 April 2004 | New Orleans, Louisiana | Saenger Theatre | |
| 3 May 2004 | New York City, New York | Hammerstein Ballroom 2nd Annual Audi and Condé Nast 'Never Follow' Awards Show |
|
| 5 May 2004 | Tampa, Florida | The Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center | |
| 6 May 2004 | Miami, Florida | (Cancelled due to fatality) James L. Knight Center |
|
| 8 May 2004 | Atlanta, Georgia | Chastain Park | |
| 10 May 2004 | Kansas City, Missouri | Starlight Theatre | |
| 11 May 2004 | St. Louis, Missouri | Fox Theatre | |
| 13 May 2004 | Hershey, Pennsylvania | Star Pavilion | |
| 14 May 2004 | London, Ontario | Canada | John Labatt Centre |
| 16 May 2004 | Fairfax, Virginia | United States | Patriot Center |
| 17 May 2004 | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Benedum Center | |
| 19 May 2004 | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | The Milwaukee Theatre | |
| 20 May 2004 | Indianapolis, Indiana | Murat Shrine | |
| 22 May 2004 | Moline, Illinois | The Mark of the Quad Cities | |
| 24 May 2004 | Columbus, Ohio | Veterans Memorial Auditorium | |
| 25 May 2004 | Buffalo, New York | Shea's Performing Arts Center | |
| 27 May 2004 | Scranton, Pennsylvania | Ford Pavilion at Montage Mountain | |
| 29 May 2004 | Atlantic City, New Jersey | The Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa | |
| 30 May 2004 | |||
| 1 June 2004 | Manchester, New Hampshire | Verizon Wireless Arena | |
| 2 June 2004 | Uncasville, Connecticut | Mohegan Sun | |
| 4 June 2004 | Wantagh, New York | Tommy Hilfiger at Jones Beach Theatre | |
| 5 June 2004 | Holmdel, New Jersey | PNC Bank Arts Center | |
| Europe | |||
| 11 June 2004 | Amsterdam | Netherlands | Arrow Rock Festival, Arena |
| 13 June 2004 | Newport | Isle of Wight | The Nokia Isle of Wight Festival |
| 17 June 2004 | Bergen | Norway | Bergen Festival |
| 18 June 2004 | Oslo | Norwegian Wood Festival | |
| 20 June 2004 | Seinäjoki | Finland | Provinssirock Festival |
| 23 June 2004 | Prague | Czech Republic | T-Mobile Arena |
| 25 June 2004 | Scheeßel | Germany | Hurricane Festival |
| 26 June 2004 | Tuttlingen | (Cancelled due to Bowie's health problems) Southside Festival |
|
| 29 June 2004 | Vienna | Austria | (Cancelled due to Bowie's health problems) Schloss Schönbrunn |
| 30 June 2004 | Salzburg | (Cancelled due to Bowie's health problems) Residenzplatz |
|
| 2 July 2004 | Roskilde | Denmark | (Cancelled due to Bowie's health problems) Roskilde Festival |
| 4 July 2004 | Werchter | Belgium | (Cancelled due to Bowie's health problems) Rock Werchter Festival |
| 6 July 2004 | Ile De Gaou | France | (Cancelled due to Bowie's health problems) Festival de la Gaou |
| 7 July 2004 | Carcassonne | (Cancelled due to Bowie's health problems) Festival de la Cite |
|
| 10 July 2004 | Balado | Scotland | (Cancelled due to Bowie's health problems) T in the Park |
| 11 July 2004 | Naas | Ireland | (Cancelled due to Bowie's health problems) Oxegen Festival Punchestown Racecourse |
| 14 July 2004 | Bilbao | Spain | (Cancelled due to Bowie's health problems) Bilbao Festival, Bilbao Bullring |
| 16 July 2004 | Santiago de Compostela | (Cancelled due to Bowie's health problems) Xacobeo Festival |
|
| 17 July 2004 | Oporto | Portugal | (Cancelled due to Bowie's health problems) The Dragon Festival, Estádio do Dragão |
| 20 July 2004 | Nyon | Switzerland | (Cancelled due to Bowie's health problems) Paléo Festival Nyon |
| 21 July 2004 | Monaco | (Cancelled due to Bowie's health problems) Club du Sporting |
|
| 23 July 2004 | Carhaix | France | (Cancelled due to Bowie's health problems) Vieilles Charrues Festival |
Notation:
From Space Oddity
From The Man Who Sold the World
From Hunky Dory
From The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
From Aladdin Sane
From Diamond Dogs
From Young Americans
From Station to Station
From Low
From "Heroes"
From Lodger
From Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)
From Let's Dance
From Tonight
From Outside
From Earthling
From Heathen
From Reality
Other songs:
