David Bowie Tour 1978
This was 31 year-old David Bowie’s first tour of Australia. He brought along a Showco crew, FOH consoles and a custom built fluorescent light wall and ceiling structure. Unusually no coloured lighting was used. Instead the show relied on the different colour temperatures of incandescent, tungsten, fluorescent and other light sources to create contrast. The National Times said, The light show, like the artist when illuminated, was an example of true excellence.
Jands supplied the sound system, lighting support and the outdoor roof. Seven semi-trailers were used to transport the equipment around Australia.
Brisbane newspaper reported: “David Bowie today received some noisy feedback from Queensland’s minister in charge of noise, Mr Russ Hinze, following the pop star’s open-air concert last night. These pop singers come out here to make a quick quid by disturbing our peace and tranquillity, Mr Hinze said”. The fact that he’s a pommie as well wouldn’t help.
Mr Hinze, who is the minister for local government, said the newly-formed Noise Abatement Authority will investigate complaints that last night’s Bowie concert at Lang Park, Brisbane, disturbed the peace.
It was reported that the noise was loud enough to be heard 6 km away. Residents of the suburbs of Paddington, Barton and Milton described it as intolerable.
The support group for the tour was The Angels. Tickets for the Sydney concerts cost $12.50
Jands Crew
Crew
Vagn Stenvei
David Mulholland
Tour Dates
November 05 – Sydney Hordern Pavillion (Rehearsals)
November 08 – Sydney Hordern Pavillion (Rehearsals)
November 11 – Adelaide Cricket Ground
November 14 – Perth Entertainment Centre
November 18 – Melbourne Cricket Ground.
November 21 – Brisbane Lang Park.
November 24 – Sydney Showground
November 25 – Sydney Showground.
November 29 – Christchurch, QE2 Stadium.
December 02 – Auckland, Western Springs.
All photos © Jands Pty Limited. Click to enlarge
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- Sydney showground setup
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- Equipment freighter
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- Showco lighting console
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- Showco monitor console
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- Monitor EQ rack
Links
http://www.bowiegoldenyears.com/1978.html
http://www.bowiedownunder.com/lowheroes/tour3.html
http://www.bowiewonderworld.com/tours/tour78.htm
I’ve loved Bowie since I was 13 years old, I went to his first SydneY concert, which If Im right was called “Novembowie”, I went to all of his concert in NSW, Im remember Bowie doing his Glass Spider Tour at our new, at the time Homebush Bay Arena, I remember dancing in the Isles, I was ushered out by security, I did protest but security was determend to through me out for the rest of the concert if I didn’t comply with the 15 minutes first mentioned. Always love David Bowie, I visited Brixton and saw his memorial last year, at that time I was lucky enough to visit an expedition that was on display just around the corner, unfortunately couldn’t afford any memorabilia. David Bowie is always alive in my heart xoxo
He was ushering my birth in Decemeber 1978. That minister would have been a stain on life too.
I saw him at the Adelaide Cricket ground in ’78, then at Kooyong in ’89. I first heard him singing Space oddity on my Transistor at the beach when I was about 14 and I’ve been hooked ever since. My heart broke the day he died.