Despite having a fine suite of Bowie songs in his repertoire (see here and here), to date, David M. has participated in the Bowie Ball only outside the Rickshaw, busking the street, some of which was entertainingly captured on video here. We've talked about his Small Salute to David Bowie before, some seven years ago, but this year's Bowie Ball marks a new development: M. has been enlisted to perform at the "Bowie Ball Pit" event, an ancillary, all-ages gig, the day after the Bowie Ball, at LanaLou's (kids under 16 will be admitted free with an accompanying adult!). I asked if there was any news to report (besides whispers of a 4K director's cut restoration of The Linguini Incident, that is; more on that here). M writes:
The "small David Bowie salute" I do hasn't changed much since I first did it in 2016 at my place to cheer myself and a few friends up. It certainly did that, as did the viewing of The Linguini Incident and the good company and conversation afterward. The passing of Bowie was a nasty jolt, casting gloom even on people who might have lost interest in his latter-day music, and my putting together a little set of his songs, almost all of which I was already playing in shows, was my attempt to be more grateful than sad. The idea I had of doing "Peace On Earth", his isolated half of the Bing & Bowie Christmas duet, as an ending felt appropriate. Running through the programme now with this all-ages show in mind, most of the songs strangely seem to have been intended for younger people, even children, as opposed to us painfully hip and knowing older folks. Bowie was a magnet for innocents and misfits because he was innocent and a misfit, and he appealed to young people not just because he was beautiful but because his creativity was childlike. I'm happy to have been asked to do this, even at Lanalou's. I like David Bowie and I like the cause.
The Bowie Ball is tonight; I won't be there, as I have COVID, and have not fully recovered. David will be leading the Bowie Ball Pit event, performing first at LanaLou's on Sunday, taking the stage at 5:30, followed by the bands WTF, Shag, and Fallen Stars, all also presumably covering Bowie songs. Odds are I won't be at that either, given this virus, but people are heartily encouraged to check it out. In some cases (especially "The Laughing Gnome"), M's covers of these songs best Bowie's!
More information on the Bowie Ball Pit here.
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