A Reality Tour

Infobox concert tour
concert_tour_name = A Reality Tour


image_caption=
artist = David Bowie
location =
locations = Europe
North America
New Zealand
Australia
Asia
type =
album= "Reality"
start_date = 7 October 2003
end_date = 23 July 2004
number_of_legs = 5
number_of_shows = 113
last_tour = Heathen Tour
(2002)
this_tour = A Reality Tour
(2003/4)
next_tour =

A Reality Tour was a worldwide concert tour by David Bowie in support of the "Reality" album [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/music/2992862.stm Bowie announces world tour] ] . 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 a angioplasty procedure [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3878889.stm Bowie recovers after heart surgery] ] . 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 [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3825737.stm Lollipop hits Bowie in eye at gig] ] . 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 [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/music/3692651.stm Crew member dies at Bowie concert] ] .

History

Bowie promoted this tour with appearances on primetime television shows such as The Tonight Show and on AOL Sessions [ [http://music.aol.com/artist/david-bowie/3753/video AOL Sessions] ] .

A DVD video of the Point Theatre, Dublin performances of 2003 was released as "A Reality Tour" in 2004.

Performance

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 [ [http://www.bowiedownunder.com/reality/well-davidbowieseatplan.jpgSeating Plan] ] .

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 kneckerchief 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".

Repertoire

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.

Tour Band

*David Bowie - vocals, guitars, stylophone, harmonica
*Earl Slick - guitar
*Gerry Leonard - guitar
*Gail Ann Dorsey - bass guitar, backing vocals
*Sterling Campbell - drums
*Mike Garson - keyboards, piano
*Catherine Russell - keyboards, percussion, acoustic guitar, backing vocals

Tour Dates

Warm-up Show

*19/08/2003 flagicon|United States The Chance - Poughkeepsie, NY

atellite Show

*08/09/2003 flagicon|England Riverside Studios - London, EnglandLive 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 [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/music/3089246.stm Bowie gig beamed into cinemas] ] [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/reviews/3091186.stm Bowie thrills crowd with cinema gig] ] .

Europe

*07/10/2003 flagicon|Denmark Forum - Copenhagen, Denmark
*08/10/2003 flagicon|Sweden The Globe - Stockholm, Sweden
*10/10/2003 flagicon|Finland Hartwall Areena - Helsinki, Finland
*12/10/2003 flagicon|Norway Oslo Spektrum - Oslo, Norway
*15/10/2003 flagicon|Netherlands Ahoy Rotterdam - Rotterdam, Netherlands
*16/10/2003 flagicon|Germany Color Line Arena - Hamburg, Germany
*18/10/2003 flagicon|Germany Festhalle - Frankfurt, Germany
*20/10/2003 flagicon|France Palais omnisports de Paris-Bercy - Paris, France
*21/10/2003 flagicon|France Palais omnisports de Paris-Bercy - Paris, France
*23/10/2003 flagicon|Italy Forum D'Assago - Milan, Italy
*24/10/2003 flagicon|Switzerland Hallenstadion - Zurich, Switzerland
*26/10/2003 flagicon|Germany Hanns-Martin Schleyerhalle - Stuttgart, Germany
*27/10/2003 flagicon|Germany Olympiahalle - Munich, Germany
*29/10/2003 flagicon|Austria Wiener Stadthalle - Vienna, Austria
*31/10/2003 flagicon|Germany Kölnarena - Cologne, Germany
*01/11/2003 flagicon|Germany Preussag Arena - Hanover, Germany
*03/11/2003 flagicon|Germany Max-Schmeling-Halle - Berlin, Germany
*05/11/2003 flagicon|Belgium Sportpaleis Antwerpen - Antwerp, Belgium
*07/11/2003 flagicon|France Le Zénith - Lille, France
*08/11/2003 flagicon|France Le Galaxie - Amnéville, France
*10/11/2003 flagicon|France Palais Nikaia - Nice, France
*12/11/2003 flagicon|France (Cancelled due to illness) Le Zénith de Toulouse - Toulouse, France
*14/11/2003 flagicon|France Le Dome de Marseille - Marseille, France
*15/11/2003 flagicon|France [http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halle_Tony_Garnier Halle Tony Garnier] - Lyon, France
*17/11/2003 flagicon|England MEN Arena - Manchester, England
*19/11/2003 flagicon|England National Exhibition Centre - Birmingham, England
*20/11/2003 flagicon|England National Exhibition Centre - Birmingham, England
*22/11/2003 flagicon|Ireland Point Theatre - Dublin, Ireland
*23/11/2003 flagicon|Ireland Point Theatre - Dublin, Ireland
*25/11/2003 flagicon|England Wembley Arena - London, England
*26/11/2003 flagicon|England Wembley Arena - London, England
*28/11/2003 flagicon|Scotland SECC - Glasgow, Scotland

North America

*06/12/2003 flagicon|United States (Postponed due to tour band illness) The Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa - Atlantic City, NJ
*07/12/2003 flagicon|United States (Postponed due to tour band illness) Patriot Center - Fairfax, VA
*09/12/2003 flagicon|United States (Postponed due to tour band illness) FleetCenter - Boston, MA
*10/12/2003 flagicon|United States (Postponed due to tour band illness) Wachovia Center - Philadelphia, PA
*12/12/2003 flagicon|Canada (Postponed due to tour band illness) Air Canada Centre - Toronto, ON
*13/12/2003 flagicon|Canada Bell Centre - Montreal, PQ
*15/12/2003 flagicon|United States Madison Square Garden - New York, NY
*16/12/2003 flagicon|United States Mohegan Sun - Uncasville, CT

Bahamas

*20/12/2003 flagicon|Bahamas The Atlantis Paradise Island Hotel - Nassau, Bahamas

North America

*07/01/2004 flagicon|United States Convocation Center - Cleveland, OH
*09/01/2004 flagicon|United States The Palace of Auburn Hills - Auburn Hills, MI
*11/01/2004 flagicon|United States Target Center - Minneapolis, MN
*13/01/2004 flagicon|United States Rosemont Theatre - Chicago, IL
*14/01/2004 flagicon|United States Rosemont Theatre - Chicago, IL
*16/01/2004 flagicon|United States Rosemont Theatre - Chicago, IL
*19/01/2004 flagicon|United States Fillmore Auditorium - Denver, CO
*21/01/2004 flagicon|Canada Pengrowth Saddledome - Calgary, AB
*24/01/2004 flagicon|Canada General Motors Place - Vancouver, BC
*25/01/2004 flagicon|United States Paramount Theatre - Seattle, WA
*27/01/2004 flagicon|United States HP Pavilion at San Jose - San Jose, CA
*30/01/2004 flagicon|United States The Joint (Hardrock Hotel) - Las Vegas, NV
*31/01/2004 flagicon|United States Shrine Auditorium - Los Angeles, CA
*02/02/2004 flagicon|United States Shrine Auditorium - Los Angeles, CA
*03/02/2004 flagicon|United States Wiltern Theatre - Los Angeles, CA
*05/02/2004 flagicon|United States Dodge Theater - Phoenix, AZ
*06/02/2004 flagicon|United States The Joint (Hardrock Hotel) - Las Vegas, NV
*07/02/2004 flagicon|United States Wiltern Theatre - Los Angeles, CA

New Zealand

*14/02/2004 flagicon|New Zealand Westpac Stadium - Wellington

Australia

*17/02/2004 flagicon|Australia Brisbane Entertainment Centre - Brisbane
*20/02/2004 flagicon|Australia Sydney Entertainment Centre - Sydney
*21/02/2004 flagicon|Australia Sydney Entertainment Centre - Sydney
*23/02/2004 flagicon|Australia Adelaide Entertainment Centre - Adelaide
*26/02/2004 flagicon|Australia Rod Laver Arena - Melbourne
*27/02/2004 flagicon|Australia Rod Laver Arena - Melbourne
*01/03/2004 flagicon|Australia Supreme Court Gardens - Perth

Asia

*04/03/2004 flagicon|Singapore Singapore Indoor Stadium - Singapore City, Singapore
*08/03/2004 flagicon|Japan Nippon Budokan - Tokyo, Japan
*09/03/2004 flagicon|Japan Nippon Budokan - Tokyo, Japan
*11/03/2004 flagicon|Japan Castle Hall - Osaka, Japan
*14/03/2004 flagicon|Hong Kong Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre - Wan Chai, Hong Kong

North America

*29/03/2004 flagicon|United States Wachovia Center - Philadelphia, PA
*30/03/2004 flagicon|United States FleetCenter - Boston, MA
*01/04/2004 flagicon|Canada Air Canada Centre - Toronto, ON
*02/04/2004 flagicon|Canada Corel Centre - Kanata, ON
*04/04/2004 flagicon|Canada Colisée Pepsi - Quebec City, QC
*07/04/2004 flagicon|Canada Winnipeg Arena - Winnipeg, MB
*09/04/2004 flagicon|Canada Rexall Place - Edmonton, AB
*11/04/2004 flagicon|Canada Skyreach Place - Kelowna, BC
*13/04/2004 flagicon|United States Rose Garden Arena - Portland, OR
*14/04/2004 flagicon|United States KeyArena - Seattle, WA
*16/04/2004 flagicon|United States Berkeley Community Theatre - Berkeley, CA
*17/04/2004 flagicon|United States Berkeley Community Theatre - Berkeley, CA
*19/04/2004 flagicon|United States Santa Barbara County Bowl - Santa Barbara, CA
*22/04/2004 flagicon|United States Greek Theatre - Los Angeles, CA
*23/04/2004 flagicon|United States The Theatre at The Arrowhead Pond - Anaheim, CA
*25/04/2004 flagicon|United States Budweiser Events Center - Loveland, CO
*27/04/2004 flagicon|United States The Backyard - Austin, TX
*29/04/2004 flagicon|United States The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion - The Woodlands, TX
*30/04/2004 flagicon|United States Saenger Theatre - New Orleans, LA
*03/05/2004 flagicon|United States Hammerstein Ballroom - New York, NY (2nd Annual Audi and Condé Nast 'Never Follow' Awards Show)
*05/05/2004 flagicon|United States The Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center - Tampa, FL
*06/05/2004 flagicon|United States (Cancelled due to fatality) James L. Knight Center - Miami, FL
*08/05/2004 flagicon|United States Chastain Park Amphitheatre - Atlanta, GA
*10/05/2004 flagicon|United States Starlight Theatre - Kansas City, MO
*11/05/2004 flagicon|United States Fox Theatre - St. Louis, MO
*13/05/2004 flagicon|United States Star Pavilion - Hershey, PA
*14/05/2004 flagicon|Canada John Labatt Centre - London, ON
*16/05/2004 flagicon|United States Patriot Center - Fairfax, VA
*17/05/2004 flagicon|United States Benedum Center - Pittsburgh, PA
*19/05/2004 flagicon|United States The Milwaukee Theatre - Milwaukee, WI
*20/05/2004 flagicon|United States Murat Theatre - Indianapolis, IN
*22/05/2004 flagicon|United States The Mark of the Quad Cities - Moline, IL
*24/05/2004 flagicon|United States Veterans Memorial Auditorium - Columbus, OH
*25/05/2004 flagicon|United States Shea's Performing Arts Center - Buffalo, NY
*27/05/2004 flagicon|United States Ford Pavilion at Montage Mountain - Scranton, PA
*29/05/2004 flagicon|United States The Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa - Atlantic City, NJ
*30/05/2004 flagicon|United States The Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa - Atlantic City, NJ
*01/06/2004 flagicon|United States Verizon Wireless Arena - Manchester, NH
*02/06/2004 flagicon|United States Mohegan Sun - Uncasville, CT
*04/06/2004 flagicon|United States Tommy Hilfiger at Jones Beach Theatre - Wantagh, NY
*05/06/2004 flagicon|United States PNC Bank Arts Center - Holmdel, NJ

Europe

*11/06/2004 flagicon|Netherlands Arrow Rock Festival - Amsterdam, Netherlands
*13/06/2004 flagicon|UK The Nokia Isle of Wight Festival - Newport, Isle of Wight
*17/06/2004 flagicon|Norway Bergen Festival - Bergen, Norway
*18/06/2004 flagicon|Norway Norwegian Wood Festival - Oslo, Norway
*20/06/2004 flagicon|Finland Provinssirock Festival - Seinäjoki, Finland
*23/06/2004 flagicon|Czech Republic T-Mobile Arena - Prague, Czech Republic
*25/06/2004 flagicon|Germany Hurricane Festival - Scheeßel, Germany
*26/06/2004 flagicon|Germany (Cancelled due to Bowie's health problems) Southside Festival - Tuttlingen, Germany
*29/06/2004 flagicon|Austria (Cancelled due to Bowie's health problems) Schloss Schönbrunn - Vienna, Austria
*30/06/2004 flagicon|Austria (Cancelled due to Bowie's health problems) Rescindenzplatz - Salzburg, Austria
*02/07/2004 flagicon|Denmark (Cancelled due to Bowie's health problems) Roskilde Festival - Roskilde, Denmark
*04/07/2004 flagicon|Belgium (Cancelled due to Bowie's health problems) Rock Werchter Festival - Werchter, Belgium
*06/07/2004 flagicon|France (Cancelled due to Bowie's health problems) Festival de la Gaou - Ile De Gaou, France
*07/07/2004 flagicon|France (Cancelled due to Bowie's health problems) Festival de la Cite - Carcassonne, France
*10/07/2004 flagicon|Scotland (Cancelled due to Bowie's health problems) T In The Park - Balado, Scotland
*11/07/2004 flagicon|Ireland (Cancelled due to Bowie's health problems) Oxegen Festival - Punchestown Racecourse, Naas, Ireland
*14/07/2004 flagicon|Spain (Cancelled due to Bowie's health problems) Bilbao Festival, Bilbao Bullring - Bilbao, Spain
*16/07/2004 flagicon|Spain (Cancelled due to Bowie's health problems) Xacobeo Festival - Santiago de Compostela, Spain
*17/07/2004 flagicon|Portugal (Cancelled due to Bowie's health problems) The Dragon Festival, Estádio do Dragão - Oporto, Portugal
*20/07/2004 flagicon|Switzerland (Cancelled due to Bowie's health problems) Paléo Festival Nyon - Nyon, Switzerland
*21/07/2004 flagicon|Monaco (Cancelled due to Bowie's health problems) Club du Sporting - Monaco
*23/07/2004 flagicon|France (Cancelled due to Bowie's health problems) Vieilles Charrues Festival - Carhaix, France

Notes

References

* Nicholas Pegg, "The Complete David Bowie", Reynolds & Hearn Ltd, 2004, ISBN 1-903111-73-0