Strange fascinations fascinate me.
So said one wise man once upon a time. I think he sang it actually.
Not that any sort of fascination around the career and music of David Bowie could be considered all the strange. Bowie is Bowie after all.
Maybe that’s why Dublin’s Bowie Festival has been so successful over the past 5 years. The iconic artist clearly has a global fanbase and the Bowie Fest has given Irish fans the opportunity to celebrate the life and legacy of the man/alien.
Today the organisers behind the festival announced that Bowie Fest Dublin would be returning in 2020.
Taking place across the city from January 8th-12th, this year festival marks 50 years of The Man Who Sold The World, the album which arguably heard Bowie start down the sonic path much of the 70s would find him wandering.
There’s plenty of international guests; musicians, producers, photographers and more who will be taking part in the specially curated festival.
Highlights
Bowie’s producer of choice Tony Visconti & Spiders From Mars drummer Woody Woodmansey perform with 6 piece band Holy Holy in the Olympia Theatre on January 11th. The set will include the entirety of TMWSTW plus the Stardust era records.
Visconti & Woodmansey will be taking part in a discussion chaired by Tony Clayton Lea in which they’ll recount tales from Bowie’s career. Visconti will also discuss his 50+ years of experience as a producer, offering helpful tips to aspiring studio heads. The talk will take place in the O’Flanagan Theatre in the Royal College Of Surgeons on January 12th.
The Birth Of Bowie takes place in The Sugar Club on January 10th. The event boasts Q&A with Phil Lancaster, who played bass in Bowie’s mid-60s group The Lower Third. Tribute act The London Boys will be performing material from Bowie’s 60s period on the night.
YES. The Glasshouse Ensemble will be giving some of the material from Bowie’s Berlin Trilogy their unique treatment in The Sugar Club on the 9th.
Darryl W Bullock is an author who wrote David Bowie Made Me Gay, a book which details the influence of LGBTQ+ writers and artists on the formation of modern music. He hosts a special presentation in The Theatre Bar on January 8th.
The Bowie Ball takes place in Whelan’s main room on January 10th. With music provided by young tribute act Heroes From Mars, the ball offers rewards for the best Bowie-themed fancy dress.
For more details on what’s going to go down as part of the festival plus ticket information, you can head to the Festival’s website.
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