Melbourne is the perfect place for a few days' break away from humdrum life at home.
This winter and spring, Australia's cultural capital promises a host of treats for the musically inclined so now's the time to take advantage of low-cost airfares and exciting travel packages. Head first to the
most high-profile event in town and be heroes, just for one day, at a remarkable exhibition saluting the life of a modern musical legend.
'DAVID BOWIE IS'
Although he made his first recording, 'Liza Jane' as the lead singer of Davie Jones and the King Bees in 1964, it was the well-timed 'Space Oddity' single, released in 1969, just days before the Apollo moon landing, that introduced a sometimes camp, and consistently chameleon David Bowie to a loyal fan-base, which has remained to this day both enchanted and intrigued by the man and his music.
Over the years, he's played to packed houses in Melbourne in the course of four incredibly successful tours down under.
The first was back in 1978, as a headline making young rock rebel, on the road to promote his 'Heroes' album. The complicated and mysterious thin white duke bewitched audiences and kept them firmly under his spell until curfew time came around.
The 'Serious Moonlight' tour in 1983 had a strong local connection, which saw Bowie dancing with everyday Australians in the red and dusty outpost of Carinda for the iconic 'Let's Dance' clip while a sultry 'China Girl', New Zealander, Geeling Ng, starred in the music video of the same name.
Bowie's 'Glass Spider' tour in 1987 featured some of the most stunning and elaborate staging ever seen in Australasia, including a spooky 15-metre-high spider. Melburnians seemingly couldn't get enough of their hero and Bowie played an incredible four sell-out shows at Kooyong Stadium.
It was a long seventeen years before he finally reappeared in Victoria's capital city, in dapper, middle-aged guise for 'A Reality Tour' in 2004 which saw the city's new Rod Laver Arena filled to capacity with adoring fans of all ages in the course of two sensational shows.
Photo: David Bowie
Image 1 of 4: David Bowie. Photo / Roberto Seba.
David Bowie claims that he's hung up his travelling hat and won't be gracing Antipodean stages, or indeed any stages, again. We shall see in good time if that's true, but in the meantime the legend lives on regardless.
This winter, the inimitable musician is the focus of a multi-faceted, much-lauded exhibition, aptly named 'David Bowie Is,' which premiered at the UK's prestigious Victoria and Albert Museum in London, then made its way to Australia's arts capital, via sell-out seasons in Chicago, Paris and Berlin.
Given full and unprecedented access to Bowie's own extensive archives, the curators of this remarkable collection have gathered together a plethora of costumes, film, hand-written lyrics, photos and artwork, weaving them together in a multitude of patterns, using a variety of media, to mark the extraordinary effect that a simple working class boy - formerly David Jones - from Brixton, London, has had on modern music, on fashion, and on contemporary culture in general.
Between 16 July and 1 November, die-hard admirers or indeed, just casual fans, can take advantage of a truly modern multi-level experience.
The on-line hub, Bowie Channel features blogs, rare clips, and vintage interviews, both with the star and with some of his most avid long-time fans, including Bruce Butler who spent three weeks queuing for tickets to the singer's 1978 shows. Follow the history of Bowie's music in the movies and enjoy five of his most iconic TV performances including Space Oddity (1970), Starman (1972), and Ashes to Ashes (1980).
Bowie Late Nights, each Friday, offer Bowie-inspired live entertainment from local acts including Geraldine Quinn, The Bombay Royale, Mojo Juju, Jen Cloher, TEK TEK, Rat and Co, Chela and many more. Exhibition visitors who've bought tickets to any session from 5pm, can enjoy priority VIP access to these phenomenally popular events, which are free to the public, but please note numbers are limited and without a ticket, entry cannot be guaranteed.
For truly dedicated fans, the Bowie Symposium 17-18 July brings together a wide range of experts from the popular culture, celebrity and media studies fields, plus exhibition curators and researchers, for a two day cornucopia of all things Bowie. With panel discussions, workshops, performances, and a special symposium dinner, this will be an experience to remember.
(NB: Symposium tickets and dinner tickets are in addition to exhibition entry and must be booked in advance).
In a strictly limited season, with no extension possible, the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) in Federation Square is hosting this once-in-a-lifetime exhibition and fans are expected to pour across the Tasman for an unprecedented insight into the life of a genuine legend of our times.
'David Bowie Is', is expected to be wildly popular and as only a set number of tickets will be released each day, visitors are advised to pre-purchase tickets.
$40 priority access ticket allows you a single entry on any date at any time between 16 July and 1 November.
General admission:
Adult $25
Concession $19
Child $15
For much more information, visit David Bowie Is
