David Bowie 1987-06-23 Sunderland ,Roker Park – Sunderland 1987 –
Sound Quality Rating
101. Purple Haze Intro.wav
102. Carlos Guitar Intro.wav
103. Up the Hill Backwards.wav
104. Glass Spider.wav
105. Up the Hill Backwards (Reprise).wav
106. Day-In Day-Out.wav
107. Bang Bang.wav
108. Absolute Beginners.wav
109. Loving The Alien.wav
110. China Girl.wav
111. Fashion.wav
112. Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps).wav
113. All The Madmen.wav
114. Never Let Me Down.wav
201. Big Brother.wav
202. ’87 And Cry.wav
203. “Heroes”.wav
204. Time Will Crawl.wav
205. Band Introductions.wav
206. Beat Of Your Drum.wav
207. Sons Of The Silent Age.wav
208. Dancing With The Big Boys.wav
209. Zeroes.wav
210. Let’s Dance.wav
211. Fame.wav
212. Blue Jean.wav
213. Modern Love.wav
Label : Uxbridge – 1198
Audio Source : Audience recording
Lineage : Unknown
Taping Gear : Unknown
Taper: Unknown
Recording Location: Unknown
Total running time : 1:58:51
Sound Quality : Noise ,dull ,but still good listened to
Attendance : 36.000
Artwork : Yes
David Bowie thrills 36,000 fans at Roker Park, Sunderland, in 1987
David Bowie at Roker Park, Sunderland, June 23, 1987, on his Glass Spider tour
Giant rock and pop gigs at the region’s football stadiums are today a regular fixture on the North East entertainment calendar.
The whole thing kicked off in 1982 when the Rolling Stones played at Newcastle United’s St James’ Park.
Five years later, Sunderland got in on the act when David Bowie announced a date at the club’s old ground, Roker Park.
As American pop diva Beyonce steps out at the Stadium of Light, we recall the night Bowie rocked out back on Tuesday, June 23, 1987.
Earlier this year, in January, music fans in the North East and around the globe were shocked at news of the 69-year-old rock superstar’s death.
Here in the region, Bowie had performed landmark shows at Newcastle City Hall in 1972 and 1973, returning for a trio of celebrated gigs at the same venue in June 1978,
36,000 David Bowie fans at Roker Park, Sunderland, June 23, 1987
Later he would grace Newcastle Mayfair in 1991, Newcastle Riverside in 1997, and he was the first major artist to appear at Newcastle Arena in 1995.
But it was the Roker Park show in 1987 which attracted his biggest North East crowd.
More than 36,000 fans descended for the show on a day which began with sunshine, but ended with torrential rain.
Bowie, in fact, might have performed at St James’ Park had a Chronicle story from March 1983 come to fruition. We reported how promoter Harvey Goldsmith was considering promoting a summer show at the Toon’s home following the success of the Stones a year earlier – but the plan was scrapped.
It wasn’t until April 1987 that we announced Bowie would be performing in the region.
The 40-year-old star star – resident in Geneva, Switzerland at the time – would appear at Roker Park, Sunderland, on his 100-city worldwide Glass Spider tour.
Ticket sales were brisk, and with a 40,000 crowd expected, we told how special car and coach parks would be set up, and late night train services extended.
The support acts were confirmed as Big Country and the Screaming Blue Messiahs.
But, come the big day, the show was not without its problems.
With Bowie’s Boeing 747 aircraft temporarily grounded in London, the majority of the 36,000 fans in the ground “were blissfully unaware of the last-minute delays”.
As for the show, our report continued: “Bowie descended from the arms of a giant glass spider looking like an ageing teddy boy.
David Bowie at Roker Park, Sunderland, June 23, 1987, on his Glass Spider tour
“He took on the role of a circus impresario in charge of a multi-national band and team of wild dancers.
“But the significance of a great deal of the show was lost on much of the crowd…”
The start of the show also saw the singer address the crowd in a now notorious gaffe when he declared: “Good evening, Newcastle.” Oops!
If the stage show was undoubtedly stunning, our reviewer reckoned “the music seemed to leave the fans wanting”.
Bowie had chosen to play a sizeable chunk of new and unfamiliar material, but “when the audience was treated to some of the star’s hits – Heroes, Fame, Absolute Beginners and China Girl – they went down a storm.”
Towards the end of the show, the superstar again put his foot in it, announcing: “You didn’t let it rain. It’s so nice not to play in the rain”.
Cue a downpour which soaked the large outdoor crowd.
Nevertheless, the show came to a memorable climax when Bowie played Let’s Dance and Modern Love.
Our review concluded: “The crowds danced and sang with gusto – and I got an impression of what a great night it could have been.”
And with that, David Bowie was gone, leaving behind a churned-up football pitch, thousands of discarded beer bottles, complaints about volume levels, but a host of memories for fans at the show (yours truly among them).
He may not have played Ziggy Stardust, but we still loved him…
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Info and Thanks Chroniclelive.co.uk
To purchase photographs visit www.chroniclelive.co.uk/buyaphoto or telephone 0191 2016000. Alternatively call into The Chronicle, Front Reception, Groat Market, Newcastle Upon Tyne. NE1 1ED
David Bowie Tour band 1987 – The Glass Spider Tour
• David Bowie – vocals, guitar
• Peter Frampton – guitar, vocals
• Carlos Alomar – guitar, backing vocals, music director
• Carmine Rojas – bass guitar
• Alan Childs – drums
• Erdal Kızılçay – keyboards, trumpet, congas, violin, backing vocals
• Richard Cottle – keyboards, saxophone, tambourine, backing vocals
Tour dancers
• Melissa Hurley
• Constance Marie
• Spazz Attack (Craig Allen Rothwell)
• Viktor Manoel
• Stephen Nichols
• Toni Basil (choreography)
Tour design
• Allen Branton – Lighting design
• Mark Ravitz – Set design
• Christine Strand – Video director
Can You send high quality photos of the artwork? Thanks