From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The David Bowie Serious Moonlight Tour was thus far Bowie's longest, largest and most successful concert tour. The tour opened at the Vorst Forest Nationaal - Brussels on 18 May 1983 and ended in the Hong Kong Coliseum on 8 December 1983; 16 countries visited, 96 performances, 2,601,196 tickets sold^[1].

History

Earl Slick was drafted as guitarist a few days before the commencement of the tour due to problems with Stevie Ray Vaughan's management demanding contract renegotiations^[2].

On 30 June 1983 the performance at the Hammersmith Odeon - London was a charity show for the Brixton Neighbourhood Community Association in the presence of HRH Princess Michael of Kent. The 13 July 1983 Montreal Forum performance was recorded and broadcast on American FM Radio and other radio stations worldwide.

At the Canadian National Exhibition Stadium - Toronto, ON performance on 4 September 1983, Bowie introduced onstage special guest, Mick Ronson, borrowing Earl Slick's guitar performed The Jean Genie with Bowie and band. The 11 & 12 September 1983 Pacific National Exhibition Coliseum, Vancouver, BC performances were filmed and released on video in 1984 with a DVD release in 2006.

Tour Band

• David Bowie - vocals, guitar, saxophone
• Earl Slick - guitar
• Carlos Alomar - guitar
• Carmine Rojas - bass guitar
• Tony Thompson - drums, percussion
• Dave Lebolt - keyboards, synthesizers
• Steve Elson - saxophones
• Stan Harrison - saxophones, woodwinds
• Lenny Pickett - saxophones, woodwinds
• George Simms - backing vocals
• Frank Simms - backing vocals

Tour dates

Europe

• 18/05/1983 Vorst Forest Nationaal - Brussels, Belgium
• 19/05/1983 Vorst Forest Nationaal - Brussels, Belgium
• 20/05/1983 Festhalle - Frankfurt, Germany
• 21/05/1983 Olympiahalle - Munich, Germany
• 22/05/1983 Olympiahalle - Munich, Germany
• 24/05/1983 Palais des Sports de Gerland - Lyon, France
• 25/05/1983 Palais des Sports de Gerland - Lyon, France
• 26/05/1983 Les Arènes - Fréjus, France
• 27/05/1983 Les Arènes - Fréjus, France
• 29/05/1983 (Cancelled) - Le Beaujoire - Nantes, France

North America

• 30/05/1983 US Festival - Glen Helen Regional Park, San Bernardino, CA

Europe

• 02/06/1983 Wembley Arena - London, England
• 03/06/1983 Wembley Arena - London, England
• 04/06/1983 Wembley Arena - London, England
• 05/06/1983 National Exhibition Centre - Birmingham, England
• 06/06/1983 National Exhibition Centre - Birmingham, England
• 08/06/1983 Hippodrome D'Auteuil - Paris, France
• 09/06/1983 Hippodrome D'Auteuil - Paris, France
• 11/06/1983 Ullevi Stadium - Gothenburg, Sweden
• 12/06/1983 Ullevi Stadium - Gothenburg, Sweden
• 15/06/1983 Ruhrstadion - Bochum, Germany
• 17/06/1983 Freilichtbühne - Bad Segeberg, Germany
• 18/06/1983 Freilichtbühne - Bad Segeberg, Germany
• 20/06/1983 Waldbühne - Berlin, Germany
• 24/06/1983 Bieberer Berg Stadion - Offenbach am Main, Germany
• 25/06/1983 Stadion Feijenoord - Rotterdam, Netherlands
• 26/06/1983 Stadion Feijenoord - Rotterdam, Netherlands
• 28/06/1983 Murrayfield Stadium - Edinburgh, Scotland
• 30/06/1983 Hammersmith Odeon - London, England
• 01/07/1983 Milton Keynes Bowl - Milton Keynes, England
• 02/07/1983 Milton Keynes Bowl - Milton Keynes, England
• 03/07/1983 Milton Keynes Bowl - Milton Keynes, England

North America

• 11/07/1983 Colisée de Québec - Quebec City, QC
• 12/07/1983 Montreal Forum - Montreal, QC
• 13/07/1983 Montreal Forum - Montreal, QC
• 15/07/1983 Hartford Civic Center - Hartford, CT
• 16/07/1983 Hartford Civic Center - Hartford, CT
• 18/07/1983 The Spectrum - Philadelphia, PA
• 19/07/1983 The Spectrum - Philadelphia, PA
• 20/07/1983 The Spectrum - Philadelphia, PA
• 21/07/1983 The Spectrum - Philadelphia, PA
• 23/07/1983 (Re-scheduled) - Carrier Dome - Syracuse, NY
• 25/07/1983 Madison Square Garden - New York, NY
• 26/07/1983 Madison Square Garden - New York, NY
• 27/07/1983 Madison Square Garden - New York, NY
• 29/07/1983 Richfield Coliseum - Richfield, OH
• 30/07/1983 Joe Louis Arena - Detroit, MI
• 31/07/1983 Joe Louis Arena - Detroit, MI
• 02/08/1983 Rosemont Horizon - Rosemont, IL
• 03/08/1983 Rosemont Horizon - Rosemont, IL
• 04/08/1983 Rosemont Horizon - Rosemont, IL
• 07/08/1983 Commonwealth Stadium - Edmonton, AB
• 09/08/1983 BC Place Stadium - Vancouver, BC
• 11/08/1983 Tacoma Dome - Tacoma, WA
• 14/08/1983 The Forum - Los Angeles, CA
• 15/08/1983 The Forum - Los Angeles, CA
• 17/08/1983 Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum - Phoenix, AZ
• 19/08/1983 Reunion Arena - Dallas, TX
• 20/08/1983 Frank Erwin Center - Austin, TX
• 21/08/1983 The Summit - Houston, TX
• 24/08/1983 Scope Cultural and Convention Center - Norfolk, VA
• 25/08/1983 Scope Cultural and Convention Center - Norfolk, VA
• 27/08/1983 Capital Centre - Landover, MD
• 28/08/1983 Capital Centre - Landover, MD
• 29/08/1983 Hersheypark Stadium - Hershey, PA
• 31/08/1983 Sullivan Stadium - Foxborough, MA
• 03/09/1983 Canadian National Exhibition Stadium - Toronto, ON
• 04/09/1983 Canadian National Exhibition Stadium - Toronto, ON
• 05/09/1983 Buffalo Memorial Auditorium - Buffalo, NY
• 06/09/1983 Carrier Dome - Syracuse, NY
• 09/09/1983 Anaheim Stadium - Anaheim, CA
• 11/09/1983 Pacific National Exhibition Coliseum, Vancouver, BC
• 12/09/1983 Pacific National Exhibition Coliseum, Vancouver, BC
• 14/09/1983 Winnipeg Stadium Winnipeg, MB
• 17/09/1983 Oakland Alameda Coliseum - Oakland, CA

Japan

• 20/10/1983 Nippon Budokan - Tokyo, Japan
• 21/10/1983 Nippon Budokan - Tokyo, Japan
• 22/10/1983 Nippon Budokan - Tokyo, Japan
• 24/10/1983 Nippon Budokan - Tokyo, Japan
• 25/10/1983 Yokohama Stadium - Yokohama, Japan
• 26/10/1983 Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium - Osaka, Japan
• 27/10/1983 Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium - Osaka, Japan
• 29/10/1983 Kokusai Tenji Kaikan - Nagoya, Japan
• 30/10/1983 Expo Commemoration Park - Osaka, Japan
• 31/10/1983 Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium - Kyoto, Japan

Australia

• 04/11/1983 Perth Entertainment Centre - Perth, Australia
• 05/11/1983 Perth Entertainment Centre - Perth, Australia
• 06/11/1983 Perth Entertainment Centre - Perth, Australia
• 09/11/1983 Adelaide Oval - Adelaide, Australia
• 12/11/1983 VFL Park - Melbourne Australia
• 16/11/1983 Lang Park - Brisbane, Australia
• 19/11/1983 RAS Showgrounds - Sydney, Australia
• 20/11/1983 RAS Showgrounds - Sydney, Australia

New Zealand

• 24/11/1983 Athletic Park - Wellington, New Zealand
• 26/11/1983 Western Springs Stadium - Auckland, New Zealand

South East Asia

• 03/12/1983 National Stadium - Kallang, Singapore
• 05/12/1983 Thai Army Sports Stadium - Bangkok, Thailand
• 07/12/1983 Hong Kong Coliseum - Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong Island
• 08/12/1983 Hong Kong Coliseum - Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong Island

The Songs

From Space Oddity

• "Space Oddity"

From Hunky Dory

• "Life on Mars?"

From The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars

• "Soul Love"
• "Star"
• "Hang on to Yourself"

From Aladdin Sane

• "Cracked Actor"
• "The Jean Genie"

From Pin Ups

• "I Can't Explain" (originally non-album single by The Who, written by Pete Townshend)
• "Sorrow" (originally by The McCoys, written by Bob Feldman, Jerry Goldstein and Richard Gottehrer)

From Diamond Dogs

• "Rebel Rebel"

From Young Americans

• "Young Americans"
• "Fame" (Bowie, John Lennon, Carlos Alomar)

From Station to Station

• "Station to Station"
• "Golden Years"
• "TVC 15"
• "Stay"
• "Wild Is the Wind" (originally a single by Johnny Mathis, written by Dimitri Tiomkin and Ned Washington)

From Low

• "Breaking Glass" (Bowie, Dennis Davis, George Murray)
• "What in the World"

From "Heroes"

• "Joe the Lion"
• ""Heroes"" (Bowie, Brian Eno)

From Lodger

• "Red Sails" (Bowie, Eno)
• "Look Back in Anger" (Bowie, Eno)

From Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)

• "Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)"
• "Ashes to Ashes"
• "Fashion"

From Let's Dance

• "Modern Love"
• "China Girl" (originally from The Idiot by Iggy Pop, written by Pop and Bowie)
• "Let's Dance"
• "Cat People (Putting Out Fire)" (originally from Cat People: Original Soundtrack, written by Bowie and Giorgio Moroder)

Other songs:

• "Imagine" (originally from Imagine by John Lennon, written by Lennon)
• "White Light/White Heat" (from White Light/White Heat by The Velvet Underground, written by Lou Reed)

Notes

References

• David Buckley, Strange Fascination: The Definitive Biography of David Bowie, Virgin Books, 1999, ISBN 1-85227-784X