PHOTO
Leod Creative and DKCM
Knox Church
Thursday, July 16
Two years ago, Dunedin was introduced to a new way of and a new venue for enjoying live performance with the ‘‘Best of Pink Floyd’’ at St Paul’s Cathedral. This time it was the creative genius of David Bowie at the more intimate Knox Church.
To mark the 10-year anniversary of Bowie’s death, DKCM (Doug Kamo) and Leod Creative (husband and wife team Heidi Hayward and Greg MacLeod) created a tribute evening that delivered a set list as diverse and captivating as the man himself.
Tackling any artist who has the following that Bowie did and still does is a lofty goal — the adoration people have for the man, the icon, the chameleon — it’s gutsy.
The two men tasked with bringing this show to life were charismatic father/son duo Greg MacLeod and Ben Hayward, both superbly talented and fabulous frontmen who shared the demanding singing duties throughout the show.
They were joined by an incredible band made up of Stuart Walker, Che Long, Samuel Leaper, Stevie Rice, Maddy Parkins-Craig, Georgie Watts and Andy Lynch along with backing vocalists Sophie Whibley and Charlotte Hayward.
How do you pick from the vast array of songs that make up Bowie’s discography?
There were certainly many of the favourites: China Girl, Starman, Golden Years, Fame, Heroes, Gene Genie, Space Oddity and Let’s Dance, but for me the standouts were the melancholic Ashes to Ashes, the emotive solo from MacLeod of Life on Mars, the beautifully sung duet Under Pressure (Hayward and Whibley), and the stunning father/daughter duet to Absolute Beginners.
But no Bowie show would be complete without Modern Love, a highlight for me, as was the inclusion of a Labyrinthian interlude — another little and wonderful surprise for this child of the ’80s.
The vocal strengths of MacLeod and Hayward were on full display across the night.
They had the power and intensity, yet when needed, the delicacy, restraint and consideration, which showed extreme respect for Bowie.
Every vocalist, artist or musician on that stage gave their all and that level of energy and engagement was infectious; people were dancing in the aisles and there were definitely many singing along for the entire performance.
Special mention to the sensational saxophonist, Stevie Rice, playing from the pulpit — his outstanding solos made the night.
Through their expert sound, lighting and visuals, Strawberry Sound delivered the whimsical and starry inter-galacticness, the sometimes psychedelic — and captured Bowie’s personas perfectly. The image of Ziggy Stardust over the stained-glass window was stunning.
The acoustics of a church will always be superior — made for far more than sermons and hymns.
These magnificent spaces lend themselves so beautifully to live performances and, hopefully, this was the second in a long future of more.
This production was certainly a tribute, but not one that was twee at any point: it did not try to impersonate Bowie — how could you ever think you could?
David Bowie is a one-of-a-kind artist you can be inspired by, but he cannot be emulated.