David Bowie has made many spectacular changes during his long career, but his latest incarnation as a disciple of "drum 'n' bass" has made the chameleon of rock almost unrecognisable to his older fans.
The artist, formerly known as Ziggy Stardust, is currently on tour with his band, playing at outdoor festivals in Europe and the UK, and last night he played a sold-out show at the Olympia Theatre, giving 1,400 fans an earful of his new, dance-oriented style.
There have been reports of walk-outs at some of Bowie's UK dates, something the man has been used to ever since he dumped his "classic" back catalogue and devoted most of his live-set to material from his 1995 album, Outside. Described as a "Gothic hypercycle", the album was a bleak, futuristic detective story far removed from the bright, glittering sci-fi of Ziggy Stardust or Aladdin Sane, and audiences who had come to hear Bowie's classic hits went home disappointed.
Last May, Bowie, who was 50 this year, played a secret gig at the Factory in Dublin's Barrow Street, where he had been rehearsing, and to the delight of the 250 fans, he performed many of his older hits, including The Jean Genie, Fashion, Heroes, Fame and The Man Who Sold The World. He also played tracks from his current album, Earthling. But no matter how much Bowie changes, and no matter what trendy new dance style he latches onto, the fans still want to hear the classic alien anthems which shaped pop music in the 1970s.
Bowie plays a second show in the Olympia tonight; just be patient, and the Starman might return to earth.
