David Bowie Friday Newcastle City Hall 16th June 1978
There was great anticipation for the 1978 David Bowie tour. By 1978 he was a massive star across the world, and this time he played three nights at the City Hall, which was almost unheard of; I can’t remember anyone else playing three nights in the 70s. Tickets were available by post, so several of us applied for more than one night, as I recall. I managed to get tickets for a couple of nights. I passed one pair of tickets on to some friends and kept the tickets for the Friday, which was the last of the three nights. In hindsight I wish I’d gone for more than one night. Tickets were getting expensive by now, with best seats costing £6 which was quite a bit more than the 40p I have paid to see Bowie at the City Hall 6 years earlier.
This was one of the best Bowie gigs that I have attended. The set covered much of his by now classic back catalogue, the band was tight, and Bowie’s performance was superb. The show was in two sets, with no support act, as far as I recall. The first set consisted of songs from Low and Heroes which were Bowie’s most recent albums. I had the Low lp and had played and played it, so I was well versed in the tracks from that album. The second set consisted largely of songs from Ziggy and Station to Station. The programme (left and below) continued to follow the ISOLAR theme.
Setlist: Warszawa; “Heroes”; What in the World; Be My Wife; The Jean Genie; Blackout; Sense of Doubt; Speed of Life; Breaking Glass; Fame; Beauty and the Beast; Five Years; Soul Love; Star; Hang On to Yourself; Ziggy Stardust; Suffragette City; Art Decade; Alabama Song; Station to Station; Stay; Rebel Rebel. What I would give to relive a gig such as this, or to see Bowie on stage again, singing Five Years. Great days. Tomorrow I’ll try to remember Bowie’s Milton Keynes show, as part of the Serious Moonlight tour.
13 Jan
Vintagerock's Weblog. 
Posted by Terry Hackett on March 21, 2014 at 10:33 pm
I attended one of these gigs. When we arrived people were begging for tickets outside the City Hall, willing to pay way over the odds to anyone willing to sell. We sat upstairs and part-way through the show material began floating down from above. It was plaster, and we looked up to see someone’s leg dangling through a hole in the ceiling. Must have been Aladdin Sane!
Posted by Rich & Lou Duffy-Howard on August 15, 2014 at 5:42 pm
http://loudhailer.net/letters-from-starman/#jp-carousel-1951 🙂 fab
Posted by Keith on May 31, 2016 at 1:51 pm
I was at this gig being just 16! I went with a guy called Mark Melon and a girl from school who can’t remember her name.
I recall the start of the show, the stage was black and the sound of a guy playing violin got things underway. Does this match with anyoneelse who attended?
I have seen many bands and this is still and will always be the best
Long live the memory of Mr Bowie, we love you.
Posted by Rob Phillips on December 21, 2016 at 9:31 pm
Yes I attended Bowie’s three night stint in Newcastle and they were great shows..small venue, very personal..i even stayed at Bowies hotel the Gosforth Park and briefly met him in the bar ….followed him up to Glasgow the next day.. he was in the tour bus with Iggy Pop!!! Fond memories..good shows in Glasgow too but Newcastle were the best.
Posted by vintagerock on December 22, 2016 at 12:11 pm
JHappy days cheerers Peter