Live: Earls Court, London

David Bowie performed at London’s Earls Court on 29 June 1978, as part of the Isolar II Tour.

This was the 63rd date of the tour, which began on 29 March in San Diego.

It was also the first of three consecutive nights at Earls Court. The other dates were 30 June and 1 July 1978.

Bowie’s guitarists were Carlos Alomar and Adrian Belew. Simon House was on electric violin, Sean Mayes played piano, and Roger Powell was on keyboards and synthesizers. George Murray played bass guitar and Dennis Davis was on drums.

I don’t think Earls Court was quite the biggest gig – Madison Square or the LA Forum may have been bigger. But for me, Earls Court was the one. It was vast and awe-inspiring…

It was another small riot of a show. Hell, it was the riot of a show with people singing, clapping, jumping, climbing on their seats, kamikaze kids rushing the barriers. The fascinated sexual gaze of the front rows, bathed in stage light, made it hard to breathe at times. There came a moment when the security guys gave up the struggle and leaped behind the crash barriers just below the stage, so from there back it was a sea of humanity – It’s too late! ROAR!!!

Bowie had first performed at Earls Court during the Ziggy Stardust Tour on 12 May 1973.

The 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’
• ‘TVC 15’
• ‘Stay’
• ‘Rebel Rebel’