Live: Spectrum, Philadelphia

David Bowie performed at the Spectrum in Philadelphia on 20 July 1983, as part of the Serious Moonlight Tour.

It was the 38th date of the tour, which began on 18 May in Brussels.

Bowie’s guitarists were Carlos Alomar and Earl Slick. Dave Lebolt was on keyboards and synthesizers, and Steve Elson, Stan Harrison, Lenny Pickett played saxophones. Carmine Rojas played bass guitar and Tony Thompson was on drums and percussion. George and Frank Simms were the backing singers.

This was the third of four consecutive nights at the venue. The other dates were 18, 19, and 21 July 1983.

Following the performance of ‘Space Oddity’, a woman climbed onto the stage and grabbed Bowie. She was bundled away by Tony Mascia, but not before she punched a hole in Bowie’s acoustic guitar. The singer looked at the guitar and said: “Oh my god, man… I don’t care.”

Bowie had previously performed at the Spectrum on 18 and 25 November 1974 during the Diamond Dogs Tour, 15 and 16 March 1976 for the Isolar Tour, and 28 and 29 April 1978 for the Isolar II Tour.

He returned to the venue on 9, 10, 12, and 13 July 1990 for the Sound+Vision Tour.

The setlist

• ‘Star’
• “Heroes”
• ‘What In The World’
• ‘Golden Years’
• ‘Fashion’
• ‘Let’s Dance’
• ‘Breaking Glass’
• ‘Life On Mars?’
• ‘Sorrow’
• ‘Cat People (Putting Out Fire)’
• ‘China Girl’
• ‘Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)’
• ‘Rebel Rebel’
• ‘White Light/White Heat’
• ‘Station To Station’
• ‘Cracked Actor’
• ‘Ashes To Ashes’
• ‘Space Oddity’
• ‘Young Americans’
• ‘Fame’
• ‘Stay’
• ‘The Jean Genie’
• ‘Modern Love’