The Dublin Bowie Festival is back for 2018
Written by The Dublin Bowie Festival is back in 2018 with a jam packed programme dedicated to the great artist.
It’s hard to believe that we’re coming up to the second anniversary of the death of the legendary musician and artist, David Bowie. But with most greats, they leave behind a great following and fans of David Bowie are honouring his great career in Dublin thanks to the Dublin Bowie Festival.
Taking place citywide in Dublin beginning Thursday 4th of January until January 10th – which marks the second anniversary of his death.
After it’s successful programme last year the festival has expanded to include more events and more venues. Not only is there an abundance of live music, there’s also movie & documentary screenings, Q&A’s, debates & discussions, literary events, fashion, fine art, merch markets, a quiz, a Festival club, illustration, karaoke, DJ’s to name a few things! Venues this year include Vicar St, Whelans, The Grand Social, The Workmans, The Sugar Club, The Lighthouse Cinema and The Liquor Rooms. Organisers behind the event aim to mirror Bowie’s fascination with the arts by providing Dublin with one of the most exciting events to take over the city!
Here’s just a few highlights from this year’s programme:
Thursday 4th January
My Life with Bowie – An evening with Woody Woodmansey – The Sugar Club – €15: Kicking off this years Festival is a special appearance of Bowie drummer extraordinaire, Woody Woodmansey – backbone of the Spiders From Mars and current co-leader (with Tony Visconti) of the supergroup Holy Holy. Woody will be interviewed on his groundbreaking years with Bowie by Irish Times music critic Tony Clayton Lea and will be signing copies of his recently released autobiography, My Life With Bowie.
Friday 5th January
Popscar – Tower Records, Dawson St. 6pm. Free admission. Kid Friendly! Dublin singer with full band treats all ages Bowie fans to a Fantastic Voyage of Bowie album classics.
Veda Lady presents ‘Boys Keep Swinging’ – The George. 10pm Bowie fanatic and one of Irelands most fabulous drag queens Veda Beaux Reves hosts a Bowie spectacular of glitter and glam in The George. Veda eloquently possesses the poise, physique and uninhibited glamour of Ziggy in his prime and the show promises to celebrate Bowies musical and fashion legacy in a riot of colour, camp and couture. She’s so swishy in her satin and tat, In her frock coat and bipperty-bopperty hat.
Saturday 6th January
Oh You Pretty Things – The Grand Social. 11am – 5pm. A special Bowie themed edition of the weekly Ha’penny Flea Market which will showcase and sell fans specially designed Bowie pieces as well as some vinyl and fanzine stalls.
Classic Album Night: Ziggy Stardust v Aladdin Sane – The Grand Social. 8pm – Two great bands take a classic Bowie album each and perform from start to finish! Young turks Heroes From Mars take to the stage first for a wham bam journey through the album that brought Bowie stardom while the sophisticated musicianship of Playback bring Bowies follow up to Ziggy to task while highlighting the outstanding piano led contribution that Mike Garson had on this album.
The Bowie Ball – The Sugar Club. 10pm – 3am – This is where we dress to impress, plaster on the make up, shine up the space boots and let the hair down for a night of racous rock n roll and disco dancing as we celebrate the golden years with a live performance from that rum bunch of showmen, The Salty Dog Allstars and a special guest DJ set. Great prizes for best dressed with glam and glitter make up available on the night.
Sunday 7th January
Space Oddity – The View From Major Tom’s Tin Can – Smithfield Sq. 11am – 4pm – Sit back and enjoy 360 degree views of the galaxy as the Exploration Dome takes you on a journey through time and space using state-of-the-art Full dome 360 degree 3-D digital projection technology, stunning graphics and advanced computer simulations all set to the music of David Bowie!
Bowie Brunch – The Woollen Mills. Midday – 3pm – Wake up you sleepy head, put on some clothes, shake up your bed and get down to listen to Today FM’s Ed Smith as he takes to the decks to provide all you pretty things with the perfect soundtrack to a perfect brunch. If you have kids, bring them to this!
Labyrinth – Lighthouse Cinema. 2pm – A Sunday afternoon showing for all the aspiring Bowie’s to enjoy!
Queen Bitch Quiz – The Grand Social. 5pm – Probably the hardest Bowie quiz on the planet returns to sort out the Halloween Jacks from the fakers as the Question Master asks is there Life On Mars?
Rebel Rebel – Vicar St. 7.30pm – Still on a high after selling out at DBF 17, Rebel Rebel return to celebrate the masters catalogue as this supreme bunch of musicians take us from Space Oddity to Blackstar over an action packed 2 plus hours of greatest hits and all time classics. Bowie guitarist & musical director Gerry Leonard stated after his appearance with the band at Dublin Bowie Festival 2016 that it was ‘the closest thing to playing with Bowie Ive experienced’. High praise indeed!
There’s also a number of Bowie Art Exhibitions including Bowie Lithographs at Gallery X, 65 Sth William St, D2 (Free Admission) (5th -10th Jan). Representative of his artistic output from as early as 1978 up to 2002, the Bowie Art collection includes 10 unique pieces, each hand signed by Bowie himself, starting with a limited edition 1 of 120 signed lithographic print as well as a self portrait titled “Heroes” to name a few. This collection shows a side of Bowie that many may not be aware of, the artist in every form of the word.
A Portrait In Flesh – Studio 10, 10 Wicklow St, D2 (Free Admission) ( 5th – 10th Jan.) As the Sothebys auction in London highlighted, Bowie was an incredibly avid collector of art and this year DBF host an exhibition dedicated to the artistic palette and how it has captured Bowies many facial expressions over the years.
