GoDBowie – A Brief History

Formed in the wake of David Bowie’s death in January 2016 by Quentin Burton who sought out Bowie fan musicians and put on a show in his SongSmith, singer-songwriter promoter guise.  The show in April 2016 at Mr Wolf’s in Bristol was a great success attracting Bowie fans of all generations.  So much so that it was repeated at Mr Wolf’s with tweaks in 2017 and 2018 in Bowie’s birthday week along with a couple of other gigs at The Thunderbolt and The Dragonffli over the same period. 

After the birthday show in 2018 it was decided to take the set forward and turn it into an ongoing band.  Not a tribute band … none of the musicians look in the least like him and the dressing up is enthusiastic rather than mimicry, but as a covers band, concentrating on the music and arrangements.  Taking inspiration from Bowie’s live shows (e.g. on Rebel Rebel) as well as his studio work and covering much of his back catalogue from Space Oddity to Lazarus. 

Following a couple of changes of personnel rehearsals began in earnest in late August 2018 and the band was launched in January 2019 with a show for Bowie’s birthday.

The band has played at a number of venues around Bristol and South Wales and pre-lockdown had a series of festival and other gigs planned further afield in Manchester, Birmingham Norwich, Oxford and Liverpool.

An acoustic spin-off is also available.

We have created shows based around album anniversaries and have so far prepared Lodger 40th (played May 2019), Space Oddity 50th anniversary (played November 2019) and ‘hours…’ 20th (February 2020) .  We also hosted a Bowie At the Movies featuring a film plus gig trailed at our Bowie Birthday Blackout in January 2020 with showings of 2 Bowie movies during an evening of themed entertainment.

Our 2020 and early 2021 programme of course was hit by lockdowns and restrictions like everyone else but in September we are bouncing back with a 50th anniversary show for Hunky Dory as well as our Greatest Hits and Key Tracks sets.  Available as anything from 1×45 up to 2×60 minute shows we are looking specifically for dates across the UK in September 2021 and then opportunities through to 2022 and beyond.