Rehearsal: Capitol Theatre, New York

David Bowie began three consecutive days of rehearsals for the Diamond Dogs Tour on 8 June 1974.

The rehearsals took place at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, New York. The Hunger City set caused a number of technical problems, including distorted sound, and an unreliable cherry picker used during ‘Space Oddity’.

On this first day, the hydraulics holding a bridge above the stage failed, and it collapsed with Bowie on it.

I’ve never met anyone who could think so fast on his feet. As the bridge was falling, he calculated precisely when it would hit, jumping into the air just before the crash to avoid the shock.

Following the near-disaster, new brakes make by Porsche were added to the bridge to control its movements. Bowie asked the engineer: “A Porsche brake? Isn’t that how James Dean died?”

The technical problems were never resolved before we left Port Chester. David was in great danger physically, and could have gotten electrocuted or killed.

The Diamond Dogs Tour kicked off in Montreal on 14 June 1974.