Live: Syria Mosque, Pittsburgh

David Bowie performed at the Pittsburgh’s Syria Mosque on 26 June 1974.

This was the tenth date of the Diamond Dogs Tour, which had kicked off in Montreal on 14 June. It was also the first of two consecutive nights at the Syria Mosque.

The musical director was Michael Kamen, who also played electric piano, Moog synthesizer, and oboe. Earl Slick played guitar, and Mike Garson was on piano and Mellotron. The bass guitarist was Herbie Flowers, and the drummer was Tony Newman.

The backing singers were Geoff MacCormack (billed as Warren Peace) and Gui Andrisano. The line-up was completed by David Sanborn and Richard Grando on saxophone and flute, and percussionist Pablo Rosario.

This and the following night were Bowie’s only performances at the Syria Mosque, a 3,700-seat venue constructed in 1911. Originally built as a shrine for the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, it later became a concert hall. The building was demolished in 1991.

The setlist

• ‘1984’
• ‘Rebel Rebel’
• ‘Moonage Daydream’
• ‘Sweet Thing’
• ‘Candidate’
• ‘Sweet Thing (Reprise)’
• ‘Changes’
• ‘Suffragette City’
• ‘Aladdin Sane’
• ‘All The Young Dudes’
• ‘Cracked Actor’
• ‘Rock ‘N’ Roll With Me’
• ‘Watch That Man’
• ‘Space Oddity’
• ‘Future Legend’
• ‘Diamond Dogs’
• ‘Panic In Detroit’
• ‘Big Brother’
• ‘Chant Of The Ever Circling Skeletal Family’
• ‘Time’
• ‘The Width Of A Circle’
• ‘The Jean Genie’
• ‘Rock ‘N’ Roll Suicide’