Live: Civic Center, Saint Paul

David Bowie performed at the Civic Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota, on 5 October 1974.

This was the 39th date of the Diamond Dogs Tour, which had kicked off in Montreal on 14 June. Tickets cost $5.50, $6.50, and $7.50, but the show did not sell out.

There had been a break in the tour since 16 September, and Bowie used the time to scrap the $400,000 Hunger City stage set, and strip back the production. The subsequent dates are often known as the Soul Tour.

The musical director was Mike Garson, who also played piano and Mellotron. Earl Slick and Carlos Alomar played guitar, the bass guitarist was Emir Ksasan, and the drummer was Dennis Davis.

The backing singers were Ava Cherry, Robin Clark, Geoff MacCormack (billed as Warren Peace), Luther Vandross, Diane Sumler, and Anthony Hinton. The line-up was completed by David Sanborn on saxophone and flute, and percussionist Pablo Rosario.

A second show at the Civic Center on 6 October was cancelled. Bowie returned to the venue during the Glass Spider Tour on 1 and 2 October 1987. The Civic Center was demolished in 1998 and replaced with the Xcel Energy Center.

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’
• ‘Knock On Wood’
• ‘It’s Gonna Be Me’
• ‘Space Oddity’
• ‘Future Legend’
• ‘Diamond Dogs’
• ‘Big Brother’
• ‘Chant Of The Ever Circling Skeletal Family’
• ‘Time’
• ‘The Jean Genie’
• ‘Rock ‘N’ Roll Suicide’
• ‘John, I’m Only Dancing (Again)’