Live: Convention Center, Dallas

David Bowie performed at the Convention Center in Dallas, Texas, on 10 April 1978, as part of the Isolar II Tour.

It was the ninth date of the tour, which began on 29 March in San Diego.

His guitarists were Carlos Alomar and Adrian Belew. Simon House was on electric violin, Sean Mayes played piano, and Roger Powell was on keyboards and synthesizers. George Murray played bass guitar and Dennis Davis was on drums.

We flew into Dallas again and drove in from DFW airport, past our old rehearsals hotel. This time we were staying at the plush and classic Fairmont. Even the sand in the ashtrays was monogrammed – molded into the letter F. The rooms were cold though, as we were taking bad weather on tour with us.

There were several familiar faces back-stage at the Convention Centre and there was a party atmosphere as it was Pat’s birthday. Pat Gibbons was David’s business manager, looking like an American college kid but with the quiet assurance of one whose father has just endowed the college with a library. He used to promote concerts at the Tower Theatre, Philadelphia when he was 22 and remembered Fumble’s birthday party for George Washington in 1973. But tonight was his birthday so the local caterer who had looked after us during rehearsals had made him a huge cake. A shy Pat, who’s not used to being the star himself, had to blow out all the candles.

That night’s show went really well – the first one where we all settled in and just enjoyed ourselves. Four numbers were filmed for TV and later shown on the Whistle Test.

The setlist

• ‘Warszawa’
• “Heroes”
• ‘What In The World’
• ‘Be My Wife’
• ‘The Jean Genie’
• ‘Blackout’
• ‘Sense Of Doubt’
• ‘Speed Of Life’
• ‘Breaking Glass’
• ‘Beauty And The Beast’
• ‘Fame’
• ‘Five Years’
• ‘Soul Love’
• ‘Star’
• ‘Hang On To Yourself’
• ‘Ziggy Stardust’
• ‘Suffragette City’
• ‘Rock ‘N’ Roll Suicide’
• ‘Art Decade’
• ‘Station To Station’
• ‘Stay’
• ‘TVC 15’
• ‘Rebel Rebel’