Live: Boston Garden, Boston

David Bowie performed at the Boston Garden in Boston, MA, on 6 May 1978, as part of the Isolar II Tour.

It was the 28th date of the tour, which began on 29 March in San Diego.

Bowie’s 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.

The limos took us to the Boston Garden, home of the Boston Bruins. While Dennis was pounding his drums for the sound-check I slipped away to the pro sports shop, a glorious place full of T-shirts, sweat-shirts, hats, caps and jackets as well as the regular sports gear and all so cheap. I stocked up on ’50s gear for Fumble then rushed back to have Eric shout at me for being late.

It was a great gig but with one drawback – the ‘Boston rock-thrower’. The last few times Dennis had played the place – with David and with George Benson – someone had thrown stones at the stage. At first I thought this was one of Dennis’ funny stories but that night two huge rocks were thrown, one narrowly missing Dennis, the other smashing one of Roger’s keyboards. What a crazy situation! At nearly every gig in Boston, this character picks up a couple of rocks from the car park then at some point in the show stands up – ‘Excuse me!’ – and lobs the rocks onto the stage.

Bowie had previously performed at the Boston Garden on 17 March 1976 during the Isolar Tour.

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’
• ‘Art Decade’
• ‘Alabama Song’
• ‘Station To Station’
• ‘Stay’
• ‘TVC 15’
• ‘Rebel Rebel’