Live: Festhalle, Frankfurt

David Bowie performed at Frankfurt’s Festhalle on 14 May 1978, as part of the Isolar II Tour.

It was the 32nd 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.

At 7pm [on the 13th] it was off to the Festhalle for a rehearsal – mostly making sure all the equipment had survived the flight and the change of voltage. They even flew the grand piano over in a huge triangular flight case!

After that it was another evening of clubs and friends…

The gig went well and I was pleased to know so many friends were out in the crowd.

Bowie had previously performed at the Festhalle on 13 April 1976 during the Isolar Tour. He returned there on 20 May 1983 for the Serious Moonlight Tour, 5 April 1990 for the Sound+Vision Tour, 31 January 1996 for the Outside Tour, and 18 October 2003 for A Reality 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’