Live: Cricket Ground, Melbourne

David Bowie performed at Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Australia, on 18 November 1978, as part of the Isolar II Tour.

It was the 69th 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.

Saturday dawned distinctly grey and threatening. We went across for a wet sound-check. A light drizzle was gusting onto the stage and everything was covered in plastic sheets, looking more like a DEVO gig I guess! That night we were escorted under umbrellas from our caravan to the stage. It was pouring and the bedraggled fans had a punk look with their ruined hair and streaky make-up. But the mood was fantastic – when you’re soaked you don’t give a damn!

David loved the rain but the shiny black stage was like wet ice, and once he slipped and nearly went arse-over-tit into the front row! Leroy ran on to mop the stage and David wiped the soles of his shoes between numbers.

The setlist

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