Bowie Played At The Guildhall Preston 1973

Jan, 14 2016

~You’ve either been hiding under a rock or your too young to know about the legendary David Bowie who sadly passed away this last week.

At just 69 Bowie had been suffering from cancer for sometime but kept it quiet and his recent and last album was his ‘parting gift’ to his fans and loyal devotees.

Over the years he has performed at some established venues. He hasn’t performed his classic hits for some time but for 60 year old Vivien Gyte from Manchester she can recall seeing the pop chameleon playing at the Preston Guild Hall on January 9th 1973.

She thinks fondly of that concert when Bowie was just at the beginning of  his career,

“ They were fantastic seats on the front row- we saw everything and had a great time. All his performances were great, though, and this one I remember was supported by Stealers Wheel. We didn’t get to meet him afterwards, but did later on at Stoke-on-Trent”.

When Vivien heard the news from her brother of Bowie’s untimely death she was devastated, as were a lot of people. Here, she tells of how it hit home,

“ It’s been a shock to everyone and shows how good the people were around him that nothing came about his illness”.

Vivien had previously seen Bowie at just 13 when he supported the band Humble Pie, it was then that she saw a unique, enigmatic rockstar which lead to her  becoming  a devoted fan. She reveals those early memories,

“ He came on the stage and sat on a stool to sing. There was just something about him that appealed to me.”

David appealed to a lot of people. He was a visionary and a true artist. His last album ‘Blackstar’ was a testament to his art and his final concepts about death. I was moved when I saw the crowds chant his songs at his birth place of Brixton, South London on the day he died, January 10th 2016. Am sure that day  will be etched in the memory of all his fans including Viven Gyte, forever.