Holy Holy
The passing of David Bowie early last year came as a shock to all, fans and musicians alike. Of course the legacy of the cultural wunderkind lives on in countless ways, the most interactive of which is Holy Holy, the project of legend producer Tony Visconti and original Spiders From Mars drummer Mick ‘Woody’ Woodmansey. With an ensemble of other musicians, completed by Heaven 17’s Glenn Gregory on vocals, the super group is more than a tribute act – as Gregory puts it, “this is the real fucking deal”.
Touring in celebration of the iconic Bowie album from 1972, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars is performed in full. Working through the glamorous tracklist, the slick ensemble bring a new lease of life to these 40-year-old-plus songs. On bass, Visconti instils Moonage Daydream with a slick groove, and Gregory’s flamboyant stage persona does the Ziggy character justice, no more so than on the absolute classic title track.
A run of other cuts from Bowie’s glam era follows, including Changes and Oh! You Pretty Things. It’s a theatrical affair; there’s a brilliantly pantomime quality in the way Gregory coerces the passionate audience into joining him for a sing-along. An upbeat rendition of Heroes acts as a parting gift before Visconti and Woodmansey bid us farewell. Heroes they are, legends they will always be.
