| Concert Tour Name: | A Reality Tour |
| Artist: | David Bowie |
| Album: | Reality |
| Start Date: | 7 October 2003 |
| End Date: | 25 June 2004 |
| Number Of Legs: | 5 |
| Gross: | US$46 million |
| Last Tour: | Heathen Tour (2002) |
| This Tour: | A Reality Tour (2003–04) |
A Reality Tour was a worldwide concert tour by the English singer-songwriter David Bowie in support of his 2003 album Reality.[1] The tour began on 7 October 2003 at the Forum Copenhagen, Denmark, continuing through Europe, North America, Asia, including a return to New Zealand and Australia for the first time since the 1987 Glass Spider Tour. At over 110 shows, the tour was the longest tour of Bowie's career. A heart attack in late June 2004 forced the cancellation of some dates near the end of the tour. Bowie retired from performing live in 2006, making this tour his last.
The tour grossed US$46 million, making it the ninth-highest-grossing tour of 2004.
Bowie announced the tour in June 2003, intending to play to over a million people across 17 countries, and was billed as his first major tour since the Outside Tour of 1995. Rehearsals for the tour begin in July, with the band from his previous Heathen Tour mostly unchanged; Mark Plati had other work booked, so guitarist Gerry Leonard was made the new bandleader. The band played a warm-up gig on 19 August in New York to an audience of about 500 people at The Chance theater. Starting in September, Bowie appeared on national radio and TV shows in Germany and France before doing a "live and interactive music event" staged in London on 8 September, one of the first live streams of a rock concert, and the first to be broadcast in 5.1 sound. This show was beamed live to audiences around the world, although some countries (such as the Japan and Australia) didn't broadcast the show until the following day, and some countries (like the US) did not broadcast the show until a week later. Some theaters report not receiving the center channel of audio of the show, meaning that some audiences didn't hear Bowie's singing as part of the broadcast (strictly an issue at the theaters' end, according to Tony Visconti, who was responsible for the mix).
Bowie continued publicity for the album and tour, playing songs on shows such as Friday Night with Jonathan Ross on BBC One, The Today Show, Last Call with Carson Daly, and The Late Show with David Letterman. Tracks performed during these shows included "New Killer Star", "Modern Love", "Never Get Old", and "Hang On to Yourself". Finally, in late September, Bowie and the band played songs for AOL Online, performing "New Killer Star", "I'm Afraid of Americans", "Rebel Rebel", "Days" and "Fall Dog Bombs the Moon", all of which were streamed to AOL customers over the next few months. By the end of September, Bowie and band were in Brussels for final rehearsals.
The tour itself was described by Bowie biographer Nicholas Pegg as "in some respects [...] even more theatrical" than the "Sound+Vision Tour", one of Bowie's more theatrical undertakings. The stage included a giant LED screen with a raised catwalk, multiple platforms pushing out into the audience, staircases and "huge, bleached white tree branches" that dangled "gracefully from either side of the stage". Bowie himself helped design the stage alongside designer Therese Depreze, lighting designer Tom Kenny and visual director Laura Frank.
The set list included tracks spanning Bowie's 30 plus years in the music business, from The Man Who Sold the World (1970) all the way to Reality (2003), along with collaborations such as "Sister Midnight" (originally from The Idiot (1977) by Iggy Pop) and "Under Pressure" (released as a single (1981) by Bowie and Queen later found on Hot Space released the following year), and snippets and teasers of Bowie classics such as "Space Oddity" and "Golden Years". The band had rehearsed around 60 songs for the tour, and the large repertoire of available songs allowed them to change the setlist from night to night, sometimes making up the setlist on the fly, a departure from some of Bowie's previous and heavily choreographed tours like the Serious Moonlight Tour of 1983, the Glass Spider Tour of 1987, and the Sound+Vision Tour of 1990. Bowie and his band played over two hours every night of the tour, playing more than 30 songs at some venues. One song that was rehearsed but not performed is "Win" from his 1974 album Young Americans; it never made it further than the occasional soundcheck for the tour.
The 24 January 2004 show in Vancouver, Canada was reviewed positively, with the reviewer saying that "with Bowie's near-flawless vocals, brilliant band, and smartly executed show, you wind up with one of the finest old-school rock gigs the Canucks’ home rink has ever hosted."[2] The review of the next show in Seattle on 25 January 2004 was similarly positive, saying Bowie, "still every inch a superstar ... still oozes charm and sex appeal" and called the setlist a "celebration of his whole body of work."[3]
On 6 May 2004, a performance at the James L. Knight Center, Miami, Florida was cancelled after lighting technician Walter "Wally Gator" Thomas fell to his death prior to Bowie going onstage.[4] At the show in Oslo on 18 June 2004, Bowie was struck in the left eye with a lollipop thrown by an audience member.[5]
On 23 June, while on stage in Prague for the tour, Bowie had a heart attack (misdiagnosed at the time as a pinched nerve), which required him to leave the stage (and finally end the show early) to receive medical attention.[6] The tour was officially curtailed after the Hurricane Festival performance in Scheeßel, Germany on 25 June 2004, as a result of continued discomfort. On 30 June, the tour was officially cancelled after Bowie was diagnosed with an acutely blocked artery that required an angioplasty procedure (performed on 26 June).[7]
See main article: A Reality Tour (film). A DVD video of the Point Theatre, Dublin performances of 2003 was released as A Reality Tour in 2004. A CD of the same performances was released as A Reality Tour in 2010.
| Date | City | Country | Venue | Tickets sold / available | Revenue | Opening act |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Europe | ||||||
| 7 October 2003 | Copenhagen | Denmark | Forum Copenhagen | The Dandy Warhols | ||
| 8 October 2003 | Stockholm | Sweden | Globen Arena | |||
| 10 October 2003 | Helsinki | Finland | Hartwall Areena | |||
| 12 October 2003 | Oslo | Norway | Oslo Spektrum | |||
| 15 October 2003 | Rotterdam | Netherlands | Rotterdam Ahoy | |||
| 16 October 2003 | Hamburg | Germany | Color Line Arena | |||
| 18 October 2003 | Frankfurt | Festhalle Frankfurt | ||||
| 20 October 2003 | Paris | France | Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy | |||
| 21 October 2003 | ||||||
| 23 October 2003 | Milan | Italy | Forum di Assago | |||
| 24 October 2003 | Zürich | Switzerland | Hallenstadion | |||
| 26 October 2003 | Stuttgart | Germany | Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle | |||
| 27 October 2003 | Munich | Olympiahalle | ||||
| 29 October 2003 | Vienna | Austria | Wiener Stadthalle | |||
| 31 October 2003 | Cologne | Germany | Kölnarena | |||
| 1 November 2003 | Hanover | Preussag Arena | 10,587 / 10,587 | $499,926 | ||
| 3 November 2003 | Berlin | Max-Schmeling-Halle | 10,693 / 10,693 | $512,787 | ||
| 5 November 2003 | Antwerp | Belgium | Sportpaleis | 16,113 / 16,113 | $690,217 | |
| 7 November 2003 | Lille | France | Zénith de Lille | 6,986 / 6,986 | $349,420 | |
| 8 November 2003 | Amnéville | Galaxie Amnéville | 10,960 / 11,200 | $462,161 | ||
| 10 November 2003 | Nice | Palais Nikaïa | 7,620 / 8,000 | $426,823 | ||
| 14 November 2003 | Marseille | Le Dôme de Marseille | 8,004 / 8,004 | $440,087 | ||
| 15 November 2003 | Lyon | Halle Tony Garnier | 17,000 / 17,000 | $753,371 | ||
| 17 November 2003 | Manchester | England | Manchester Evening News Arena | 14,827 / 14,827 | $1,094,747 | |
| 19 November 2003 | Birmingham | NEC LG Arena | 23,604 / 23,604 | $1,759,705 | ||
| 20 November 2003 | ||||||
| 22 November 2003 | Dublin | Republic of Ireland | Point Theatre | 17,000 / 17,000 | $1,142,076 | |
| 23 November 2003 | ||||||
| 25 November 2003 | London | England | Wembley Arena | 23,048 / 23,048 | $1,717,549 | |
| 26 November 2003 | ||||||
| 28 November 2003 | Glasgow | Scotland | Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre | 10,103 / 10,103 | $768,886 | |
| North America | ||||||
| 13 December 2003 | Montreal | Canada | Bell Centre | 11,315 / 11,315 | $613,650 | Macy Gray |
| 15 December 2003 | New York City | United States | Madison Square Garden | 13,752 / 13,752 | $1,108,711 | |
| 16 December 2003 | Uncasville | Mohegan Sun Arena | 6,698 / 6,698 | $313,460 | ||
| 20 December 2003 | Nassau | Bahamas | The Atlantis Paradise Island Hotel | |||
| 7 January 2004 | Cleveland | United States | CSU Convocation Center | 7,692 / 7,938 | $336,940 | Macy Gray |
| 9 January 2004 | Auburn Hills | The Palace of Auburn Hills | 8,509 / 8,909 | $427,522 | ||
| 11 January 2004 | Minneapolis | Target Center | 5,492 / 7,505 | $275,436 | ||
| 13 January 2004 | Rosemont | Rosemont Theatre | 12,867 / 12,867 | $959,883 | ||
| 14 January 2004 | ||||||
| 16 January 2004 | ||||||
| 19 January 2004 | Denver | Fillmore Auditorium | 3,600 / 3,600 | $237,600 | ||
| 21 January 2004 | Calgary | Canada | Pengrowth Saddledome | 11,474 / 11,474 | $634,074 | |
| 24 January 2004 | Vancouver | GM Place | 11,617 / 11,617 | $612,323 | ||
| 25 January 2004 | Seattle | United States | Paramount Theatre | 2,804 / 2,835 | $199,722 | |
| 27 January 2004 | San Jose | HP Pavilion | 9,856 / 10,317 | $578,128 | ||
| 30 January 2004 | Las Vegas | The Joint | 1,522 / 1,522 | $343,313 | ||
| 31 January 2004 | Los Angeles | Shrine Auditorium | 12,348 / 12,348 | $803,544 | ||
| 2 February 2004 | ||||||
| 3 February 2004 | Wiltern Theatre | 2,290 / 2,290 | $187,174 | |||
| 5 February 2004 | Phoenix | Dodge Theater | 4,873 / 4,873 | $237,842 | ||
| 6 February 2004 | Las Vegas | The Joint | 1,522 / 1,522 | $343,313 | ||
| 7 February 2004 | Los Angeles | Wiltern Theatre | 2,290 / 2,290 | $187,174 | ||
| Oceania | ||||||
| 14 February 2004 | Wellington | New Zealand | Westpac Stadium | Brooke Fraser | ||
| 17 February 2004 | Brisbane | Australia | Brisbane Entertainment Centre | Something for Kate | ||
| 20 February 2004 | Sydney | Sydney Entertainment Centre | ||||
| 21 February 2004 | ||||||
| 23 February 2004 | Adelaide | Adelaide Entertainment Centre | ||||
| 26 February 2004 | Melbourne | Rod Laver Arena | ||||
| 27 February 2004 | ||||||
| 1 March 2004 | Perth | Supreme Court Gardens | ||||
| Asia | ||||||
| 4 March 2004 | Singapore | Singapore Indoor Stadium | N/A | |||
| 8 March 2004 | Tokyo | Japan | Nippon Budokan | |||
| 9 March 2004 | ||||||
| 11 March 2004 | Osaka | Osaka-jo Hall | Kiyoharu | |||
| 14 March 2004 | Hong Kong | Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre | N/A | |||
| North America | ||||||
| 29 March 2004 | Philadelphia | United States | Wachovia Center | 10,761 / 18,000 | $645,380 | Stereophonics |
| 30 March 2004 | Boston | FleetCenter | ||||
| 1 April 2004 | Toronto | Canada | Air Canada Centre | 13,893 / 14,114 | $771,136 | |
| 2 April 2004 | Ottawa | Corel Centre | ||||
| 4 April 2004 | Quebec City | Colisée Pepsi | ||||
| 7 April 2004 | Winnipeg | Winnipeg Arena | ||||
| 9 April 2004 | Edmonton | Rexall Place | 8,507 / 9,404 | $342,609 | ||
| 11 April 2004 | Kelowna | Skyreach Place | ||||
| 13 April 2004 | Portland | United States | Rose Garden Arena | |||
| 14 April 2004 | Seattle | KeyArena | 6,065 / 6,500 | $316,094 | ||
| 16 April 2004 | Berkeley | Berkeley Community Theatre | ||||
| 17 April 2004 | ||||||
| 19 April 2004 | Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara Bowl | 4,546 / 4,562 | $314,625 | ||
| 22 April 2004 | Los Angeles | Greek Theatre | 5,764 / 5,764 | $360,560 | ||
| 23 April 2004 | Anaheim | Arrowhead Pond | 7,015 / 7,520 | $498,218 | ||
| 25 April 2004 | Loveland | Budweiser Events Center | 4,177 / 5,440 | $262,503 | ||
| 27 April 2004 | Austin | The Backyard Amphitheater | ||||
| 29 April 2004 | The Woodlands | Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion | ||||
| 30 April 2004 | New Orleans | Saenger Theatre | ||||
| 5 May 2004 | Tampa | Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center | The Polyphonic Spree | |||
| 8 May 2004 | Atlanta | Chastain Park Amphitheater | ||||
| 10 May 2004 | Kansas City | Starlight Theatre | ||||
| 11 May 2004 | St. Louis | Fox Theatre | ||||
| 13 May 2004 | Hershey | Star Pavilion | ||||
| 14 May 2004 | London | Canada | John Labatt Centre | 8,513 / 8,513 | $446,740 | |
| 16 May 2004 | Fairfax | United States | Patriot Center | |||
| 17 May 2004 | Pittsburgh | Benedum Center | ||||
| 19 May 2004 | Milwaukee | Milwaukee Theatre | ||||
| 20 May 2004 | Indianapolis | Murat Shrine | ||||
| 22 May 2004 | Moline | The MARK of the Quad Cities | ||||
| 24 May 2004 | Columbus | Columbus Veterans Memorial Auditorium | ||||
| 25 May 2004 | Buffalo | Shea's Performing Arts Center | ||||
| 27 May 2004 | Scranton | Ford Pavilion at Montage Mountain | ||||
| 29 May 2004 | Atlantic City | Borgata Event Center | ||||
| 30 May 2004 | ||||||
| 1 June 2004 | Manchester | Verizon Wireless Arena | ||||
| 2 June 2004 | Uncasville | Mohegan Sun Arena | ||||
| 4 June 2004 | Wantagh | Tommy Hilfiger at Jones Beach Theatre | ||||
| 5 June 2004 | Holmdel | PNC Bank Arts Center | ||||
| Europe | ||||||
| 11 June 2004 | Amsterdam | Netherlands | Amsterdam Arena | – | ||
| 13 June 2004 | Newport | England | Seaclose Park | |||
| 17 June 2004 | Bergen | Norway | Koengen | |||
| 18 June 2004 | Oslo | Frognerbadet | ||||
| 20 June 2004 | Seinäjoki | Finland | Törnävänsaari | |||
| 23 June 2004 | Prague | Czech Republic | T-Mobile Arena | |||
| 25 June 2004 | Scheeßel | Germany | Eichenring | |||
| Total | 722,158 / 737,581 | $45,395,490 | ||||
| < | --Date--> | < | --City, (State or Country)--> | < | --Venue--> | < | --Reason/Additional Info--> |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 November 2003 | Toulouse | Le Zénith de Toulouse | Cancelled | ||||
| 6 December 2003 | Atlantic City | The Borgata Events Center | Rescheduled to 29 May 2004 | ||||
| 7 December 2003 | Fairfax | Patriot Center | Rescheduled to 16 May 2004 | ||||
| 9 December 2003 | Boston | Fleet Center | Rescheduled to 30 March 2004 | ||||
| 10 December 2003 | Philadelphia | Wachovia Center | Rescheduled to 29 March 2004 | ||||
| 12 December 2003 | Toronto | Air Canada Centre | Rescheduled to 1 April 2004 | ||||
| 6 May 2004 | Miami | James L. Knight Center | Cancelled | ||||
| 26 June 2004 | Tuttlingen | Southside Festival | Cancelled | ||||
| 29 June 2004 | Vienna | Schloss Schönbrunn | Cancelled | ||||
| 30 June 2004 | Salzburg | Residenzplatz | Cancelled | ||||
| 2 July 2004 | Roskilde | Roskilde Festival | Cancelled | ||||
| 4 July 2004 | Werchter | Rock Werchter | Cancelled | ||||
| 6 July 2004 | Ile De Gaou | Festival de la Gaou | Cancelled | ||||
| 7 July 2004 | Carcassonne | Festival de la Cite | Cancelled | ||||
| 10 July 2004 | Kinross | Balado, T in the Park | Cancelled | ||||
| 11 July 2004 | County Kildare | Oxegen Festival | Cancelled | ||||
| 14 July 2004 | Bilbao | Bilbao Festival | Cancelled | ||||
| 16 July 2004 | Compostela | Xacobeo Festival | Cancelled | ||||
| 17 July 2004 | Oporto | The Dragon Festival | Cancelled | ||||
| 20 July 2004 | Nyon | Paléo Festival Nyon | Cancelled | ||||
| 21 July 2004 | Monte Carlo | Club du Sporting | Cancelled | ||||
| 23 July 2004 | Carhaix | Vieilles Charrues Festival | Cancelled |
Notation:
From The Man Who Sold the World
From Hunky Dory
From The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
From Aladdin Sane
From Diamond Dogs
From Young Americans
From Station to Station
From Low
From "Heroes"
From Lodger
From Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)
From Let's Dance
From Tonight
From Outside
From Earthling
From Heathen
From Reality
Other songs: