Earthling (album) - Live Performances

Live Performances

Bowie took songs from this album on the road in September 1996, performing 4 US east coast "club" shows including one at the Roseland Ballroom in New York to positive reviews. Prior to taking the stage for the shows, Bowie would play his new song ("Telling Lies") over the loudspeaker, but as the single was only available for download over the Internet, most fans did not recognize the song. The setlist for these shows was similar to the setlist he'd use during the upcoming 1997 Earthling Tour.

On 9 January 1997, the day after Bowie turned 50, Bowie held a 50th birthday concert for himself, performing tracks off his Earthling album as well as a selection of songs from his back catalogue. Bowie was joined onstage to perform many of the songs by artists including Billy Corgan (of The Smashing Pumpkins), Foo Fighters, Sonic Youth, Frank Black, and Robert Smith (of The Cure). Other non-performing guests included Beck, Moby, Julian Schnabel and Iman. Artist Tony Ousler designed some of the artwork for the video backdrop that played behind the band onstage. The event was recorded for a pay-per-view special commemorating the event.

At the Phoenix Festival in 1997, Bowie and his band played in the Radio 1 Dance tent as Tao Jones Index. They performed in darkness with dry ice and strobe lights. Tao Jones Index was a pun based on Bowie's real name, David Jones, and the 1997 Bowie Bond issue (Tao is pronounced "Dow", as in Dow Jones Index from the US stock market).

Bowie went back on the road in support of this album, with his Earthling Tour taking place between May 1997 and the end of the year.