Live Report: Absolute Bowie Round Off Their Dublin Stint in Impressive Style

In amongst the various events and tributes being held to mark the late great David Bowie in Dublin this week, tribute band Absolute Bowie have been performing a fascinating three-night run in the Academy, with each evening devoted to a different section of the icon’s phenomenally eclectic career.

Tonight, sees them tackling the last stage of his output, from 1995’s Outside onwards. Arraying Bowie’s phobias against a dense avant-industrial backdrop inspired by Scott Walker and Nine Inch Nails, that record was undoubtedly one of the tougher sells of the Dame’s career. A similar aesthetic approach also permeated its follow-up, Earthling, and would recur occasionally thereafter – a fact which, combined with the midweek slot, perhaps accounts for the small (but hugely enthusiastic) crowd in attendance.

Anyway, I’ve always been a huge fan of Outside, on which Bowie and Brian Eno’s ingenious futuristic production, allied to the lyrical themes – chiefly, dystopian nihilism – combined to make a record that resonates even more strongly in the 21st century than it did upon its release. Indeed, when Absolute Bowie walk on and launch into the bristling, gothic art-noise of ‘The Hearts Filthy Lesson’ (so familiar from the awesome ending of David Fincher’s classic dark thriller Seven), it’s an incredibly exciting moment.

Further brilliant takes on ‘The Motel’ and ‘The Voyeur Of Utter Destruction (As Beauty)’ make me think more than ever that Outside is quite possibly Bowie’s most underrated album. The band do a bang-up job of recreating arrangements that aren’t exactly of the three-chord variety, while singer John O’Neill’s uncanny approximation of Bowie’s vocal style and theatrical stage movements are hugely impressive.

The second half of the show sees the singer returning in a blonde wig and it all gets a bit too campy for my tastes, although the execution of material from Heathen and Reality is never less than flawless. Marks have to be deducted for the criminal omission of Earthling’s ‘I’m Afraid Of Americans’ – and other late Bowie classics such as ‘I’m Deranged’, ‘Seven Years In Tibet’ and ‘Heat’ are also curious by their absence – but stunning takes on ‘Loving The Alien’ and ‘Blackstar’ keep them safely in the credit column.

Overall, a top-notch performance