David Bowie performed at the MECCA Arena in Milwaukee on 24 April 1978, as part of the Isolar II Tour.
It was the 19th date of the tour, which began on 29 March in San Diego.
Bowie’s guitarists were Carlos Alomar and Adrian Belew. Simon House was on electric violin, Sean Mayes played piano, and Roger Powell was on keyboards and synthesizers. George Murray played bass guitar and Dennis Davis was on drums.
Carlos rang to say he’d arranged an interview with a local paper and could they all come up to my room. I got up and dressed and decided I would survive. Adrian and Simon arrived with the reporters, three guys and a girl with a camera, a small cassette recorder and a couple of back-copies of their music paper. One of the guys told us his wife was having a baby in a hospital outside Milwaukee ‘but I had to come to town as David was here.’ I think this event may have spoiled his concentration. They had no idea what questions to ask so we just talked about the tour and told them things we thought they’d like to know.We went over for a sound-check. The hall had strange acoustics and we remixed the piano. The dressing-rooms were comfortable and I relaxed on one of the sofas with a brandy and water. The show went really well and I was carried along on the tide of it with no great effort. Few big tours ever come to Milwaukee, so the crowd really had a ball. Some of them looked appealing and the hall was close to the hotel but there was no way I could make it. I showered and went straight to bed.
Life On Tour With Bowie
The MECCA Complex contained the Milwaukee Exposition, Convention Center and Arena. The arena opened in 1950, and the complex opened in 1974.
Bowie had previously performed at the arena on 13 October 1974 during the Diamond Dogs Tour, and for the Isolar Tour on 20 February 1976. This was his final appearance at the venue.
The setlist
- ‘Warszawa’
- “Heroes”
- ‘What In The World’
- ‘Be My Wife’
- ‘The Jean Genie’
- ‘Blackout’
- ‘Sense Of Doubt’
- ‘Speed Of Life’
- ‘Breaking Glass’
- ‘Beauty And The Beast’
- ‘Fame’
- ‘Five Years’
- ‘Soul Love’
- ‘Star’
- ‘Hang On To Yourself’
- ‘Ziggy Stardust’
- ‘Suffragette City’
- ‘Rock ‘N’ Roll Suicide’
- ‘Art Decade’
- ‘Alabama Song’
- ‘Station To Station’
- ‘Stay’
- ‘TVC 15’
- ‘Rebel Rebel’
Also on this day...
- 1992: David Bowie marries Iman
- 1976: Live: UKK Hall, Helsinki
- 1973: Travel: Nakhodka to Moscow
- 1970: David Bowie writes to Kenneth Pitt terminating their management contract
- 1966: Live: David Bowie and the Buzz, Marquee Club, London
- 1965: Live: Davie Jones and the Manish Boys, Bletchley
Want more? Visit the David Bowie history section.
