THE `BOWIE EXPERIENCE` [TRIBUTE TO DAVID BOWIE] WAS FIRST ESTABLISHED IN 1997.
FIRST CALLED `SPACEBOY` AND TAKING THEIR INSPIRATION FROM THE ALBUM `OUTSIDE` IT WAS FORMED BY A GROUP OF MUSICIANS ATTENDING MUSIC COLLEGE.
THE NEXT YEAR SAW THE ACT TOURING THE MUSIC CLUBS OF SOUTHERN ENGLAND, THE MUSIC AND PRESENTATION EXPLORING THE LESSER KNOWN AND SOME WOULD SAY DARKER SIDE OF DAVIDS MUSIC.
THE WORD OF LAURENCES PORTRAYAL OF `THE THIN WHITE DUKE` SOON SPREAD WITH REQUESTS FOR THE SHOW COMING FROM ALL CORNERS, BECKENHAMS ANNUAL BOWIEFEST WANTED A GIG, [SHARING THE STAGE WITH STEVE HARLEY] DAZED AND CONFUSED MAGAZINE WANTED PHOTO`S OF LAURENCEIN HIS DAVID BOWIE LOOKALIKE GUISE AS ALADIN SANE, AND AN ANIMATION FILM COMPANY BASED IN COLOGNE [GERMANY] WANTED `THE LAUGHING GNOME` RECORDED.
NOT BAD FOR AN ACT THAT BEGAN LIFE AS AN `EXPLORATIVE PROJECT`
`SPACEBOY` ENDED ITS RUN WITH A BLISTERING PERFORMANCE AT `THE BOURNEMOUTH FESTIVAL OF LIGHT` OUTDOOR CONCERT IN LATE 1998 WITH REVIEWS IN THE COMMERCIAL PRESS/RADIO AND`THE STAGE AND TELEVISION TODAY`
TAKING THE LEAD FROM ZIGGY STARDUST SPACEBOY WAS REINVENTED AS `THE BOWIE EXPERIENCE` WITH AN ALL NEW LINE UP AND REINVIGORATED SHOW.
OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS JUST ABOUT EVERY CORNER OF THE UK HAD `THE BOWIE EXPERIENCE`, THE CHICAGO ROCK CHAIN, JUMPING JAKS, THEATRES, CORPORATE EVENTS, AND FESTIVALS INCLUDING THE `COMPAQ SCIENCE FESTIVAL`. AND SUPPORT FOR `BONEY M`.
IN ADDITION TO THE TOURING A NUMBER OF `UNPLUGGED` SESSIONS WERE PERFORMED LIVE ON COMMERCIAL RADIO STATIONS AND A DANCE VERSION OF SPACE ODDITY WAS RELEASED AS A WHITE LABEL.
IN LATE 2000 ON THE EVE OF THE NEW MILLENIUM CH CH CH CHANGES WERE IN THE AIR AND WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE GUITARIST NEW MUSICIANS REPLACED THE OLD, AND THERE WAS THE WELCOME RETURN OF THE BASS PLAYER FROM THE ORIGINAL BAND.
THIS IS THE LINE UP STILL WORKING TODAY WITH THE CREATIVE NUCLEUS OF LAURENCE AND MARK MIRRORING THAT OF BOWIE AND RONNO PLUS THE TALENT AND EXPERIENCE OF SOME OF THE FINEST MUSICIANS ON THE TRIBUTE SCENE.
FURTHER VALIDATING `THE BOWIE EXPERIENCE` AS NOT ONLY THE FINEST DAVID BOWIE TRIBUTE BUT ALSO AS A GREAT BAND IN ITS OWN RIGHT HAS BEEN THE RECENT SUCCESSFUL TOUR OF THE `ROCK CIRCUIT`, WHILST CORPORATE EVENTS AND PARTIES CONTINUE TO FEATURE. IN LATE 2003 LAURENCE PERFORMED LIVE AS DAVID BOWIE AT `THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL`, PREDATING EVEN THE MAINMANS VIDEO LINK APPEARANCE THERE DURING `FASHION ROCKS`. COME DECEMBER 2003 AND `THE BOWIE EXPERIENCE` FOUND THEMSELVES SUPPORTING ROY WOOD IN SCOTLAND.
A FURTHER DEVELOPMENT HAS BEEN THE THEATRE SHOW WHICH CAN NOW BE SEEN IN PROVINCIAL AND LONDON THEATRES AND FEATURES `THE SUFFRAGETTES` BACKING VOCALS.
LAURENCE [DAVID BOWIE] AND MARK, [GUITARIST, RONNO] HAVE ALSO PRODUCED A CD IN THE `UNPLUGGED` STYLE OF DAVIDS SONGS ENTITLED `UNPLUGGED AND SOMEWHAT SLIGHTLY DAZED`, THIS HAS PROVED TO BE VERY POPULAR AND DEMAND OUTSTRIPS SUPPLY, BUT NOT PUT OFF BY THIS A SECOND VOLUME IN THE SERIES IS DUE OUT BY SPRING 2006 , FEATURING WELL KNOWN SONGS AND ONE OR TWO SURPRISES.
DURING 2004/5 THEBOWIEXPERIENCE WERE PAID THE GREATEST COMPLIMENT BY BEING INCLUDED (WHICH CONTINUES TO THIS DAY) IN REGULAR NEWS FEATURES ON DAVID BOWIE`S OFFICIAL WEB SITE DAVIDBOWIE.COM, AND AS IF THIS WASN`T FLATTERING ALREADY, BLAM AT BOWIENET ASKED FOR TWO COPIES OF THE `UNPLUGGED` CD, ONE FOR HIM AND ONE FOR MR BOWIE.
TO BE INCLUDED IN THIS RAREFIED ATMOSPHERE ENLIVENED BOWIEXP`S ASCENDANCY, LAURENCE AS ZIGGY STARDUST WAS EMPLOYED BY BRITISH TELECOM TO PROMOTE THEIR `MARS COMMUNICATOR` AT THE UK NATIONAL SPACE CENTRE IN LEICESTER, SKY CHANNEL TV REQUESTED AN APPEARANCE TO LAUNCH THEIR BIOGRAPHY CHANNEL, A FILM COMPANY RECORDED A GIG FOR INCLUSION IN A FILM (DVD) ABOUT DAVID BOWIE, AND REAL HEIGHTS WERE SCALED WITH A PERFORMANCE AT THE UTMOST TOP OF WHAT IS AFFECTIONATELY KNOWN AS `THE GHERKIN BUILDING` IN THE HEART OF LONDON.
MARCH 2005 SAW THE FIRST PERFORMANCE OF A FRESH TAKE ON THE TRIBUTE IDEA, AN `IN THE ROUND UNPLUGGED NIGHT` WHICH WAS RECORDED LIVE, TITLED `8 SONG POEM`, AND IS CURRENTLY DOING THE ROUNDS ON A CD PLAYER NEAR YOU. SUCH WAS THE SUCCESS OF THE GIG MORE ARE PLANNED FOR SELECTED VENUES.THE CONCEPT CREATED A BIT OF A STIR INTERNATIONALLY, `SPEED OF LIFE` THE RENOWNED ON LINE BOWIE FANZINE BASED IN THE USA CONDUCTED AN INTERVIEW WITH LAURENCE AND HAS GIVEN A GLOWING REVIEW OF THE RECORDING.
2006 GOT OFF TO AN AUSPICIOUS START WITH THE FIRST OF THE OVERSEAS PERFORMANCES PLANNED FOR THE YEAR TAKING PLACE IN DUBAI (UAE).AS WELL AS THE BURGEONING INTERNATIONALISM POPULARITY IN THE UK CONTINUES UNABATED.`DOUBLE HEADER` GIGS WITH A T.REX TRIBUTE ARE HAPPENING IN 2006, A `MUST SEE` FOR ANYONE WITH EVEN A PASSING INTEREST IN THE PERIOD AND GENRE, ALSO IN AUGUST BOWIEXP WILL BE PERFORMING AT THE PRESTIGIOUS `CAVERN CONVENTION` IN LIVERPOOL
