Reports suggest there could be a remarkable gig later this year to mark the tenth anniversary of David Bowie’s death. The singer died in January 2016 at the age of 69. It seems as though the BBC is planning a huge concert in the legendary singer's honour.
With the Glastonbury Festival taking a year off in 2026, the broadcaster has a music gap to fill. A celebration of Bowie and his music seems to be their solution. Plans are said to be well underway for the event, with London’s O2 as the likely venue. Two charities will benefit: the Teenage Cancer Trust and the music therapy charity Nordoff-Robbins.
The BBC, though are keeping schtum for now; they have declined to comment on the reports. That’s usually as good as a confirmation, but without the details. If correct, they will be busy working up an announcement with lead acts, dates, and the rest to launch the plan.
David Bowie tribute gig could live or die on the songs and acts
And there lies the dilemma on how to view this. There’s no great Bowie connection, but the Eagles may have coined a very relevant phrase in their huge hit, “Hotel California." The guys sang “This could be heaven, or this could be hell.” It sums up this Bowie plan.
Bowie remains a legend. His music is iconic and stunning, with so many styles and variations, but still notably very much his own. He set the scene rather than copied the trends. But his music is notoriously hard to reinterpret. So, will what is, in effect, a load of acts likely doing Bowie covers onstage be a delight or an irritation?
So much depends on getting the lineup right. And the setlist for the acts. You might think of the likes of Iggy Pop, Bryan Ferry with or without Roxy Music, Peter Gabriel, and the Pet Shop Boys at first. They'd be able to cover Bowie's work appropriately.
David Bowie tribute lineup will be critical
Reports suggest, though, that the lineup will instead feature the young artists from around the world. A key criterion is that they have been inspired by Bowie. That does leave the door wide open to a range of acts. No doubt there will be emerging talent included, which in itself would be very much in Bowie’s style.
A concern might be over which bigger names are brought in. They do need to be able to deliver those covers of Bowie’s songs rather than being there to boost publicity and ticket sales. We’ll have to wait until the announcements to judge that better. And of course, the event itself to see how it all plays out.