Holy Holy

This was the third time my wife and I have attended a "Holy Holy" show. We saw them in Lancaster PA. in January of 2016 and again at the Tower Theater in Philadelphia PA. at the start of this tour in April (where Bowie recorded the "David Live" album incidentally). Woody Woodmansey and Tony Visconti were the original drummer and bassist on Bowie's MWSTW album, They recreate the sound of the original album admirably, ably assisted by a group of musicians assembled for the tour. The fact that we have been to see this show three times in 2 countries over the course of a four month period should tell you we were very impressed with the sound and showmanship of these performers. As a side note, The opening act was Jessica Lee Morgan, the daughter of Tony Visconti and Welsh folk singer Mary Hopkin, she along with her bass playing accompanist Chris Thomas are a formidable act in their own right. This was the last date of the North American tour, but should they return to tour again make a point of being there... you will not be disappointed!

Woody, Tony, Glenn and band really did a fantastic job playing all of Bowie's early hits, PLUS playing the entire Man Who Sold the World album in its entirety for the first time ever! Highly recommend, the rest of the band was fantastic too, and the guitar players really tore up those Mick Ronson guitar solos.

Holy Holy put together an amazing lineup and set list that is a true testament to the genius and talent of the ones who wrote the music in the first place. It is even more amazing that seeing them means you are seeing the REAL DEAL Tony Visconti and Woody Woodmansey. Tony, who recorded with Bowie during the '70s and produced many of his albums (including the masterpiece, Blackstar) played bass and provided backup vocals in this new group. Woody, the last Spider from Mars, played the drums and rocked through the whole night. The opening act was put on by Visconti's own children, Morgan and Jessica Lee, both of whom have independent music careers. They were both really good and I have since listened to some of their other material. After the show, the band (minus Tony, Glenn, and the keyboardist I was told that they were tired) came to the merch. stand to chat and sign autographs. They were all incredibly nice and were happy to talk about their passions in music. There was a small crowd (150-200 people), but it was an amazing experience that I would recommend to any fan of Bowie's material.

When I saw that Visconti and Woodmansey were bringing their Holy Holy show to the US, I read all the reviews of the shows in Europe and jumped at the chance to attend... with David Bowie's passing just a few days before this show it changed the whole tenor of the experience and certainly made it far more emotional. Always loved The Man Who Sold The World album and to see it live was an incredible treat - always have thought Visconti to be an underrated bass player/musician and Woody Woodmansey certainly didn't seem to have missed a beat. Once the core album was over and the band started right into the Ziggy Stardust album, was immediately reminded just how brilliant these songs are. Band was great and Berenice Scott is incredibly beautiful as she is talented.

This show would have been fantastic even in the absence of David Bowie's passing. The sound in powerful and moving. The vocals are reminiscent of Bowie without being a slavish imitation and were perfect. But the devastation of Bowie's passing added a huge emotional layer that was present in every song. It was a joyous celebration of the life and music of a man like no other. The stars look very different today and I was honored to spend the evening with Holy Holy honoring Bowie.