Celebrating the life and work of a true pop icon

Castleford Phoenix Theatre

When David Bowie died in January 2016, the world lost one its greatest musical and cultural icons.

Bowie’s creative restlessness led to a career of almost unparalleled change, from the psychedelic Space Oddity, to the driving rock of Suffragette City, the soul of Young Americans, the anthemic Heroes and the poignant Lazarus.

Then there’s Let’s Dance, Moonage Daydream, China Girl, Fame, Starman, Ashes to Ashes and for many his finest work, the epic Life on Mars.

On Saturday March 17, Pop-Up Bowie starring the award winning Paul Antony come to the Castleford Phoenix Theatre to celebrate the life and work of this legendary artist.

The band’s show features 30 of Bowie’s best-loved songs, spanning five decades.

Go caught up with Paul ahead of his visit to Castleford.

Q)When did you first become aware of David Bowie?

A)Like many Bowie fans, I saw him performing Starman on TOTP in 1972. It was like his music was in Technicolour.

Q)Did you ever meet him?

A)Unfortunately not. I always thought I would one day, which made his death all the more sad.

Q) What is it that makes Bowie stand out as an artist?

A) His willingness to experiment with different genres … and he was consistently a great songwriter.

Q) What is your favourite Bowie song?

A) I always feel better after listening to Sound and Vision, while I love singing China Girl.

Q) You bear an extraordinary likeness to Bowie. Was this the motivation for starting Pop-Up Bowie?

A) I’ve always performed Bowie’s songs. The first one I learned to play on guitar was Jean Genie. Pop-Up Bowie evolved over the years.

Q) What can we expect from a Pop-Up Bowie show?

A) A Pop-Up Bowie gig is primarily a celebration of the music. Bowie fans are incredibly passionate. They cut across age barriers and it is always fascinating to see which era individual members of the audience respond to.

Q) Have you played in Yorkshire before?

A) Yes, several times. Three gigs I particularly remember are Brighouse, Rotherham and Harrogate.

Tickets from castlefordphoenixtheatre.co.uk