Isolar II – The 1978 World Tour

Originally, Brian Eno planned to be a part of the tour band, but had to drop out for health reasons. The band only had two weeks to rehearse for the tour. Carlos Alomar was the tour's band leader and drove the rehearsals. The set list for the performances consisted of material from the previous year's albums, Low and "Heroes", with the second half of each performance opening with a five-song sequence from The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars album. Bowie had the band learn the entirety of the Ziggy Stardust album in rehearsals, although most of the songs were never performed live on the tour. The instrumental track "Art Decade" typically followed the Ziggy Stardust tracks, a mellow track to follow the energy of the Ziggy Stardust material. A short intermission split a typical night's show into two parts, and included an encore, and for the second Bowie wore a snakeskin drapecoat and "huge baggy white pants." ==Tour reception and incidents==

The show in Marseille was disrupted by a blown PA (coincidentally during the song "Blackout"). The review in New Musical Express of a show in Newcastle was positive, with praise for Bowie, the band ("...the tightest outfit he's ever worked with, and that includes the Spiders..."), and the set, calling the "expressionist banks of white neon strip-lighting" "dazzling". The Australian leg of the tour included Bowie's first concert performances in Australia and his first large-scale outdoor concerts. For the first two dates, keyboardist Dennis Garcia substituted for Roger Powell, who had a previous commitment with Utopia. ==Live recordings==

, Norway, 5 June 1978 The performances at Providence Civic Center, Boston Garden and Philadelphia Spectrum were recorded for the live album Stage. Tour pianist Sean Mayes recalled that for the show that night, they slowed the tempo down (of most songs) for the recording, the only night such a change was made. The tour band remembered that "every show was taped" for Bowie's private use, and the tapes were carefully guarded by Alomar. ==Setlist==

This setlist, from a June 1978 performance at Newcastle City Hall, is representative of the setlist at most shows on the tour: ;Act I • "Warszawa" • ""Heroes"" • "Be My Wife" • "What in the World" • "Speed of Life" • "Breaking Glass" • "The Jean Genie" • "Blackout" • "Beauty and the Beast" • "Sense of Doubt" ;Act II • "Five Years" • "Soul Love" • "Hang On to Yourself" • "Star" • "Ziggy Stardust" • "Suffragette City" • "Art Decade" • "Alabama Song" • "Station to Station" ;Encore: • "Stay" • "TVC 15" • "Rebel Rebel" ==Tour band==

• David Bowie • George Murray – bass guitar, backing vocals • Dennis Davis – drums, percussion • Roger Powell – keyboards, Moog Taurus bass pedals, synthesizer, backing vocals (except 11–14 November 1978) • Dennis Garcia – keyboards, synthesizer (11–14 November 1978 only) • Sean Mayes – piano, string ensemble, backing vocals • Simon House – electric violin Mgmt & Crew • Pat Gibbons – Manager • Eric Barrett – Tour Manager / Lighting Director • Coco Schwab – David's Personal Asst • Tony Macia – David's Driver / Security Live performance personnel • Jan Michael Alejandro – Tech Drums / Guitars • Edd Kowlakowski – Tech Piano • Rob Joyce – Stg Mgr /Tech • Vern "Moose" Constan –Keyboard Tech/ HeadTech • Leroy Kerr – Tech • Buford Jones – FOH mixer • Townsend Wessinger – Showco sound crew • Billy King – Showco sound crew • Randy Marshall – Showco sound crew • Russell Davis – Showco sound crew • Glenn George – Showco sound crew ==Tour dates==

From The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars • "Five Years" • "Soul Love" • "Moonage Daydream" (Rehearsed but not performed) • "Starman" (Rehearsed but not performed) • "It Ain't Easy" (Rehearsed but not performed) • "Lady Stardust" (Rehearsed but not performed) • "Star" • "Hang On to Yourself" • "Ziggy Stardust" • "Suffragette City" • "Rock 'n' Roll Suicide" From Aladdin Sane • "The Jean Genie" From Diamond Dogs • "Rebel Rebel" From Young Americans • "Fame" (Bowie, John Lennon, Carlos Alomar) From Station to Station • "Station to Station" • "TVC 15" • "Stay" From Low • "Speed of Life" • "Breaking Glass" (Bowie, Dennis Davis, George Murray) • "What in the World" • "Sound and Vision" • "Be My Wife" • "Warszawa" (Bowie, Brian Eno) • "Art Decade" From "Heroes" • "Beauty and the Beast" • ""Heroes"" (Bowie, Eno) • "Joe the Lion" (Rehearsed but not performed) • "Blackout" • "Sense of Doubt" Other songs: • "Alabama Song" (originally from Bertolt Brecht's opera Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny; written by Brecht and Kurt Weill; a non-album single later released in 1980) ==Notes==