Tonight at the Old Fruitmarket, two of David Bowie’s most trusted band members from the 1970s returned to Scotland for a much-anticipated celebration of what’s widely known as the Berlin Trilogy.
The D.A.M. Trio – Bowie’s backing band from 1975 to 1980 – played on classics like Station to Station and Low. With 2026 marking ten years since the passing of both Bowie and drummer Dennis Davis, tonight’s show is as much a tribute as it is a concert. The evening opens with “Joe the Lion,” launching the audience on a thrilling journey that feels like far more than just another gig. Bandleader and rhythm guitarist Carlos Alomar, with his relaxed presence, shares with the crowd the spiritual importance of this music.
While there are many Bowie-related concerts, this event digs deep, unearthing lesser-played gems such as “Blackout” and “Breaking Glass.” The latter’s punk energy is electrified by Alomar and bass player George Murray; watching them perform together is a rare privilege.
Rock writer Charles Shaar Murray once described Low as “Bowie’s blues album.” That’s only half true; at the same time, Bowie was reinventing what a pop composition could be, as demonstrated on “Sound and Vision,” also performed tonight. Vocalist Michael Cunio brings infectious energy, drawing the audience into the experience.
Former Bowie lead guitarist Kevin Armstrong easily channels the avant-garde spirit of tracks like “Boys Keep Swinging,” playing Adrian Belew’s iconic solo while adding his own creative touches. Alomar takes centre stage during “The Secret Life of Arabia,” locking into an irresistible Chic-style groove with Murray. Moving these musicians from New York to Berlin in the late ’70s was a masterstroke—the radical experimentation was a challenge, but Bowie would occasionally let the band off the leash on tracks like the closer from “Heroes.” As Alomar once said, “There’s nothing Low about the D.A.M. Trio.”
There was a mutual reliance during those sessions, recording in a grey and bleak post-war Europe beside the Berlin Wall, helped make this period one of Bowie’s most creative.
It’s a joy to hear rarely performed gems like “Red Sails” from 1979’s Lodger. The band also reveals a more uncompromising side of Bowie with “Repetition” – a track that, far from being otherworldly, uses a jagged riff and stark lyrics to create an unsettling portrait of domestic abuse. Bowie changed the landscape of pop music with songs like “Fashion,” which the band delivers after “Golden Years.”
These performances highlight Bowie’s genius for reinventing his own work, utilising George Murray’s distinctive bass-line on two separate hits. The mood grows even darker and melancholic with “Ashes to Ashes,” yet it remains one of Bowie’s most innovative pop moments.
Few performances manage to be both nostalgic and cutting edge, but tonight’s show proves that David Bowie’s music from 1977 to 1980 truly remains the sound of tomorrow.
