REVIEW: MICHAEL BELL ~ BOWIE LIVES~DAVID BOWIE TRIBUTE SHOW
Staying In Tune with Michael Bell
6 time Grammy and 1 of the largest awarded artists of all time, David Bowie, is still alive in the hearts of millions world wide, thanks to talented tribute acts like BOWIE LIVES.
“I’ve been a huge Bowie fan since I was a kid. I cut my teeth on imitating the guy in my teenage years,” says Bell, who’s been performing since he was 12. “Vocally, he really raised the bar for me.” Earlier in Michael’s career, he worked on a stage musical ChangesAllBowie,
that he produced, telling the musical story of a teen caught in the allure of the big star, complete with makeup and costumes. As Michael aged he added publisher, husband and father to his rolls & slowly packed away the glitter makeup and costumes into archives.
You cannot take the performer out of a musically passionate being, especially regarding this singer/song-writer and multi award winning vocalist. Michael never let music wane from his existence, never musically idol, he found ways to always have his hands in music in one facet or form, whether he was supporting music in his music publication The Wire Megazine, promoting young artists or running local Festivals & its entertainment. With this much passion, you knew it wouldn’t be long till he hit the road once again. The last 4 years, Michael has taught himself piano and ventured forward being booked all over Ontario, to share that vocal beauty and star quality as he performed Michael Buble songs and he even appeared in the Toronto Star on Sat. Aug. 22nd, 2015 with millions of people viewing.
Photo by Deb Draper
“I would never have become the person I am today without having discovered “the man who sold the world” so many years ago. The saddest day for me. RIP David Bowie,” stated Michael Bell. At this sad time, loosing the influence of a lifetime he and musical director, Michael Beauclerc assembled a band able to recreate live Bowie.
With Beauclerc on drums, Jason White on guitar, Sandor Schwisberg on keys, Matt Lagan on sax and percussion and Chuck Daily on bass, Bowie Lives took shape. Bell conjures the bang on vocals and stage presence of a 55 year old version of David Bowie, not needing the costumes as their sound alike showcase is enough to capture their audiences. That first moment I entered the rear of the darkened rehearsal hall, I swore it was a recording, then I viewed who was projecting that magic, it was Michael!! “I was born to sing Bowie” states Bell. “One of the most talented vocalists I’ve ever worked with,” says LA producer Greg Wells (Katy Perry, Aerosmith, Adele). This lineup of music veterans, replicated perfectly, the classics that made Bowie world renowned from Hunky Dory, Ziggy Stardust, Heroes, Space Oditty, Fashion & Ashes to Ashes from Scary Monster album, The Spiders from Mars to the Man Who Sold The World to Young Americans and they even mastered Lazarus, the single form Bowie’s last musical masterpiece album, Black Star.
Michael Beauclerc is a professional drummer, percussionist, marching percussion clinician for Yahama Music Canada, Executive Director of Canadian Drumline Association, Editor and Chief of Drumline Magazine, a composer and author in Canada. http://michaelbeauclerc.com
Jason White is an established music teacher, working musician & session artist. http://www.bowmanvilleguitarlessons.com/index.html
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Sandor Schwisberg is a recipient of The 2016 MusiCounts Fred Sherrat Award and is a graduate of Humber College and is a keyboardist working in the Jazz and Classical fields.
Matt Lagan is a Humber College Bachelor of Jazz and Contemporary Music program, is a
Toronto based Saxophonist, composer and bandleader. Matt won the 2016/2017 Oscar Peterson Award in Jazz Performance from the Hnatyshyn Foundation, was awarded the Gordon and Anne Wragg Scholarship in 2016 and he was the first recipient of the Dave McMurdo Scholarship at the Kincardine Music Festival. www.mattlagan.com
Bassist Chuck Daily (I Mother Earth and The Salads.)
Market Hall Performing Arts Centre February 18, 2017
Market Hall Performing Arts Centre February 18, 2017
https://www.discovermichael.com/bowie-lives
You surely don’t want to miss Bell’s emotions, as he sports them on his sleeves, the truest Michael Bell vocal performance with the Bowie hits that spanned 4 decades.
April 22nd will see Bell and his Bowie Lives Band land in Port Perry at 8pm so come one and all to the Old Town Hall 1873 Performing Arts Centre for an all age’s memorable experience complete with audience singing, dancing in your seats, the isles and sides of the hall. Hurry don’t delay pick up your $35 tickets today at
Stay in tune at https://www.discovermichael.com/bowie-lives
by Deb Draper 4th year photojournalist contributer/columnist
