Bowie Honored With Sydney Symphony Orchestra Nothing Has Changed Performance

The Sydney Symphony Orchestra has performed a ultimate tribute to the late David Bowie with ‘Nothing Has Changed’, a unique tribute to the Starman.

Mark Sutcliffe, the Head of Commercial Programming for the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, approached music executive Amanda Pelman with the initial idea for the show.

“The death of David Bowie in January inspired Mark Sutcliffe at the SSO to put a show together and he called me in to create it”, Amanda tells Noise11.com. “It is sad that Bowie’s demise was the catalyst but if it causes a re-discovery of this remarkable body of work then as I titled the show , nothing has changed”.

Amanda’s idea was to source a diversity of talents to perform songs the variety of styles generated across Bowie’s entire catalogue. “I sent a grab-bag of around 40 songs to them all and said go for it,” she said. “A wonderful patchwork rundown transpired and when we got into the rehearsal room it all came together. We cast a diverse group of artists to represent the vocal and stylistic range of the catalogue. There is not a Bowie-imitation amongst them”.

After the Sydney shows Amanda is now contemplating taking ‘Nothing Has Changed’ national and possibly to other countries. “We are looking at touring both nationally and internationally,” she said. “Several orchestra masters have flown in to Sydney to see the show so it is a great credit to the Sydney Symphony and conductor Ben Northey that this groundswell has happened”.

Nothing Has Changed setlist

Act 1

Space Oddity – iOTA
Starman – Deborah Conway
All The Young Dudes – Tim Rogers
Rebel Rebel – Adalita
The Jean Genie – Adalita
Stay – Jack Ladder and Steve Kilbey
Diamond Dogs – Jack Ladder and Steve Kilbey
Ziggy Stardust – Deborah Conway and iOTA
Suffragette City – Deborah Conway and iOTA
Fame – Tim Rogers and Deborah Conway
China Girl – Jack Ladder and Robyn Loau
Loving The Alien – Jack Ladder
Oh You Pretty Things – Deborah Conway and Clayton Doley
Sorrow – Tim Rogers and Adalita
Life On Mars – iOTA

Act 2

Station To Station – Steve Kilbey
Moonage Daydream – Ashley Naylor
Absolute Beginners – Jack Ladder and Jade McRae
Golden Years – Deborah Conway and Jack Ladder
Changes – Steve Kilbey and Tim Rogers
Young Americans – Steve Kilbey and Tim Rogers
Boys Keep Swinging – Davey Labe
Modern Love – Adalita and iOTA
Let’s Dance – Adalita and iOTA
Fashion – Adalita and iOTA
Ashes To Ashes – iOTA
Lazarus – Tim Rogers

Nothing Has Changed with iOTA, Tim Rogers, Steve Kilbey, Deborah Conway, Adalita, Jack Ladder and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra was on May 19, 20 and 21 at the Sydney Opera House.