Outside Tour

The Outside Tour was a tour by English rock musician David Bowie, opening on 14 September 1995 at Meadows Music Theatre – Hartford, Connecticut. Support during the US leg of the tour was provided by Nine Inch Nails, who segued their set with Bowie's to form a continuous show. Prick opened the first date of the tour. Morrissey was the support act for the European leg, but withdrew from the tour after nine dates. On selected dates Reeves Gabrels performed songs from his album, The Sacred Squall of Now in addition to performing with Nine Inch Nails and David Bowie. The opening of the concert tour preceded the release of the 1. Outside album which was released on 25 September 1995.

Outside Tour
Tour by David Bowie
Associated album1. Outside
Start date14 September 1995
End date20 February 1996
Legs2
No. of shows68
David Bowie concert chronology
Nine Inch Nails tour chronology
Self Destruct Tour
(1994-95)		 Dissonance Tour (1995) Fragility Tour (1999-2000)

An official live recording from the tour, David Bowie Ouvre le Chien (Live Dallas 95) was released in July 2020.

In a 2012 Rolling Stone reader's poll, the tour (pairing Nine Inch Nails with Bowie) was named one of the top 10 opening acts in rock history.[1]

Tour history

Initial tour rehearsals were held at the Complete Music Studios in New York before moving to the Mullins Center, where Nine Inch Nails joined the rehearsal.[2]

This tour was Bowie's first since he retired his hits with his previous Sound+Vision Tour (1990). Bowie said, "We're going to play some older material, sure, but not obvious things. I found, while rehearsing for the [Outside] tour, that older songs I haven't played for years suddenly fit in with this new material quite well – things like ... "Joe the Lion." So I'm quite looking forward to it."[3] Other songs from Bowie's back catalog that he performed during the tour include "Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)", "Look Back in Anger", "Andy Warhol" and "Breaking Glass".[4]

Bowie spoke on why he chose to tour with Nine Inch Nails:

I personally did like the combination of NIN and me, but my fans didn't. Bad luck!! It also was an extremely young audience, between about 12 and 17 years old. My starting point was simply: I've just made an adventurous album, what can I do now to turn the concerts as adventurous. Looking at it in that way, it seemed logical to confront myself with the NIN audience. I knew it would be hard to captivate them by music they never heard, by an artist whose name was the only familiar thing.[5]

Trent Reznor has gone on record numerous times as being heavily influenced by David Bowie,[6] and further collaborated with Bowie by remixing "The Hearts Filthy Lesson" and later on 1997's "I'm Afraid of Americans" single. When asked in 1995 if his album Outside was influenced by Nine Inch Nails, Bowie answered, "the band that I was actually quite taken with was three guys from Switzerland call The Young Gods ... I’d been aware of them previous to knowing about Nine Inch Nails."[7]

Set and costume design

For the tour, Bowie went with a modest stage design ("some banners, some mannequins") and avoided the theatrical presentation like his previous Glass Spider Tour in 1987 and Sound+Vision Tour in 1990.[4] The stage "resembled a building site, with paint splashed crumpled sheets draped about", and included an old fashioned table and chair in one corner, onto which Bowie would occasionally climb during shows.[2]

Bowie had a few outfits for the tour (which varied between the European and US shows), but included three jackets designed by Alexander McQueen.[2]

Performance notes

Bowie opened an interview for the tour with USA Today on the opening day of the tour, on 14 September 1995 with the question "How do you commit commercial suicide? Well, you do this: play songs from an album that hasn't been released yet, and complement it with obscure songs from the past that you've never done on stage."[8]

During the tour, as Nine Inch Nails reached the conclusion of their performance, the two bands played together with both Nine Inch Nails and Bowie and his band performing "Subterraneans", "Hallo Spaceboy" and "Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)", followed by two Nine Inch Nails songs "Reptile" and "Hurt" after which Bowie continued with his own set alone.[6]

Early in the tour, the "almost 100% Nails audience" provided a challenge to Bowie, who said "In those first weeks, we had to adjust emotionally to the fact that we were going to be challenged every night to get in sync with what people were coming to the show for. But then you start to recognize that if you're going to continue, you'd better enjoy what you're doing. The more we did that, the more it communicated to the audience. That's how it went from survival to being a good tour."[9]

Bowie signed copies of his album at a local record store while in New York on 26 September 1995.[2]

Morrissey was slated to be the opening act of the European tour, but he suddenly and unexpectedly quit just before the Aberdeen Exhibition Centre performance on 29 November 1995.[10] The support slot was filled on later dates by The Gyres, Echobelly, Placebo and a variety of local bands.

Live recordings

Dallas, Texas (Ouvre le Chien (Live Dallas 95))

The 13 October 1995 show, recorded at the Starplex Amphitheater in Dallas Texas, was released on music streaming platforms as David Bowie Ouvre le Chien (Live Dallas 95) in July 2020. This release includes two live songs recorded at the Birmingham performance as well.[11]

Setlist
  1. "Look Back in Anger"
  2. "The Hearts Filthy Lesson"
  3. "The Voyeur of Utter Destruction (As Beauty)"
  4. "I Have Not Been to Oxford Town"
  5. "Outside"
  6. "Andy Warhol"
  7. "Breaking Glass"
  8. "The Man Who Sold the World"
  9. "We Prick You"
  10. "I’m Deranged"
  11. "Joe the Lion"
  12. "Nite Flights" (Scott Walker)
  13. "Under Pressure"
  14. "Teenage Wildlife"
  15. "Moonage Daydream" (recorded at Birmingham, England)
  16. "Under Pressure" (recorded at Birmingham, England)

Birmingham, England (Big Twix Mix Show)

The 13 December 1995 performance at the National Exhibition Centre (Hall 5) in Birmingham, England, billed as the Big Twix Mix Show with Alanis Morissette, Lightning Seeds and Echobelly as support acts, was filmed by BBC TV with excerpts broadcast at a later date. Two songs from this show, "Under Pressure" and "Moonage Daydream", were released as b-sides on Bowie's "Hallo Spaceboy" (1996) single[11] as well as part of the Ouvrez le Chien release.

Setlist
  1. "Look Back in Anger"
  2. "Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)"
  3. "The Voyeur of Utter Destruction (as Beauty)"
  4. "The Man Who Sold the World"
  5. "Hallo Spaceboy"
  6. "I Have Not Been to Oxford Town"
  7. "Strangers When We Meet"
  8. "Breaking Glass"
  9. "The Motel"
  10. "Jump They Say"
  11. "Boys Keep Swinging"
  12. "Teenage Wildlife"
  13. "Under Pressure"

Encore:

  1. "Moonage Daydream"
  2. "We Prick You"
  3. "Hallo Spaceboy"

Tour band

Tour sound engineers
  • Michael Prowda - Monitors
  • Steve Guest - FOH

Tour dates
Date City Country Venue Attendance
North America
14 September 1995Hartford, ConnecticutUnited StatesMeadows Music Theatre30,000/30,000
16 September 1995Mansfield, MassachusettsGreat Woods Arts Center19,000/19,000
17 September 1995Hershey, PennsylvaniaHersheypark Stadium30,000/30,000
20 September 1995TorontoCanadaSkyDome46,000/46,000
22 September 1995Camden, New JerseyUnited StatesBlockbuster Center25,000/25,000
23 September 1995Burgettstown, PennsylvaniaStar Lake Amphitheater23,000/23,000
27 September 1995East Rutherford, New JerseyMeadowlands Arena40,000/40,000
28 September 1995
30 September 1995Cuyahoga Falls, OhioBlossom Music Center23,000/23,000
1 October 1995Tinley Park, IllinoisNew World Music Theatre28,000/28,739
3 October 1995Auburn Hills, MichiganThe Palace of Auburn Hills20,000/22,000
4 October 1995Columbus, OhioPolaris Amphitheater20,000/20,000
6 October 1995Bristow, VirginiaNissan Pavilion25,000/25,000
7 October 1995Raleigh, North CarolinaWalnut Creek Amphitheatre20,000/20,000
9 October 1995AtlantaLakewood Amphitheatre18,000/18,900
11 October 1995Maryland Heights, MissouriRiverport Amphitheatre20,000/20,000
13 October 1995DallasStarplex Amphitheatre20,000/20,000
14 October 1995Austin, TexasSouth Park Meadows16,000/17,000
16 October 1995DenverMcNichols Sports Arena17,000/18,500
18 October 1995Phoenix, ArizonaDesert Sky Pavilion20,000/20,100
19 October 1995Las VegasThomas & Mack Center14,700/15,300
21 October 1995Mountain View, CaliforniaShoreline Amphitheatre22,500/22,500
24 October 1995Tacoma, WashingtonTacoma Dome23,000/23,000
25 October 1995Portland, OregonThe Rose Garden19,490/21,000
28 October 1995Inglewood, CaliforniaGreat Western Forum35,000/35,000
29 October 1995
31 October 1995Hollywood, CaliforniaHollywood Palladium3,450/3,700
Europe
14 November 1995LondonEnglandWembley Arena50,000/50,000
15 November 1995
17 November 1995
18 November 1995
20 November 1995BirminghamNational Exhibition Centre30,000
21 November 1995
24 November 1995BelfastNorthern Ireland(Re-scheduled) King's Hall
DublinIrelandPoint Depot13,000/13,000
26 November 1995ExeterEnglandWestpoint Arena7,500/7,500
27 November 1995CardiffWalesCardiff International Arena12,500/12,500
29 November 1995AberdeenScotlandExhibition Centre8,500/8,500
30 November 1995GlasgowScottish Exhibition and Conference Centre10,000/10,000
3 December 1995SheffieldEnglandSheffield Arena26,000/26,000
4 December 1995(Cancelled) Sheffield Arena
5 December 1995BelfastNorthern IrelandKing's Hall6,540/6,974
6 December 1995ManchesterEngland(Re-scheduled) Manchester Arena
7 December 1995Newcastle upon TyneNewcastle Arena11,000/11,000
8 December 1995ManchesterManchester Arena21,000/21,000
13 December 1995BirminghamNational Exhibition Centre (Hall 5)
(Big Twix Mix Show)		15,000/15,000
17 January 1996HelsinkiFinlandHelsinki Ice Hall8,200/8,200
19 January 1996StockholmSwedenGlobe Arena16,000/16,000
20 January 1996GothenburgScandinavium14,000/14,000
22 January 1996OsloNorwaySpektrum9,700/9,700
24 January 1996CopenhagenDenmarkValby-Hallen15,000/15,000
25 January 1996HamburgGermanySporthalle7,000/7,000
27 January 1996BrusselsBelgiumVorst Forest Nationaal8,000/8,000
28 January 1996UtrechtNetherlandsPrins Van Oranjehall6,000/6,000
30 January 1996DortmundGermanyWestfalenhalle16,000/16,000
31 January 1996FrankfurtFesthalle13,500/13,500
1 February 1996BerlinDeutschlandhalle10,000/10,000
3 February 1996PragueCzech RepublicSportovni Hala15,000/15,000
4 February 1996ViennaAustriaStadthalle16,000/16,000
6 February 1996LjubljanaSloveniaHala Tivoli6,000/6,000
8 February 1996MilanItalyPalatrussardi8,479/8,479
9 February 1996BolognaPalasport Casalecchio5,271/5,271
11 February 1996LyonFranceHalle Tony Garnier17,000/17,000
13 February 1996GenevaSwitzerlandSEG Geneva Arena9,500/9,500
14 February 1996ZürichHallenstadion11,000/11,000
16 February 1996AmnévilleFranceLe Galaxie12,000/12,000
17 February 1996LilleZénith de Lille6,000/7,000
18 February 1996RennesSalle Expos-Aeroport3,000/3,000
20 February 1996ParisPalais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy19,095/19,095
Total 1,040,925 / 1,050,958 (99%)

Songs

Notes
  1. "Readers' Poll: The 10 Best Opening Acts in Rock History", Rolling Stone, 11 July 2012, retrieved 4 November 2013
  2. Alexander, Alex (1998), Outside Tour Ultimate Guide
  3. Hendrickson, Mark (November 1995), David Bowie: Outside Looking in, archived from the original on 28 March 2002, retrieved 1 August 2013
  4. Pareles, Jon (29 September 1995), "POP REVIEW; Bowie and Nails Mesh (Sometimes)", New York Times, retrieved 29 October 2013
  5. "Can the Real David Bowie Rise, Please?", HUMO, 5 December 1995, archived from the original on 16 June 2013, retrieved 6 June 2013
  6. Weisel, Al (2 November 1995), "Performance: Nine Inch Nails / David Bowie", Rolling Stone magazine (720): 28
  7. Newquist, HP (January 1996). "No Longer A Lad Insane". Guitar. Archived from the original on 6 January 2011.
  8. Gundersen, Edna (14 September 1995), "Cover Story: Bowie, Beyond fame and fashion", USA Today: D1-2
  9. Sprague, David (February 1997), "David Bowie Interview", Pulse magazine: 34–37, 72–73
  10. Nicholas Pegg, The Complete David Bowie, Reynolds & Hearn Ltd, 2004, ISBN 1-903111-73-0
  11. "David Bowie's 'Ouvrez Le Chien' Live Album Set for Streaming Release". 25 June 2020. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  12. Discogs - Zachary Alford - (profile & discography)
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References
  • David Buckley, Strange Fascination: The Definitive Biography of David Bowie, Virgin Books, 1999, ISBN 1-85227-784-X
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