Robert Peston: Not just a diamond, he’s a diamond dawg!
It’s hard to remember those sunny pre-crash days, before the bankers got greedy and sold the economy down the river. As the bleak ruinous reality unfolded, Robert Peston’s daily ‘Upshares, Downshares’ reports on Radio 4 felt like a comfort in turbulent times. The news might be grim, but in the tradition of BBC broadcasting, intelligent delivery of it, seems to ease it somewhat. Thus, the floppy-haired, bespectacled brainiac, Robert Peston, became the public’s favourite economics egg-head.
Last week he appeared on Celebrity Mastermind, and, blow me down, his specialist subject was none other than the only man to convincingly carry off the quilted catsuit and orange mullet combo, David Bowie (1966-76). I’m aware that I’m late to the party, but in recent years I’ve had a massive Bowie obsession, mainly the mid to late seventies Berlin period and his collaborations with Brian Eno. I even went so far as to cut and bleach my hair, and wear a black hat at a jaunty angle, which, in windy west Wales was no mean feat.
My own personal Bowie-fest coincided with the fantastic Bowie exhibition at the V&A, and I went with my daughter who is also a fan, although she’s more a ‘Hunky Dory’ kinda gal. Being able to see his costumes in such detail was incredible, as they’re works of art in themselves, and the inclusion of art works by Carl Andre, Roelof Louw and Gilbert & George helped to set the scene for Bowie to emerge not just as a musician, but a performance artist.
The exhibition was entertaining and awe-inspiring, but I felt I’d only really scratched the surface with one visit. So, I was elated when my brother gave my husband a copy of the exhibition book, ‘David Bowie is Inside’ for Christmas. Now I can Bowie-browse whenever the mood takes me.
While it might be a stretch to imagine fellow Bowie-fan Robert Peston donning a one-legged, off the shoulder, knitted onesie at weekends in honour of his hero, I like to think that somewhere, tucked away amidst his vast library of political and economic tomes, he has a well-thumbed copy of ‘David Bowie is Inside’ too.
If ever there was an outfit destined to brighten up a BBC economics report, surely this is it.
Lucy
Sarah
Robert Peston is my strange celebrity crush of choice (I can’t explain it). Now I know he loves Bowie I adore him even more 🙂 I covet the book too!
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Me too! What is that about!? I also can’t explain why I like Jeremy Paxman or especially, *ahem* Danny Dyer. *cringe*
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Danny Dyer has the manner of a villain but the eyes of a puppy dog, so I do see it! I’m having more trouble understanding Paxo though 😉
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Mine too! I love that he not only chose Bowie as his specialist subject, but was specific about the dates too, no ‘Let’s Dance’ for him! The book really is a dream if you’re a Bowie fan – it’s huge, and the photographs are amazing! 🙂
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I would expect nothing less than clearly defined parameters from his analytical mind 😀 I’m wondering if it is too late to drop heavy hints for Christmas, the book sounds amazing!
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Well, there’s only one way to find out! Fingers crossed. 😉
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I shall never be able to look at Robert Peston in the same way again…
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I know! From now on, when he’s on the radio waxing lyrical on the state of the economy i shall picture him wearing a silver catsuit and platform boots!
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Shall I make you jealous if I tell you I saw him live (Bowie not Peston) back in the day? Glasgow Apollo 1978 – still remember it vividly…
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Wow! I’m ridiculously jealous! That would probably be my favourite moment of all time to see him play, too, in the wake of the Berlin albums. No wonder that has stuck in the memory! Do you remember what he sang? what he was wearing, – which Bowie incarnation did you see that night? Haha, sorry, all the questions! 🙂
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Yeah, I think most of the programme came from Low, Station to Station and Heroes, but he went back to some of the earlier stuff too – Ziggy Stardust, Jean Genie and a brilliant rendition of Suffragette City. He was a red-head at that point, and dressed mainly in white from what I recall, with those kind of ballooning-over-the-hips trousers that only work if you’re incredibly thin! None of his really outrageous costumes though. As a lovely touch, he didn’t have a support act – Marc Bolan had died just a few months earlier (my first music love) and he had lots of Marc Bolan and T. Rex hits played over the sound system instead. It was a fabulous night – all tickets were the same price and issued on the basis of a lucky draw. We not only got tickets but actually got a box to ourselves…
Haha! I remember sitting in the pub with my pal Colin after the event and telling him that I might as well just die now, since life could never possibly produce anything better. (I think I was right, actually… 😉 )
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That’s me joining in with the singing at the end 😉 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZL-fns7499g
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Would somebody pass the smelling salts….
I am totally green with envy. That is pretty much my ideal gig ever. You lucky, lucky thing! I might have missed the best gig in the world, but thanks for letting me at least imagine it – that’s made my day! 🙂
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It was strange to see Peston on Celebrity Mastermind because I don’t think of him as a celebrity; as an anti-celebrity I found myself caught between watching because it was him, or desisting because the programme is just yet another celebrity vehicle. Enter David Bowie (not in the biblical sense, obviously). So now we go from a celebrity vehicle to someone who could be credited as the Henry Ford of said phenomenon – Bowie. I’m therefore glad that you got around to books about him, even if they’re not classics. Any further details available in future posts? Was Bowie into classic literature like, say, another of his fans, Ian Curtis?
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Well, it’s interesting you should ask that, because the album ‘Diamond Dogs’ was inspired by Orwell’s ‘1984’. In fact, the songs were originally intended for Bowie’s take on ‘1984’ the stage musical which never got made as Orwell’s widow refused permission. As I’m not a fan of the book, I thought I’d let that one pass, but if I uncover any other Bowie literary links I’ll definitely turn them into a post or two – any excuse! 😉
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