‘How on earth is this man not sweating?’ Director Brett Morgen’s painstaking 10-year remaser Bowie’s ‘greatest filmed performance’ — SkimNews
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- Morgen spent nearly 10 years and more than 1,000 hours color-grading Bowie’s 1978 Earl’s Court footage, which will debut in arenas in 2027.
- Bowie commissioned Hemmings to film two of three sold-out Earl’s Court summer shows for theatrical release instead of a physical tour; the project was left behind after Bowie started recording Lodger and moved to Switzerland.
- Moonage Daydream gave Morgen access to every filmed Bowie performance in existence, while the Earl’s Court footage stood apart as what he called the greatest filmed performance of Bowie’s career.
- Bowie performed “Sound and Vision” for the first time during the second Earl’s Court show on 1 July, cracking up as the electric violin tried to imitate a horn section.
- Morgen combines songs from both nights because Bowie’s arrangements differed between them, capturing what he describes as the danger and excitement of an improvisational rock show.
- Morgen says the 2027 presentation is not a movie shown in arenas: it uses multiple screens, a fully integrated lighting package and a 7.1 sound mix, with audiences choosing where to look.
Why it matters: Bowie audiences gain a 2027 arena debut of footage that remained unseen for almost 50 years, including his first “Sound and Vision” performance. For concertgoers, the material is paired with multiple screens, integrated lighting and a 7.1 mix rather than a conventional film, changing how the archival concerts are presented.
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