Loving the Alien takes a magnificent look through the work of David Bowie as it attempts to locate and define the authentic ‘Bowie’ – the genuine person/a who remains one of the most extraordinary and influential artists of the 20th and into the 21st century.
The quartet of Karlis Zaid (lead vocals), Aurora Kurth (co-lead vocals), Aaron Syrjanen (many glorious guitars), and Andrew Patterson (piano, along with other sonic sorcery) perform an lovely setlist of Bowie classics, as well as some unexpected numbers, as they peer into the mind and motivations of a man famous for not ever wanting to get pinned down.
There’s a lot of fun with the show, as Karlis and Aurora banter between songs, telling a story of Bowie’s life – from his childhood to his death and many of the missteps and successes along the way. But Loving the Alien is no autopsy. While the story may be chronological, the setlist is more thematic.
Mention of Bowie’s early years of yearning for stardom and his strong sense of curiosity are followed by renditions of Star and Space Oddity. The story steers to Bowie meeting and falling for Angie and a beautiful performance of Absolute Beginners.
It’s refreshing to hear Angie spoken about in a more considered light. While there’s no shortage of familiar anecdotes and occasional Bowie song puns, there’s also plenty of care been put into the writing and presentation.
While Musical Director, Andrew Patterson, has much magic to work, he does so splendidly. It’s not many songs into the show before guitarist Aaron Syrjanen establishes himself as the engine of the piece, with some incredible playing drawing a lot of appreciation from the audience.
The show doesn’t avoid periods of darkness and addiction in Bowie’s life, first highlighted by an incendiary turn at Rock N’ Roll Suicide with Aurora taking the vocal lead. Both Aurora’s and Karlis’ vocal talents are wonderfully used throughout the show – whether during a muscular Under Pressure, or more gentle during a tantalising cover of Sound and Vision.
After the 70s, 80s, and a mention of Tin Machine, the last chapters must be told. The final song selections are ambitious, surprising, and utterly fantastic.
The question of Bowie is answered as well as it honestly could be when the question is really about the heart. Because Loving the Alien is just that, a love letter. By the time the encore ends, these brilliant artists on stage make sure we leave as hopelessly devoted as we ever were.
Loving the Alien
The Showroom – Arts Centre Melbourne, 100 St Kilda Road, Melbourne
Performance: Thursday 3 July 2025
Season continues to 6 July 2025
Information and Bookings: www.artscentremelbourne.com.au
Images: Loving the Alien – photos by Angelo Leggos
Review: June Collins