Bowie and Bliss

In the interview with David Bowie we watched in class on Wednesday there were several responses from Bowie that stuck out to me. I find it extremely interesting that an ecstatic and energetic young Bowie would have such a calm and collected presence “off” stage. Bowie embodies the essence of a performer because he is able to separate all three roles of performance. His real personality and identity are distinguished from his on-stage persona as Bowie because he plays a character (Ziggy at the time) that is entirely fabricated. When Bowie says, “I have a hodgepodge philosophy which really is very minimal…” I thought how interesting it was to hear this from someone who does everything but the minimal on stage. It seems as though his on stage persona almost takes on a reverse identity of his quiet and calm self (or that’s at least how I perceive him in this interview). Although Bowie’s physical look does not seem to stray to far from his on-stage image, his personality and presence appears much more timid than the cross-dressing performer who is metaphorically sexed on stage by his guitarist.
The interviewer continues to interrupt Bowie after this statement and asks, “Do you believe in god?” This comment is to be expected out of a conservative (I am assuming here purely based off his reactions to Bowie) at the time whom is most likely taken aback by someone such as Bowie. Bowie responds with enthusiasm and certainty that “I believe in an energy form.” When he said this it really struck a chord in my heart because I felt an increasingly closer attachment to Bowie as a human being. This response is pretty far “out there” within the public sphere, but the fact that Bowie can acknowledge this belief and portray his ideas openly makes his real identity seem conscious and aware. I feel that this openness to consciousness makes Bowie’s stage presence all the greater. This is because it allows the audiences to differentiate between Bowie as a person, Bowie as a performer, and Bowie’s characters that he plays. There is a yin yang balance that allows him to step back and forth between these roles. And therefore when he goes into an interview such as this he is able to present his ideas and beliefs in a clear matter that does not disguise or hide Bowie as a person.
My favorite part to this interview is that after the god conversation the interviewer is curious as to how religious or spiritual Bowie really is. He asks, “Do indulge in any form of worship?” and Bowie responds, “Life, I love life.” I was excited about this response because it represents a very similar style to life that I approach. I appreciate how Bowie as a performer is fully understanding of the position he is in (an idol) and he is still able to focus on what really matters. By saying that he worships life he is acknowledging that the time we are on this planet is special, and out of it I get that Bowie is here to have fun and enjoy himself. Whether Bowie fully understood the impact he would have is undeterminable but he sure does seem to be living in the moment at the time. Bowie appears to utilize living in the moment to it’s fullest and therefore his blissful presence in noticed not only on stage but off stage as well.