Something Truly Unique

[ziggythewalrus]

Ever since I became a fan, I've been fascinated by the strange postures Bowie adopts on stage. Many of them are all his own and have become a distinctive part of his public image and mystique.

Here is a collection of photos of some of these postures and my thoughts on them.

Backwards Arms

1.

Comments

[crimson_singer]

This is a beautiful post. A+ (Gold Sticker)

[minxyminou]

Intriguing post.

[tiredtown]

It seems that the mystery pose is something Bowie likes to call "back language!"

It's at 1:30. He says he got it from a Rudolph somebody... obvious I don't know who that is.

As for "Kether to Malkuth," there's a lot of information and speculation on that move, and apparently the pointing one is part of a Golden Dawn ritual, too: http://user.cyberlink.ch/~koenig/bowie.htm

Also, you forgot the pose he borrowed from Gene Vincent, with him leaning forward, one leg extended behind him, and the other bent in front as he leans against the microphone stand. He apparently got it from when he saw Vincent perform with his leg in a cast.

:26 in.

Also, I love that icon. Cookies nooooooo :(

[ziggythewalrus]

Ahh, excellent! Thanks for the vids. That'd be Rudolph Nureyev, the ballet dancer. He and Jagger were (allegedly) lovers for a while in the mid-70s, so I wouldn't be surprised if Bowie actually met him. Now I'm not going to be satisfied until I find an image of Nureyev performing that move...

I never noticed the Gene Vincent one as a practised pose, so thank you for pointing out who he got it from. Very interesting.

[millari]

This is a very striking post. And I think that's ultimately the explanation for all of these poses - that they are meant to be striking and even slightly disturbing, in a aesthetically beautiful way.

[ziggythewalrus]

Indeed. Bowie has a wonderfully fine-tuned sense of the visual.

[becstardb]

I LOVE THIS POST SO VERY MUCH.