Oct 18, 2019
BRIXTON BOY (OFFICIAL VIDEO) - SKENGDO AND AM x OXLADE x SNEAKBO.
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BRIXTON BOY (OFFICIAL VIDEO) - SKENGDO AND AM x OXLADE x SNEAKBO.
SW9, Brixton
Brixton remembers their “Brixton boy” Bowie
Legendary Musician David Bowie tragically died on 10th January 2016, leaving a massive chasm in the hearts of music lovers all over the world. I went on a personal journey of Bowie discovery to explore his home town and his legacy.
Bowie was born in Brixton, London on January 8th 1947. Fans organised an impromptu Facebook street party after the news broke of his sudden death from cancer aged 69. Only a select few in the music business knew that he had liver cancer before he died with minimal fuss; uncharacteristically Bowie. His last album “Blackstar” was simultaneous. Some claimed it was “planned”, and “prophetic”, echoing deep motifs of mysticism and death. There is a good chance he was making art out of his own demise.
I went to the gathering on January 12th outside the Ritzy Cinema in Brixton on Coldharbour Lane. The crowd was vast, but I seemed to be one of few who had bothered to dress up.
Freezing cold, and with no seats or refreshments on offer, the crowd knocked back booze on the streets; some even climbing on phone boxes to belt out Bowie hits. Someone eventually turned up with speakers. There was a bandwagon feeling to the whole thing, with the threat of rowdiness looming as police circled. The crowd was predominantly “hipster” student types, and enthusiastic middle aged fans. I felt relatively safe considering I was surrounded by drunken people, in Brixton, late at night. Other than being offered marijuana, and posing for multiple press photos, nothing out of the ordinary happened.
Getting home at 3am, I scoured the net for articles on the night. I was amused to see that a valiant fan had spray painted a red lightning bolt on the face of Sir Henry Tate in the square; a fitting tribute to two masters of artistic expression.
The press claimed the party was “exactly what David would have wanted”. Was it really? I suppose, Bowie would have liked it. It was wild, rebellious, and rough around the edges; like him. Many of the attendees likely had little knowledge of Bowie or his songs. However, Bowie stood for the universal values of individualism, freedom of expression, and unadulterated creativity.
I decided to return to the area 2 weeks later to see the aftermath. I first visited the infamous Bowie Mural outside Morley’s department store. It awash with touching tributes and flowers, and many fans still gathered round.
Picture below: Tribute poster for Bowie left by fan. Above: Jack Cole standing by tribute.
I managed to speak to Jack Cole, aged 26, a Brixton local:
“I’m a big Bowie fan. I pass by the mural quite often. The response in Brixton has been powerful. Bowie was a trailblazer, unstoppable. People are constantly passing by to say goodbye in their own special way.”
When I asked him more about the street party:
“It was a bit messy, a bit like David. People were randomly breaking into song.. Some girls were huddled around crying with candles just to get the press attention. I dressed up and feel super proud, since I was in lots of the press articles including the Daily Mail…
I think Brixton is going through an identity crisis right now. You know, with the gentrification thing and all that. People are being priced out of the area. It ain’t what it used to be. Bowie wouldn’t have approved.”
Mr Cole’s gentrification comment stuck and I wondered how much Brixton has changed since Bowie’s birth. How would Bowie feel knowing his home town was becoming too expensive for the average Londoner?
My next stop was the Ritzy cinema, which famously had “our Brixton boy” emblazoned on it that night. With all national and international press coverage, I’m sure that it proved a lucrative business move. I wanted to know whose idea it was to put up the infamous message. I got hold of Becky Cleaver, Events Coordinator at the Ritzy:
“The readograph message was put up by me! But it was our management's idea. I did get my 5 minutes of fame in the morning when the photographers showed up though. It was a big honour for me as I'm a huge fan!
As for any Ritzy involvement, we did put on a charity screening of 'Labyrinth' in the week and profits went to Cancer Research. On the Monday night of the street party we had plenty of staff in last minute to cope with the unusually large amount of customers.
Image below: The Readograph sign on the Ritzy
Funnily enough, after the message, we found people started putting flowers and other objects on the foundation stone (of the Brixton Theatre and Opera House, laid by Henry Irving) just outside the Ritzy!”
My last stop was Bowie’s birth home; a poignant end to my journey of Bowie-discovery. 20 minutes from the station I found a suburban terraced house on Stansfield road. It looked empty and dark inside, and I was surprised to see no commemorative plaque outside. You never would have guessed that a man of such greatness entered the world in this very house. Speaking to neighbour, Marc Whicker, 32, who lives next door: “They’ve been away for a while but lots of people was here taking photos n’ crowding round ‘bout 2 weeks ago.” His once home was much like his death; surprisingly modest, quiet, and discrete. His public send-off hardly represented his wealth and success. This made me think of gentrification, and whether average income parents like Bowie’s would still be able to afford Brixton in years to come. What would Bowie think of his home town now? It is definitely a colourful place, and still quite rough around the edges! Although his beginning and end were relatively low-key (Bowie was cremated on the quiet), what came in between was anything but, and his legacy will be vivacious and eternal.
Pictures above:The house and road where David Bowie was born
Brixton remembers Their “Brixton boy” Bowie
Legendary Musician David Bowie tragically died on 10th January 2016, leaving a massive chasm in the hearts of music lovers all over the world. I went on a personal journey of Bowie discovery to explore his home town and his legacy.
Bowie was born in Brixton, London on January 8th 1947. Fans organised an impromptu Facebook street party after the news broke of his sudden death from cancer aged 69. Only a select few in the music business knew that he had liver cancer before he died with minimal fuss; uncharacteristically Bowie. His last album “Blackstar” was simultaneous. Some claimed it was “planned”, and “prophetic”, echoing deep motifs of mysticism and death. There is a good chance he was making art out of his own demise.
I went to the gathering on January 12th outside the Ritzy Cinema in Brixton on Coldharbour Lane. The crowd was vast, but I seemed to be one of few who had bothered to dress up.
Freezing cold, and with no seats or refreshments on offer, the crowd knocked back booze on the streets; some even climbing on phone boxes to belt out Bowie hits. Someone eventually turned up with speakers. There was a bandwagon feeling to the whole thing, with the threat of rowdiness looming as police circled. The crowd was predominantly “hipster” student types, and enthusiastic middle aged fans. I felt relatively safe considering I was surrounded by drunken people, in Brixton, late at night. Other than being offered marijuana, and posing for multiple press photos, nothing out of the ordinary happened.
Getting home at 3am, I scoured the net for articles on the night. I was amused to see that a valiant fan had spray painted a red lightning bolt on the face of Sir Henry Tate in the square; a fitting tribute to two masters of artistic expression.
The press claimed the party was “exactly what David would have wanted”. Was it really? I suppose, Bowie would have liked it. It was wild, rebellious, and rough around the edges; like him. Many of the attendees likely had little knowledge of Bowie or his songs. However, Bowie stood for the universal values of individualism, freedom of expression, and unadulterated creativity.
I decided to return to the area 2 weeks later to see the aftermath. I first visited the infamous Bowie Mural outside Morley’s department store. It awash with touching tributes and flowers, and many fans still gathered round.
Picture above: Tribute poster for Bowie left by fan. Below: Jack Cole standing by tribute.
I managed to speak to Jack Cole, aged 26, a Brixton local:
“I’m a big Bowie fan. I pass by the mural quite often. The response in Brixton has been powerful. Bowie was a trailblazer, unstoppable. People are constantly passing by to say goodbye in their own special way.”
When I asked him more about the street party:
“It was a bit messy, a bit like David. People were randomly breaking into song.. Some girls were huddled around crying with candles just to get the press attention. I dressed up and feel super proud, since I was in lots of the press articles including the Daily Mail…
I think Brixton is going through an identity crisis right now. You know, with the gentrification thing and all that. People are being priced out of the area. It ain’t what it used to be. Bowie wouldn’t have approved.”
Mr Cole’s gentrification comment stuck and I wondered how much Brixton has changed since Bowie’s birth. How would Bowie feel knowing his home town was becoming too expensive for the average Londoner?
My next stop was the Ritzy cinema, which famously had “our Brixton boy” emblazoned on it that night. With all national and international press coverage, I’m sure that it proved a lucrative business move. I wanted to know whose idea it was to put up the infamous message. I got hold of Becky Cleaver, Events Coordinator at the Ritzy:
“The readograph message was put up by me! But it was our management's idea. I did get my 5 minutes of fame in the morning when the photographers showed up though. It was a big honour for me as I'm a huge fan!
As for any Ritzy involvement, we did put on a charity screening of 'Labyrinth' in the week and profits went to Cancer Research. On the Monday night of the street party we had plenty of staff in last minute to cope with the unusually large amount of customers.
Image below: The Readograph sign on the Ritzy
Funnily enough, after the message, we found people started putting flowers and other objects on the foundation stone (of the Brixton Theatre and Opera House, laid by Henry Irving) just outside the Ritzy!”
My last stop was Bowie’s birth home; a poignant end to my journey of Bowie-discovery. 20 minutes from the station I found a suburban terraced house on Stansfield road. It looked empty and dark inside, and I was surprised to see no commemorative plaque outside. You never would have guessed that a man of such greatness entered the world in this very house. Speaking to neighbour, Marc Whicker, 32, who lives next door: “They’ve been away for a while but lots of people was here taking photos n’ crowding round ‘bout 2 weeks ago.” His once home was much like his death; surprisingly modest, quiet, and discrete. His public send-off hardly represented his wealth and success. This made me think of gentrification, and whether average income parents like Bowie’s would still be able to afford Brixton in years to come. What would Bowie think of his home town now? It is definitely a colourful place, and still quite rough around the edges! Although his beginning and end were relatively low-key (Bowie was cremated on the quiet), what came in between was anything but, and his legacy will be vivacious and eternal.
Pictures above:The house and road where David Bowie was born
“I don’t know where I’m going next, but I promise it won’t be boring”
David Bowie
Happy 66th you beautiful alien.