Aladdin Sane, 50 Years review: David Bowie tribute show narrowly escapes pastiche

Sign up to Roisin O’Connor’s free weekly newsletter Now Hear This for the inside track on all things music Get our Now Hear This email for free Get our Now Hear This email for free SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. R&B firecracker Roxanne Tataei turns “Aladdin Sane ” into the night’s first real belter, introducing the titular character, a cracked actor prophesying impending war, inspired by Bowie’s schizophrenic brother Terry. Tawiah returns for the barnstorming doo-wop of “Drive-in Saturday”, hammering home the album’s seditious sci-fi themes on a song about post-apocalyptic society learning to have sex again by watching old porn videos. Right on cue, Shears blazes through The Stones’ “Let’s Spend the Night Together” in a classic Ziggy half-leotard, and Calvi provides the climactic drama, falling to the floor during a particularly Weimarian “Time”. During the closing rock-outs of “The Jean Genie” and a bonus “Rebel Rebel”, though, Lynks steals the show by emerging in his own balaclava version of Bowie’s legendary Kansai Yamamoto record-leg jumpsuit, part authentic Bowie tribute, part stylish thumb of the nose at Sam Smith’s similarly wide-thighed fashion fail at the Brits.