From 1980 to 1984, David Bowie was moving through another period of transformation—bridging the theatrical experimentation of earlier years with a sharper, larger-scale touring and production presence. These years reflect an artist operating at arena and stadium level, where presentation, sound, lighting, and precision all became part of the performance itself. Behind the scenes, crews and engineers worked within demanding productions that required discipline, adaptability, and constant attention to detail.

This section of the archive collects Showco-related materials connected to David Bowie during the early ’80s—tour ephemera, backstage documents, production paperwork, crew materials, photographs, passes, technical references, and other surviving pieces as they’re located and digitized.

I’m building this archive by hand and will keep adding items as more materials are identified and preserved.

Were you on the road, in the crowd, or working with David Bowie or Showco between 1980 and 1984?
If you have passes, itineraries, photographs, paperwork, recordings, or stories from this era, please contact me to help expand this part of the archive.