Abstract
David Bowie is regarded as a unique and pivotal performer within the field of popular music but little attempt has been made thus far to place his performance style in context. Most research that has been carried out is confined to the broad area of popular music studies in spite of the fact that Bowie has acknowledged considerable debt to disciplines outside his own, such as theatre. I argue that the most compelling precedent to Bowie’s performance style and artistic rationale is, as he alludes to, found within the discipline of theatre, and in particular in Berlin cabaret during the first three decades of the twentieth century. This research examines a clearly defined period during Bowie’s career – his ‘glam rock’ period encompassing the years 1972-1974 – and analyses critical aspects of his performance style and artistic rationale. The thesis is based upon a comparison between Bowie’s style and that of Berlin cabaret, with the aim of establishing common ground between the two. Findings support an argument that Bowie appropriated aspects of Berlin cabaret and applied them to his performances during the glam rock era. These findings provide insights into the artistic rationale and performance style of this pivotal performer, identifying the manner in which he expanded the artistic palette that was readily absorbed into the popular music culture of the 1970s.