Momus

A dybbuk is a capturer of spirits, a stealer of souls. Momus – a Scottish singer-songwriter who lives in Osaka – had his soul stolen at the age of 12 by David Bowie. In acknowledgement of this fact, and in tribute to his hero, Momus has been performing this Bowie cabaret since 2014. Bowie himself approved of and promoted the cabaret on the official David Bowie website.

Accompanied by video of Bowie’s many imitators – the almost-Bowies, the wannabes – the show focuses on lesser-known moments in the singer’s career: demos, Brel and Brecht infused songs, early material, symphonic tone poems, Eno-esque experiments. Failure is inevitable: Momus is not David Bowie. But perhaps even someone trying and failing to be David Bowie in public might be moving: a collective, generational statement of this man’s importance to us, his uniqueness as perhaps the coolest British person ever to have existed, his tragic yet wonderful irreplaceability. Suitable for adults.

Part of Rhyme and Reason - Southwark Libraries Festival of Poetry and Music.