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Scots DJ George Bowie pledges more balcony gigs during coronavirus crisis


Scots DJ George Bowie has pledged to play more gigs live on Facebook from his balcony at home if the country goes into full lockdown amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The legendary radio presenter is still “buzzing” after going viral while live streaming a set from his pad in Glasgow’s west end last night (Thursday) which got more than 270,000 views as clubs become deserted up and down the country.

The iconic club night host, 50, told listeners of his Clyde 1 radio show yesterday morning he was planning to do something to lift spirits as COVID-19 spreads across the globe and prompts widespread self-isolation.

Still on a high after keeping his word, George spoke to the Daily Record right after his home gig and explained: “I just wanted to lift spirits and bring people together. I’m gutted that in the current situation, we can’t get out to the clubs for the moment, I’ll really miss it, but in the grand scale of things it’s nothing. If people are safe, that’s all that matters, so this is another way of having some fun, which we need.

“I’m absolutely buzzing, I thought if we got 10,000 people watching it would be great, but we were up at more than 130,000 just after we finished.”

Hitting the high notes with a range of his GBX dance anthem classic mixes, the DJ delighted fans on social media as well as his neighbours, picking up more than 100,000 Facebook views in just one hour – and a few real life crowd as dozens watched from nearby windows.

One said: “Woooo just what we needed to cheer us all up. Belter of an idea x.”

Another said: “Exactly what’s needed, brilliant!”

And another excited social media user added: “Keep the tunes pumping big man, loving it doing lockdown Glasgow style.”

George Bowie entertained the online crowd

The dad-of-three, who has been a presenter with Clyde 1 for more than 20 years, had some last minute nerves about the unusual performance and had originally set out to get the party started in the afternoon.

George, who DJS in Ibiza every summer and is best known for his remix of Patrick Prins’ Bits & Pieces, added: “I had told Breakfast Show listeners that I was hoping to do something tonight but I said I’d let them know. I didn’t want to give too much away because I thought something could go horribly wrong, I’ve never done anything like that.

“I was hoping to do it in the afternoon but there were teething problems because it was a bit tricky to set up so by the time we got all up and running it was a bit later and it was dark, though I actually think that added to it, it was much better, it felt more like a club!

“I really hope lots of people do the same, I’d love to see musicians and DJs out on their balconies and in gardens, everyone! We need to give ourselves a boost in this surreal time. I’ll definitely do this again if people want me to.”

And George had some more good news for fans as he’s not planning to disappear from the airwaves anytime soon. Even as efforts are ramped up to stop the spread of the deadly bug, the star will ensure his Breakfast Show goes ahead as normal.

He added: “I’ve got a recording studio downstairs at home and that can be adjusted to do the show from there, I can’t sit on my backside doing nothing, I’ll still be there in the mornings even I have to do it from here.”

As the shutters are pulled down across the world and millions of people are forced to self-isolate, neighbourhoods in Spain and Italy have been dealing with the challenges of lockdown by joining together for musical performances on balconies and from windows.

So it’s nice to see George kick-starting a bit of community spirit here in Scotland and if anyone was going to give us a bit of light relief, it would be him!

George’s GBX dance tunes been a huge draw of late, after Outlander star Sam Heughan told James Cordon’s Late Late Show last week he would like to line the iconic DJ for his 40th birthday party.

The iconic Scots radio host has long been praised by his countryman and the A-list actor says he loves nothing more than listening to a GBX session – just like the rest of us then.

After James asked him his plans, Sam said: “Obviously I’ll be back in Scotland because I’m shooting Outlander.

“There is a DJ in Scotland that I’m obsessed with called George Bowie and he plays basically really bad dance music and no one’s ever heard of him but I would love to book him.”





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