David Bowie – Dominion Theatre / ICA Benefit (1988)

On June 20, 1988, David Bowie took the stage at London’s legendary Dominion Theatre for a special ICA Benefit Concert in support of the Institute of Contemporary Arts. Unlike large-scale stadium performances of the era, this exclusive event was designed as a cultural statement rather than a commercial showcase.

The ICA had long functioned as a critical hub for experimental art, avant-garde performance, political expression, new media, and contemporary music. Bowie’s decision to support the ICA through a benefit concert represented his enduring commitment to artistic freedom beyond the boundaries of the mainstream music industry.

David Bowie in 1988 – Between Spectacle and Reinvention

The year 1988 placed David Bowie at a turning point. After the politically charged, visually extravagant Glass Spider Tour of 1987, Bowie was already distancing himself from mega-scale productions. The Dominion Theatre benefit reflected this shift toward artistic reassessment and spiritual recalibration.

While still firmly rooted in late-1980s sonics, Bowie’s mindset was changing. Creative frustration, industry disillusionment, and a search for authenticity would soon lead directly to the formation of Tin Machine in 1989. The ICA Benefit stands as a quiet precursor to that radical move.

The Dominion Theatre as Cultural Symbol

The Dominion Theatre, historically associated with grand theatrical productions and long-running West End shows, provided an ironic yet powerful setting. The massive scale of the venue contrasted sharply with the ideological intimacy of the event. This was not a spectacle for mass consumption, but a cultural intervention staged within monumental architecture.

Located near Soho’s creative heartland, the Dominion placed Bowie at the center of London’s artistic bloodstream. The benefit felt less like a tour date and more like a declaration of allegiance to the city’s underground creative forces.

The ICA Benefit Concept

Unlike traditional benefit concerts driven by celebrity spectacle, the ICA Benefit aimed to reinforce the survival of non-commercial artistry. The audience included musicians, filmmakers, writers, performance artists, photographers, curators, and long-time Bowie followers.

Bowie reportedly addressed the audience with reflections on the importance of institutions that protect cultural risk-taking. At a time when arts funding in the UK was under increasing political pressure, this concert carried a subtle but potent act of resistance.

Musical Direction and Atmosphere

No fully official setlist was released. However, eyewitness accounts describe a carefully balanced program spanning multiple creative eras of Bowie’s catalogue. The performances emphasized emotional clarity rather than bombast, allowing space for interpretation rather than theatrical overload.

The overall atmosphere was introspective, sincere, and artist-to-artist rather than star-to-crowd. Bowie appeared deeply connected to the audience and the broader purpose of the evening.

Politics, Art and Responsibility

By 1988, many experimental art forms faced increasing marginalization due to economic conservatism and shrinking public funding. Bowie openly viewed the preservation of avant-garde culture as a moral obligation rather than a nostalgic indulgence.

His support for the ICA extended beyond symbolic messaging. It reinforced his consistent belief that innovation must remain insulated from purely commercial validation.

Connection to Tin Machine and the 1990s

Several of the philosophical themes underlying the ICA Benefit would later crystallize in the formation of Tin Machine. Bowie’s break from pop stardom, his embrace of band democracy, sonic abrasion, and creative confrontation all find early psychological footholds in this period.

The ICA concert thus operates not only as a standalone cultural moment, but as a hinge point between two radically different artistic identities.

Louise Lecavalier and the La La La Human Steps Collaboration

One of the most striking artistic elements connected to Bowie’s 1988 London period was his emerging association with the groundbreaking Canadian dance company La La La Human Steps. Led by choreographer Édouard Lock, the troupe was known for its explosive physicality, dizzying spins, gravity-defying lifts, and choreography that blurred the line between dance and punk performance art.

At the center of this movement revolution stood Louise Lecavalier, whose raw physical intensity and magnetic stage presence made her an international sensation. Bowie was captivated by her style: violent yet elegant, mechanical yet deeply human.

The creative bond between Bowie and Lecavalier reached public visibility during a London broadcast on 1 July 1988, famously circulating as “David Bowie – 1988 With La La La Human Steps – Complete Colour Broadcast”. The performance captured the shockwave synergy between Bowie’s vocals and Lecavalier’s feral, electrifying movement language.

Her presence marked a decisive shift in Bowie’s stage philosophy: dance was no longer decorative, but an equal narrative force — a living collision between sound and body. This collaboration formed a crucial bridge toward the confrontational aesthetics of Tin Machine.

Video – David Bowie with La La La Human Steps (London, 1 July 1988)

Cultural Legacy

Although never broadcast as a mass media event, the Dominion Theatre ICA Benefit has become a treasured footnote within Bowie scholarship. It represents the artist not as global icon, but as cultural patron, instigator, and protector of experimentation.