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'Let's Dance' Pub, The Carinda Hotel, Pays Tribute to David Bowie

One Last Dance With David Bowie: Quaint Outback Pub Mourns The Man Who Put Them On The Map

Video by Tom Compagnoni

One last dance? That’s the question on the minds of locals at The Carinda Hotel -- the small Aussie pub made famous by David Bowie and his comeback hit ‘Let’s Dance’.

Over 30 years ago the British singer stunned the small northern New South Wales town of 40 (now 180), travelling over 600 kilometres from Sydney to film the video clip which the 80s wouldn't be the same without.

As news of Bowie’s death rocks the world, Malcolm George -- who has owned the pub for 12 months -- is deciding how to pay tribute to the late singer. Although he was never forgotten.

“We just had one of the locals here at our Christmas party dressed up as Santa Claus playing the bass while a guy with bleached hair and all performed that [Let’s Dance] scene on the wall,” George told The Huffington Post Australia.

“All the locals thought David Bowie was coming.”

After an 18-month battle with cancer, the British singer “died peacefully” according to a statement released by the artist’s social media accounts. Bowie was reportedly surrounded by friends and family.

And as to his friends back in Carinda, George said "no one could quite believe it". About a dozen locals were at the pub having a beer on Monday night.

“We’ve just redone the whole wall here to look exactly like it did back then... and finished it only a week ago.

“We’ve even put the red and green tiles back on. It’s identical.”

Some say 'Let's Dance' represented the first time Bowie took a socio-political stance with his artistry, shedding light on the fight for Aboriginal rights.

Carinda seemed only fitting with the town's named deriving from the Aboriginal word meaning "carry me".

The Carinda Hotel have Bowie fans travelling to visit the pub “every week” said George. And there’s no doubt they’ll have a few more in the coming days. For one last dance.

Locals enjoy a drink at the Cardina Hotel on Monday night.

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