I'm sure they had a ball. Or two.
David Bowie is a fugu (blowfish when prepared right and not poisenous then) addict or at least was. I remember back in the eighties during his Let's Dance tour of Germany, he had it prepared by the chef of some Frankfurt hotel who was actually one of the few Germans (or even the sole one) to have a license to prepare this stuff. I doubt whether it is even legal to prepare it in Germany though, being so poisenous it probably doesn't qualify as legal nutrition under German legislation.
I'm not sure that anything could ever taste so well to me that I would want to risk dying from it. I wouldn't want to climb the K2 just for the spectacular sight either. I'm kind of boring
and don't need borderline experiences near death to find out that I'm still alive and enjoying it.
Uwe
PS: IIRC, isn't part of the fugu ritual that the preparing chef always eats a part of it together with the guests he's catering? Supposedly to vouch for his diligence in preparing it. Except that you really won't be able to hold him accountable if he's messed up badly as you are then both dead.