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David Bowie

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3 Jul, 1973

Retires Ziggy Stardust

Music Performance0 Comments

Ziggy plays guitar for the last time at London’s Hammersmith Odeon, at the last concert of The Aladdin Sane Tour comprising 60 shows in North America, Japan and the U.K. Bowie is tired of the character and he’s been touring and promoting his albums for nearly a year without a break. Only his manager Tony DeFries, Mick Ronson and some music press know beforehand.

I wanted the whole MainMan thing away from me. It was circusy. I was never much of an entourage person – I hated all of that. It’s a relief for all these years … not have a constant stream of people following me around to the point where, when I sat down, fifteen other people sat down. It was unbearable. I think Tony [DeFries] saw himself as a Svengali type, but I think I would have done okay anyway. Now, I look back on it with amusement more than anything else. Everybody was always going to get their teeth done or something, brand new people appearing in the office, having changed their appearance completely from the day before, and so forth.

15 Jul, 1972

First gig as Ziggy Stardust

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Bowie unveils his new character at the Friars Club, Market Square, Aylesbury, England, performing with his band The Spiders from Mars: Mick Ronson (guitar), Trevor Bolder (bass) and Woody Woodmansey (drums). In the crowd are America’s best rock press, as well as Freddie Mercury and Roger Taylor of Queen. Photographer Mick Rock films the performance on 16mm.

Bowie - Ziggy Stardust - Aylesbury 1972 ** Updated **