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Title: Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1979)
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| Complete credited cast: | |||
| David Bowie | ... | Self / Ziggy Stardust | |
| Mick Ronson | ... | Self - Guitar and Vocals | |
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Trevor Bolder | ... | Self - Bass |
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Mick Woodmansey | ... | Self - Drums (as Mick Woodmansy) (as Woody Woodmansey) |
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Ken Fordham | ... | Self - Sax, Flute |
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Brian Wilshaw | ... | Self - Sax, Flute |
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Geoffrey MacCormack | ... | Self - Backing Vocals, Percussions |
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John 'Hutch' Hutchinson | ... | Self - Guitar |
| Mike Garson | ... | Self - Piano, Mellotron, Organ | |
The July 3rd, 1973 historic concert of the 'leper Messiah'. This was to be David Bowie's last concert with the Ziggy persona and the Spiders from Mars. A great medley of 'Wild Eyed Boy From Freecloud'/'All The Young Dudes'/'Oh! You Pretty Things', a Lou Reed cover, and a Rolling Stones cover are but some of the highlights. Written by MasoK <grok@tri-lakes.net>
Concert films tend to be rated highly by fans of the band or performer. To non fans its just a concert film, even some highly regarded concert films such as Talking Heads 'Stop making sense' are a tad overrated as far as I am concerned even though I actually like the band.
This is the concert film shot in London and the last to feature David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust persona. Some fans might say this was at his pomp although Bowie has made good music since and at this time he was experiencing serious drug issues, bit churlish to say he was at the height of his powers when he was so drugged up.
The footage contains some of his early great songs that even non fans would know, although some songs are rather dark. There is great showmanship from the thin white duke, costume changes and interplay with his guitarist Mick Ronson.
It certainly looked shocking 40 years ago especially the way Ronson and Bowie cavorted on stage looked daring and camp, but of course now its largely dated. Bowie is now just a guy with heavy makeup and dated costume, so its reliant on his songs and stagecraft.
However the concert is not that well filmed, its not well lit, the backstage footage is not that interesting. It is a historical record of an era for Bowie, a period he himself does not remember well because of his hedonistic lifestyle but there is still some power in those classic songs of his and great guitar from Ronson.