A glowing review of David Bowie’s Santa Monica shows praises the Ziggy Stardust performance as a beautifully designed, varied, and stunning programme that confirmed Bowie as one of the most gifted and commanding artists to emerge in years. The writer highlights Bowie’s strong singing, clear PA sound, and confident command of the stage, noting how he wisely avoided over-the-top theatrics to let the songs shine. This November 1972 Melody Maker review captures Bowie during his f

A vivid on-the-spot report from T. Rex’s concert at Santa Monica Civic Auditorium captures the electric atmosphere and occasional frustrations of Marc Bolan’s American live shows during the height of T. Rextasy. The headline “Still mighty hard for Marc…” hints at both the band’s enduring power and the challenges of translating their UK success to US audiences. This October 1972 Melody Maker review offers a raw, eyewitness account of T. Rex in full glam-rock flight on American