David Bowie: "Electric Village at the Locarno" Advert (1973)

David Bowie’s "Electric Village at the Locarno", a one-page advert in Scrapbook, 1973.

Bowie performed at the Locarno Electric Village in Bristol, England, on August 27, 1972, as part of his Ziggy Stardust Tour. This was the 49th date of the tour, which began on January 29, 1972, to promote his albums Hunky Dory and The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. The concert featured Bowie with his backing band, the Spiders from Mars: Mick Ronson (guitar, vocals), Trevor Bolder (bass), and Mick “Woody” Woodmansey (drums), with Nicky Graham on piano. Support acts were Thin Lizzy and Gnidrolog.

The setlist included 13 songs: Hang On to Yourself, Queen Bitch, John, I’m Only Dancing, Moonage Daydream, Starman, Ziggy Stardust, Suffragette City, Waiting for the Man, Life on Mars?, The Width of a Circle, This Boy (a Beatles cover), Space Oddity, and I’m Waiting for the Man. Notably, this performance included a rare live rendition of This Boy, a Beatles B-side from 1963, which was occasionally part of Bowie’s 1972 setlists.

The concert drew around 2,000 attendees, with tickets priced at £1.25. The Locarno, a multi-entertainment venue opened in 1966, featured unique elements like handing out folding wooden seats to the audience. The show was part of the UK leg of the tour, just before Bowie’s first US performances in September 1972. The performance is considered significant for its setlist variety and as one of the last UK shows before the US tour.