David Bowie: Returns To The Rainbow (August 30, 1972)

Melody Maker One Page Advert (Aug 26, 1972)

David Bowie’s concert at the Rainbow Theatre in London on August 30, 1972, was a significant event in his Ziggy Stardust Tour, marking the 50th date of a tour that began on January 29, 1972. This performance was an additional date added due to the rapid sell-out of the initial shows on August 19 and 20, reflecting Bowie’s growing popularity during the The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars era.

The concert was part of the second leg of the Ziggy Stardust Tour, which promoted Bowie’s albums Hunky Dory (1971) and The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1972). The latter album, released just over two months prior, had sold nearly 200,000 copies in the UK and US by mid-1972, fueling Bowie’s rise to stardom. The Rainbow Theatre shows were notable for introducing theatrical and multimedia elements to rock performances, a revolutionary approach at the time.

The Rainbow Theatre, located at 232 Seven Sisters Road, Finsbury Park, London, N4 3NX (not the BBC Paris Theatre at 12 Lower Regent Street), was a prestigious 3,000-seat venue, previously known as the Finsbury Park Astoria Cinema. It had recently been converted into a music venue, hosting major acts like The Who and Pink Floyd in 1971–72.

Bowie collaborated with mime artist Lindsay Kemp, a significant influence from his earlier career, to choreograph a theatrical production. Kemp’s troupe, including four dancers called The Astronettes, added a dramatic flair with costumes and choreography, setting this concert apart from typical rock shows of the era. The performance was described as “the most extravagant rock show ever produced in Britain.”

Bowie was backed by The Spiders from Mars: Mick Ronson (guitar, vocals), Trevor Bolder (bass), and Mick “Woody” Woodmansey (drums). Pianist Nicky Graham joined the band for the Rainbow shows, replacing Robin Lumley, and played from August 1 to September 7, 1972.

The setlist for the August 30 show mirrored those of the August 19 and 20 performances, featuring 18 songs:

"Lady Stardust"

"Hang On to Yourself"

"Ziggy Stardust"

"Life on Mars?"

"The Supermen"

"Changes"

"Five Years"

"Space Oddity"

"Andy Warhol"

"My Death" (a Jacques Brel cover, introduced by Bowie as 'a Jacques Brel number, but it’s not ‘Port of Amsterdam’)

"The Width of a Circle"

"Wild Eyed Boy from Freecloud" (notably, the first and only full performance of this song during the tour)

"Starman" (featuring Lindsay Kemp as the Starman, wearing a wig and wings, smoking, and leering from the stage and rafters)

"Moonage Daydream" (encore)

"Queen Bitch"

"Suffragette City"

"White Light/White Heat" (Lou Reed cover)

"I’m Waiting for the Man" (Lou Reed cover)

The show began with a screening of Luis Buñuel’s surrealist film Un Chien Andalou, followed by Beethoven’s Ode to Joy, with Bowie emerging through dry ice for a dramatic entrance. The Astronettes wore spider-web/fishnet costumes designed by Kemp, and a Japanese film crew led by Masayoshi Sukita was organized to film the event, though the footage remains unreleased.

The concert was a critical success, with tickets selling out quickly (the August 19 show sold out in two hours, prompting the additional dates). The theatrical elements, including Kemp’s choreography and the integration of mime, drew significant attention, though some critics were uncomfortable with the fusion of theatre and rock. The performance boosted sales of the Ziggy Stardust album and cemented Bowie’s reputation as a groundbreaking performer.

Bowie and The Spiders rehearsed for two weeks at the Theatre Royal in Stratford East, with Kemp summoned from Edinburgh to assist with choreography. The August 30 show was preceded by rehearsals at the Rainbow Theatre from August 16–18. A promotional video for “John, I’m Only Dancing” was filmed at the venue on August 25, directed by Mick Rock, featuring footage from the rehearsals and performances.