📰 Bowie Tour – Article: Feb. 1978

A full‑page Sounds advert outlines Bowie’s 13‑date British tour and the strict ticketing process for each venue.

Sounds publishes a detailed breakdown of Bowie’s June 1978 UK tour dates, ticket prices, postal‑only applications, and the expanded band supporting him after an extensive American run.

📰 Key Highlights

• 13 British concerts confirmed for June 1978

• First UK visit since Station to Station (1976)

• First provincial shows since Aladdin Sane (1973)

• Ticket applications strictly by post, with limits per venue

• Band lineup includes Heydon, Davis, Murray, House, Mayes and Powell

📰 Overview

In February 1978, Sounds devoted a full page to David Bowie’s upcoming British tour, laying out every date, venue, price tier and postal requirement. The advert emphasised the scale of Bowie’s return: a major UK run following a vast American tour, with demand expected to be intense. It also confirmed the musicians joining him onstage, many of whom had shaped the sound of Low and “Heroes”.

📰 Source Details

Publication / Venue: Sounds

Date: February 25, 1978

Issue / Format: One‑page advert / tour announcement

Provenance Notes: Sourced from a contemporary Sounds clipping detailing the full UK tour and ticketing instructions.

📰 The Story

The February 25, 1978 issue of Sounds presents a comprehensive advert for Bowie’s June British tour — thirteen concerts spread across Newcastle, Glasgow, Stafford and London. The piece stresses that these will be Bowie’s first UK appearances since the Station to Station Wembley shows in 1976, and his first concerts outside London since the Aladdin Sane tour of 1973.

The advert notes that Bowie will already be deep into an extensive American tour, covering 65 cities and performing to more than a million people before arriving in Britain. This context frames the UK dates as the culmination of a major international run.

Each venue’s ticketing process is laid out with precision. Newcastle and Glasgow require postal applications only, with strict limits of four tickets per applicant. Stafford’s Bingley Hall allows six tickets per application and offers in‑person purchases at select record shops. London’s Earls Court dates are also postal‑only, with no personal applications accepted under any circumstances. Prices range from £3.00 to £6.00 depending on the venue and seating tier.

The advert also confirms Bowie’s touring band: guitarist Stacey Heydon, drummer Dennis Davis and bassist George Murray — all veterans of his previous British shows and contributors to Low and “Heroes”. They are joined by Simon House on violin, Sean Mayes on keyboards and Roger Powell on synthesiser, forming a richly textured ensemble suited to Bowie’s late‑’70s sound.

The article closes with a brief update from Berlin, where Bowie is finishing his role in Just A Gigolo. His album plans remain fluid, with talk of either a new studio release or a live album drawn from the American leg of the tour.

📰 Visual Archive

Sounds advert announcing Bowie’s June 1978 British tour.

📰 Related Material

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📰 Closing Notes

This Sounds advert captures Bowie at a moment of intense creative and touring activity, returning to Britain with a formidable band and a meticulously organised run of shows. It stands as a key document of his late‑’70s live era.

#BowieTour1978 #SoundsNewspaper #BowieArchive #Late70sBowie #TourHistory

📝 Copyright Notice

All magazine scans, photographs, and original text excerpts referenced in this entry remain the property of their respective copyright holders. This Chronicle entry is a transformative, non‑commercial archival summary created for historical documentation and educational reference. No ownership of the original material is claimed or implied.

David Bowie’s "Bowie Tour - Dates and Tickets," a one-page advert in Sounds, February 25, 1978.

DAVID BOWIE plays thirteen British concerts in June, following an extensive American tour that starts at the end of March and runs through until June.

Altogether, Bowie should be playing to more than a million people in 65 cities. In Britain he'll be playing three nights at Newcastle, four nights in Glasgow, three nights in Stafford and three nights at London Earls Court.

It's Bowie's first visit to Britain since his 1976. 'Station To Station' tour, which played at Wembley, and his first concerts outside London since his 1973 'Aladdin Sane' tour.

The complete list of British dates and details of how to obtain tickets is as follows read carefully and follow the instructions precisely otherwise you'll lose whatever chances you have of getting a seat June 14, 15 and 16

Newcastle City Hall. Tickets are available by post ONLY (don't forget stamped addressed envelope) from the City Hall Box Office, Northumberland Road, Newcastle Upon Tyne 1. They are priced at £6.00, £5.00 and £4.00. There is a limit of four tickets per application and cheques and postal orders should be made payable to 'Newcastle City Hall Box Office'. June 19, 20, 21, and 22

Glasgow Apollo. Tickets are available by post ONLY (with a stamped addressed envelope) now from the Apollo Centre, 126 Renfield Street, Glasgow. Limited to four per application, the tickets are £6.00, £5.00 and £4.00 each.

Cheques and postal orders should be made payable to 'Glasgow Apollo Box Office'.

June 24, 25 and 26 Stafford Bingley Hall. Tickets are all priced at £4.50 and are available by post now from MAM Promotions Box Office Ltd, 24-25 New Bond Street,

DAVID: 13 British shows - at up to £6 a ticket.

London W1. (with a stamped addressed envelope). Your envelope should be marked 'Bingley' in the top left hand corner and applications are limited to six per person and cheques and postal orders should be made payable to 'MAM Promotions Ltd.

Bingley tickets are also available by personal application from Mike Lloyd Record shops in Hanley, Newcastle-Under-Lyme, Tunstall, and Lotus Records in Stafford.

June 29, 30 and July 1 London Earls Court. Tickets are £5.00, £4.00 and £3.00 and are available by post ONLY from MAM Promotions Box Office, 24-25 New Bond Street, London W1. Mark the top left hand corner of your envelope 'Earls Court', enclose a stamped addressed envelope and make your cheques or postal orders payable to

'MAM Promotions Ltd'. Tickets are limited to six per application and MAM stress that positively NO personal applications for tickets will be dealt with.

Bowie's band will include guitarist Stacey Heydon (who appeared with Iggy Pop on his last British tour), drummer Dennis Davis and bassist George Murray, who all appeared on his last British concerts and played on the 'Low' and 'Heroes' albums.

They will be joined by Simon House, formerly with Hawkwind, on violin, Sean Mayes from Fumble on keyboards and Roger Powell from Utopia on synthesisers.

Bowie is currently in Berlin finishing off his part in the film 'Just A Gigolo'..

His album plans are a little unclear at the moment. At one point he was going to release another studio album during the tour, but there is talk of him releasing a live album from the American segment of the forthcoming dates.