📰 More Hype – Advert: FEb.1970

📰 Sub‑Heading

A psychedelic one‑page Scrapbook advert promoting David Bowie’s electric band Hype at the Basildon Arts Centre.

📰 Excerpt

Published on February 28, 1970, this one‑page Scrapbook advert promotes David Bowie’s new electric band Hype, announcing their appearance at the Basildon Arts Centre with support from High Tide and Iron Maiden, accompanied by a full psychedelic light show.

📰 Key Highlights

• One‑page advert in Scrapbook, dated 28 February 1970

• Promotes Hype, David Bowie’s short‑lived electric band

• Venue: Basildon Arts Centre, Essex

• Support acts: High Tide and Iron Maiden (the pre‑fame, non‑Harris version)

• Tickets priced at 7/- (8/6 on the night)

• Includes mention of the Grommit Light Show

• Early example of Bowie’s transition from folk‑rock to electric theatricality

📰 Overview

In early 1970, David Bowie was in a period of rapid reinvention. Having recently released Space Oddity and begun experimenting with electric arrangements, he formed Hype, a short‑lived but influential band that helped shape the theatrical glam persona he would soon develop. The advert published in Scrapbook on February 28, 1970, captures this transitional moment, promoting a live appearance at the Basildon Arts Centre with a bold, psychedelic visual style.

The poster’s helmet‑shaped typography, swirling colours, and underground‑press aesthetic reflect the countercultural design language of the era. It positions Hype not as a mainstream act but as part of the emerging arts‑lab and experimental rock scene that Bowie was deeply involved in at the time.

📰 Source Details

Publication / Venue: Scrapbook

Date: 28 February 1970

Issue / Format: One‑page advert

Provenance Notes: Verified from the printed page you provided; contextual details confirmed through Bowie’s 1970 performance history.

📰 The Story

The Basildon Arts Centre advert is a rare surviving document of Bowie’s Hype era — a brief but pivotal chapter in his evolution. Formed with Tony Visconti and Mick Ronson, Hype represented Bowie’s first attempt at a fully electric, theatrically costumed rock band. Their performances were chaotic, colourful, and deliberately provocative, laying the groundwork for the Ziggy Stardust persona that would emerge two years later.

The advert lists High Tide and Iron Maiden as support acts. This Iron Maiden is not the later heavy‑metal band founded by Steve Harris, but an earlier, unrelated group active on the underground circuit. The inclusion of the Grommit Light Show underscores the event’s psychedelic ambitions, aligning it with the arts‑lab movement and the experimental multimedia performances of the time.

The ticket price — 7 shillings (8/6 on the night) — reflects the grassroots nature of the event. The advert also notes that Arts Lab cards were valid, tying the show directly to Bowie’s involvement with the Beckenham Arts Lab, where he was exploring new forms of performance, collaboration, and community‑driven creativity.

This advert stands as a vivid snapshot of Bowie on the cusp of transformation: no longer the folk‑leaning singer of 1969, not yet the glam icon of 1972, but an artist experimenting boldly with sound, image, and identity.

📰 Visual Archive

Scrapbook advert for David Bowie’s Hype at the Basildon Arts Centre, published February 28, 1970.

Scrapbook – UK – 1970

• One‑page advert

• Promoting Hype (David Bowie’s electric band)

• Basildon Arts Centre performance

📰 Related Material

Explore the tags below for connected posts and themes.

📰 Closing Notes

This advert is one of the earliest printed pieces linking Bowie to the theatrical electric rock direction that would soon define his career. It remains a key artifact of the pre‑glam period, capturing the moment Bowie stepped from folk experimentation into the world of amplified performance and visual identity.

#DavidBowie #Hype1970 #BasildonArtsCentre #GlamRockOrigins #Scrapbook1970

📰 Sources

• Scrapbook, 28 February 1970 (advert)

• Bowie performance chronology, early 1970

• Contemporary underground‑press design references

📝 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.