David Bowie: Birmingham Town Hall Turns Red

David Bowie Concert March 17, 1972.

This date was important for two reasons. Firstly, stylist Suzi Fussey had dyed Bowie’s hair red before the concert. She also gave him the haircut that would soon become known as the Ziggy style. Although a darker red would be used later, Bowie’s new stage persona was beginning to form.

"He walked over to show me a photo in a magazine. It was of a model for fashion designer Kansai Yamamoto with short, red, spiky hair. He said, ‘Can you do that?’ As I said yes, I was thinking, ‘That’s a little weird – it’s a woman’s hairstyle. And how am I going to actually do it?’ Inside, however, I was excited – this was a chance to be very creative. David was rock-star thin with white skin, a long neck, a great face – if I could pull it off, it would look fantastic.

It took me about a half an hour to cut, and when I finished, his hair didn’t stand up. It kind of flopped. I looked at David, and he was panicking, and I wasn’t feeling too bright. I said, ‘Listen, David, the second we tint your hair, the colour will change the texture and it will stand up.’ I prayed I was right.

I found the colour, Schwarzkopf Red Hot Red with 30 volume peroxide to give it a bit of lift. There was no ‘product’ in those days to help me make it stand up, so I used Gard, an anti-dandruff treatment that I kept for the old girls at the salon – it set hair like stone.

The second David saw himself in the mirror with that short, red, spiky hair, all doubts disappeared. Angie and I looked at him in awe, he looked so good. A huge wave of relief washed over me: I’d done it! I hadn’t known it was going to work until I felt the texture changing in my hands as I was drying it, and it stood up. He looked amazing. I started gathering my things together to leave, and Angie said, ‘Oh, how much do we owe you?’ I think I said, ‘£2, please." Suzi Ronson Daily Mail

Fussey first applied a light red dye, setting the top with Guard setting lotion. However, Bowie soon desired a darker shade. They discovered the right hue a few days later when Bowie showed her a magazine featuring a photo of model Marie Helvin, dressed in designs by Japanese designer Kansai Yamamoto. On stage, Bowie frequently used red lighting to amplify the effect.

The second reason involved Bowie's initial encounter with Mick Rock.

Rock attended the event to report on it for Rolling Stone, after suggesting the concept to the magazine's London editor. Prior to the show, he peeked into Bowie's dressing room and introduced himself. Bowie responded, "I like your name. It can't be real..."

According to Rock, they hit it off straight away and Bowie invited him to come back to Beckenham after the show to do an interview. Rock then shot his first frames in the dressing room before Bowie took the stage.

"I didn't know how to shoot a live concert then, so there is a certain looseness of framing. It was actually through David that I learnt how to shoot live."

Mick Rock 2002

Music Press Review

DAVID BOWIE (Birmingham Town Hall, Friday). Foxee lady. While London gets Raymond, Birmingham puts on its handbags and glad-rags and stares through its lorgnette at Dave. Don't miss Mick Ronson, either. Great acoustic guitar, particularly on Andy Warhol," and 66 enough face powder to last the local repertory company for a week