T. Rex at Wembley – Two Shows, One Day – Mar. 1972
- T.Rex
- Mar 18, 1972
- 3 min read
Date: March 18, 1972
Length: ~9 min read
On March 18, 1972, Wembley became the glitter‑lit centre of the universe. T. Rex played two sold‑out concerts — a 5:30 p.m. matinee and an 8:30 p.m. evening show — each filmed, each explosive, each capturing Marc Bolan at the height of his Electric Warrior powers.
The day glam rock became a stadium‑sized religion.
The demand for T. Rex was so overwhelming that Wembley added a second show — a rare honour for any act, let alone a band barely a year into their glam transformation. Both concerts featured near‑identical setlists, but each performance carried its own energy, its own atmosphere, its own electricity.
📰 Key Highlights
• Two complete concerts in one day — both filmed
• Identical setlists, radically different energies
• “Get It On” stretched to 11 minutes in both shows
• Rosko introduced both performances
• A cultural turning point: T. Rex as arena‑level phenomenon
📰 Overview
March 18, 1972 wasn’t just a concert date — it was a cultural eruption. The Electric Warrior era had already reshaped British pop, but Wembley was the moment it scaled up. The matinee crowd brought youthful frenzy; the evening crowd brought adult devotion. Both shows were filmed, ensuring the day would echo through decades of releases and reissues.
The setlists reveal a band in full command of their mythology: rockabilly roots (“Cadillac”), cosmic folk (“Cosmic Dancer”), glam stompers (“Telegram Sam”), and the 11‑minute, crowd‑levitating “Get It On.”
This was T. Rex at their most confident, most charismatic, and most culturally unstoppable.
📰 Source Details
Publication / Venue: Wembley Empire Pool (Live Event)
Date: March 18, 1972
Format: Live Concert (Two Performances)
Provenance Notes:
• Setlists sourced from filmed and documented recordings
• Event confirmed by contemporary adverts and press
• Both shows preserved in later archival releases
📰 The Story
⭐ The 5:30 p.m. Matinee — Raw, Breathless, Unfiltered
The early show had a unique energy: younger fans, families, and first‑timers. Rosko’s intro set the tone — a radio‑DJ‑meets‑arena‑MC moment — before the band tore into:
5:30 p.m. Setlist
Rosko’s Intro (0:19)
Cadillac (7:01)
Jeepster (5:00)
Baby Strange (4:59)
Spaceball Ricochet (3:54)
Girl (3:09)
Cosmic Dancer (4:12)
Telegram Sam (4:30)
Hot Love (3:37)
Get It On (11:15)
“Just One More?” (0:26)
Summertime Blues (4:48)
The matinee “Get It On” is legendary — loose, swaggering, ecstatic. “Summertime Blues” closed the show with rock‑and‑roll abandon.
⭐ The 8:30 p.m. Evening Show — Cinematic, Commanding, Mythic
The second show was the one people talk about. Older crowd, louder crowd, more glitter, more anticipation. Bolan fed off it — stretching phrases, teasing the audience, leaning into the spotlight.
8:30 p.m. Setlist
Rosko’s Intro (0:30)
Cadillac (7:02)
Jeepster (5:02)
Baby Strange (5:02)
Spaceball Ricochet (4:44)
Girl (2:42)
Cosmic Dancer (5:49)
Telegram Sam (4:14)
Hot Love (4:01)
Get It On (11:11)
“One More Time?” (0:55)
Summertime Blues (4:26)
The evening “Cosmic Dancer” is slower, more fragile, more spellbinding. The second “Get It On” is tighter, heavier, more hypnotic.
Two shows, two moods, one legend.
📰 Visual Archive
Two filmed concerts at Wembley Arena, featuring Bolan under towering spotlights, fans in glam attire, and Rosko introducing both sets. The stage lighting shifts between the matinee and evening shows, giving each performance its own visual identity.
T. Rex at Wembley, March 18, 1972 — two concerts, one coronation.
📰 Related Material
• Electric Warrior (1971)
• Born to Boogie (1972/73)
• Wembley Advert – Record Mirror (March 18, 1972)
📰 Closing Notes
March 18, 1972 is the day T. Rex became immortal. Two shows, two crowds, two captured performances — all feeding the legend of Marc Bolan as glam rock’s brightest, most mercurial star. Wembley wasn’t just a venue; it was a throne.
🏷️ Hashtags
📰 Sources
• Filmed setlists
• Contemporary press adverts
• Archival documentation
📝 Copyright Notice
All concert footage, photographs, and promotional materials referenced 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.
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