There is a lot of talk happening at the moment surrounding the future of Salisbury City Hall and it was interesting to read in the local press of 50 years ago that the hall had disappeared from the face of the earth!

Not literally you understand, but because over 1,000 fans were treated to an inter-galactic experience by none other than David “Space Oddity” Bowie who masterminded an entire evening of pure “Ziggy Stardust” gold at the City Hall in the summer of 1973.

Long before the concert took off there was an air of expectancy – queues started forming before 6pm and when the opening bars of pre-recorded music started, the place was ready to lift off on its own.

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The patient audience grew restless and shouted: “We want David.”

The atmosphere was electric. Then the music started as powerful strobe lights blurred into action.

At last, when pent-up patients began bursting, the man himself leapt on stage and the countdown was over.

Salisbury Journal:

David Bowie and his band ‘The Spiders from Mars’ were outstanding at the City Hall and the audience cheered for some time the end to bring them back for more.

They obliged in spite of a twisted ankle caused when Bowie jumped from a 10ft. high stack of p.a. speakers – he sang a Chuck Berry song, ‘Around and Around’ whilst sitting on a chair!

At the end, as if to prove the humanoid element in him, Bowie stepped up to the mike and told his Salisbury audience they had been great.

At the conclusion of the last show of his 1973 tour in London, Bowie shocked the world as he announcement the retirement of Ziggy Stardust. “This show will stay the longest in our memories,” he said, “not just because it is the end of the tour but because it’s the last show we’ll ever do.” It was just 12 shows after his Salisbury appearance.