Tour by David Bowie | |
Location |
|
---|---|
Associated album | Reality |
Start date | 7 October 2003 |
End date | 25 June 2004 |
Legs | 5 |
No. of shows | 112 in total |
Box office | US$46 million |
David Bowie concert chronology |
A Reality Tour was a worldwide concert tour by the English singer-songwriter David Bowie in support of his 2003 album Reality . [1] The tour began on 7 October 2003 at the Forum Copenhagen, Denmark, continuing through Europe, North America, Asia, including a return to New Zealand and Australia for the first time since the 1987 Glass Spider Tour. At over 110 shows, the tour was the longest tour of Bowie's career. [2] A heart attack in late June 2004 forced the cancellation of some dates near the end of the tour. [3] Bowie retired from performing live in 2006, making this tour his last. [4]
The tour grossed US$46 million, making it the ninth-highest-grossing tour of 2004. [5]
Bowie announced the tour in June 2003, intending to play to over a million people across 17 countries, and was billed as his first major tour since the Outside Tour of 1995. [6] Rehearsals for the tour begin in July, with the band from his previous Heathen Tour mostly unchanged; Mark Plati had other work booked, so guitarist Gerry Leonard was made the new bandleader. [7] The band played a warm-up gig on 19 August in New York to an audience of about 500 people at The Chance theater. [8] Starting in September, Bowie appeared on national radio and TV shows in Germany and France before doing a "live and interactive music event" staged in London on 8 September, one of the first live streams of a rock concert, and the first to be broadcast in 5.1 sound. [8] This show was beamed live to audiences around the world, although some countries (such as the Japan and Australia) didn't broadcast the show until the following day, and some countries (like the US) did not broadcast the show until a week later. [8] Some theaters report not receiving the center channel of audio of the show, meaning that some audiences didn't hear Bowie's singing as part of the broadcast (strictly an issue at the theaters' end, according to Tony Visconti, who was responsible for the mix). [9]
Bowie continued publicity for the album and tour, playing songs on shows such as Friday Night with Jonathan Ross on BBC One, The Today Show , Last Call with Carson Daly , and The Late Show with David Letterman . [10] Tracks performed during these shows included "New Killer Star", "Modern Love", "Never Get Old", and "Hang On to Yourself". [10] Finally, in late September, Bowie and the band played songs for AOL Online, performing "New Killer Star", "I'm Afraid of Americans", "Rebel Rebel", "Days" and "Fall Dog Bombs the Moon", [10] all of which were streamed to AOL customers over the next few months. [10] By the end of September, Bowie and band were in Brussels for final rehearsals. [10]
The tour itself was described by Bowie biographer Nicholas Pegg as "in some respects [...] even more theatrical" than the "Sound+Vision Tour", one of Bowie's more theatrical undertakings. [10] The stage included a giant LED screen with a raised catwalk, multiple platforms pushing out into the audience, staircases and "huge, bleached white tree branches" that dangled "gracefully from either side of the stage". [10] Bowie himself helped design the stage alongside designer Therese Depreze, lighting designer Tom Kenny and visual director Laura Frank. [10]
The set list included tracks spanning Bowie's 30 plus years in the music business, from The Man Who Sold the World (1970) all the way to Reality (2003), along with collaborations such as "Sister Midnight" (originally from The Idiot (1977) by Iggy Pop) and "Under Pressure" (released as a single (1981) by Bowie and Queen later found on Hot Space released the following year), and snippets and teasers of Bowie classics such as "Space Oddity" and "Golden Years". [11] The band had rehearsed around 60 songs for the tour, [2] and the large repertoire of available songs allowed them to change the setlist from night to night, sometimes making up the setlist on the fly, a departure from some of Bowie's previous and heavily choreographed tours like the Serious Moonlight Tour of 1983, the Glass Spider Tour of 1987, and the Sound+Vision Tour of 1990. [11] Bowie and his band played over two hours every night of the tour, playing more than 30 songs at some venues. [12] One song that was rehearsed but not performed is "Win" from his 1974 album Young Americans ; it never made it further than the occasional soundcheck for the tour. [13]
The 24 January 2004 show in Vancouver, Canada was reviewed positively, with the reviewer saying that "with Bowie's near-flawless vocals, brilliant band, and smartly executed show, you wind up with one of the finest old-school rock gigs the Canucks’ home rink has ever hosted." [14] The review of the next show in Seattle on 25 January 2004 was similarly positive, saying Bowie, "still every inch a superstar ... still oozes charm and sex appeal" and called the setlist a "celebration of his whole body of work." [15]
On 6 May 2004, a performance at the James L. Knight Center, Miami, Florida was cancelled after lighting technician Walter "Wally Gator" Thomas fell to his death prior to Bowie going onstage. [16] At the show in Oslo on 18 June 2004, Bowie was struck in the left eye with a lollipop thrown by an audience member. [17]
On 23 June, while on stage in Prague for the tour, Bowie had a heart attack (misdiagnosed at the time as a pinched nerve), which required him to leave the stage (and finally end the show early) to receive medical attention. [3] [18] The tour was officially curtailed after the Hurricane Festival performance in Scheeßel, Germany on 25 June 2004, as a result of continued discomfort. [3] On 30 June, the tour was officially cancelled after Bowie was diagnosed with an acutely blocked artery that required an angioplasty procedure (performed on 26 June). [3] [19]
A DVD video of the Point Theatre, Dublin performances of 2003 was released as A Reality Tour in 2004. A CD of the same performances was released as A Reality Tour in 2010.
The following setlist was obtained from the concert at the Singapore Indoor Stadium of Singapore, on 4 March 2004. [20] It does not represent all concerts through the tour.
Date | City | Country | Venue | Tickets sold / available | Revenue | Opening act |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Europe | ||||||
7 October 2003 | Copenhagen | Denmark | Forum Copenhagen | — | — | The Dandy Warhols |
8 October 2003 | Stockholm | Sweden | Globen Arena | — | — | |
10 October 2003 | Helsinki | Finland | Hartwall Areena | — | — | |
12 October 2003 | Oslo | Norway | Oslo Spektrum | — | — | |
15 October 2003 | Rotterdam | Netherlands | Rotterdam Ahoy | — | — | |
16 October 2003 | Hamburg | Germany | Color Line Arena | — | — | |
18 October 2003 | Frankfurt | Festhalle Frankfurt | — | — | ||
20 October 2003 | Paris | France | Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy | — | — | |
21 October 2003 | — | — | ||||
23 October 2003 | Milan | Italy | Forum di Assago | — | — | |
24 October 2003 | Zürich | Switzerland | Hallenstadion | — | — | |
26 October 2003 | Stuttgart | Germany | Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle | — | — | |
27 October 2003 | Munich | Olympiahalle | — | — | ||
29 October 2003 | Vienna | Austria | Wiener Stadthalle | — | — | |
31 October 2003 | Cologne | Germany | Kölnarena | — | — | |
1 November 2003 | Hanover | Preussag Arena | 10,587 / 10,587 | $499,926 | ||
3 November 2003 | Berlin | Max-Schmeling-Halle | 10,693 / 10,693 | $512,787 | ||
5 November 2003 | Antwerp | Belgium | Sportpaleis | 16,113 / 16,113 | $690,217 | |
7 November 2003 | Lille | France | Zénith de Lille | 6,986 / 6,986 | $349,420 | |
8 November 2003 | Amnéville | Galaxie Amnéville | 10,960 / 11,200 | $462,161 | ||
10 November 2003 | Nice | Palais Nikaïa | 7,620 / 8,000 | $426,823 | ||
14 November 2003 | Marseille | Le Dôme de Marseille | 8,004 / 8,004 | $440,087 | ||
15 November 2003 | Lyon | Halle Tony Garnier | 17,000 / 17,000 | $753,371 | ||
17 November 2003 | Manchester | England | Manchester Evening News Arena | 14,827 / 14,827 | $1,094,747 | |
19 November 2003 | Birmingham | NEC LG Arena | 23,604 / 23,604 | $1,759,705 | ||
20 November 2003 | ||||||
22 November 2003 | Dublin | Republic of Ireland | Point Theatre | 17,000 / 17,000 | $1,142,076 | |
23 November 2003 | ||||||
25 November 2003 | London | England | Wembley Arena | 23,048 / 23,048 | $1,717,549 | |
26 November 2003 | ||||||
28 November 2003 | Glasgow | Scotland | Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre | 10,103 / 10,103 | $768,886 | |
North America | ||||||
13 December 2003 | Montreal | Canada | Bell Centre | 11,315 / 11,315 | $613,650 | Macy Gray |
15 December 2003 | New York City | United States | Madison Square Garden | 13,752 / 13,752 | $1,108,711 | |
16 December 2003 | Uncasville | Mohegan Sun Arena | 6,698 / 6,698 | $313,460 | ||
20 December 2003 | Nassau | Bahamas | The Atlantis Paradise Island Hotel | — | — | — |
7 January 2004 | Cleveland | United States | CSU Convocation Center | 7,692 / 7,938 | $336,940 | Macy Gray |
9 January 2004 | Auburn Hills | The Palace of Auburn Hills | 8,509 / 8,909 | $427,522 | ||
11 January 2004 | Minneapolis | Target Center | 5,492 / 7,505 | $275,436 | ||
13 January 2004 | Rosemont | Rosemont Theatre | 12,867 / 12,867 | $959,883 | ||
14 January 2004 | ||||||
16 January 2004 | ||||||
19 January 2004 | Denver | Fillmore Auditorium | 3,600 / 3,600 | $237,600 | ||
21 January 2004 | Calgary | Canada | Pengrowth Saddledome | 11,474 / 11,474 | $634,074 | |
24 January 2004 | Vancouver | GM Place | 11,617 / 11,617 | $612,323 | ||
25 January 2004 | Seattle | United States | Paramount Theatre | 2,804 / 2,835 | $199,722 | |
27 January 2004 | San Jose | HP Pavilion | 9,856 / 10,317 | $578,128 | ||
30 January 2004 | Las Vegas | The Joint | 1,522 / 1,522 | $343,313 | ||
31 January 2004 | Los Angeles | Shrine Auditorium | 12,348 / 12,348 | $803,544 | ||
2 February 2004 | ||||||
3 February 2004 | Wiltern Theatre | 2,290 / 2,290 | $187,174 | |||
5 February 2004 | Phoenix | Dodge Theater | 4,873 / 4,873 | $237,842 | ||
6 February 2004 | Las Vegas | The Joint | 1,522 / 1,522 | $343,313 | ||
7 February 2004 | Los Angeles | Wiltern Theatre | 2,290 / 2,290 | $187,174 | ||
Oceania | ||||||
14 February 2004 | Wellington | New Zealand | Westpac Stadium | — | — | Brooke Fraser |
17 February 2004 | Brisbane | Australia | Brisbane Entertainment Centre | — | — | Something for Kate |
20 February 2004 | Sydney | Sydney Entertainment Centre | — | — | ||
21 February 2004 | — | — | ||||
23 February 2004 | Adelaide | Adelaide Entertainment Centre | — | — | ||
26 February 2004 | Melbourne | Rod Laver Arena | — | — | ||
27 February 2004 | — | — | ||||
1 March 2004 | Perth | Supreme Court Gardens | — | — | ||
Asia | ||||||
4 March 2004 | Singapore | Singapore Indoor Stadium | — | — | N/A | |
8 March 2004 | Tokyo | Japan | Nippon Budokan | — | — | |
9 March 2004 | — | — | ||||
11 March 2004 | Osaka | Osaka-jo Hall | — | — | Kiyoharu | |
14 March 2004 | Hong Kong | Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre | — | — | N/A | |
North America | ||||||
29 March 2004 | Philadelphia | United States | Wachovia Center | 10,761 / 18,000 | $645,380 | Stereophonics |
30 March 2004 | Boston | FleetCenter | — | — | ||
1 April 2004 | Toronto | Canada | Air Canada Centre | 13,893 / 14,114 | $771,136 | |
2 April 2004 | Ottawa | Corel Centre | — | — | ||
4 April 2004 | Quebec City | Colisée Pepsi | — | — | ||
7 April 2004 | Winnipeg | Winnipeg Arena | — | — | ||
9 April 2004 | Edmonton | Rexall Place | 8,507 / 9,404 | $342,609 | ||
11 April 2004 | Kelowna | Skyreach Place | — | — | ||
13 April 2004 | Portland | United States | Rose Garden Arena | — | — | |
14 April 2004 | Seattle | KeyArena | 6,065 / 6,500 | $316,094 | ||
16 April 2004 | Berkeley | Berkeley Community Theatre | — | — | ||
17 April 2004 | — | — | ||||
19 April 2004 | Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara Bowl | 4,546 / 4,562 | $314,625 | ||
22 April 2004 | Los Angeles | Greek Theatre | 5,764 / 5,764 | $360,560 | ||
23 April 2004 | Anaheim | Arrowhead Pond | 7,015 / 7,520 | $498,218 | ||
25 April 2004 | Loveland | Budweiser Events Center | 4,177 / 5,440 | $262,503 | ||
27 April 2004 | Austin | The Backyard Amphitheater | — | — | ||
29 April 2004 | The Woodlands | Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion | — | — | ||
30 April 2004 | New Orleans | Saenger Theatre | — | — | ||
5 May 2004 | Tampa | Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center | — | — | The Polyphonic Spree | |
8 May 2004 | Atlanta | Chastain Park Amphitheater | — | — | ||
10 May 2004 | Kansas City | Starlight Theatre | — | — | ||
11 May 2004 | St. Louis | Fox Theatre | — | — | ||
13 May 2004 | Hershey | Star Pavilion | — | — | ||
14 May 2004 | London | Canada | John Labatt Centre | 8,513 / 8,513 | $446,740 | |
16 May 2004 | Fairfax | United States | Patriot Center | — | — | |
17 May 2004 | Pittsburgh | Benedum Center | — | — | ||
19 May 2004 | Milwaukee | Milwaukee Theatre | — | — | ||
20 May 2004 | Indianapolis | Murat Shrine | — | — | ||
22 May 2004 | Moline | The MARK of the Quad Cities | — | — | ||
24 May 2004 | Columbus | Columbus Veterans Memorial Auditorium | — | — | ||
25 May 2004 | Buffalo | Shea's Performing Arts Center | — | — | ||
27 May 2004 | Scranton | Ford Pavilion at Montage Mountain | — | — | ||
29 May 2004 | Atlantic City | Borgata Event Center | — | — | ||
30 May 2004 | — | — | ||||
1 June 2004 | Manchester | Verizon Wireless Arena | — | — | ||
2 June 2004 | Uncasville | Mohegan Sun Arena | — | — | ||
4 June 2004 | Wantagh | Tommy Hilfiger at Jones Beach Theatre | — | — | ||
5 June 2004 | Holmdel | PNC Bank Arts Center | — | — | ||
Europe | ||||||
11 June 2004 | Amsterdam | Netherlands | Amsterdam Arena | — | — | – |
13 June 2004 [a] | Newport | England | Seaclose Park | — | — | |
17 June 2004 [b] | Bergen | Norway | Koengen | — | — | |
18 June 2004 [c] | Oslo | Frognerbadet | — | — | ||
20 June 2004 [d] | Seinäjoki | Finland | Törnävänsaari | — | — | |
23 June 2004 | Prague | Czech Republic | T-Mobile Arena | — | — | |
25 June 2004 [e] | Scheeßel | Germany | Eichenring | — | — | |
Total | 722,158 / 737,581 | $45,395,490 |
12 November 2003 | Toulouse | Le Zénith de Toulouse | Cancelled |
6 December 2003 | Atlantic City | The Borgata Events Center | Rescheduled to 29 May 2004 |
7 December 2003 | Fairfax | Patriot Center | Rescheduled to 16 May 2004 |
9 December 2003 | Boston | Fleet Center | Rescheduled to 30 March 2004 |
10 December 2003 | Philadelphia | Wachovia Center | Rescheduled to 29 March 2004 |
12 December 2003 | Toronto | Air Canada Centre | Rescheduled to 1 April 2004 |
6 May 2004 | Miami | James L. Knight Center | Cancelled |
26 June 2004 | Tuttlingen | Southside Festival | Cancelled |
29 June 2004 | Vienna | Schloss Schönbrunn | Cancelled |
30 June 2004 | Salzburg | Residenzplatz | Cancelled |
2 July 2004 | Roskilde | Roskilde Festival | Cancelled |
4 July 2004 | Werchter | Rock Werchter | Cancelled |
6 July 2004 | Ile De Gaou | Festival de la Gaou | Cancelled |
7 July 2004 | Carcassonne | Festival de la Cite | Cancelled |
10 July 2004 | Kinross | Balado, T in the Park | Cancelled |
11 July 2004 | County Kildare | Oxegen Festival | Cancelled |
14 July 2004 | Bilbao | Bilbao Festival | Cancelled |
16 July 2004 | Compostela | Xacobeo Festival | Cancelled |
17 July 2004 | Oporto | The Dragon Festival | Cancelled |
20 July 2004 | Nyon | Paléo Festival Nyon | Cancelled |
21 July 2004 | Monte Carlo | Club du Sporting | Cancelled |
23 July 2004 | Carhaix | Vieilles Charrues Festival | Cancelled |
Notation:
From The Man Who Sold the World
From Hunky Dory
From The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
From Aladdin Sane
From Diamond Dogs
From Young Americans
From Station to Station
From Low
From "Heroes"
From Lodger
From Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)
From Let's Dance
From Tonight
From Outside
From Earthling
From Heathen
From Reality
Other songs:
David Robert Jones, known professionally as David Bowie, was an English singer, songwriter, musician and actor. Regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, particularly for his innovative work during the 1970s. His career was marked by reinvention and visual presentation, and his music and stagecraft has had a significant impact on popular music.
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars is the fifth studio album by the English musician David Bowie, released on 16 June 1972 in the United Kingdom through RCA Records. It was co-produced by Bowie and Ken Scott and features Bowie's backing band the Spiders from Mars — Mick Ronson (guitar), Trevor Bolder (bass) and Mick Woodmansey (drums). It was recorded from November 1971 to February 1972 at Trident Studios in London.
Reality is the 24th studio album by the English musician David Bowie, originally released in Europe on 15 September 2003, and the following day in America. His second release through his own ISO label, the album was recorded between January and May 2003 at Looking Glass Studios in New York City, with production by Bowie and longtime collaborator Tony Visconti. Most of the musicians consisted of his then-touring band. Bowie envisioned the album as a set of songs that could be played live.
"I'm Afraid of Americans" is a song by the English musician David Bowie, released as a single from his album Earthling on 14 October 1997 through Virgin Records. The song was co-written by Bowie and Brian Eno and originally recorded during the sessions for Bowie's 1995 album Outside; this version was released on the soundtrack of Showgirls (1995). The song was then remade during the sessions for Earthling, featuring rewritten lyrics, overdubs and transposed verses. An industrial and techno track, it presents a critique of America through the eyes of a stereotypical "Johnny" and is characterised by drum patterns, synthesisers, various loops and vocal distortions.
Heathen is the 23rd studio album by the English musician David Bowie, originally released in Europe on 10 June 2002, and the following day in America. His first release through his own ISO label, it reunited Bowie with producer Tony Visconti for the two's first full-album collaboration since 1980. Recording took place at New York studios from August 2001 to January 2002 and featured guest musicians including Dave Grohl and Pete Townshend. Two tracks, "Afraid" and "Slip Away", evolved from Bowie's shelved Toy project, while three were covers of songs by Pixies, Neil Young and the Legendary Stardust Cowboy.
"Breaking Glass" is a song by the English singer-songwriter David Bowie. It was co-written by Bowie, bassist George Murray and drummer Dennis Davis in September 1976. Originally a track on Bowie's 1977 album Low, a reworked version of the song was a regular on the Isolar II Tour. A live version from that tour was used as the lead track on a 7-inch EP to promote his second live album, Stage in 1978. The EP reached number 54 on the UK Singles Chart in December 1978.
"Five Years" is a song by the English musician David Bowie, released on his 1972 album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. Co-produced by Bowie and Ken Scott, it was recorded in November 1971 at Trident Studios in London with his backing band the Spiders from Mars − comprising Mick Ronson, Trevor Bolder and Mick Woodmansey. As the opening track on the album, the song introduces the overarching theme of the album: an impending apocalyptic disaster will destroy Earth in five years and the being who will save it is a bisexual alien rock star named Ziggy Stardust. While the first two verses are told from a child narrator's perspective, the third is from Bowie's, who addresses the listener directly. As the track progresses, it builds intensity, before climaxing with strings and Bowie screaming the title.
"Ziggy Stardust" is a song by the English singer-songwriter David Bowie from his 1972 album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. Co-produced by Bowie and Ken Scott, he recorded it at Trident Studios in London in November 1971 with his backing band the Spiders from Mars—comprising Mick Ronson, Trevor Bolder and Mick Woodmansey. Lyrically, the song is about Ziggy Stardust, a bisexual alien rock star who acts as a messenger for extraterrestrial beings. The character was influenced by English singer Vince Taylor, as well as the Legendary Stardust Cowboy and Kansai Yamamoto. Although Ziggy is introduced earlier on the album, this song is its centrepiece, presenting the rise and fall of the star in a very human-like manner. Musically, it is a glam rock song, like its parent album, and is based around a Ronson guitar riff.
"Panic in Detroit" is a song written by the English singer-songwriter David Bowie for the album Aladdin Sane in 1973. Bowie based it on his friend Iggy Pop's descriptions of revolutionaries he had known in Michigan and Pop's experiences during the 1967 Detroit riots. Rolling Stone magazine called the track "a paranoid descendant of the Motor City's earlier masterpiece, Martha and the Vandellas' "Nowhere to Run"".
"Fantastic Voyage" is a song written by David Bowie and Brian Eno for the 1979 album Lodger. It has almost exactly the same chord sequence as "Boys Keep Swinging", from the same album. It has also appeared as the B-side to the "Boys Keep Swinging" and "Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy" singles, and the US edition of "D.J.".
"Hallo Spaceboy" is a song by the English musician David Bowie from his 20th studio album, Outside (1995). It originated as an instrumental by Reeves Gabrels called "Moondust", which Bowie and Brian Eno stripped down and used to form the final track. An industrial rock and electronica number influenced by the Pixies and Nine Inch Nails, the song contains a hypnotic sound, with synthesisers, loops and distorted guitar lines. Lyrically influenced by Brion Gysin, the song contains images of apocalypse and continues the androgynous conundrums of former Bowie songs such as "Rebel Rebel".
Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars is a 1979 British documentary/concert film by D. A. Pennebaker. It features English singer-songwriter David Bowie and his backing group the Spiders from Mars performing at the Hammersmith Odeon in London on 3 July 1973, the final date of his Ziggy Stardust Tour. At this show, Bowie made the sudden surprise announcement that the show would be "the last show that we'll ever do", later understood to mean that he was retiring his Ziggy Stardust persona.
A Reality Tour is a DVD released in 2004 of David Bowie's performance at Point Theatre in Dublin, Ireland in 2003 during the A Reality Tour.
The Heathen Tour was a 2002 concert tour by the English singer-songwriter David Bowie in support of his album, Heathen, and was also notable for the performances of all songs from the 1977 Low album.
The Outside Tour was a tour by the English rock musician David Bowie, opening in September 1995 and lasting over a year. The opening shows preceded the release of the 1. Outside album which it supported. The tour visited stops in North America and Europe.
The Earthling Tour was a 1997 concert tour by English musician David Bowie, in promotion of his album Earthling. The tour started on 7 June 1997 at Flughafen Blankensee in Lübeck, Germany, continuing through Europe and the Americas before concluding in Buenos Aires, Argentina on 7 November 1997.
The Mini Tour was a small-scale concert tour by the English singer-songwriter David Bowie including his performance at the Glastonbury Festival on 25 June 2000 and a concert at the BBC Radio Theatre, BBC Broadcasting House, London, on 27 June.
The Isolar II – The 1978 World Tour, more commonly known as The Low / Heroes World Tour or The Stage Tour, was a worldwide concert tour by the English singer-songwriter David Bowie. The tour opened on 29 March 1978 at the San Diego Sports Arena continuing through North America, Europe and Australia before reaching a conclusion at the Nippon Budokan in Japan on 12 December 1978.
Ziggy Stardust is a fictional character created by English musician David Bowie, and was Bowie's stage persona during 1972 and 1973. The eponymous character of the song "Ziggy Stardust" and its parent album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1972), Ziggy Stardust was retained for Bowie's subsequent concert tour through the United Kingdom, Japan and North America, during which Bowie performed as the character backed by his band The Spiders from Mars. Bowie continued the character in his next album Aladdin Sane (1973), which he described as "Ziggy goes to America". Bowie retired the character in October 1973 after one final show at The Marquee in London.