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Recorded: 19 August 1972
Broadcast: Currently unreleased.A short (4:26 minutes) colour Super 8 film exists of the Ziggy Stardust concert at the Rainbow Theatre on 19 August 1972. Sometimes referred to as "The Ziggy Stardust Show" this film is fair quality with dubbed sound - the dubbed song being "Starman" from the Ziggy Stardust album.
The colour film shows pre-concert, in-concert and post-concert scenes of the Rainbow concert. The opening shots show Nicky Graham playing the piano from behind, then shows the outside of The Rainbow Theatre, pre-concert advertising and some backstage tunnels at the Rainbow Theatre. Rehearsals, and general conversation on the stage-floor by Bowie and the Spiders in mufti are then shown, including one shot of Mick Woodmansey drumming while smoking. What follows is actual concert scenes mostly of Bowie in the red animal woodlands costume with acoustic guitar. Also shown are numerous mime and dancing scenes by the Astronettes amongst the scaffolding and onstage. The end of the concert shows Bowie being presented with two large bunches of flowers onstage by a young boy and bowing to the audience along with Lindsay Kemp and members of the Astronettes. The end of the film silently shows the audience and Bowie entourage leaving the theatre. While not high quality, this film is interesting in giving the flavour of what actual happened at the concert.
Also existing is a 25 minute black and white film called "Rainbow Interviews" by Mick Rock which has never been aired, but which parts of were used by RCA for promotional purposes. Bowie's manager Tony DeFries arranged for Rock, with a cameraman and soundman to film and interview the audience inside and outside the concert. Reportedly the whole concert was also officially filmed by Masayoshi Sukita and a Japanese TV crew but this has never been released.
The Rainbow Concert (19 August 1972)
---This page last modified: 10 Dec 2018---
