ICA Quickfire: Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars

In celebration of David Bowie the artist, join us for a 'maximum volume' screening of D. A. Pennebaker's documentary featuring the immortal 1973 Hammersmith Odeon concert.

ICA Executive Director Gregor Muir in discussion with Catherine Wood and Celia Hempton.

The 3 July 1973 concert by David Bowie and the Spiders from Mars at London's Hammersmith Odeon Theatre is the subject of this documentary by director D.A. Pennebaker, best known for the earlier rock films Don't Look Back and Monterey Pop. Framed by a smattering of behind-the-scenes footage, the bulk of the film concerns the actual concert, notable as the final time that Bowie would perform under the Ziggy Stardust persona - an announcement that, at the time led many fans to mistakenly believe Bowie was retiring altogether. This 'final' performance features numerous songs from Ziggy Stardust, Hunky Dory, Aladdin Sane and other Bowie albums, including Ziggy Stardust, Moonage Daydream, Changes and Space Oddity as well as a cover of the Velvet Underground's White Light/White Heat.

Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, dir. D A Pennebaker, UK 1973, 87 mins.

Cast: David Bowie, Mick Ronson, Trevor Bolder and Woody Woodmansey