What David Bowie played in final Ziggy Stardust show where he ‘killed off’ character on this day in 1973

The final performance of the popular David Bowie character Ziggy Stardust happened on this day in 1973. Bowie shot to fame with The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars but retired the character and band soon after the album’s release. While he would have many other popular characters including The Thin White Duke and Aladdin Sane, Ziggy Stardust proved to be his most iconic and enduring creation.

During this era the likes of Starman, Moonage Daydream, and Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide were written and recorded. The latter two songs featured in what would be the final show of Ziggy Stardust and the Spdiers from Mars. On July 3, 1973, Bowie confirmed he had performed his last show with the band and would perform a string of other songs, including covers of The Beatles and Chuck Berry. He also performed at-the-time contemporary material, including The Jean Genie and Cracked Actor.

A full setlist of Bowie’s final Ziggy Stardust performance at the Hammersmith Odeon in London, England, can be found below.

• Hang On to Yourself
• Ziggy Stardust
• Watch That Man
• Wild Eyed Boy from Freecloud
• All the Young Dudes
• Oh! You Pretty Things
• Moonage Daydream
• Changes
• Space Oddity
• My Death (Jacques Brel cover)
• Cracked Actor
• Time
• The Width of a Circle
• Let’s Spend the Night Together (The Rolling Stones cover)
• Suffragette City
• White Light/White Heat (The Velvet Underground cover)
• The Jean Genie (with Jeff Beck)
• Love Me Do (The Beatles cover with Jeff Beck)
• Around and Around (Chuck Berry cover with Jeff Beck)
• Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide

Bowie confirmed to the 3,500-strong crowd, and his band on-stage, that this would be the last they saw of Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. Those in the band later revealed they had no idea this would be the final show they performed with Bowie. Despite touring extensively for 18 months before this show, there was no indication that Bowie was finished with the character.

He told the crowd at the time: “Everybody, this has been one of the greatest tours of our life. I’d like to thank the band, I’d like to thank our road crew and I’d like to thank our lighting people. Of all the shows on this tour, this particular show will remain with us the longest. Because not only is it the last show of the tour, but it’s the last show that we’ll ever do. Thank you.”

What happened next is subject to opinion, as Far Out Magazine claims a mass orgy occurred when people started stripping their clothes off after the news broke. While unlikely, it’s a moment that has been backed by Bowie’s pianist Mike Garson, who later gave his thoughts on whether these rumours had any truth to them. He said: “I heard all those stories about what was going on in the audience and I tend to believe them. I remember seeing crazy stuff.”