David Bowie and the Roundhouse - Roundhouse - Celebrating 50 Years

DAVID BOWIE AND THE ROUNDHOUSE

February - September 1970

Our youth blogger, Vidisha Jain looks at a brief history of Bowie’s connection to the Roundhouse

Implosion poster, David Bowie

Roundhouse

‘The Birth of Glam Rock’ – this pivotal moment in music history took place at the Roundhouse on March 11th 1970, with the late and great David Bowie’s then newly-formed band ‘The Hype’ during Atomic Sunrise Festival, 46 years ago.

The Hype isn’t a band you hear about too often in Bowie’s musical history, and the Atomic Sunrise audience were equally unfamiliar to them at the time. But the formation of that night’s line-up, which included producer Mick Ronson and producer/arranger Tony Visconti, was paramount in the development of Bowie’s later career. This performance took place just weeks before Bowie recorded his third album The Man Who Sold The World with Ronson and Visconti, and the birth of his much loved alter-ego Ziggy Stardust.

The Atomic Sunrise performance aside, Bowie’s first Roundhouse gig took place when The Hype were the opening band on the Roundhouse Spring Festival bill a month earlier on 22nd February 1970, before returning on July 5th that same year to perform at the Implosion Nightclub.

From playing Roundhouse Sunday clubs to becoming the legend we know today, it could be said that  Bowie’s journey began in this building. To think that Bowie was ever an opening act at the Roundhouse is quite surreal.

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