3 OCTOBER 2002
Rock icon David Bowie has returned to the London arena he last graced 30 years ago as his alter ego Ziggy Stardust, thrilling a celebrity-filled audience with a line-up of his greatest hits.

Back in 1973 at the Hammersmith Odeon – now called Carling Apollo – the 20-something Ashes To Ashes singer, sporting a spiky red hair-do and backed by his Spiders From Mars, announced the gig would be “the last show we’ll ever play”. On Wednesday night, however, the 55-year-old once again took to the famed stage, more dapper than ever in a tailored blue silk suit.

The rocker kicked off the show with Life On Mars before going into his legendary tunes such as China Girl and, of course, Ziggy Stardust, cheered on by fans such as Boy George, Brian Eno and Queen drummer Roger Taylor. “Ah, this place – blimey,” David said as he looked around the venue from the stage. “We did a good job, didn’t we?”

David joked about his eclectic selection of tunes, which ranged from his early career to his critically acclaimed 2002 album Heathen. “It’s an interesting selection of songs tonight,” remarked the star, “going back from today through the Naughties, Nineties, Eighties and Seventies, Sixties, Fifties, Forties, Thirties, back to the naughties then into minus numbers.”