Backstage with David Bowie by Roger Bamber

David Bowie – 22 May 1973 Backstage at Lewisham, London, making up for a Ziggy Stardust concert.

While photographing the ‘Spiders from Mars’ band’s tour of Britain in the seventies with David Bowie and Mick Ronson, I did a concert in London at the Lewisham Odeon. I was invited backstage by David and the band. In their scruffy dressing room, the group was fitting their costumes while Bowie was transforming himself into Ziggy Stardust, making up in front of a mirror. I got on well with David and he didn’t mind me photographing the elaborate making-up. I also did the sound check and the concert itself. In the end,  with a satisfying set of pictures, I said my thanks and goodbyes and left to find my car… but alas … no car !!!. As I couldn’t find a working telephone (they had all been vandalised), I went back into the theatre to use their phone. I then bumped into Mick Ronson who asked why I was back. I then explained that my car (a classic Lotus Cortina) had been nicked. He said they were just wrapping up and we could all go in their tour bus to scour Lewisham streets for it. So, David Bowie, Mick Ronson and I  sat at the front top driving around the streets looking for Lotus Cortina NFL 818F

… But to no avail. After half an hour they kindly gave me a lift to my Kensington flat.