Features
Ziggy Stardust At Coachella?
Rumors are flying that David Bowie might once again transform into his alter ego Ziggy Stardust and perform his 1972 concept album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars in its entirety at the 10th edition of the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival in Indio, Calif., April 17-19.
Goldenvoice allegedly issued a statement that said Bowie isn’t planning to do it, but what’s been passed on the Internet as an official statement isn’t really official. However, NME’s Web site reported that a Bowie representative said the singer has no plans to play the fest.
Then again, the Coachella lineup was expected to be released Jan. 27 on Los Angeles radio station KROQ at 7:20 a.m. local time and that didn’t happen because organizers are still trying to “nail down a few big acts.”
LAist reported that KROQ said on air that “[Coachella hasn’t] finalized the lineup to give it to us. It’s very likely to be today, it could be tomorrow.”
The U.K.’s Guardian pointed out that Bowie told Rolling Stone in 2002, “Can you imagine anything uglier than a nearly 60-year-old Ziggy Stardust? I don’t think so!”
If Bowie really is going to sit it out and leave Ziggy Stardust in the ‘70s, the U.K.’s Telegraph noted that rumors of other possible headliners include a the tired, stale rumor of a Smiths reunion, plus Radiohead and Paul McCartney. Curiously, No Doubt has never been floated as a rumored headliner.
Hopefully an announcement will come by early next week at the latest.
Goldenvoice’s Coachella takes place at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, Calif.
Last year’s headliners included Prince, Roger Waters, Jack Johnson, Portishead, Kraftwerk and The Verve.