Waterloo station and Tolworth station hosted Celebrate 72’, a special day of events in celebration of David Bowie’s first performance as ‘Ziggy Stardust’ in Tolworth last week.
Commemorating his performance on February 10 1972, the event occurred on the same day, as organised by Community Brain.
Community Brain is a group based in Surbiton who provide community cohesion through the arts, education and local history providing people and places renewed importance and pride.
Founder and Director of Community Brain, Robin Hutchinson MBE said: “If we can bring a smile to people’s faces, we’ve done a great thing.”
The day started off with a silent disco in Waterloo station in partnership with South Western Railway.
Event participants were provided with headphones and Ziggy Stardust lanyards which granted free travel from Waterloo to Tolworth.
Many sported Ziggy inspired costumes, received face paint and took selfies using the ‘Ziggy Face Filter’ for Instagram.
The filter: bit.ly/faceglam72 was created by Bright Immersive, a new Tolworth start-up that helps organisations use new technologies to tell their stories.
The train journey continued the magic with 4 Ziggy themed carriages.
The carriages featured live musicians ELTEL and Garance Louis, a talk by Tim Harrison on his book ‘Hello Tolworth, I’m Ziggy’ and a speaker playing the album ‘The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars.’
An open-air stage was set up in the station car park near the site of the Toby Jug pub where David Bowie first performed.
Prior to its demolition in 2002, the pub also welcomed bands including Led Zeppelin, Jethro Tull, Fleetwood Mac, Genesis, and The Stranglers.
For those who do not remember the pub, Community Brain has also shared a Facebook app experience that lets users see the pub in 3D on any flat surface using their device.
The experience can be accessed here: bit.ly/tobyjug72
The concert included performances by musician Laurie Wright, the band The True Strays, and Bowie-tribute act The Thin White Duke.
Wright said: “Bowie was just the epitome of perfect rock star.”
The Ziggy fun continued on the weekend with a Battle of the Bands charity event featuring new performers.
The event was led by music charity The Basement Door, who support young people to develop employment skills through music.
