Live: Hollywood Palladium, Los Angeles

David Bowie and the Spiders From Mars performed at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles on 12 March 1973.

It was the 102nd date of the Ziggy Stardust Tour, which had begun on 29 January 1972. The support act was Fumble; this was the last time they played with Bowie.

It was also the last US show of the tour, and therefore the final time the Spiders From Mars would play in America with Bowie. Following the show Bowie hosted a party at the restaurant Lost On Larrabee; the guests included Ringo Starr.

The band was surprised to learn that we were to do one more gig, an extra gig arranged at very short notice, before leaving Los Angeles for London. It was to take place next day, Monday 12th March 1973 at a very small venue, the Hollywood Palladium on Sunset Boulevard. It was just a small ballroom and somehow it felt like coming home to a reality-sized place. We were told that it was to be a special gig for just a small audience of close fans, as a thank you for their support in California. They all paid good money just the same though and it was in fact a profit-making venture.

All good things do come to an end, and the tour of America had been a good thing. If I had been at all interested and paying proper attention to my future prospects in the rock and roll business, I might just have figured out that although the tour had been a tremendous artistic success for David Bowie, and a terrific promotional success for MainMan Management, it had most likely been a financial failure or even a small disaster for RCA Records who were picking up all the bills.

Tin Machine performed at the Hollywood Palladium during their It’s My Life Tour on 12 December 1991. Bowie played a final solo show there on 31 October 1995 during the Outside Tour.