One of the biggest festival organizers in Europe has confirmed a musical fact that has been mumbled quietly by sad, dedicated fans for over a decade: David Bowie will never tour again.
The news comes as part of an ongoing joke Bowie has with longtime British promoter John Giddings, according to an interview Giddings did with Music Week.
“Every time I see him now, before I even speak to him, he goes, ‘I’m not touring,’ and I say, ‘I’m not asking,’” Giddings chuckled in a recent interview when asked about the musical icon.
The promoter is something of a music business legend in his own right, having lead massively successful tours for acts like The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Bowie, and Iggy Pop, among others.
Bowie’s last UK show occurred at Giddings’ own Wight Festival. A fact, he says, he is “really pleased and proud of.”
Longtime fans of the artist have grown accustomed to missing out on strings of worldwide performances, and even interviews. Bowie hasn’t done a major tour since 2003-2004’s Reality tour, when he had a heart-related medical emergency, and very rarely speaks to the press.
Despite halting touring and recorded output for over ten years between 2003’s Reality and 2013’s The Next Day, the artist has continued to work on new music, with his most recent record igniting rumors that he might hit stages again.
Those rumors, according to the promoter, are false. In fact, he is just the latest of many voices to confirm the fact that though Bowie remains dedicated to producing new music, he really has no desire to play those songs live.
As more and more stars age, it’s natural that some will prefer a home life rather than all of the craziness that comes with living on the road. And given that Bowie spent almost three decades as a full-time live entertainer, asking him to play live again is asking a lot.
Despite the obviously lucrative prospects of helping the star tour again, even a promoter like Giddings seems to see where the legend is coming from.
“He has decided to retire and, like Phil Collins, you can’t demand these people go out there again and again and again.”
