Skip to main content

David Bowie will never tour again, says prominent promoter

david bowie dead at 69 after cancer battle images uploads gallery davidbowie creditjimmyking 20130320 fw7p3412 63730
Jimmy King
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.”

Editors' Recommendations

Parker Hall
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Parker Hall is a writer and musician from Portland, OR. He is a graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Oberlin…
Jimmy Fallon and Chris Martin team up on epic Bowie classic Life On Mars
david bowie cover the tonight show life on mars still

The loss of David Bowie in January hit the music industry and fans hard, but he certainly hasn't been forgotten. The iconic musician's legacy has been evident in the record-breaking amount of streams he has racked up, the day named after him in New York City, and homages from fellow entertainers. Most recently, Jimmy Fallon and Coldplay frontman Chris Martin joined forces to honor the late singer with a cover of his 1971 hit Life on Mars? for The Tonight Show.

With Martin on piano, Fallon providing vocals, and Roots guitarist Captain Kirk Douglas performing a guitar solo, it comes together as a nice cover. It's unlikely that anyone would rank it above the original, but it's worth a listen. Although Martin and Douglas both outshine Fallon, he does a pretty decent Bowie impression.

Read more
Rush calls it quits, guitarist Alex Lifeson says they will never tour again
The Audiophile Rush R40 Live

It’s a sad time for progressive rock fans worldwide; Superstar Canadian trio Rush will never tour again, according to a recent interview with Guitarist Alex Lifeson in Rolling Stone.

The announcement had been a long time coming. The band finished their 40th anniversary tour, billed as R40, last year and drummer Neil Peart was quoted in an interview with Drumhead Magazine saying that he wasn’t keen on hitting the road again.

Read more
2016's Record Store Day to feature new vinyl from Bowie and Dylan, and much more
new music to be released globally on fridays record store

The folks behind Record Store Day have announced this year’s list of special releases for independent music stores worldwide, with music from many of the world’s most famous artists. The list of rarities runs the gamut from heavy metal to hip-hop, with music from David Bowie, Metallica, Bob Dylan, Run The Jewels, and more.

Record Store Day will take place on Saturday, April 16.

Read more