BAUER MEDIA AUDIO UK ANNOUNCED AS MEDIA PARTNER OF ZIGGY STARDUST 50TH ANNIVERSARY PREMIERE

Fifty years to the day since David Bowie’s last performance as alter-ego, Ziggy Stardust, a digitally restored version of ‘Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars: The Motion Picture’ is set to return to cinemas.

A star-studded film premiere will take place on Monday 3rd July at the same venue where Bowie stood on stage and said Ziggy is no more – the Hammersmith (now Eventim Apollo). As the exclusive radio partner Bauer will give fans across the UK the chance to relive that iconic night in music history, as Absolute Radio and Greatest Hits Radio, will be on the red carpet to sharing highlights from this exclusive event on air and online.

‘Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars: The Motion Picture’ is digitally restored with never-before-seen footage and the full, uncut version of D A Pennebaker’s film includes a performance by late guitarist Jeff Beck for the first time. The film will be preceded by a live Q&A with Don Letts, Ken Scott and Suggs, and a performance by Bowie pianist Mike Garson. Garson will also open the show as he did in 1973, with a live solo piano arrangement of some of Bowie’s best-known tracks.

Actor Richard E Grant will also be part of the live Q&A and he said: ‘Ziggy Stardust – as a character – had a huge, liberating impact on us all. He transcended the world of music and continues to permeate popular culture. You can hear and feel Ziggy everywhere. And the same is true of David and his work as a whole. I’m looking forward to being on the same stage as David and the Spiders were 50 years ago as we celebrate the legacy of a time that changed so much.’

Bauer’s event coverage also includes:

• Bowie’s Greatest Hits airs on Greatest Hits Radio from 4 – 5pm, Sunday 2 July and is introduced by Jackie Brambles. She’ll hear from people that were there that night fifty years ago including the late, legendary rock photographer Mick Rock, music producer Ken Scott, music historians and archive conversation with Bowie himself. All set to a chart of Bowie’s Greatest Hits as voted for by listeners to Greatest Hits Radio.
• Then, following the premiere, Jackie Brambles will be speaking to Bowie fans and colleagues, including Bowie’s former bandmate Woody Woodmansey, on her weeknight Greatest Hits Radio evening show, ‘Great Conversations with…’.
• Absolute Radio’s Danielle Perry will be part of the live Q&A panel

As the official radio partner Bauer Media Audio UK are teaming up with event producers, The Makers Of, and Echo Velvet working on behalf of RZO Music, the David Bowie Estate and Warner.

Steve Parkinson, Bauer’s Chief Strategic Partnerships & Events Officer, said: ‘Partnering with The Makers Of and Echo Velvet for this very special music event allows Bauer Audio to do what it does best at these events – bring iconic music moments to our millions of listeners across the UK. Whether it’s on air or online they’ll be able to experience highlights from the red carpet and then take a deep dive into the world of David Bowie and Ziggy Stardust thanks to a series of intimate conversations with those who were there. It will be a truly immersive experience for Bowie – and music – fans everywhere.’

Ben Taylor, founder of event specialists The Makers Of said: ‘The Bauer radio stations are a perfect fit because Bowie’s fan base transcends audiences like very few other artists. This event has been four years in the making and by teaming up with Bauer it’s now truly a multi-media experience covering a live event, cinema, radio and digital content – the perfect celebration for one of the most iconic moments in music history.’

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For further press information, please contact: 
Beth McDonald, Communications Manager, Bauer Media Audio UK

E: beth.mcdonald@bauermedia.co.uk M: 07513 823447

Amelia O’Shea – Head of Communications, Bauer Media Audio UK
E: amelia.oshea@bauermedia.co.uk M: 07531 949693

About Bauer Media UK:
Bauer Media UK reaches over 25 million UK consumers through a portfolio of world-class, multi-platform media and entertainment brands including heat, KISS, Grazia, Empire, Magic, Absolute Radio, and the Hits Radio Brand Network. These brands offer commercial partners access to highly engaged audiences, with creative solutions underpinned by insight and instinct. Bauer Media UK is part of the Bauer Media Group, one of the world’s largest privately owned media businesses with media assets all over the globe.

About Bauer Media Group:
The Bauer Media Group is one of the world’s most successful media companies. We embrace tradition while still keeping our finger on the pulse. Our people create magazines, digital formats, and radio on four continents. With more than 700 magazines, 400 digital products, and 100+ radio stations, we inform and entertain millions of people every day. Simultaneously, we are shaping tomorrow: with investments in online comparison platforms and other young business models, we are setting the course for a successful future as a global portfolio company.