Project Lazarus - Bowie Bandstand

The flyer from the 1969 Festival, the place where it all began....

On Saturday  August 16th 1969  David Bowie co-organised an event called 'The Growth Summer Festival and Free Concert' at Croydon Road Recreation Ground in Beckenham.
The artists involved performed on the Bandstand in the park - These included singer-songwriters David Bowie himself, Bridget St John, Keith Christmas, Amory Kane and Tony Visconti, to name but a few.
Photographer David Bebbington who not only  took photos  but also worked as a puppeteer in the Brian Cole Puppet Theatre in the park that day.
Mary Angela Barnett ( who went on to become Angie Bowie) cooked Hamburgers & sausages in a wheel barrow for the cause and helped raise valuable funds for the Arts Lab.

David Bowie performing on the bandstand at Croydon Road Recreation Ground Beckenham in August 1969 - Photo © David Bebbington/National Portrait Gallery.

Memory Of A Free Festival - David Bowie, The track was written as a homage to the Free Festival of 1969, organised by the Beckenham Arts Lab at the Croydon Road Recreation Ground.

The festival of 1969 isn't the only link to David Bowie & the bandstand, infact he did an interview where he spoke about it , he began writing the song 'Life On Mars' on the steps there.

In 2008, David Bowie  talked about writing this song to the Mail on Sunday: "This song was so easy. Being young was easy. A really beautiful day in the park, sitting on the steps of the bandstand. 'Sailors bap-bap-bap-bap-baaa-bap.' An anomic (not a 'gnomic') heroine. Middle-class ecstasy. I took a walk to Beckenham High Street to catch a bus to Lewisham to buy shoes and shirts but couldn't get the riff out of my head. Jumped off two stops into the ride and more or less loped back to the house up on Southend Road. Workspace was a big empty room with a chaise lounge; a bargain-price art nouveau screen ('William Morris,' so I told anyone who asked); a huge overflowing freestanding ashtray and a grand piano. Little else. I started working it out on the piano and had the whole lyric and melody finished by late afternoon. Nice. Rick Wakeman [of prog band, Yes] came over a couple of weeks later and embellished the piano part and guitarist Mick Ronson created one of his first and best string parts for this song which now has become something of a fixture in my live shows."

Life On Mars - David Bowie, from the steps of the bandstand to musical history.

Years have passed and the Bandstand that held that wonderful event in 1969  had fallen into a sorry state of repair, although used for performances from brass bands etc  it has taken three fundraising festivals to put the Bandstand Restoration and Plaque Fund wheels in motion.

The Bowie's Beckenham Oddity festival flyer designed by John O'Sullivan/Redadore.com using the original image of David Bowie © David Bebbington/National Portrait Gallery.

In 2016 after the devastating news about the passing of David Bowie I decided that the bandstand needed to be restored in his memory as well as all the people from the original festival.
In January this year I sat at the steps of there and decided that there would be an event held there and plans were underway!
With a wonderful group of musicians including Amory Kane( who so far has played at all of the festivals including the one in 1969) a full list of musicians will be listed at the end of this post. 
It was a wonderful day, full of emotion as well as music and to date we have raised £17, 250.60p from  the event. A big thank you to everyone that attended the festival, it's with thanks to you that this money was raised!
There will be a festival in 2017 & an announcement will be made in feb/march

The goal of this gofundme appeal is to get as many David Bowie fans around the world each to donate £5 or the equivalent  towards The Bowie Bandstand Restoration and Plaque Fund.
If anyone can save this wonderful piece of history it's the Bowie Community - so your help is needed!

This means alot to me as I became a Bowie fan through my older brother who attended the original festival, it was through him I found my own connection to not only Bowie but to the bandstand and all the people from that festival. 
And like Bowie, my brother is no longer with us, so there is a part of this that is in memory of him( for me anyway!)
Those of you who know me are aware that my favourite era of Davids career is that of Space Oddity and so Beckenham, The Bowie Bandstand, The Arts Lab as well as The Growth Festival are very close to my heart and always will be. I've been a fan of David Bowie's for 40+ years now and long may that continue, his death has left a void that will never be filled.

The Plaque
This is something that will be installed at the bandstand for not only David but for EVERYONE involved in the 1969 festival, they will be named and will always be part of not only that place but will forever be part of history for many generations to come.

1969 Festival
David Bowie, Tony Visconti, George Underwood,
Amory Kane, Mary Angela Barnett, Keith Christmas, The Strawbs, Peter Horton, Bridget St John, Appendix Part1,  Comus , Nita & Dave Jones, Sun, Kamirah, Giles & Abdul, Clem, Brian Moore, David Bebbington, Ray Stevenson, Gun Hill &  DJ Tim Goff, Mary Finnigan, Calvin Mark Lee, Chas & Liz Lippeat, Spud Murphy, Nick & Mick Godwin, Jamie Plummer, Sam Wheller, Dave Walking, Barry & Chrisina Jackson, Suzi Cartwright and Nick Jennings.


2016
Wendy Faulkner(Wendy Woo) with support from Bromley Council, The Landscape Group/Ideverde & The Friends of Croydon Road Recreation Ground, Amory Kane, Philip Rambow, Maggi Ronson, Paul Cuddeford, Stephen Evens, Alex Marchione, Jona Lewie, Owen Paul, John O'Sullivan & The Blackstars, Raf & O, Charlie Fowler, Funmi Abiola/Funmilayo, Clifford Slapper, David Mosey, Adam Crawford, Scott Fuller(Thin White Dukes singer), Phil Lancaster, Laird Badger, Paul Jenkins & FOH Live Sound, Gaz de Vere, Greet Buettner-Jenkins, Ricky Clarke, Jason Mee, Cliff Watkins, Isabelle Flows, Alison Jean Baker, Rosie O' Hara Marvin, Karen Farrington, Brian Blandford, Lisa-Marie Faulkner-Brent, Jody-Lee Faulkner-Brent.
If I have forgot anyone I will add at a later date so please for now accept my apologies if you don't see your name on the list.

This photo was taken by local historian Clifford Watkins at Bowie's Beckenham Oddity Festival in august 2016.

The quote below is from David's Bowie's longtime friend as well as record producer Tony Visconti who posted on social media about the Bowie's Beckenham Oddity Festival in August this year and it's thanks to Tony that I'm naming this fundraising page on here 'Project Lazarus'.


Here are the plans from Bromley Council on the work they'll be carrying out for the Restoration of the Bowie bandstand.

The amount still needed to complete this task of restoration as well as installing the plaque is a total now of £72,000 , although I have set the amount on here to £1,000,  it gets us a step further to reaching our goal.

Please remember this is donation and not a pledge so every amount donated will be to making David Bowie's name (& the Festival of 1969 people) forever linked & remembered for generations to come that much closer to becoming a reality!
100% of the money raised will go to the Restoration & Plaque Fund.

The Bowie Bandstand needs YOU!! 

Thank you for your time :) xxx