The Community Brain, a not-for-profit organisation based in Tolworth Southwest London, is holding a silent disco at Waterloo Station and a small music festival at their local station to celebrate an often-overlooked piece of musical heritage.
Celebrate ‘72 on Thursday (10 Feb) will mark 50 years to the day since pop legend David Bowie first introduced the world to his iconic and pioneering Ziggy Stardust persona at the former Toby Jug pub, in Tolworth back in 1972.
The Community Brain have teamed up with local rail operator South Western Railway and Community Rail for an afternoon of special events to highlight this momentous anniversary.
The Toby Jug pub stood next to the A3 Tolworth Junction from 1934 to the early 2000s, when it was demolished and the site cleared. During the late 60s and early 70s it made its name as a music venue for upcoming artists many of whom, like Bowie, went on to enjoy global stardom. They included Led Zeppelin, Genesis, Rod Stewart and the Stranglers, and many others.
Celebrate ’72 is being delivered in partnership with South Western Railway, who have kindly given The Community Brain a rare opportunity to “takeover” one of its trains and parts of two of its stations. Up to 150 people are expected to boogie to Bowie and other hits from 1972 when they take part in a silent disco on the concourse of London Waterloo – a first in the station’s 175-year history!
Then later in the afternoon, the focus of the celebrations shifts to the forecourt of Tolworth Station – just a stone’s throw from the site of the Toby Jug – for an open-air, family-friendly Bowie-inspired music festival – another first for Tolworth! This will include performances by singer/songwriter Laurie Wright; band The True Strays, and Bowie-tribute act The Thin White Duke.
Festivalgoers travelling from the Waterloo silent disco to the Tolworth festival will enjoy an extra special journey, with different live entertainment in each carriage. This includes live music from ELTEL and Garance Louis, plus a talk on the history of the Toby Jug pub and the 1972 Ziggy gig by journalist and author, Tim Harrison.
Robin Hutchinson MBE, The Community Brain founder, said: “We’re celebrating Tolworth as a place of firsts and discovery. It was at the Toby Jug pub that David Bowie unveiled Ziggy Stardust on the first night of his world-wide Spiders from Mars tour, which catapulted him to fame. That’s an important moment for the history of pop music and it happened in Tolworth.”
Claire Mann, South Western Railway’s MD said: “SWR is extremely proud of the work that station groups such as The Community Brain do to make their station an integral part of the local community. We’re delighted to help them celebrate such an important anniversary in music history”.
TICKET INFO:
You can buy a combined ticket, which includes the silent disco at Waterloo + event train + Tolworth Station for £30 ticket (plus a £20 refundable headphone deposit). Entry to the festival at Tolworth Station only is £20. Concessions available, see website for more: https://billetto.co.uk/e/celebrate-72-tickets-595229.
Photo credit: South Western Railway
