David Bowie Supports Campaign To Restore Victorian Bandstand
Bowie performed at a free festival there in 1969.
The Croydon Road Recreational Ground in Beckenham paid host to the free concert on August 16, 1969 - at the same time as Woodstock. It was organised by Mary Finnigan as a fundraiser for the Beckenham Arts Lab that Bowie co-founded, and is largely believed to have been crucial to his early success.
Fast forward 44 years however, and the bandstand has not stood the test of time quite as well as the star (man)'s career...
Fundraising to repair the iconic location has begun, with the "Memory Of A Free Festival" concert taking place on Sunday (Sep 15) and featuring an auction of signed memorabilia donated by Bowie himself.
While he isn't believed to be attending or performing, organiser Natasha Ryzhova Lau has expressed her gratitude, as well as appealing for much needed funds:
"We're very grateful for David Bowie's generosity in supporting our event. We want to celebrate his time in Beckenham but our most important objective is to rescue the bandstand, which is part of Beckenham's heritage and urgently needs repairs. It is totally dilapidated but cannot be restored with funding from the public purse."