The Libertines, The Horrors, Anna Calvi, The Molotovs and more have performed David Bowie covers in a tribute ten years after his death.
- READ MORE: An oral history of David Bowie’s ‘Blackstar’
Yesterday (January 10) marked exactly a decade since Bowie passed away after an 18-month private battle with cancer.
When news broke in January 2016, it shocked the world, not least because the illness had not been disclosed, but also because fans learned of his death just two days after the release of his landmark final album ‘Blackstar’.
To mark the anniversary, a host of artists have come together in a new documentary that revisits Bowie’s biggest hits. The Thierry Gautier and Sylvain Leduc-directed films sees musicians including La Roux, The Divine Comedy, and Yasmine Hamdan celebrate his legacy with their takes on his seminal tracks.
After recording their rendition of ‘The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars’ number ‘Rock’N’Roll Suicide’, Carl Barât and Pete Doherty sat down to discuss Bowie’s influence, with Barât saying he had captured something that coaxed him out of moments of loneliness and “despair”.
The ‘Heroes Never Die’ setlist is:
The Molotovs – ‘Rebel Rebel’
The Horrors – ‘Heroes’
La Roux – ‘Fascination’
Jeanne Added – ‘Let’s Dance’
Carl Barât and Peter Doherty – ‘Rock’N’Roll Suicide’
Anna Calvi feat. Isobel Waller-Bridge – ‘Sound and Vision’
The Divine Comedy – ‘Starman’
Yasmine Hamdan – ‘The Man Who Sold the World’
On Thursday (January 8), Iman marked what would have been Bowie’s 79th birthday by sharing a black and white photo of the two of them, alongside the caption: “A million feeling, A thousand thoughts, A hundred memories…YOU! Happy Heavenly Birthday.”
Bowie’s daughter, Lexi, also shared her own tribute, posting an old photo of herself and her father on his birthday. “Da big 79 today. Happy birthday pops, miss ya!” she wrote.
Barnbrook, meanwhile, will be one of those involved when the British Library hosts an event to honour Bowie later this month. Jehnny Beth and Tony Visconti are among the other guests set to appear, and it will take place on 17 January under the title ‘David Bowie In Time’.
Elsewhere, Bowie’s last years were explored in a recent Channel 4 documentary titled The Final Act, while the BBC have also announced a Bowie doc for 2026 in the form of Bowie In Berlin.
Bowie’s childhood home in Bromley, South London is also set to be restored and made available to the public, it has been announced.
