Steve Jones on David Bowie’s Response to the Theft of Ziggy Stardust & The Spiders from Mars’ Equipment

Steve Jones Recalls Equipment Theft

Sex Pistols’ Steve Jones reminisced about the time he stole equipment from David Bowie following a Ziggy Stardust & The Spiders from Mars show.

• Read more: Steve Jones “Sex Pistols” recounts his experience at the Teenage Cancer Trust concerts and his interactions with Alex Turner.

Memorable Moments From The Past

The guitarist shared some laughs during a recent interview with Keeper, where he reflected on significant events in his career.

During the interview, Jones was asked about the rumors of him stealing small musical equipment from Bowie back in 1973, specifically during Bowie’s performances at Hammersmith Odeon as part of his last Ziggy Stardust show.

“There is definitely some truth to this. Although it wasn’t out on the street with trucks – it was on stage,” he explained. “They played two nights, and after the first night, they left all the equipment because they had another show the next night.”

“I knew Hammersmith Odeon like the back of my hand; I was there all the time. I was like a ghost of Hammersmith Odeon,” he added. “It was around two in the morning. I took a small minivan and drove in. There was no one there except a guy sitting in the fourth or fifth row, sleeping – snoring. He was out cold.”

“I went on stage, and I grabbed several plates, the bassist’s heads (amplifier) ​​- a solar amplifier – and a few microphones. I even got a Bowie microphone with lipstick on it!”

Confessing to Bowie

When asked if he ever informed Bowie about his nighttime escapade, Jones responded: “I sort of mentioned it over the phone. He knew I did it; he thought it was funny. To be honest, I didn’t hide it from him. I don’t think the microphones belonged to him. The only equipment I think were Woody’s (the drummer, Mick Woodmansey) and the bassist’s.”

Continuing, he recalled: “I actually confessed to Woody when he came to my radio show a few years back. I thought it would be a good moment to tell him live on air what I did. I said: ‘I have to come clean with you, Woody, I stole some of your plates. What can I do to make it up to you?’ He said, ‘I don’t know; I think I gave him $300 (£232), so he was pretty happy.’”

Recently, Jones reunited with his fellow Sex Pistols members and new frontman Frank Carter for a series of performances this year at the TEENAGER CANCER TRUST events.

The group kicked off their 2025 tour last Monday (March 24) when Jones, Carter, Paul Cook, and Glen Matlock took the stage after opening sets from Molototes and Kid Kapichi. NME was there to witness the explosive show, which featured performances of “God Save the Queen,” “Liar,” and covers of Iggy Pop classics.

Before the concerts, the guitar icon caught up with NME to discuss the future of the group with Carter, the impact of the biopic “Pistol” by Danny Boyle, U.S. politics, and much more.

When asked if the band anticipated a positive response to Carter joining the lineup, he said: “None of us knew. Frank was the first singer we tried because I, Cookie, and Glen wanted to play. It just clicked immediately. He’s much younger than us; he’s 40, so he has all this energy while we’re the old farts.”

“It was so much fun, and people loved it, which I enjoyed seeing,” he added. “I was ready to leave it all behind, touring and everything. I don’t mind. But with Frank, it just made everything easier. We all got along. There’s no negativity. It’s just fun!”

Addressing some skeptics of their return, he added: “John (Lydon, the former frontman) isn’t interested in this. You’d think there would be negative feedback about doing this (without him), but I was surprised. There’s been no backlash.”

“On Instagram, there were a few trolls, but they didn’t even see us. They just can’t see it without John, which I get, but even those who came out of curiosity were drawn in after a couple of songs.”

Regarding the remainder of 2025, the group recently announced details for their upcoming North America tour, set to bring them back to the stage later this fall. Visit here for remaining tickets.