Publication Date: 09/10/2025
Price: £20
Format: Hardback

James Briggs had never known what David Bowie’s “Life on Mars?” meant. And twenty-five years later, with a career stealing his soul, a relationship in stasis, and a hairline in furious retreat, life on Earth had him cornered.

So when a lightning bolt of inspiration strikes, he leaves everything behind to cycle one of the song’s lyrics, ‘From Ibiza to the Norfolk Broads,’ to discover what life, love, and “Life on Mars?” really mean.

What followed was life-affirming, inspirational, and often hilarious. Criss-crossing Europe, he visited French chateaus where Bowie recorded, Spanish Olympic stadiums he played, former communist states where his music was banned, and the Berlin Wall he helped topple. All while navigating angry Soviet ballerinas, suspicious village mayors, and an irate Cliff Richard fan.

James found kindred spirits and a new love (and occasionally hatred) for cycling as he discovered what happens when, instead of following the crowd, you follow the lyrics and music of the greatest artist of the 20th century. As the world reconsiders its priorities, From Ibiza to the Norfolk Broads is a clarion call to embrace the strange, blaze your own path, and live as fearlessly as the Starman himself.

JAMES BRIGGS is a writer specializing in music and travel who has worked for the Guardian, the Irish Times, and various travel magazines. A lifelong David Bowie fan, From Ibiza to the Norfolk Broads is his first book. Originally from Somerset, he is now based in London.

We have THREE COPIES to give away!

To enter simply name one artist on our new Tickets Directory.

Just send your ANSWER on an email with FROM IBIZA TO THE NORFOLK BROADS in the subject line to comps@music-news.com please include your NAME, EMAIL, ADDRESS & TWITTER HANDLE (if available).

It’s that simple! Best of luck!

You can double your chances by liking & retweeting the competition on our Competitions Club page @competitionsC. Good luck & tag friends for extra entries.

For more competitions entries visit our network sites Film-News.co.uk, Theatre-News.com and Game-News.co.uk.

Get the competitions delivered directly to you by signing up to our newsletter here.

Promoter Terms and conditions.