What was the name of David Bowie's backing band for the Ziggy Stardust tour?

David Bowie's backing band for the Ziggy Stardust Tour was called The Spiders from Mars. The core touring lineup consisted of Mick Ronson on guitar, Trevor Bolder on bass, and Mick “Woody” Woodmansey on drums, with Bowie performing as his Ziggy Stardust persona.

The band became closely associated with Bowie's 1972–1973 tour and with the album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. Their theatrical costumes and energetic glam-rock performances were central to the tour's impact, helping turn Bowie into a major star.

The Spiders from Mars grew out of an earlier backing group called The Hype. The group was renamed after Trevor Bolder replaced Tony Visconti on bass, and the new name was linked to the Ziggy Stardust concept.

The Arnold Corns was an earlier Bowie-associated project, while The Hype was the band's predecessor. Tin Machine was a separate rock group Bowie formed much later, in 1988, so neither is the correct name for the Ziggy-era touring band.