David Bowie has described reports he is set to headline this year's Coachella festival in Los Angeles as “poppycock”.

Tabloid reports earlier this week claimed the singer had been asked to perform his 1972 album 'The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars' in full at the event.

However, in a statement on his website, Bowie said: "I'm sure the majority of you saw this tale for what it was anyway - poppycock.

"However, we feel duty-bound to deny this particular story, lest members be fleeced of their hard-earned."

Bowie, who retired his Ziggy Stardust alter ego in 1973, has not performed live since he was forced to abandon his 2004 world tour following a heart scare.

A message on Bowie's website also dismissed any suggestion that he was working on new material in Berlin.

Reports about the singer's recording future surfaced last week following a mysterious post on the micro-blogging website Twitter.

"David Bowie does not have a Twitter account," the message on Bowie's website said.

A spokesperson for Bowie had earlier this week refused to confirm or deny the authenticity of the account.

(by Jason Gregory)