(Or was) a mime
“Today in 1969, T. Rex kicked off their tour of the U.K. at the Free Trade Hall in Manchester. Their opening act on this night was David Bowie performing a one-man mime act. According to Mental Floss, Marc Bolan "invited Bowie to open for T. Rex on the band's 1969 tour. At Bolan's insistence, Bowie performed his one-man mime routine depicting China's invasion of Tibet. Bowie was an experienced mime, having trained under choreographer (and Marcel Marceau protege) Lindsay Kemp." Concert goers were apparently not fans of the act, and Bowie was often met with boos and heckles. But Bowie would be fine, as Space Oddity was released that summer and the rest was history” @davidbowie @t.rexbolanofficial