Bowie Is in the Building! SNL Performance : 1979

Bowie storms Saturday Night Live – puppet bodies, giant suits, and pure art-rock chaos!

David Bowie’s Saturday Night Live appearance on December 15, 1979 – one of the most bizarre and brilliant TV moments of his career.

Backed by Klaus Nomi and Joey Arias in avant-garde drag, Bowie performed three tracks from Lodger:

“The Man Who Sold the World” (in a giant cardboard suit)

“TVC 15” (carried like a puppet)

“Boys Keep Swinging” (with a puppet body and a cheeky finale)

The surreal visuals – designed by Bowie himself – left America stunned and cemented his reputation as rock’s ultimate innovator.Bowie is in the building! David Bowie appeared on Saturday Night Live from New York City NBC Studios, New York City, New York, USA, December 15, 1979, performing "The Man Who Sold the World," "TVC 15," and "Boys Keep Swinging" with a specially prepared backing group, including Jimmy Destri (keyboards) and Klaus Nomi and Joey Arias (backing vocals).

Studio 8H at 30 Rockefeller Plaza was buzzing with excitement as

SNL regulars Jane Curtin and Laraine Newman ran around backstage squealing, "Bowie is in the building!"

After a brief introduction from Martin Sheen, Klaus Nomi and Joey Arias carried Bowie - encased in his solid body costume - to the front of the stage for 'The Man Who Sold The World'. Bowie then donned a blue Natasha Korniloff dress for

'TVC 15'. He described the idea as "a pipe-smoking Chinese airline stewardess, dragging a huge fake pink poodle on a leash.