Tyrannosaurus Rex (June 3, 1968) Royal Festival Hall Concert

On Monday, June 3, 1968, Tyrannosaurus Rex performed at the prestigious Royal Festival Hall in London, supported by Roy Harper, Stefan Grossman, and David Bowie, with John Peel providing “vibrations”.

Publication: Concert Programme + Review

Date: June 3, 1968 (concert) / June 4, 1968 (review)

Country: United Kingdom Location: London

Section: Live Performance

THE STORY

The evening featured Tyrannosaurus Rex (Marc Bolan & Steve Peregrin Took) performing their poetic acoustic folk set. David Bowie delivered a 12-minute mime piece titled Jetsun and the Eagle about China’s invasion of Tibet. The newly found poster confirms the full bill and venue details.

CONTEXT AND NOTES

This was a significant early milestone for Tyrannosaurus Rex as they moved from underground clubs to a prestigious venue. Bowie’s performance was one of his notable early London appearances, and the event highlighted the vibrant psychedelic folk scene of the time.

FEATURE HIGHLIGHTS

Event: Royal Festival Hall Concert Era: 1968 (Early Tyrannosaurus Rex acoustic era)

Tone: Experimental folk / mime performance Photography: Striking duo portrait on the programme poster

Unfortunately, a complete verified setlist for this specific show has not survived in public archives. However, based on contemporary reviews and typical 1968 Tyrannosaurus Rex performances around this time, they likely played a selection from their early repertoire, including:

• “The Wizard”

• “The Third Degree”

• “The Throat of Winter”

• “Strange Orchestras”

• “Hot Rod Mama”

• “Child Star”

• “Deborah”

• “Fist Heart Mighty Dawn Dart”

• “Beltane Walk” (early version)

• Acoustic improvisations and poetry pieces

WHAT THE CLIPPING SHOWS

• Full concert poster/programme with band credits and venue information

• Iconic black & white photos of Tyrannosaurus Rex and Roy Harper

• Daily Telegraph review titled “Out-of-Touch Folk in the Random Idiom”

• David Bowie’s mime piece receiving strong (and sometimes heckled) audience reaction

RELATED MATERIAL

• March 9, 1968 Middle Earth Club performance (Tony Visconti discovery)

For other relevant posts, see the tags at the foot of the page.

SOURCES

• Royal Festival Hall Programme / Poster, June 3, 1968

• The Daily Telegraph, June 4, 1968

• Tony Visconti & Kenneth Pitt accounts

All magazine scans, newspaper cuttings, scrapbook items, photographs and original text excerpts remain the property of their respective copyright holders. This entry is a transformative, non-commercial archival summary created for historical documentation and educational reference.