"You maniacs didn't think David Bowie was actually going to be here, did you?"

With those words -- delivered by presenter Noel Gallagher at the 2014 BRIT Awards on Feb. 19 -- the audience knew it was in for something unusual from Bowie, who was being honored with the year's British Male Solo Artist award. It served as Bowie's first BRIT in nearly two decades, but he still didn't attend the ceremony; as Gallagher laughingly put it, "He's too cool for that, he wouldn't do this s--."

Instead, Bowie sent model Kate Moss, who accepted on his behalf with a surreal display that included walking onto the stage in a 'Ziggy Stardust'-inspired getup and delivering a series of brief remarks that concluded with a plea for Scotland to vote against independence in an upcoming referendum.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen," began Moss. "David has asked me to say this." What followed was a bizarre speech befitting one of rock's most inscrutable stars: "In Japanese myth, the rabbits from my old costume that Kate's wearing live on the moon. Kate comes from Venus and I from Mars, so that's nice. I'm completely delighted to have a Brit for being the best male, but I am, aren't I Kate? I think it's a great way to end the day. Thank you very, very much and Scotland -- stay with us."

It was all perfectly in keeping with Bowie's iconoclastic approach to his own career, as well as a marked unwillingness to perform in public since releasing his most recent album, 'The Next Day,' in 2013. Sadly, Moss didn't mention anything about those other new songs Bowie's sitting on, but there's always the next awards ceremony for that.

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