The weekend of 16th-19th June, New York City was flooded with Bowie fans. Sixty odd from England, some from Europe, one from Japan, others from all over America and probably others I'm unaware of. We gathered faithfully as ever outside the Roseland to wait with anxious anticipation for the event of the year - a David Bowie concert.

It started for me on 13th June when I flew into Newark Airport. I made the journey to my hotel (or institution) on W94th street by taxi, having met a group of English friends in the taxi queue. After unpacking, I relaxed for an hour and then went out into the Big Apple where I'd arranged to meet the English crowd at the Pig & Whistle pub on W47th street. It was great to see them all again, we only seem to meet up on tour, although we had last been together in November 1999 on the 'hours...' promotional tour. We drank pints of budweiser (not cheap at $4.50 a pint) and 'chilled out' after our lengthy journey from the UK.

The following day we all did our own thing arranging to meet up again at the Pig in the evening. I called in at the offices of Ultrastar to say "hello" and generally ambled around the city, popping into the odd record and book store. I met up with the others later on and again sank some Buds and found a few other stray English fans. On Thursday morning, I went along to the Roseland to 'check it out' so to speak and what did I find - a geordie on the floor outside. I've heard of queuing early but this is ridiculous. I woke Rob up to enquire firstly why he was there and ask where the other three geordies were. He was pleased to see me and advised that he and Les had slept outside as they had arrived on Wednesday and didn't have hotel arrangements until Thursday when Stuey and Don arrived. Great guys. Well atleast they were sorted for tonight. Les came back a few minutes later and we talked for a good hour or two. Then I wandered off around the city again after telling Rob and Les to meet us in the Pig for the usual drinking session in the evening. Have you ever known a geordie refuse an excuse for a drink?

Friday meant an early start, up at 0600, at the venue by 0700. I joined the few fans that were already there, including the geordie clan along with our friend Natasha and whiled away the day talking, resting, and fetching coffee and food. The entrance to the gig was a complete fiasco with the security not having much control over the queue and opening all three doors without barricading them off in lines so that people could just run in, some before the fans who had queued all day. Luckily I was still on the barrier although having been only 9th or 10th in the queue I should have been fairly central but instead was more to the right infront of Gail. But I was fairly happy with this. After the show we celebrated the event in the pub before retiring for the night preparing for the following day of similar events.

Yet again on Saturday we were sitting outside the venue before most people were even getting up. Two girls had slept outside all night. The heat was a scorching 97°C at one point, burning us all to cinders as we sat patiently on the pavement (sidewalk). At 1700 we received the devastating news that the show was cancelled, Eric announcing it at the front of the queue that David had laryngitis and couldn't even speak, let alone sing. Oh no! It was the first time David had ever cancelled a gig in his entire career. Must be bad. Hope it's not long-term. Two young girls who lived in New York, so travelling wasn't a major issue, were distraught because this was to be their first Bowie concert. One of the girls could not contain her emotion and burst into tears. I knew exactly how she felt having very nearly been in a similar situation myself many years ago. I calmly told her I had a spare ticket for Monday's show if she could make it and that my mate Susan had a spare for her friend. She thanked me, but was unsure whether they could come or not. Some other fans had actually travelled in to New York especially for the Saturday show. Although they could claim refunds for their tickets they would have been unable to claim any money back for their flights or travelling expenses. No one however blamed David, after all, what else could he do? He's never cancelled a gig before. Being a singer is a little difficult without a voice! Bless him. The next hour or so was spent talking and sharing disappointment. Large sheets of card were brought out to the front of the venue so that we could write sympathy and get well messages to David, and if wished, sarcastic ones too. A couple of the English crowd put comments such as "I'll get me coat" and "As we say up north, you're just a shandy drinking soft southern bastard". We all decided that the next best thing then was a pint! Now there's a surprise. Off to the Pig & Whistle, going via the hotel to shower and change. I met some friends, Liz and Robert, coming up the stairs of the metro as I was going down. They asked where I was going at this late hour and when I told them of the cancellation they didn't believe me. I asked them "would I leave the queue after 1800hrs?" which then assured them that it must be true as for me to leave my prime queue position so close to door opening time was unheard of. Liz was only relieved that she hadn't spent the day queuing.

Sunday afternoon was spent at the Bowienetters party in Central Park, supposedly in Sheep's Meadow but it was closed due to rain. Instead we gathered around a couple of rocks and sat talking and mingling with fellow netters. Freecloud, along with a guitar, gave a sterling acoustic performance with the throng giving him occasional vocal support. Rumours were rife that Bowie would not be fit enough to sing the following day. Oh the worry.... although Bowienet had confirmed that even if he couldn't sing they would do something (?). Based on this assumption I decided that I wanted to be at the very front centre for this show because it was my birthday. Actually my birthday was 20th June but it was close enough. So, I arrived at the Roseland at 2000 on Sunday evening, 23hrs before the doors were due to open! Some fans came passed and we chatted and they asked why I was sitting outside the venue already. When I told them I was queuing they thought I was mad but then decided to come down themselves at around 0200. The geordies and Natasha joined Me at 2130, followed by Ysengrin and my American friend Susan shortly afterwards. We had all brought sheets and trash bags to lie on as the carpet outside the venue doors was not the most pleasant thing to be in direct contact with. We bedded down for the night although trying to sleep on the streets of New York is almost impossible with huge juggernauts coming past every few minutes sounding like a thunderstorm. The constant stream of drunken yobs that decided to join us (obviously thinking we were a bunch of tramps until told otherwise) also ensured a sleepless night as most of them spoke (or rather slurred) as if attached directly to a loudhaler. Still, you've got to do these mad things. Who said life was dull? Some fans arrived around mid-morning time in high spirits having seen messages on Bowienet from Sailor himself saying "Monday night is on!" Thank god for that, I didn't spend the night on the street in vain!

As we looked at the letters on the venue spelling out 'David Bowie Sold Out', we tried to make an anagram. I came up with "SO DAVID BOWED OUT IL" (* hence the heading of this diary), detailing Saturdays unfortunate cancellation, which although spelt 'ill' with only 1 L, used all the letters. The geordies found a ladder in a storage facility next to the venue and wanted to change the letters around to form my anagram but decided against it, following the better judgement of everyone else!

I went back to the hotel to shower and change and put on the t-shirt I had printed for the Bowienet show. It featured my chat nick and my name. Although this had been suggested by many people on the internet, very few had actually done it. Today the fans at the front of the queue made a bargain with security to sort out the entrance procedure to make it fair for those of us who had camped out. They agreed and about ten minutes before the doors opened took in the first 10-15 people and told us to wait in the foyer saying they would let us in the actual venue just as the main door opened to everyone else. Great, some organisation at last. Thanks guys. So, we were fine, I was centre front row and was exceptionally happy. The geordies on my left, Susan on my right. After a little while a chorus of "happy birthday" echoed across the front row, courtesy of the geordies, thanks lads. They asked Bob (security) if he could get a message to David to say 'Happy Birthday' to me which he said he would tell Eric, but it didn't happen. Oh well, nice thought. By this point I had actually decided that I would be watching David on my birthday. He came on stage at 2030. If I based this on the time difference, New York being 5 hours behind the UK, at this time it was actually 0130 in England. As I am English I decided to work on English time and was therefore watching Bowie perform on my birthday. Hooray!

We came out of the venue, with the free souvenir t-shirts and posters we had collected (thanks Bowienet) and made our way to Faces and Names which made a change from the Pig. It was packed with Bowienutters/netters exchanging comments and memories. Myself, Natasha and the Geordies along with Alison, an American girl confined to a wheelchair we met the night before then made our way to a pub Stuey had discovered on W72nd street which turned out to be a smoke-filled dive, but the beer was cheaper. I then made my way back to W94th street for my last night in New York, ready to pack and fly home the following day. I spent Tuesday morning (now actually my birthday) walking in the sweltering heat (again in the 90's) buying books and last minute souvernirs. A taxi ride at around 1400 got me back to Newark Airport ready for the flight home at 1900.

Bye bye New York. No doubt see you again very soon.