TFI FRIDAY AND THE BBC - JUNE 2000 JOURNAL
Review by Sandra (aka Spidey)

Well what a few days!!!!!

We thought we wouldn't get to see Bowie at all this year!!! We did look into the cost of flying over to New York for the Roseland shows, but it would have cost us well over a £1000, and we just couldn't afford it... plus the usual thing of us not wanting to leave the cats ;-) =^..^= =^..^=

We knew he was playing at the Glastonbury festival over here of course... but we wouldn't go to that! Big outdoor festivals/stadiums are not for us!!! BUT then we heard he was doing a TV Show here (TFI Friday) and we managed (after a LOT of grovelling to the TV studio) to get tix for that :-))))))))

It was WONDERFUL... we were RIGHT at the front!!!!!!! No space in-between us and the stage... and THERE HE WAS... standing RIGHT IN FRONT OF US!!!

Don thought I was gonna faint LOL... but I was too crammed in for that ;-) And boy did he look AMAZING!!??!! All 'lionesque' :-) like a proud old lion someone said the other day :-)

I actually thought he looked very vampiry too!!! At one point he stood behind Gail Ann, with his mouth close to her neck and he looked for all the world like Vampire Lestat and like he was gonna bite her there and then **giggle** He could bite my neck any day ;-) And his voice!!!!! After all we'd heard about his laryngitis we were quite worried for him, but we needn't have been... he was AWESOME :-)

He did 4 songs: Wild Is The Wind, Starman, Absolute Beginners and Cracked Actor WONDERFUL. They only showed 2 songs on TV... but we have all four in our memory and heart :-)

We met Linda (Ladygrin) and her husband (JJ) for the first time there... Linda had never been so close, and I was dying to see her reaction :-) I looked round for her after Bowie had left the stage and there she was with a great big grin on her face and mascara all round her eyes where she had shed a tear (or two) ;-) :-)

We also couldn't wait to see Spud's reaction, coz he had never been that close either... we caught up with him as we were leaving the stage area and he was besides himself with pleasure :-) He actually said the exact same thing that I had said the previous October when we last saw Bowie on TFI... and in the exact same spot too!!!!! He said "if I drop down dead now, I die happy" :-) Thank god he didn't ;-)

It was a fantastic day all together, and it was lovely to meet up with so many of our friends there too :-)

Then the next morning we found we'd won a place each at the BBC filming for the following Tuesday (27th June)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WHOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.

I had to go into work on Monday... God knows how I got through the day I was THAT excited... I kept spinning on my chair and every so often would let out a little EEEEKKK as I sat at my computer working... at one point one of my work colleagues turned round and told me to "shut up for Gods sake, stop being so bloody happy will ya?" hehehe

It was finally Tuesday morning :-)) My tummy was in knots!!!! I had to take an Imodium before we could even leave the house!!

We got as far as the bus stop and then I realised I'd forgotten the suitcase LOL... poor Don had to run back at the speed of light to get it... and he just got back to the bus stop as the bus was pulling up!!!!! Close call!!! Good job I'd taken that Imodium ;-)

We got into London at about 1.00pm and checked into our Hotel... we had decided to stay the night, coz last year at both the Jools Holland filming and the Astoria show, we had to get the last train back home (11.45pm) and it was such a rush... talk about Cinderella ;-)

Spaceface was staying at the same hotel :-) so we were able to meet up with her for a quick chat before we set off for the venue. We knew we had no need to get there too early, coz of the seat allocation thing... but we were keen to just be near the place, make sure we knew where it was, and then maybe pop for a drink somewhere close at hand

So at about 3.00pm we took a steady walk along Oxford Street... We found the place without any bother and there were already a few fans mingling about in little clusters.

We saw a few of our friends, Marcel was there and so were Straffer and Zimmo.

We stood talking to Straffer and Zimmo when all of a sudden a car pulled up right besides us!!!!!!

There was a change in the atmosphere straight away... and Don said to me "HE'S HERE... PASS THE CAMERA QUICK"... I, meanwhile, just stood there like a rabbit caught in headlights with my mouth open!!! Don asked for the camera again, but I had lost both the power of speech AND the ability to co-ordinate my hands and eyes to open my handbag and get my camera out!! So I just sorta grunted and pointed to my bag while maintaining the startled rabbit look!!! So by the time Don got my camera he was just able to get a lovely pic of the back of David's head LOL (sorry Don) ;-)

We were soooo excited now!!! :-)))

More people started to arrive... some more of our friends were starting to appear... Gilly, Simone, Bianca, SusanS.

Then Mr. Total Blam Blam himself came out... and closely in tow was Duncan, lookin' VERY professional behind the film camera :-)

We met a few people for the first time... including Orissia (who I'd only met in BowieNet chat before) and Karen :-)) It's always great meeting new Bowie peeps... they're all soooo nice :-)

By this time my tongue was stickin' to the top of my mouth, so we decided to go for a drink. We phoned Spaceface back at the hotel to tell her where we'd be... and then 10 minutes later phoned her again to give her the CORRECT name of the pub we were going too ;-) (sorry Spacey) ;-)

We trooped off to The George... and found it already had quite a few Bowie fans propping up the bar ;-)

We found Spud in there... looking a lot more red in the face than when we'd seen him on Friday at TFI!!! Turns out he had fell asleep in the mud at Glastonbury and burnt his face **giggle**... and Steve Perrin was there :-) Then in walked the 'hug monster' Steph (Electric Blue) :-)))))))

The drink went down a treat... didn't touch the sides ;-) But we were soon anxious to be off and get back to the venue... it was now about 6.45pm!!!!!

We went round to the front of the place now... and there was already a long line of fans... the buzz in the air was electric :-) Everybody was grinning and smiling :-)

We met Philippe Auliac... very sweet guy :-) Helen2 was there and LamBugi :-))))))

Rednik and Dawn were there too... with baby Steve K, who surprisingly (coz it was obviously wayyy past his bedtime) was up and out of his pram and looking very alert ;-)

And then we were AT THE DOOR!!!! Whoo HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO we're goin' in :-)))))

We were shown to our seats!!!!!!!!!!

There were ONLY about 150 places!!!!! And we were in the second row :-))))))))))))))))))))))

It was filmed at the BBC Radio Theatre... a TINY room... really lovely, all Art Deco :-)

There was no stage as such, just a raised platform, so he stood right in front, at almost the same level as us!!!!!

We sat there waiting looking at the stage... waiting for the band to arrive... and the tension was mounting fast!!!!!

Don pointed out to me an inhaler thingymebob on the stage!!! We knew it was to do with Bowie's throat problem... and my tummy turned over!!! I hoped he was gonna be OK... we were so worried about him!!

There were loads of friends around us... it was soo cool grinnin' and waving to em :-)

Boy it was such a great room... really lovely... great shape... gorgeous lighting... we just couldn't wait :-)

I was getting myself so worked up by this stage that I felt my throat closing up!!! I kept thinkin' to myself 'keep going you fool... don't pass out or start hyperventilating NOW... at least wait till after the show! The last time my throat felt like this was after a 'prawn attack' but that's another story ;-)

Then at last the band came on!!!!! And then David walked on WHOOAAAA :-)))) We're off :-))

He looked soooo dammed cool (as always) :-)

Someone once said (I'm so sorry I can't remember who it was, I have the memory of a Goldfish) ;-) that seeing David Bowie live was, and I quote, "like an electric shock to the soul"... that is SO true... wish I'd said it first ;-)

David started off by telling us all, in the most amazingly gentle way to "Please sit down... it's gonna be a long night, you'll be so much more comfortable if you take a seat". **Shiver** the way he said this again put me in mind of a very polite vampire, sooooo sexy, I reckon it's the new hair do that's doing it ;-)

Of course we all wanted to stay standing up!!! You don't SIT when Bowie is standing in front of you!!!!! I tried to comply... sent these 'sit down' messages from my brain to my legs, but my legs just shut their ears and ignored me!!!!!

David had to ask us a few times... and he managed to put it such a sweet gentle way that in the end even my legs did as they were told!

He'd no sooner managed to get us to all sit down tho, when he gave a cheeky little grin and then told us to "all stand up again" LOL then to "no really, please, do... sit down" LOL he said he could see this was gonna be a 'standing joke' tonight ;-)

I won't go into detail here about all the songs he sang... you've already seen the set list... and you KNOW how totally awesome he was... he hit every note, perfect :-)... spat in the eye of his laryngitis/bronchitis he did :-) But it was ohhhh sooooooooooooooooooo moving...

He had to stop and use an inhaler a few times, and at one stage even had to have oxygen via a cylinder thing :-(

It was heartbreaking!!! I was torn between shouting "STOP... go home and get to bed before you collapse" to shouting "MORE MORE"... he sounded absolutely AMAZING... Lord knows how in that condition!!!!

He stumbled a tiny bit during the encores... had a tickle in his throat and had to re-start a couple of the songs!! But he wasn't gonna let it beat him... and he sneered once more at his bronchitis, started again and wowed us all with another amazing few songs :-)

Altogether he did 2 1/2 hours (21 songs)!!!!!

WHO else would do that on top of his illness????? Only him :-))) He was just NOT gonna let us down!!!!

When he finished he looked like he just wanted to collapse in a dark room and he had his arms around a couple of the other band members as he walked off stage!

I just sat there and cried with the emotion of it!!!!

At one point during the performance a security guy came over to where Straffer and Zimmo were sitting (right in front of us) and he gestured for Straffer to go towards the stage (she had some flowers for David). It took him what was probably only a few seconds before he noticed her standing there, but it seemed like hours!!! Then he saw her, and immediately stepped down to take the flowers and thank her (by name) :-)) he also rewarded her with a kiss on the cheek :-))) bless him :-)

We were chuffed to bits for her :-)

After David and the band had left the stage I saw that same security guy helping to clear away up on stage and so I went up and gestured to him so I could have a word with him... he said "I know I might LOOK like David Bowie, but I'm not him" LOL I said "I know that ya daft bugger... I just wanted to say thank you for helping my friend give him those flowers... I saw what you did there, you made that happen for her" :-))) what a gent :-)

We then filed out of the room into the night...

We went round the back of the venue to see what was happening... and everyone said David had left the building and gone straight away... we weren't surprised... poor guy prob just wanted his bed! He must have been exhausted!

My mouth felt like the bottom of a budgies cage again... so we headed back off to The George ;-)

We found Spud sitting on his own outside the pub... with a look of sheer emotion of his face :-) He was just sitting there trying to collect his thoughts and just 'take in' what had just happened :-) bless him.

After we'd had a drink and met up with loads more fans (including yet ANOTHER Steve and the wonderful WEBWOLF) :-)))) we headed back towards the Radio Theatre for Steph to collect her car.

There were still a few fans hanging around outside... so we went to have a chat with some friends...

One thing that I was very sorry about was that due to the time factor (all happened so fast) no one had been able to organise any sort of 'get together'... even just a room would have been great, for the fans to meet up before/after the show... and I knew a lot of people had come a long way... one guy in particular had who had come over from the States (Lestat) had put a couple of messages on the MB askin' if people were meeting up... and of course no one had replied as nothing had been arranged...

I didn't even know what this Lestat looked like... to be able to go and say 'HI' if we saw him... and I said to a couple of people that I feared he had probably gone back all alone to his hotel room after the show... I felt so bad about it...

Then we saw Orissia and Karen coming out the back of the Beeb... with a guy we didn't know with them... all 3 wearing these HUGE grins and proudly waving these backstage passes at everyone!!!!

Turns out the three of them had all been to the after show party!!!!! Mixing with the 'celebs' no less ;-) AND had even gotten to have a few words with David himself and got his autograph!!!!!! Lucky things!!!!

When this guy stopped talkin' to come up for air, I took the opportunity to ask him 'WHO he was'... he said "Ohh my name is Lestat"... I smiled and hugged him and said "YOU!!! I'VE been worried to bloody death about you all night... thinkin' you'd trundled off on ya own to a little hotel room, all by yourself... and there you are, backstage bloody party and you MEET the man" LOLOLOL

They told us that although we all thought David had left straight after the show, he was in fact still inside!!!!

And sure enough we then saw David coming out of the place... and for the first time EVER we got his autograph from him :-))) I was VERY conscious that he wasn't well, and needed to go home, so I didn't ask for him to put 'TO SPIDEY/SANDRA AND DON' or anything, just passed him a CD cover... he smiled and said "OK, but this is the last one, I really must go and I'm cold and need to get in the car"... he signed it BO 2000 :-)

Don went round the other side of the car and took a picture of him signing for me :-)

WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

We just didn't want the night to end... so we decided to go to China Town to get some food... as they stop open later :-)

A few people got a taxi and about six of us crammed into Steph's car LOL I don't know HOW we all got in, but we did ;-) It was so funny... there we were driving round the streets of London, with Bowie blasting out on the stereo, singing and laughin'... and WHOOPIN with delight as we drove past WARDOUR STREET :-)

We met up with a few others in China Town... and went for a meal... we stayed out till 3.00 am and still felt like we could talk about the show forever :-))))

While we were in China Town... taking pics, Don realised that our camera had broke!!!! EEEKKKKKKK.

It was jammed completely, and we were trying to remember if we had been able to take any pics after the ones of David leaving the Beeb and SIGNING his autograph for me!!!!!!!

When we got back home the next day, Don managed (after a bit of a tussle) to get the film out of the camera (using one of them black camera bag thingies), and although we were very tired (bed at 3.30am and up again ready for the journey home at 6.30am) ;-) we just HAD to know if the pics turned out or not... so off we went into town to have em done on the hour...

I told the woman at the counter that even though we didn't think there would be anything on the pics... to please print ANYTHING they could, as they were VERY precious to us!!!!

Fifty minutes later (patience was never my strong point) ;-) I went back into Boots to see if they had turned out!!

She said "Thirty-two pics have come out" :-))) **YAY**... I could have hugged her :-) She was so excited for me by this time that she had to look at ALL the pics with me there and then :-)

Well... hope I haven't rambled on too much!!!!!!! But I had to write all this down :-)

It was such a very VERY special night... one we'll remember forever and always :-)

We feel VERY privileged to have been there :-)

I wish we had a time machine and could go back and do it ALL again!!!!

By Sandra (aka Spidey)
June 2000