Tribute: Ricky Warwick on David Bowie

David came back to the dressing-room afterwards to shake everybody's hand and say "hello", and that was an amazing experience. He was very sincere and articulate. In a lot of ways, he was what I would have expected - anytime I met him, he always looked great, like a rock star. He was just cool: polite, intelligent, witty - everything I hoped he'd be.
Fast forward ten years, and I'm in the Factory in Dublin, where I was living, and I was rehearsing with my band. Bowie was there rehearsing for a tour, and at the end he put on a secret show. Being the cool person he was, he invited everybody who worked there and all the bands who were using the building. We went along - and that was the first time that I met Joe Elliott from Def Leppard, with whom I became really good friends.
Then in 2003, Bowie was playing The Point on the Reality tour, which was subsequently released on DVD. Joe was still on tour, and he's a massive Bowie fan. In fairness, I think Joe would rather have been at the Bowie gig than on tour! Anyway, Bowie came on and started with 'All The Young Dudes', which he hadn't played since God knows when. I phoned up Joe and went, "Listen to this!" I think Def Leppard were about to go on somewhere, but Joe delayed the start of the gig. Afterwards he was going, "You bastard!"
Bowie was a phenomenal artist right to the very end. He was still being prolific, creating great art and working hard. That's just class.