YOU would have thought an artist of the magnitude of Craig David would have sold York Barbican out within days if not hours, but amazingly it was not so.

Those who wondered about going last night and didn't, shame on you: we should support the big gigs to show how much we want them in this city and, more importantly, you missed a fantastic night.

Even before the man himself was on stage, the night was off to a flying start with Michelle Lawson, a powerful, soulful singer and worth looking out for in the future.

I'm not sure of the title of the third track she sang but that should be a single - it was superb. She's like Alicia Keys with a harder edge, or Kelly Rowland (winner of American Pop Idol).

But on to the main man himself.

When Craig David appeared on stage, the crowd reaction was amazing: constant screaming throughout the opener, Slicker Than Your Average, followed by Seven Days, where the screams turned to singing, almost loud enough to drown out the band.

The crowd were loving every minute, the band were getting involved rather just been stuck at the back and really seemed to be enjoying it.

Audience and artists fed off each other until, by the time we got to The Rise And Fall, the atmosphere was electric.

Between those two points was the collective sigh of several hundred people that accompanied the intro to You Don't Miss Your Water ('Til The Well Runs Dry), with all the meanings of the songs explained by Craig David, who seemed to care what his fans were thinking and how they were enjoying it rather than just getting up and playing a set.

He ended with Spanish, encored on Rendezvous and the grand finale Re-rewind When The Crowd Say Bo-selecta - all off which were met with great joy by the frenzied audience.

For a handful of people the best was yet to come though. For those who persevered they got to meet the man the man himself, obviously tired but not so much of a star that he wouldn't stop for autographs.

It's touches like these that make the true stars.

Updated: 12:01 Monday, September 22, 2003