UKC

First - synchonicity.

In a stadium of 50,000+ people, 2 outdoorsy looking blokes sit down next to me and Liz and ask "Wasn't you in Rjukan?" - yep fellow UKCers who were in Hytteby the same time as our group. I've experienced too many of these coincidences to consider them out of the norm any more, but statistically - whats the chances of this happening.

Second - the venue.

I hate stadium gigs, the last I went to was Kanye West at M.E.N. Arena which suffered from muddy sound and we had the feeling that we were just cattle being herded through an efficient machine to relieve us of our money.

So I thought that going to Old Trafford was a neccessary evil to enable us to see "The Boss" - how wrong I was. The second we started looking for the parking we were helped by intelligent, articulate,friendly, helpful stewards. Now I aint been to a match since I used to follow Spurs and Walthamstow Avenue in the 1960's, my view is that football is now a cynical business rather than a sport. But as soon as we were in the presence of the Old Trafford ground, we could sense a tangible prensence and atmosphere - it certainly felt like a special and powerful place. There were amazingly civilised facilities from spotless toilets through to Lavazza coffee through to the Fanzone Marquee doing a Salmon, Asparagus , Seafood and Noodle all you can eat buffet for £9.95 (we shared one).
All in all enough to convince this old cynic it would be worth going to a match again.

The gig.

I was lucky enough to see Bruce Springsteen at his first Hammersmith Odeon gig back in 1976? and I have raved about it ever since. Would this live up to it?
As soon as the band hit the stage, the atmosphere was electric and the sound was excellent and yes the band were as good as ever. Bruce and the E Street Band manage to make a huge stadium seem like a warm, intimate club.
A couple of times during the gig, I had to wipe away tears of emotion.

Highlight of the evening for me was a new song to me "Come on over to Marys place"? I think it was called. TRhis really hit the spot like the 76 concert and showed what this band is capable of that I have expereienced at no other concert. It is like having pure warm emotion andf joy beamed into you from the stage. Maybe this is what people get at some of these american style gosp[el meetings - I dunno.

Lowpoint of the evening was that they didnt play "Jungleland"

Funniest part of the evening was that Bruce played a request "Growing Up" for a young lad in the audience. He was sitting on his dads shoulders and his dad had fitted him out in oversized bright red industrial plastic ear defenders. The 2 giant screens either side of the stage had this massive image of the beaming youngster jigging round on his dads shoulders with the comedy ear wear. And Bruce was adlibbing lyrics on stage " My pop made me wear these geeky ear things to watch the gig...." Magic...I bet that young lad will remember it for ever.

Clarence Clemens "The BIg Man" and possibly rocks greatest saxophonist drew the biggest cheers from the crowd as always. And Miami Steve (Silvio from The Sopranos) Nils Lofgren and Bruce all played blistering guitar.

And for the last number of the evening, they ditched the rock instruments. Out came fiddles, accordions, acoustic guitars and bangoes and off they romped into a long loud rabble rousing Irish style jig...stunning.

Ive gone out and supplimented my original Springstteen vinyl with some CDs which Ive been blasting in the car for the last week and I will be regularly checking t'internet for the next tour.

Ohh....and Southside Johnny and the Astbury Jukes are touring this autumn...yay

In reply to David Hooper:

For a differant slant on Bruce Sprinsteen try The Seegar Sessions - fantatsic.

http://www.amazon.com/We-Shall-Overcome-Seeger-Sessions/dp/B000EU1PNC

In reply to martin riddell:
can second that.
Mum and dad got me and liz that CD for easter and its great.
Love the Mrs McGrath version


youtube.com/watch?v=wGwUrmNI6wY&

In reply to martin riddell:

Got it ....pretty good, but I prefer his "proper" stuff.

In reply to David Hooper:

I agree with you there, the Seeger Sessions are interesting but the best recent one for me was The Rising - probably for the emotion in the songs.

Very envious of you seeing him (twice), the nearest I came to it was when he was at Wembley Stadium in 1985, I was in the Arena seeing Dire Straits. They were good but my heart was across the road!

In reply to Mike C:
now im jealous to, i wish i had been able to experience Dire Straits live.

In reply to Mokkel:

I had to share the experience with Charles & Di!

In reply to Mike C:

ohh dear.

In reply to Mike C: Just ordered The Rising off Amazon - isnt that the album with Marys Place on?

In reply:

Check this out for pure warm emotion - Bruce and Southside Johnny

youtube.com/watch?v=yQ3amVBypEk&

In reply to David Hooper:

Just watched and savoured this clip about 5 times before I go to bed.

If anyone is not emotionally moved by this bit of music - then they are probably not breathing

In reply to David Hooper:

The man is an utter legend. Lyrics which touch the soul of the common man.

In reply to David Hooper:

Yes, it is. A lot of the music on The Rising was written following 9/11, for which he did a fundraising concert. All very moving, particularly Empty Sky.

In reply to David Hooper: damm! i knew there was something i wanted to book this year!
You cant beat 'the boss'

In reply to David Hooper:

I think those ear defenders might have been a necessity mate!!! Was woken up from a 'after tea nap' when staying in digs in Gateshead by what I presumed was the buggers upstairs stereo, was fully prepared to go & get it sorted but opened the window to the room as it was rather warm. That's when the music got louder & I realised it was from Bruce's concert in Newcaste at St James's Park! I could hear all the notes & words of the songs & my ears are knackered! Maybe the dad had been to that concert as well!

In reply to Removed User:

Nicely put sir

In reply to David Hooper:

Saw Bruce at Wembley on 4th July 2005. He was on stage for over 4 hours, the concert just grew and grew with energy.

Absolute master, wether in a stadium or in a hall he has the audience in his hands like no other performer can.

In reply to Glyno:

except maybe Freddie did.

In reply to David Hooper:
No one else went then?

In reply to David Hooper:

Don't you think that his first album - 'Greetings from Astbury Park' was his best one though? Slips on steel helmet and slides into foxhole....

In reply to David Hooper:


Thanks for that . Southside was a hero of mine for a long time.

Bit in two minds about seeing them live now though. I don't know which is more depressing , the state of the band compared to my memories, the state of the audience or the state of me.

I guess/hope he'll still have that voice.

In reply to Glyno:

should have said 1985

In reply to David Hooper: I saw him at Crystal Palace a few years back and he was totally disappointing....

In reply to Pekkie:

been a 'fan' for 30 years, I actually think The Rising is as good an album as any he's done.

In reply to Pekkie:

Thats the one I've been playing most recently - however I am waiting for the Rising to ARRIVE FROM aMAZON

In reply to David Hooper:

You can download an MP3 of the recent Wembley gig here......

http://bosstracks.blogspot.com/2008/06/boot-tracker-may-31-2008-london.html

In reply to David Hooper:



well we're fairly easy in our house about what the wife and I both listen too (certainly differing musical tastes), but i've just requested that she stops playing that awful noise coming out of her computer and through my hifi.

emotionally moved? not really. just didn't really like it very much. musically i didn't think there was any great skill or talent their.

i understand we all have different tastes in music (and i like tolerance in this), but i couldn't even begin to guess what you like in this clip.

ps. the missus usually likes 'the boss', but she didn't take much persuading to stop the recording this time.

In reply to David Hooper:

I lived my formative years to Born to Run and The River and remember ogling 'Brucey's bum' on the video to 'Dancing in the Dark' in 1983. I have never had the chance to see him (or other childhood heroes such as Genesis and Floyd) live and think I would most likely be disappointed if it were to happen, because of my high expectations. But on the other hand .....? Sometimes you can just get caught up in the moment and the atmosphere ... it has happened to me with much smaller bands in smaller venues (mainly prog rock) but I can't imagine it happening in a massive venue such as Wembley or Old Trafford, to be honest.