If there’s one thing you should do in your lifetime it is to go and see Bruce Springsteen in concert.
I was at the second show in London of his current tour at the Emirates Stadium in Arsenal. This was the first concert they have held at the new stadium, with a capacity of 60,335 in total. It certainly worked as a venue – the sound was great as were the vast video screens he spent a lot of time looking into for our benefit. For avid fans, it was an exceptional night, he played “Jungleland”, “I’m On Fire” and “Downbound Train” – 24 songs in total, so four less than the night before, but I think, overall it was considered to be a better set than the night before.
His success stems from being the consummate everyman and yet really, he is like a diminuitive god working the stage like no other performer I’ve ever seen and just loving the love he gets from his fans. Taking requests, notes, hats from flaying arms and letting his most adoring fans, the ones that are prepared to get crushed to death, touch his hand or even the back of his calf. I’d be terrified if I was him, one wrong move or one slightly too obsessed fan and he’d be absorbed into the sea of love, consumed alive, like that bloke in “Perfume” in under 5 minutes.
He is very, very cool. All his moves, his little goattee, pierced ears, he’s even managed to still have quite cool hair for a 58 year old…I bet not even his kids find him an embarrassment. There were nine musicians on stage. The E Street Band first came to Britain 33 years ago. They were phenomenal, particularly Clarence Clemons their shiny saxophone player.
So there I was in the audience. Not too far away from the stage surrounded by people all united by their love of “The Boss”. People were smoking weed, getting drunk, dancing, swaying about – it was like being at one big orgy of love (without the sex obviously or the nudity).
I obviously managed to completely embarrass myself by asking if “BOOO” was the new “YAAAY” because otherwise I must be missing something – why was everybody Booing at the end of each song, it seemed rude..”. Of course what they were actually saying was “BRUUUCE” which made everybody kill themselves laughing every time another song ended.
June 1st, 2008 at 8:40 am
He’s aged a little since I saw him on the Born in the USA tour which I think was 1985, he is still a fantastic performer though. The River is one of my favourite songs of all time.
June 1st, 2008 at 11:23 pm
ah you lucky lucky LUCKy fish!!! adore bruce too…have all his albums…well. i am in a flat panic (as a zambian once said to me when we witnessed a bicycle crash, “well. that’s panic for you.”) about my two solo gigs this week..have done NOTHING about line ups or ANYTHING…and there will be no adoring fans here..its hard work but oh what a lot of fun! time to let out the schizo pop star in me….jeez…
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:17 am
“He’s aged a little since I saw him on the Born in the USA tour which I think was 1985″
Your kidding me! A man ages ‘ a little’ in 23 years? Wow. Here’s a shocker. He’d aged in 1985 from the time I saw him at Hammersmith Odeon in 1975 as well. Doesn’t stop him outperforming 99% of the Glastonbury rubbish. A MasterClass in live performance. Kaiser Chiefs? Fratellis blmah blah? Bruce sh8t’s ‘em.
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:37 am
I HAD A GREAT EVENING TOO.
Shame about the acoustics in the Emirates stadium. Did anyone else think they were iffy?
Mike
June 2nd, 2008 at 11:22 am
Actually I have to agree that the acoustics weren’t great – fairly quiet where I was near the stage and ridiculously loud at the back.
Yes, agree, If I have only “aged a little” in the last 23 years I’d be really really happy.
June 2nd, 2008 at 3:30 pm
Hi Lulu, lucky you – my Sister went to this concert too on Saturday, and said it was great. She told me about it when she came for the Birthday party. M xx
June 2nd, 2008 at 4:06 pm
The Evening Standard review today mentioned muffled sound as well….
June 3rd, 2008 at 3:06 am
I was at the first Emirates show and it was utterly amazing. Absolutely blistering version of Because The Night.
June 20th, 2008 at 8:16 am
Hello! I’m Portuguese super fan… I admire Bruce since i was young (38) and since he was young (LOl) but he is the best singer performer,man uau, well what can i say (invejo-te) They dont like Portugal, i think it’s never included in their tours. it’s a pity there ara many people o Love him… lot of kissies, sorry about my English….