So we are on a coach travelling down the M1 on 15th April 1993. Off to see Bruce for the first time.
We went with a coach company whose offices were down a little side street in Leeds. I didn’t seek out the place so it must have been fate that had me walking past to see the Springsteen gig advertised in their window. The date was around Mike’s birthday so birthday present sorted.
I tried to get to know Human Touch (HT) and Lucky Town (LT) because as a tour to promote them I thought Bruce would perform most of the songs. Not being a seasoned concert goer I just assumed artists played songs from the latest release. Did I expect Born in the USA? I can’t remember but he did do an acoustic version. (full set list below).
I didn’t want to go. I mean REALLY did not want to go but I left that night REALLY wanting to go again the next night ! It makes me smile even now to think how I was won over.
I don’t remember when the epiphany occurred. I would like to say that Bruce walked on stage and I was instantly converted but many years later with the advent of the internet and with it accessibility to set lists I discovered he opened with an acoustic ’Seeds’. Now there is nothing wrong with ‘Seeds’ acoustic or otherwise but I can’t see it grabbing me immediately.
We now, of course, have a bootleg of the night - paid for in the days before we were savvy enough to realise we could download for free. To keep the tradition which started when I began writing this I am listening now.
Can’t say it evokes any particular memories but yes we did think the audience were ‘booing’. Quickly realised they weren’t or at least if they were it wasn’t because they were unhappy!
We had no idea it wasn’t The E Street Band. In fact I am not sure if we even knew there was an E Street Band, although we must have had a vague idea of band members because we were looking for a big black man with a saxophone!
We were in seats about halfway back and halfway up. Around us everyone stood when Bruce came on stage and stayed up throughout. We couldn’t understand why, when people had seats, they stood up - we thought the standing area was for those who didn’t want to pay for a seat - how wrong can you be? We still sit these days but now I get annoyed if the audience around me DON‘T stand during the gig.
This same year we saw U2 at Roundhay Park -The Zoo Tour. Didn’t know anything they played, was bored to tears and it took us three hours to get out of the car park. We have thought about trying them again though - perhaps next tour.
Eric Clapton with ZZ Top at Sheffield Arena wasn’t any better and Michael Bolton who we saw around the same time was a disaster. He wandered on stage sang about ten songs and disappeared. Took his jacket off at one point and all the women in the front row swooned - needless to say I wasn’t in the front row.
I can’t believe it was to be six years before we saw Bruce again.
Set List
1.Seeds
2.Adam Raised a Cain
3.This Hard Land
4.Better Days
5.Lucky Town
6.57 Channels (and Nothin’ On)
7.Atlantic City
8.Badlands
9.Many Rivers to Cross
10.My Hometown
11.Leap of Faith
12.Mans Job
13.Roll of the Dice
14.Born in The USA (acoustic) 15.I’m on Fire
16.Because the Night
17.Human Touch
18.The River
19.Who’ll Stop the Rain?
20.Souls of the Departed
21.Prove it all Night
22.Light of Day
23.Glory Days
24.Thunder Road
25 Born to Run
26.My Beautiful Reward
27.Working on the Highway
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