Being a bit of a home bird I very much wanted to wake up in my own bed on 01/01/2000. We went to Mike’s brother’s for New Years Eve which involves a drive so, being the driver, I was stone cold sober at midnight.
Mike on the other hand was three sheets to the wind so when we came home and then went over to the neighbours at around 1.00am he was rather the worst for wear!
I can’t tell a story about Bruce without mentioning 09/11. On the 8th September 2001 Mike and I had set off on a Mediterranean cruise with his Mum and Dad to celebrate their Golden Wedding Anniversary. We were sitting on deck in the middle of the Med when the news came through. Mike went to watch the TV for a while but we were really cocooned from it all and didn’t realise the horror of it until we were home.
Knowing how the news is broadcast I expect there was saturation coverage for days but this had all died down by the time we arrived back in the UK.
We did catch, by chance, Bruce singing ‘My City of Ruins’ - turned on the TV and there he was.
I was still buying country albums in the early noughties but not as much as in the past. Mike bought a couple of Paul Carrack CDs and we went to see him at the Ritz Ballroom at Brighouse - very glamorous. He was pretty good but we haven’t been back to see him since.
Must have started on a bit of a nostalgia trip around this time because we bought a sixties compilation - Mikes boyhood era - and a David Cassidy CD - one of my teenage heartthrobs.
I also came back to Rod Stewart who I had abandoned a few years previously. I bought a greatest hits compilation and his ‘Human’ which I really liked. Not really sure about this Great American Songbook stuff though. Went to see him in June 2002 and he did a kind of half and half show - half a greatest hits and the other half the old American standards with a big band. Really enjoyed it but it didn’t give me the buzz a Bruce show does.
I tried to get into more up to date stuff. I find I love a lot of the single releases indie rock, metal, the girl groups, boy bands in fact most genre of music but not enough to go for a whole album. I haven’t trained my brain to download singles only. You can’t really know if you like a band until you hear more than just the most commercial track chosen for radio airplay.
Bought ‘The Rising’ as soon as it came out - the first time I remember doing this. We sat down at home, played it through then looked at each other to see what we thought. Both loved it straight away and our immediate favourite was ’Sunny Day’. A typical choice for me as I zone in on the pop tunes. Not so typical for Mike and his favourite track now is ’The Rising’. In fact it’s his favourite album.
Not sure if I have a stand out track now. Some tracks I love and some I don’t like so much. Not keen on ‘The Fuse’ - like the lyrics not sure about the tune and dare I say it I think the ‘muffin man’ - sorry ‘The Nothing Man’ is a bit boring. Again great lyrics - very poignant - but boring tune. Sorry Bruce. I actually don’t dislike ‘Lets be Friends’ although I know a lot of people hate it.
Further on up the Road is the song I want at my funeral. I love the Seeger Sessions version but Mike doesn’t think the cheering at the end of a live track is appropriate for a funeral so it might be the Johnny Cash version.
We found out about the tour from Channel Four’s gig and tour teletext pages. I rang the number given and a very helpful chap told me when the tickets were going on sale. He warned me I would need to get in quick so there we were 9.00am - Mike on his mobile and me on the house phone trying to get through and each getting an engaged tone.
Mike got a ringing tone first and handed his phone to me. I remember quite clearly sitting on the top step of our stairs waiting to get through. By 9.20am we were the proud owners of 2 tickets. I know the casual fanship had started to veer towards obsession by this time because we still have those tickets.Can’t believe this is nearly 10 years ago now. Our first two Springsteen concerts seem like a lifetime ago but this Wembley concert seems like yesterday - perhaps because Bruce has been a constant in our lives one way and another ever since then.
We have very fond memories of Mike sliding down the wall in the wee hours that New Year's...managing to keep a glass of water firmly clenched in his hand - upright I might - and without losing any of it on the way! Re cheering at the end of the song - well I think that would be the best version to have at a funeral :) End on a high! I'm so impressed you can remember what albums you bought when....how on earth do you do it???
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