Unlike the usual ticketmaster service which involves your tickets arriving a stress inducing couple of days before the show the Paris tickets arrived almost immediately after I had booked - months before the gig.
This caused another problem though - where is that elusive place that’s out-of- the-way enough to be safe but no so out-of-the-way that you forget where it is?
We plumped for a little used drawer which has now, over time, become the place to store booking confirmations, travel documents, show tickets and the like. Don’t think I had a can’t find the tickets panic once although said drawer had the gubbins in for three different gigs at one point.
The last time we were in Paris was for our honeymoon in 1992. We spent three days in Paris during a Metro strike and four days in Eurodisney as it was called at the time.
Eurodisney had only opened four days earlier. It was all a bit chaotic. Our hotel wasn’t finished so we were moved to another in the same price range. We had booked The Sequoia Lodge - all log cabin and patchwork quilts and ended up at The Newport Bay Club - all yachts and navy blue stripes. Check in took hours and there was a fire alarm test in the middle of the first night.
Sounds like a complete disaster but we loved both Paris and Eurodisney.
Anyway this would be our first time back so we decided to stay in Paris for a few days around the show. I wasn’t sure how this would work - would the holiday be overshadowed by the gig or the other way around? As it turned out neither happened and we had a really great holiday and show.
We have taken an extra day or two away around a show twice since and it works well for us. We don’t go on holiday much so Bruce has become our reason to go away.
Back to 2008. After much internet searching we chose a hotel within walking distance of Parc Des Princes. Well I suppose it depends what you call walking distance - it was a good 20 to 30 minutes stroll. The Hotel was at the very south west corner of the city, just near La Seine. It was only small - 69 rooms according to the brochure - and had a lovely little courtyard where you could sit and have a drink. We would definitely stay again.
We had a 20 minute Metro ride to the centre of Paris but we wanted to be convenient for the venue especially for getting back to the hotel afterwards.
We arrived via Eurostar on the Thursday before the gig on Friday night.
After checking in we headed back to the centre of Paris. We had decided to try a recommended eatery - Chartier which as luck would have it was not far from The Hard Rock Café where Mark Wright was playing. As usual we got lost. There must be a law - one of sod’s laws most likely - that dictates when you come out of an underground train system part way down a street and you have to make the decision of whether to turn right or left you always turn the wrong way!!.
We found the place eventually, had a great meal and then set off for The Hard Rock Café. It was heaving so we chickened out and went back to the hotel instead.
Can’t remember what we did during the day on Friday and as this isn’t a holiday blog I am sure you are not really interested. We will get on to the important stuff.
Had a leisurely stroll to the Parc Des Princes seeing more and more Springsteen T shirts as we got nearer.
When we got there we were shown to our seat by a pleasant young woman. Wherever you go - theatre, cinema (in the old days) arena etc you are pointed in the direction of your seat. We just though the French gave a better service. This person wanted a tip though!! We had no change - a bit embarrassing - but hey we were foreigners so we probably got away with it.
The gig was amazing. The crowd was a bit static maybe but this was our fourth gig of the tour so there was no pressure - we could just sit back and enjoy. As long as I get to one show where the audience are really into it I am happy and can relax for the others.
Bruce opened with ‘Adam Raised A Cain’ a bit of a surprise. Not one of my favourites and Mike doesn’t like it. On balance though I like everything live and because of the thrill I feel at the start of a gig Bruce could open with anything and I would love it at the time.
This was followed, not unexpectedly, with 'Radio Nowhere' and the ubiquitious (for us at least) 'No Surrender'. I like the song - it has some of my favourite lines - 'I want to sleep beneath peaceful skies in my lover's bed with a wide open country in my eyes and these romantic dreams in my head'
Mike got one of his favourites - ’Atlantic City’. ‘Rendezvous’ was an obvious choice for France. This was the only time we have heard ‘Fire‘ and it was great to get ‘Janey’- not strictly my name but I have adopted the song anyway.
The highlight had to be ‘For You‘ on the piano. It was stunning and here the quiet crowd was a benefit because you could have heard a pin drop.
The walk back to the hotel was quite pleasant - not the usual crush. Had a drink when we got back and a quick chat with two girls who’s first concert had been during the ‘Tunnel of Love’ tour.
We spent Saturday in Paris then home on Sunday wishing we had decided to go to Spain as well.
We did have a few days wondering about Giants Stadium. We even went to North American Travel to see about hotels nearby. The chap we talked to said we would be better staying in New York and travelling to the gig. He also mentioned that his Dad had been to see Bruce years ago which made us feel very old.
In the end we talked ourselves out of it because we weren’t sure how we would call for the tickets if we were staying in NYC.
So Paris was the end of ‘Magic’ for us.
Back to set list watching for me until the next time.
Set List
Adam Raised A Cain
Radio Nowhere
No Surrender
The Promised Land
Spirit In The Night
Rendezvous
Candy's Room
Atlantic City
Janey Don't You Lose Heart
Darlington County
Because The Night
She's The One
Livin' In The Future
Mary's Place
Fire
For You
The River
The Rising
Last to Die
Long Walk Home
Badlands
Out In The Street
Girls In Their Summer Clothes
Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out
Born To Run
Bobby Jean
Dancing In The Dark
American Land
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