'What is this land America so many travel there'
I really can’t remember why we decided to go to Madison Square Garden (MSG). In many ways the decision was a no brainer but previously we hadn’t been very adventurous. OK so we had been to Paris and Dublin but New York City is in a different league especially to folks like us who don’t do a lot of travelling.
I think we kind of knew it was going to be our last chance for a while. Although there had never been any specific talk about a farewell tour there was a feeling in the air that it would be the last for some time and whilst I had been given the all clear for now I wonder if, in the back of my mind, there was a thought that it would be better to do this thing sooner rather than later. Certainly we would never have forgiven ourselves if we hadn’t gone and it turned out to be our last chance for whatever reason.
By this time I think Tony and Maria had decided to go to Meadowlands on a Badlands trip. We were green with envy. We had toyed with the idea of a Giants Stadium gig before and were put off by the will call system which requires you to pick up the tickets personally before the gig. Travelling backwards and forwards between New York and New Jersey picking up tickets and going to gigs seemed too much hassle. Looking back I think we were easily put off!!
A trip with Badlands would have got around this problem but we weren’t prepared to stump up the extra £££££. Any thoughts of more gigs had to be banished and we consoled ourselves by following the set lists on GL and searching for clips on You Tube. I know I have said this before but what did we do before the internet?
I wasn’t sure about the full album thing. It’s OK if you like the album but what if you can only afford to go to one gig and on that night Bruce decides to play your least favourite album. Would you be gutted? I suppose you have to hope that the rest of the night makes up for it….and what about the fact that you know what’s coming next - actually I don’t. We bought a lot of the back catalogue at the same time and I committed what some of you will think is a mortal sin. I put them on my iPod and listened to them randomly. I’m sorry Bruce I am sure the order of the tracks is vitally important but I don’t always even know what track is from what album - sacrilege - and I call myself a fan!!!
The tickets went on sale on 18th September 2009 - 5.00pm UK time but the tension had been building on GL for weeks. It’s a relatively small venue so lots of folks thought getting tickets would be particularly difficult. I posted much more than usual during the build up. My excitement got the better of me and I was bursting to let everyone know that we were thinking of going.
This turned out to be a good decision as Sinead, who we had met briefly in Dublin, saw that I was trying for tickets and was equally excited to let me know she and husband Steve together with Ceinwen and Hywel (who we also met in Dublin) were hoping to go too.
So we are building up to the hour - the strategy is to grab anything we can. I've been to the loo (several times!). I have a cup of tea to keep me going although a glass of brandy to calm the nerves may have been more appropriate. Mike’s on his computer in our spare room upstairs and I am on the laptop at the kitchen table. He’s trying for first night and I’m trying for second. Five four three two one … go !!! My hands are shaking as I try to hit the right keys. Then that message that tells you not to do anything or you will lose your place in the queue …….. it’s agonising just watching and waiting. Whoopee we both have tickets - you have three minutes to complete this page - more shaking hands.
Within 10 minutes Mike had a pair of tickets for behind the stage and I had halfway down in front of the stage. I can’t believe it. I’m so giddy!!
Then what seemed like hours and hours finding flights and a hotel. Well flights were easy but those of you who have followed this blog will know I am a bit fussy about my hotels. So this is the procedure:-
1. Find a hotel that I like the look of and we can afford. This in itself is not easy as all the ones I really like are way too expensive.
2. Go on to Trip advisor to read the reviews - It’s dirty or it’s shabby or it’s in a bad part of town or….
3. OK back to searching again
4. Back to trip advisor - rave reviews
5. No rooms available.
6. Another search - Mike’s had enough, gone to watch TV and left the decision to me.
7. I decide on a hotel but Mike comes back again and casts doubt on my choice.
8. We both get fed up and plump for anything that looks half decent.
So we have flights (we are going on 4th November and coming back on 10th) hotel, tickets to MSG and The Empire State Buliding and a vague notion about going to Asbury Park on one of the days we are there
Saturday 28 August 2010
Sunday 22 August 2010
My Bruce Journey - Part 32
'Is it a gun. Is it a Knife. Is it a wallet. This is your life'
Sunday dawned bright and breezy. We packed our bags - not sorry to be leaving this hotel - and headed for Bewleys just up the road and next to The RDS Arena.
We stopped off at a little deli just near the river and bought a very expensive but delicious cheese and ham baguette each. They were so good we didn’t mind paying through the nose. Stopped by the river a while munching and taking a few photos. We were in no hurry as we couldn’t check in to Bewleys until 2.00pm.
As soon as I set foot in Bewleys I knew I would like this hotel better. OK so it’s part of a chain and therefore a bit lacking in character, a bit boring even but I quite like the fact that you know what you are getting with these types of places - nothing flashy but with everything you need. Mike and I don’t do a lot of travelling but when we do we always seem to get a room at the back of the hotel. Nine times out of ten we get the room at the end of the corridor and if there is an annex you can guarantee our room will be in it. Having said that the end of the corridor is sometimes no bad thing. Although it’s a long trek to reception it’s usually handy for the fire escape and there are no passing noisy oiks slamming doors and shouting at 3.00am.
Despite dawdling we got to Bewleys far too early. The desk clerk let us register and leave our bags. I suppose we could have headed off into Dublin then but instead we decided to hang around. Mike found a comfortable vantage point in reception to check out the other punters and I headed off to find the pit queue.
Now as I have mentioned before we are sitters so the pit queue was a new phenomenon to me. There were more people milling around than I expected - I assumed one queue but there were folks everywhere. Finding Tony and Maria wasn’t going to be easy, or so I thought, but there they were, sitting on a patch of grass waiting for a roll call. I wasn’t really au fait with the whole roll call system but Maria explained it to me and she was off to get in the queue for the 1 o clock call.
We killed a bit more time wandering around the arena to find our entrance gate for later and getting something to eat. This turned out to be crisps and chocolate - our trip to Dublin wasn’t the most nutritious holiday we had ever had although we did have a bit of the Irish Stew in the hotel for our tea. Not a wildly exciting day but if you are anything like me you are all geared up for the gig and it’s hard to get your head around anything but Bruce on a concert day.
Mike was dozing in our hotel room, right at the back of the hotel at the end of a corridor, when I heard faint strains of music. Didn’t think of the sound check at first. I heard a couple of notes to start with and the sound kept fading in and out. I recognised the tune but I couldn’t just put my finger on what it was. I opened the window as wide as possible and stuck my ear to the gap. Finally it dawned on me - ‘American Skin (41 shots)’!
Lovely weather when we arrived at the arena. I had a t- shirt panic. Wanted the ladies dark blue one and the first two stalls I went to didn’t have my size. Got one in the end, though whether it is actually my size is debatable - it’s a bit snug (Mike likes snug).
So this time we were sat about halfway back in the Grandstand. It had started to rain before the start of the show and once again there was an announcement about brollys.
Oooh - ‘No Surrender’ again followed by ‘Badlands‘ which is guaranteed to get me up and dancing. I love’ Hungry Heart’. The last time I heard this was only our second gig (back in 1999) and at that time I had no idea that the audience were going to sing the first verse. This time I could join in - with gusto of course. By the way you don’t ever want to be near me at a gig because I sing loudly and I am reliably informed that my singing is awful.
‘Darkness’ another in my top twenty and the subject of one of my favourite misheard lyrics - there’s apartments on the edge of town. ’Trapped’ - we seem to hear this a lot too - but I love it. ‘American Skin’ had to be special. I love ‘Prove It All Night‘ and I have a soft spot for ‘Sherry Darling’. I’d forgotten Bruce seemed to get a bit annoyed before this but I’m listening to our boot at the moment and he definitely says ’somebody earn your pay’ before he starts to play. Clarence’s sax is a bit dodgy but by the end Bruce’s mood has lifted and he’s laughing.
All in all I preferred this set list to night one but it was a sad night for us too as we had no more gigs to look forward to.
So back to the hotel and a quick goodbye to Maria and Tony who were off back to their own hotel and on to Glasgow on Tuesday.
We were staying in Dublin another day. The Glasgow tickets had gone on sale after we had booked our Dublin trip and we decided not to change our plans. It was a difficult decision made even worse when Mike got a text from his mate (Bushman Hat Productions!), as we were walking in to Dublin, offering us his tickets because he couldn’t go.
Anyway we spent a very soggy but enjoyable day in Dublin. It peed it down most of the day. We had the obligatory Guinness and -yes- it does taste better. Mike’s love of diners took us to Eddie Rocket’s on our way back to the hotel - we could have been in our own kitchen!
Often before gigs the folks on Greasy Lake make very loose arrangements to meet at a particular pub before or after a show. Nothing is ever set in stone but it’s good to know where you will find some like minded people if you want company.
Before the Dublin gigs one of the ‘lakers’ went a step further and asked for phone numbers so she could contact them to possibly arrange to meet up.
I passed my number on. This is very unusual. The number of people who know my phone number is probably less than ten. I am not the most sociable person especially when it comes to the phone and the thought of someone ringing out of the blue for a chat when, say, I am sat on the bus is just horrendous. In any case my ring tone is ‘Born To Run’ and I love listening to it so much I forget to actually answer the phone! Top and bottom of it is I barely use my phone.
So it’s Monday in Dublin. We are back in the hotel drying out. Mike has a bad head and isn’t feeling too well so we are planning a quiet night. I get a text message - I still have that message and the ones that followed. Here’s how it goes :-
Sinead -18.48 Hi Guys - didn’t get to call went 2 o’donohues fri nite and spent sat and sun in pit q. Got front row both nites. Glasgow 2moro. Hope u guys had a blast. Sinead
Me -18.55 Hi Sinead we had a great time. We booked to stay in Dublin an extra night so no Glasgow for us
Sinead -19.21 R u still at Bewleys?
Me -19.21 Yes
Sinead -19.25 If u r around later I am here again 2nite - just goin out 4 dinner with Ceinwen and her husband. My husband went home 2 mind th kids
Me -19.28 Mike not feeling too good so we might be in bed early. I will text later if we are around
Me -21.36 We r in the bar now off to bed in half an hour or so.
Sinead -21.42 on our way down - whr are you?
By the time I had typed my reply Sinead, Ceinwen and Hywel had found us sitting in a very quiet bar at Bewleys.
It would have been just as easy for Sinead not to have sent that first text. She hadn’t made any definite plans with anyone. I needn’t have replied and so on and so on - you get the picture - but we made the effort to meet.
We only spent perhaps half an hour chatting - no more.
Who knew that such a brief meeting would set off a chain of events that I couldn’t have imagined in my wildest dreams.
Set List
No Surrender
Badlands
Night
My Lucky Day
Outlaw Pete
Hungry Heart
Working on a Dream
Seeds
Johnny 99
Youngstown
Darkness on the Edge of Town
Spirit in the Night
Sherry Darling
Proud Mary
Prove It All Night
Trapped
Waitin' on a Sunny Day
The Promised Land
Radio Nowhere
American Skin (41 Shots)
Lonesome Day
The Rising
Born to Run
Jungleland
American Land
Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)
Glory Days
Dancing in the Dark
Twist and Shout
Sunday dawned bright and breezy. We packed our bags - not sorry to be leaving this hotel - and headed for Bewleys just up the road and next to The RDS Arena.
We stopped off at a little deli just near the river and bought a very expensive but delicious cheese and ham baguette each. They were so good we didn’t mind paying through the nose. Stopped by the river a while munching and taking a few photos. We were in no hurry as we couldn’t check in to Bewleys until 2.00pm.
As soon as I set foot in Bewleys I knew I would like this hotel better. OK so it’s part of a chain and therefore a bit lacking in character, a bit boring even but I quite like the fact that you know what you are getting with these types of places - nothing flashy but with everything you need. Mike and I don’t do a lot of travelling but when we do we always seem to get a room at the back of the hotel. Nine times out of ten we get the room at the end of the corridor and if there is an annex you can guarantee our room will be in it. Having said that the end of the corridor is sometimes no bad thing. Although it’s a long trek to reception it’s usually handy for the fire escape and there are no passing noisy oiks slamming doors and shouting at 3.00am.
Despite dawdling we got to Bewleys far too early. The desk clerk let us register and leave our bags. I suppose we could have headed off into Dublin then but instead we decided to hang around. Mike found a comfortable vantage point in reception to check out the other punters and I headed off to find the pit queue.
Now as I have mentioned before we are sitters so the pit queue was a new phenomenon to me. There were more people milling around than I expected - I assumed one queue but there were folks everywhere. Finding Tony and Maria wasn’t going to be easy, or so I thought, but there they were, sitting on a patch of grass waiting for a roll call. I wasn’t really au fait with the whole roll call system but Maria explained it to me and she was off to get in the queue for the 1 o clock call.
We killed a bit more time wandering around the arena to find our entrance gate for later and getting something to eat. This turned out to be crisps and chocolate - our trip to Dublin wasn’t the most nutritious holiday we had ever had although we did have a bit of the Irish Stew in the hotel for our tea. Not a wildly exciting day but if you are anything like me you are all geared up for the gig and it’s hard to get your head around anything but Bruce on a concert day.
Mike was dozing in our hotel room, right at the back of the hotel at the end of a corridor, when I heard faint strains of music. Didn’t think of the sound check at first. I heard a couple of notes to start with and the sound kept fading in and out. I recognised the tune but I couldn’t just put my finger on what it was. I opened the window as wide as possible and stuck my ear to the gap. Finally it dawned on me - ‘American Skin (41 shots)’!
So this time we were sat about halfway back in the Grandstand. It had started to rain before the start of the show and once again there was an announcement about brollys.
Oooh - ‘No Surrender’ again followed by ‘Badlands‘ which is guaranteed to get me up and dancing. I love’ Hungry Heart’. The last time I heard this was only our second gig (back in 1999) and at that time I had no idea that the audience were going to sing the first verse. This time I could join in - with gusto of course. By the way you don’t ever want to be near me at a gig because I sing loudly and I am reliably informed that my singing is awful.
‘Darkness’ another in my top twenty and the subject of one of my favourite misheard lyrics - there’s apartments on the edge of town. ’Trapped’ - we seem to hear this a lot too - but I love it. ‘American Skin’ had to be special. I love ‘Prove It All Night‘ and I have a soft spot for ‘Sherry Darling’. I’d forgotten Bruce seemed to get a bit annoyed before this but I’m listening to our boot at the moment and he definitely says ’somebody earn your pay’ before he starts to play. Clarence’s sax is a bit dodgy but by the end Bruce’s mood has lifted and he’s laughing.
All in all I preferred this set list to night one but it was a sad night for us too as we had no more gigs to look forward to.
We were staying in Dublin another day. The Glasgow tickets had gone on sale after we had booked our Dublin trip and we decided not to change our plans. It was a difficult decision made even worse when Mike got a text from his mate (Bushman Hat Productions!), as we were walking in to Dublin, offering us his tickets because he couldn’t go.
Anyway we spent a very soggy but enjoyable day in Dublin. It peed it down most of the day. We had the obligatory Guinness and -yes- it does taste better. Mike’s love of diners took us to Eddie Rocket’s on our way back to the hotel - we could have been in our own kitchen!
Often before gigs the folks on Greasy Lake make very loose arrangements to meet at a particular pub before or after a show. Nothing is ever set in stone but it’s good to know where you will find some like minded people if you want company.
Before the Dublin gigs one of the ‘lakers’ went a step further and asked for phone numbers so she could contact them to possibly arrange to meet up.
I passed my number on. This is very unusual. The number of people who know my phone number is probably less than ten. I am not the most sociable person especially when it comes to the phone and the thought of someone ringing out of the blue for a chat when, say, I am sat on the bus is just horrendous. In any case my ring tone is ‘Born To Run’ and I love listening to it so much I forget to actually answer the phone! Top and bottom of it is I barely use my phone.
So it’s Monday in Dublin. We are back in the hotel drying out. Mike has a bad head and isn’t feeling too well so we are planning a quiet night. I get a text message - I still have that message and the ones that followed. Here’s how it goes :-
Sinead -18.48 Hi Guys - didn’t get to call went 2 o’donohues fri nite and spent sat and sun in pit q. Got front row both nites. Glasgow 2moro. Hope u guys had a blast. Sinead
Me -18.55 Hi Sinead we had a great time. We booked to stay in Dublin an extra night so no Glasgow for us
Sinead -19.21 R u still at Bewleys?
Me -19.21 Yes
Sinead -19.25 If u r around later I am here again 2nite - just goin out 4 dinner with Ceinwen and her husband. My husband went home 2 mind th kids
Me -19.28 Mike not feeling too good so we might be in bed early. I will text later if we are around
Me -21.36 We r in the bar now off to bed in half an hour or so.
Sinead -21.42 on our way down - whr are you?
By the time I had typed my reply Sinead, Ceinwen and Hywel had found us sitting in a very quiet bar at Bewleys.
It would have been just as easy for Sinead not to have sent that first text. She hadn’t made any definite plans with anyone. I needn’t have replied and so on and so on - you get the picture - but we made the effort to meet.
We only spent perhaps half an hour chatting - no more.
Who knew that such a brief meeting would set off a chain of events that I couldn’t have imagined in my wildest dreams.
Set List
No Surrender
Badlands
Night
My Lucky Day
Outlaw Pete
Hungry Heart
Working on a Dream
Seeds
Johnny 99
Youngstown
Darkness on the Edge of Town
Spirit in the Night
Sherry Darling
Proud Mary
Prove It All Night
Trapped
Waitin' on a Sunny Day
The Promised Land
Radio Nowhere
American Skin (41 Shots)
Lonesome Day
The Rising
Born to Run
Jungleland
American Land
Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)
Glory Days
Dancing in the Dark
Twist and Shout
Sunday 15 August 2010
My Bruce Journey - Part 31
'Long as I remember the rain been comin' down. Clouds of mystery pourin' confusion on the ground'
I made a cock up trying to buy tickets for the Seeger Sessions tour at the Point in Dublin 2006 and we missed out. I think Trevor and Val (Mike’s brother and his wife) may have been in Dublin at the time of the gig. They told us what a great city it is to visit but I had taken my bat and ball home and insisted, only half joking, that I wouldn’t set foot in Dublin until I was there to see Bruce.
As it turned out I kept that promise and on 11 July 2009 Trevor was chauffeuring us to Leeds/Bradford airport for our flight to Dublin.
Mike’s Bruce buddies from work - Tony and Maria - were on the same flight. I hadn’t met them before but, hey, they have to be OK they are Bruce fans. The plane was delayed and as time went on we wondered about the wisdom of travelling the day of the gig. To be fair it affected Maria and Tony much more than us because they had GA tickets and needed to get into a queue. We had seats so could set off much later. Anyway we managed to get off before panic set in.
Tony and Maria were staying in the centre of Dublin and we were in Ballsbridge with the Badlands trip. We shared a taxi from the airport with a very friendly driver who pointed out the sights as we drove. Mike was particularly keen to see Home Farm where a couple of great Leeds United players - Johnny Giles and Gary Kelly played in their early days. It was peeing it down - a theme that followed through most of the trip.
The hotel was a disaster. Trip advisor has mixed reviews. Some folks hated it and some gave it top marks. I wonder if we just got a bad room. The aforementioned taxi driver explained that the hotel was due to be pulled down to make way for a development of office blocks and apartments. Clearly this hasn’t happened as the hotel is still advertising on the internet today.
Our room was big but gloomy. The window leaked and the wallpaper was peeling off the wall. I had the impression before we arrived that there was some sort of food court within the hotel. I imagined something like you would see in a shopping mall - you know - perhaps a McDonalds, a Starbucks, Café Rouge etc but all we found was a packed out pub - must have been six deep at the bar at least, a tiny pizza place and a café that was shut!!
We had arrived later than expected so when we toddled down the very damp smelling corridor to the Badlands party it had all but finished... so we made our way back to the foyer of the hotel and found a couple of seats to people watch. Still peeing down so no point going to the gig too soon.
Our lunch had consisted of a bar of chocolate at the airport and with hopes for the food court cruelly dashed, our tea, which we grabbed on the walk down to The RDS Arena, was a bag of chips.
We had good seats about half way up the pit - this is perhaps one of only two advantages I can see from a Badlands trip - and the jury is out in our house as to whether the extra money is worth it. If we were guaranteed really great seats - lower tier at the front - I would say worth every penny but the reality is the seats are only, perhaps, one block nearer the stage than seats we have bought independently.
The other advantage is the near certainly of getting a ticket. You take yourself out of the general mêlée which is less stressful.
So it’s pouring down but we are undercover in The Anglesea Stand sitting on the comfiest seats I have ever had at a concert. At intervals from 8.00pm ish there was an announcement over the PA saying the concert wouldn’t start until everyone took down their umbrellas. Everyone didn’t take down their brollys but luckily Bruce decided to come on stage anyway.
The opener of ‘Who’ll stop the rain’ was hardly a surprise but good to hear it anyway. This was our first ‘Cover Me’. I am always happy to get ‘Thunder Road’ and Mike was equally chuffed with ‘The River’. I am not a fan who craves rarities at my gigs so I judge a set list by how many of my least favourite songs are played… there was only one I didn’t really like and even that isn’t so bad live. Mike who has more dislikes than me probably didn’t have his best night!
There’s an interesting review on Greasy Lake from a guy who enjoyed the show but had agro from a family nearby - I’ve seen similar comments about this sort of thing. Jealousy do you think or is it time to knock the singing kids thing on the head? It was cute and surprising at first but it’s lost it’s novelty value now. Could say the same about the signs. They must be equally annoying if you are standing behind one.Greasy Lake Dublin review
Mentioning behind reminds me that sat behind us was the most enthusiastic man that we have ever had the pleasure of sharing a Bruce concert with. He whooped and cheered and clapped and sang. Afterwards I just had to turn and thank him for creating such a great atmosphere. He was a complete stranger to us but helped make this night stick in my mind.
Went straight back to the hotel after the gig. Can’t remember if it was still raining. Pub was still packed so didn’t stay. Got a couple of bottles of water from the vending machine and off to bed.
Set list
Who'll Stop the Rain?
Badlands
Cover Me
My Lucky Day
Outlaw Pete
Out in the Street
Working on a Dream
Seeds
Johnny 99
The Ghost of Tom Joad
You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)
Seven Nights to Rock
For You
Thunder Road
Because the Night
Waitin' on a Sunny Day
The Promised Land
The River
Kingdom of Days
Lonesome Day
The Rising
Born to Run
Hard Times Come Again No More
Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out
American Land
Bobby Jean
Dancing in the Dark
Ramrod
Twist and Shout
I made a cock up trying to buy tickets for the Seeger Sessions tour at the Point in Dublin 2006 and we missed out. I think Trevor and Val (Mike’s brother and his wife) may have been in Dublin at the time of the gig. They told us what a great city it is to visit but I had taken my bat and ball home and insisted, only half joking, that I wouldn’t set foot in Dublin until I was there to see Bruce.
As it turned out I kept that promise and on 11 July 2009 Trevor was chauffeuring us to Leeds/Bradford airport for our flight to Dublin.
Mike’s Bruce buddies from work - Tony and Maria - were on the same flight. I hadn’t met them before but, hey, they have to be OK they are Bruce fans. The plane was delayed and as time went on we wondered about the wisdom of travelling the day of the gig. To be fair it affected Maria and Tony much more than us because they had GA tickets and needed to get into a queue. We had seats so could set off much later. Anyway we managed to get off before panic set in.
Tony and Maria were staying in the centre of Dublin and we were in Ballsbridge with the Badlands trip. We shared a taxi from the airport with a very friendly driver who pointed out the sights as we drove. Mike was particularly keen to see Home Farm where a couple of great Leeds United players - Johnny Giles and Gary Kelly played in their early days. It was peeing it down - a theme that followed through most of the trip.
The hotel was a disaster. Trip advisor has mixed reviews. Some folks hated it and some gave it top marks. I wonder if we just got a bad room. The aforementioned taxi driver explained that the hotel was due to be pulled down to make way for a development of office blocks and apartments. Clearly this hasn’t happened as the hotel is still advertising on the internet today.
Our room was big but gloomy. The window leaked and the wallpaper was peeling off the wall. I had the impression before we arrived that there was some sort of food court within the hotel. I imagined something like you would see in a shopping mall - you know - perhaps a McDonalds, a Starbucks, Café Rouge etc but all we found was a packed out pub - must have been six deep at the bar at least, a tiny pizza place and a café that was shut!!
We had arrived later than expected so when we toddled down the very damp smelling corridor to the Badlands party it had all but finished... so we made our way back to the foyer of the hotel and found a couple of seats to people watch. Still peeing down so no point going to the gig too soon.
Our lunch had consisted of a bar of chocolate at the airport and with hopes for the food court cruelly dashed, our tea, which we grabbed on the walk down to The RDS Arena, was a bag of chips.
The other advantage is the near certainly of getting a ticket. You take yourself out of the general mêlée which is less stressful.
So it’s pouring down but we are undercover in The Anglesea Stand sitting on the comfiest seats I have ever had at a concert. At intervals from 8.00pm ish there was an announcement over the PA saying the concert wouldn’t start until everyone took down their umbrellas. Everyone didn’t take down their brollys but luckily Bruce decided to come on stage anyway.
The opener of ‘Who’ll stop the rain’ was hardly a surprise but good to hear it anyway. This was our first ‘Cover Me’. I am always happy to get ‘Thunder Road’ and Mike was equally chuffed with ‘The River’. I am not a fan who craves rarities at my gigs so I judge a set list by how many of my least favourite songs are played… there was only one I didn’t really like and even that isn’t so bad live. Mike who has more dislikes than me probably didn’t have his best night!
There’s an interesting review on Greasy Lake from a guy who enjoyed the show but had agro from a family nearby - I’ve seen similar comments about this sort of thing. Jealousy do you think or is it time to knock the singing kids thing on the head? It was cute and surprising at first but it’s lost it’s novelty value now. Could say the same about the signs. They must be equally annoying if you are standing behind one.Greasy Lake Dublin review
Mentioning behind reminds me that sat behind us was the most enthusiastic man that we have ever had the pleasure of sharing a Bruce concert with. He whooped and cheered and clapped and sang. Afterwards I just had to turn and thank him for creating such a great atmosphere. He was a complete stranger to us but helped make this night stick in my mind.
Went straight back to the hotel after the gig. Can’t remember if it was still raining. Pub was still packed so didn’t stay. Got a couple of bottles of water from the vending machine and off to bed.
Set list
Who'll Stop the Rain?
Badlands
Cover Me
My Lucky Day
Outlaw Pete
Out in the Street
Working on a Dream
Seeds
Johnny 99
The Ghost of Tom Joad
You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)
Seven Nights to Rock
For You
Thunder Road
Because the Night
Waitin' on a Sunny Day
The Promised Land
The River
Kingdom of Days
Lonesome Day
The Rising
Born to Run
Hard Times Come Again No More
Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out
American Land
Bobby Jean
Dancing in the Dark
Ramrod
Twist and Shout
Saturday 7 August 2010
My Bruce Journey - Part 30
'Did you hear the old gospel choir when they came to carry you over? Did you hear your favourite song one last time?'
So went in to hospital on 6 April 2009, had some tissue removed and another test, which I won’t bore you with, to help decide if the cancer had spread. Good news, no spread as far as they can tell, so escaped the chemo. Radiotherapy for me - on the affected area only.
Luckily I never felt ill before or after surgery or during the radiotherapy. Three months off work: good weather: didn’t feel poorly - result!
During this time Bruce was never really in doubt as far as we were concerned. To be fair the medical staff were always prepared to work around any holidays etc providing it wasn’t going to be detrimental to my health. My only concern beforehand was that I wouldn’t be strong enough to go anywhere.
As it turned out this was never an issue but the Hard Rock Calling trip turned out to be not as easy as we first thought. We had booked it on impulse with a travel company - a package including coach, ticket and four star hotel near Hyde Park. Great price and we could get picked up just down the road.
We hit a problem straight away - they didn’t pick up just down the road unless it was worth their while - i.e. more than eight people getting on. The staff at the company seemed sure there would be enough people but failing this we would have to drive to another pick up point.
Then out of the blue a letter - the whole thing had been cancelled due to lack of interest!! We had choices - cancelling altogether, ticket only, ticket plus hotel voucher - we chose the third option and booked a train ticket. We would arrive just in time to check in and go to the gig.
But but but… hold on a minute - the night before we settled down in front of the TV to see the Glastonbury set. The Beeb actually did us proud, I thought, and we got a big chunk of the show. We enjoyed it. My brother, Ian, who is a huge music fan but not particularly a Bruce fan asked me who the idiot with the guitar was (Steven). He was hoping to see more of Nils - as a guitar player himself he is a big admirer of Mr Lofren.
Should Bruce have done a different set? It’s a difficult question - as a performer I am sure he didn’t want the crowd to feel he hadn’t moved on since the 80s/ 90s. He was proud of the latest stuff and wanted to show it off but it seems, listening to comments from the casual or non fan, that they wanted to hear the hits.
Glastonbury is a funny phenomenon in that the tickets are sold out before the performers are announced. The crowd buy into the festival itself rather than any particular band. So they may know nothing about the performers other than the music that got into the top twenty. Add to this the fact that Bruce and the band aren’t the obvious fare for a quintessentially English festival and I wonder whether someone should have taken more note of the type of crowd. Is Bruce there just to please the audience? - you decide.
Anyway my 2002 edition of British Hit Singles lists 22 different songs that got into the top 75. He played six together with ’Because The Night’ which everyone will know. Of these the two tracks that reached the top ten weren’t played until the very end when the non fan will have lost interest/fallen asleep. After all a lot of these young kids don’t have the stamina to go for three hours!! - hee hee. The only person I have spoken to who was actually there said ’He went on for too long’. She is in her twenties.
A lot of the Hyde Park crowd, like us’ had bought tickets because they knew Bruce was playing so although it was a festival the demographic of the crowd was very different.
So it was on a hot Sunday in London six days after finishing my course of radiotherapy that we were queuing to get in to Hard Rock Calling in Hyde Park. By this time Mike had discovered that some people he knew through work, were big Bruce fans. Maria had texted us to say she was at the front of the queue. She was pretty much front and centre stage and she and Tony, her husband, put in regular appearances on the DVD.
Very little point in me saying much about Bruce’s set as you will all have seen the DVD by now. The announcement of the DVD made me realise that I am not a real die hard fan though. I didn’t even notice that ’Rosie’ wasn’t on the track listings. Actually I couldn’t have told you whether or not he played it even though I was there!! Maybe there are fans out there that memorise set lists - no - there will be fans out there who memorise set lists and they, presumably, were the ones that spotted this straight away.
Anyway all’s well that ends well and the whole set was recorded for prosperity … or for Bruce fans to criticise!
Can’t remember the name of the first band - I tried to be enthusiastic but soon gave up. Then Gaslight Anthem - I think they were second up. They were brilliant. We knew what to expect. We had seen their Glastonbury set on TV so it wasn’t a surprise surprise surprise (Mike's joke) when Bruce came on stage. It was still a thrill though and probably my favourite bit of the whole day. Here's the Glastonbury version for a change
Great to see our main man perform with the band which is the latest addition to our list of favourites.
James Morrison had a thankless task and he knew it. I began to feel a bit sorry for him. Then The Dave Matthews Band - I know he probably has a bigger following than Bruce in the States but I just didn’t like it. Too much showing off their musicianship instead of getting on with the songs. Sorry folks I know lots of you think they are brilliant but they didn’t do it for me.
Actually I wasn’t seeing them at my best as by this time I was bored and hot and tired. My feet hurt and I was beginning to wonder whether I could stay upright for Bruce’s set.
After Dave Matthews the crowd thinned and we got a bit nearer the stage - about 10 to 15 rows back on Clarence’s side but the longer we waited the more I thought I would have to give up and go and sit at the back.
All this was forgotten when Bruce came on stage of course. I danced, jumped, pumped my fist, waved my arms and sang my heart out - all with a huge sense of relief that I had made it.
The walk back to the hotel afterwards was more difficult than it should have been. We could see our destination but because of the crowd control we had to go round the houses to get there.
Then we got our biggest shock of the day - 2 bottles of cider in the bar - £11.00!
Our first festival experience and I don’t think I would go to another.
Really looking forward to the Dublin trip now.
Set List
London Calling
Badlands
Night
She's the One
Outlaw Pete
Out in the Street
Working on a Dream
Seeds
Johnny 99
Youngstown
Good Lovin'
Bobby Jean
Trapped
No Surrender
Waitin' on a Sunny Day
The Promised Land
Racing in the Street
Radio Nowhere
Lonesome Day
The Rising
Born to Run
Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)
Hard Times (Come Again No More)
Jungleland
American Land
Glory Days
Dancing in the Dark
So went in to hospital on 6 April 2009, had some tissue removed and another test, which I won’t bore you with, to help decide if the cancer had spread. Good news, no spread as far as they can tell, so escaped the chemo. Radiotherapy for me - on the affected area only.
Luckily I never felt ill before or after surgery or during the radiotherapy. Three months off work: good weather: didn’t feel poorly - result!
During this time Bruce was never really in doubt as far as we were concerned. To be fair the medical staff were always prepared to work around any holidays etc providing it wasn’t going to be detrimental to my health. My only concern beforehand was that I wouldn’t be strong enough to go anywhere.
As it turned out this was never an issue but the Hard Rock Calling trip turned out to be not as easy as we first thought. We had booked it on impulse with a travel company - a package including coach, ticket and four star hotel near Hyde Park. Great price and we could get picked up just down the road.
We hit a problem straight away - they didn’t pick up just down the road unless it was worth their while - i.e. more than eight people getting on. The staff at the company seemed sure there would be enough people but failing this we would have to drive to another pick up point.
Then out of the blue a letter - the whole thing had been cancelled due to lack of interest!! We had choices - cancelling altogether, ticket only, ticket plus hotel voucher - we chose the third option and booked a train ticket. We would arrive just in time to check in and go to the gig.
But but but… hold on a minute - the night before we settled down in front of the TV to see the Glastonbury set. The Beeb actually did us proud, I thought, and we got a big chunk of the show. We enjoyed it. My brother, Ian, who is a huge music fan but not particularly a Bruce fan asked me who the idiot with the guitar was (Steven). He was hoping to see more of Nils - as a guitar player himself he is a big admirer of Mr Lofren.
Should Bruce have done a different set? It’s a difficult question - as a performer I am sure he didn’t want the crowd to feel he hadn’t moved on since the 80s/ 90s. He was proud of the latest stuff and wanted to show it off but it seems, listening to comments from the casual or non fan, that they wanted to hear the hits.
Glastonbury is a funny phenomenon in that the tickets are sold out before the performers are announced. The crowd buy into the festival itself rather than any particular band. So they may know nothing about the performers other than the music that got into the top twenty. Add to this the fact that Bruce and the band aren’t the obvious fare for a quintessentially English festival and I wonder whether someone should have taken more note of the type of crowd. Is Bruce there just to please the audience? - you decide.
Anyway my 2002 edition of British Hit Singles lists 22 different songs that got into the top 75. He played six together with ’Because The Night’ which everyone will know. Of these the two tracks that reached the top ten weren’t played until the very end when the non fan will have lost interest/fallen asleep. After all a lot of these young kids don’t have the stamina to go for three hours!! - hee hee. The only person I have spoken to who was actually there said ’He went on for too long’. She is in her twenties.
A lot of the Hyde Park crowd, like us’ had bought tickets because they knew Bruce was playing so although it was a festival the demographic of the crowd was very different.
Very little point in me saying much about Bruce’s set as you will all have seen the DVD by now. The announcement of the DVD made me realise that I am not a real die hard fan though. I didn’t even notice that ’Rosie’ wasn’t on the track listings. Actually I couldn’t have told you whether or not he played it even though I was there!! Maybe there are fans out there that memorise set lists - no - there will be fans out there who memorise set lists and they, presumably, were the ones that spotted this straight away.
Anyway all’s well that ends well and the whole set was recorded for prosperity … or for Bruce fans to criticise!
Can’t remember the name of the first band - I tried to be enthusiastic but soon gave up. Then Gaslight Anthem - I think they were second up. They were brilliant. We knew what to expect. We had seen their Glastonbury set on TV so it wasn’t a surprise surprise surprise (Mike's joke) when Bruce came on stage. It was still a thrill though and probably my favourite bit of the whole day. Here's the Glastonbury version for a change
Great to see our main man perform with the band which is the latest addition to our list of favourites.
James Morrison had a thankless task and he knew it. I began to feel a bit sorry for him. Then The Dave Matthews Band - I know he probably has a bigger following than Bruce in the States but I just didn’t like it. Too much showing off their musicianship instead of getting on with the songs. Sorry folks I know lots of you think they are brilliant but they didn’t do it for me.
Actually I wasn’t seeing them at my best as by this time I was bored and hot and tired. My feet hurt and I was beginning to wonder whether I could stay upright for Bruce’s set.
After Dave Matthews the crowd thinned and we got a bit nearer the stage - about 10 to 15 rows back on Clarence’s side but the longer we waited the more I thought I would have to give up and go and sit at the back.
All this was forgotten when Bruce came on stage of course. I danced, jumped, pumped my fist, waved my arms and sang my heart out - all with a huge sense of relief that I had made it.
The walk back to the hotel afterwards was more difficult than it should have been. We could see our destination but because of the crowd control we had to go round the houses to get there.
Then we got our biggest shock of the day - 2 bottles of cider in the bar - £11.00!
Our first festival experience and I don’t think I would go to another.
Really looking forward to the Dublin trip now.
Set List
London Calling
Badlands
Night
She's the One
Outlaw Pete
Out in the Street
Working on a Dream
Seeds
Johnny 99
Youngstown
Good Lovin'
Bobby Jean
Trapped
No Surrender
Waitin' on a Sunny Day
The Promised Land
Racing in the Street
Radio Nowhere
Lonesome Day
The Rising
Born to Run
Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)
Hard Times (Come Again No More)
Jungleland
American Land
Glory Days
Dancing in the Dark
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