Remembering The First Time (Again)

When my old laptop died we lost the spreadsheet listing the gigs we have been to and the set list for each. This week I began to prepare a new one starting with the set for Sheffield 1993. I don't remember much about that first show except that at some point during the concert I was hooked.

Having spent the 18 years since, getting to know Bruce's back catalogue, collecting boots, reading biographies and keeping up with discussions on message boards it's hard to imagine what I felt like that virginal night.  I know the crowd around us stood up the moment Bruce walked onto the stage and never sat down all the way through.  I know we thought they were booing.  I know we went on the first night of two because I can remember quite clearly wishing I was going back the next night.

I also remember regretting that I didn't buy a programme. We knew someone who was going the following night and toyed with asking him to get one but I reasoned that it would just get stuck in a drawer and eventually be thrown away.  I have never bought a programme since - there's no point starting now - but I wish I had them to look back through.  I did buy a T shirt and I have one from every tour we've been to except Devils and Dust. (It was a very hot night, time was short and a drink was more important).

I've talked about this first gig before, but I bring it up again now because when I went back over the set list it struck me that it wasn't great. Bruce opened with three acoustic numbers - Seeds, Adam Raised A Cain and This Hard Land.  Mike especially doesn't care for Seeds or Adam.  Now, I have no problem with the 'other' band or Human Touch and Lucky Town. I think we all have a soft spot for our first tour and I am no exception.  It's these albums (bad or not) that really got me into Bruce.  I have to say though that listening to the boot again today 57 Channels was just awful, Atlantic City wasn't so good and Badlands just plodded along.

It's kind of a surprise that we ever went to another show!  I know many of you would say that the only way was up from here.

Anyway, although the band wasn't so good and the set list wasn't great there was a point during that night when I knew that this couldn't be the only time we would experience the magic of a Springsteen gig. Could it be the charisma of the man himself? Or the enthusiasm of the crowd? Or just the fun everyone had, including Bruce.  Most fans who can't bear this part of Bruce's career will, at least, concede that he looked like he was enjoying himself.

The other thing I've been doing this week is trying to decide what is wrong with our Blu-ray player.  We bought it when The Promise boxed set came out so, not so long ago.  We can be happily watching something and poof! the sound goes: the picture goes: the picture comes back: the picture goes snowy - we give up.

So to test it I popped in The Paramount Darkness DVD.  It gave up during Adam Raised A Cain.  I wiggled the HDMI lead but no joy.  Got out those other leads - you know the ones - they are red and yellow and white.  Plugged these in and... success saw Darkness from beginning to end.  Plugged the HDMI cable back and watched it through again!  It was a chore, you know, but had to be done just to make sure.  The upshot of this is I think it's a dodgy HDMI cable - only works sometimes - a bit like me!

Why am I boring you with this tale?  Well seeing Darkness all the way through got me thinking about set lists again. Do I need to get a life?

Obviously as we were lucky enough to be at MSG in November 2009 we have heard all the tracks from The River and The Wild The Innocent and The E Street Shuffle but have we heard ALL the tracks from any other album?  From memory I'm pretty sure we are missing Factory and Something In The Night from Darkness.  Well, when I get the spreadsheet back up to date I'll know for certain.

There was one of those great little Bruce stories this week. He was in Boston and stopped to chat to a busker  - he can't resist a guitar can he?  Here's a picture from the story which is here

And the You Tube clip 

The other story doing the rounds at the moment is this about a teacher using The Rising to help his students,who were only five six and seven in 2001, understand the impact of 9/11. 

Finally that up coming album?  Nothing really new on this but the rumour is that Shore Fire Media will make an announcement sometime around Labor Day and that's tomorrow.  

In the mean time you could go out and buy Brian Fallon's new album which is out tomorrow. 

A taster for you

PS: -  Still listening to the Sheffield boot - hadn't realised how different that sound was. Hmmm - not sure I would like it now.