Giddy Up

Well a bit of excitement this week.   Our man was just down the road watching Jessica at The Royal Windsor Horse Show.  Although I don't like to champion The Daily Mail they probably had the best pictures and article here.  At least they focused on Jessica and after all it was her gig.

Had I known dad was going to be there I might well have taken a trip.  I could legitimately claim an interest so it wouldn't really feel like stalking.  You see when I was a kid I went through the pony stage.


Below is my fat little pony - Sherry and here I am all dressed up and ready to go

                                                                  
And this is one of me on another pony showing off my good seat - it's an equestrian term!








These were taken more years ago than I care to admit and when I grew out of Sherry we couldn't afford to buy a horse.  After a while I lost interest.

Anyway in case you need to up date your diary:-

The Royal International Horse Show is on at Hickstead between 26 and 31 July
The Horse Of The Year Show is on at The NEC in Birmingham between 4 and 9 October.

I can't remember how these things work so no idea whether Jessica would qualify to jump at either show.

I was on the bus this week when Born To Run took a turn on my iPod... followed by Badlands.  I have an irresistible urge to punch the air at the appropriate moments when these songs come on.

If I'm in the car I do it - whilst singing at the top of my voice.  A couple of years ago when I was off work convalescing I tried to do 10,000 steps a day and during these walks I would throw my arms up.  I had to do arm exercises anyway so it was as good reason as any...

...but on the bus - well - didn't want to startle the other passengers so early in the morning.

So I bought 'Live At The Main Point' this week.  I know, I know, I could have downloaded it for free or somebody would no doubt have sent me a copy but in the end after reading Uncut Magazine's review I had to buy it.

Regular readers will know I don't subscribe to the adage that Bruce was better in the seventies.  Different yes, but not necessarily better.  To be honest some of the stuff from the early days does nothing for me. I think you had to be there.

For those of you who don't know we first saw Bruce in 1993.  He was with the 'other' band but we didn't know, or care, we loved it.  That being our first time was special for us just as 1975 was special for the people who saw him then.

Anyway despite my reservations about the early days I absolutely love this version of Incident.




We were lucky enough to hear this live at the Wembley gig  in 2002 which I talk about here.  Don't know if we have heard it since because my old laptop gave up the ghost and our Bruce spreadsheet went with it.

We had listed all the shows we had been to and the set list for each show.  Need to do it again but as it's such an enjoyable thing to do we won't mind.  It's a good excuse to get all the boots out a have a listen to each show as we go along.  Quicker to get the set list off Greasy Lake of course but not so much fun.

Finally just had to let you know that my Bruce doll went down really well at work and I'm excited to say I've got my first order - it's Claudio Sanchez

Dancing in the Dark

I'm sure most of you know that story of how DITD came about.  The one that says Jon Landau needed a 'single' from Born in the USA. Bruce didn't want to fall into line, had no idea what to write about but came up with a song anyway.  Well I got up this morning to write my blog and I ain't got nothing to say.  Could do with changing my clothes, my hair and my face too but that's another story.


By the way 

In philosophy, "dancing in the dark" refers to any situational optimism, albeit leavened by physically-construed events, that is self-referentially seen as a way for the Id to manifest itself. 

OK can anyone explain that to me? 

There are a number of theories about what the phrase actually means from moving rhythmically to music with the lights out - which is, of course, true but rather literal - to we're all just going through the motions and the whole exercise is pointless.  

So just because:-

I picked this clip on purpose because we were there!  As I have said many times before the weekend we spent in New York City and New Jersey was the best few days of my life.  I still can hardly believe we did it.


The memories managed to sustain me for the best part of a year. Whenever the daily grind got me down I would remember how lucky I had been to make that trip, look through the photos and immediately life didn't seem so bad.  Now, though, more than twelve months on and in the dark days between New Year and Spring I need a lift that those memories alone can't give me -  a new tour !!!

There doesn't seem to be even a whiff on the horizon. Opinions range from Autumn this year to any time in 2012. There's been mention of Sam going to college next year so perhaps after that but what if Jessica is chosen for the Olympics?
Although this seems a little unlikely judging by this article.  


Anyway trawling through the internet for any news I found this 


Through trusted sources that I cannot devulge, the news on the E Street is that the band is breaking up. Little Stevie and Roy Bitten struck private deals with Bruce for more money which he accepted. The rest of the guys and ladies said to be leaving for sure. The riff is said to be over money which the band feels they deserve...being the E Street Band.
I certainly hope that this is only a rumor, but I am afraid its close to being true knowing the reliability of my source.


Scaremongering perhaps but who knows ?