Three's A Crowd

It's less than a month to our first gig.  We have had glorious weather here in the UK for nearly a week now, and as our summers haven't lasted for much longer than seven days in the last few years, I'm not hopeful of good weather for June 21st. Anyway it got me thinking about how hot it was at Old Trafford Cricket Ground on The Rising tour.  It's almost 9 years ago now - 29th May 2003.

We weren't seasoned concert goers in those days and a bit clueless about ticket sales. We missed out on tickets when they went on sale but managed to get a couple last minute. We sat so far back we could have saved our money and stood outside! It was the first time I was really excited to hear a particular song - Loose Ends - I recognised it after a couple of notes and admit I felt rather smug, like a proper fan.  Don't think any one around us had any idea what it was. Coincidentally Loose Ends was played on Bruce Brunch today.

Old Trafford Cricket Ground holds 50,000 for a concert and I assume it was full.  I mention this only because at the beginning of the European leg of the tour there was a bit of an obsession on Greasy Lake about ticket sales - or lack of them.

Why do people mind so much do you think? Are they disappointed because they think Bruce can't command a bigger audience these days or perhaps just worried about the lack of atmosphere in a partly filled stadium? Are they embarrassed on Bruce's behalf because he is playing to stadiums only three quarter full or for themselves because being a Bruce fan holds less kudos than it once did?

Should we be pleased that tickets are easier to come by at least at some venues? Perhaps there are masochistic tendencies at play here. Maybe we like the stressful, nerve wracking, panic stricken frenzy when the tickets go on sale. Maybe we miss the adrenalin rush and the euphoria of getting tickets against all the odds.

Anyway since the first few shows we have had the two Barcelona gigs and Frankfurt, both holding 50,000 to 60,000 people, and sell out shows. Tonight's show in Cologne is a sell out too and can hold a similar audience.

Closer to home neither Sunderland nor Manchester are sold out.  Incidentally Coldplay's Manchester gig sold out in five minutes.

I think Bruce might be caught between a rock and a hard place here. In The UK the O2 Arena in London holds 20,000. Manchester Arena - the largest in the UK- holds 21,000. Our first Bruce concert was at Sheffield Arena. It holds only 13,500.

You see what I'm getting at here. Our man may not be able to fill stadiums all around Europe but he's still too big for arenas.  Do we really want him to scale it down and run the risk of not getting a ticket?

Anyway enough of that.




Our Sunderland gig will be our first show for nearly two and a half years. Our last was MSG in November 2009.  The other week I couldn't resist an offer from Snapfish to make up a photo book for half price and I chose to take some photos from that weekend.  It makes me happy every time I look at it.

It's A Small (Bruce) World

Hi Guys.  Well it's been a slow news week and I'm wondering whether I will have to start diversifying a little and telling you more about my non Bruce world.  Yes there is one if I dig deep enough!

So I went to the hairdressers this week.  To cut a long story short I have been going to my previous hairdresser for years.  Her salon has closed and I was faced with finding someone new.  Hairdressing seems to be a young person's job - at least in a city like Leeds it is - and a trendy young person at that.  Finding a place where I didn't feel a hundred years old was key to me feeling comfortable.  After a couple of false starts I opted for a small independent place.

So she is wielding the scissors and making polite conversation and we get on to holidays - standard hairdresser conversation.  I say I am not going anywhere this year  but would like to go back to NYC sometime.  Told her we saw Bruce at MSG and she said ... 'I love Bruce Springsteen.  Saw him in Gothenburg!'  Of all the hair stylists in all the salons in all the world I choose her - spooky.  Ha! - it was a Bruce story after all.

Been thinking about starting on my Bruce doll this week.  I made Belinda a couple of months ago and I've just finished Cassandra.   Both girls have gone to good homes.

Belinda

Cassandra

cassandra

Thought I would do a bit of research into Bruce's face.  Of course I know what he looks like but as I'm not confident of getting a good likeness I thought I would lean towards a sort of caricature.

 This lead me to these pictures among many.  Hmmmm don't think I'll be copying any of these.  Need to practice a soul patch though!

But what really took my eye was this because he's a doll - someone has got there before me!

 

I think he's quite cute.  If you are interested here's the designer's blog featuring more dolls she has produced.  Mike has his head in his hands at this moment.  He knows full well that this is another handicraft I must have a go at.

I checked out The 100 Club today just to see what his number 1 song was.  I've mentioned this blog a couple of times before because the writer chose two Springsteen songs in his top 100.  Good choice for the top slot and great to see that he is now a proud dad.

My trawl through the blogs also turned up a cover of 'I'm On Fire'  here.  and Bruce's appearance at The Wonder Bar last week gets a mention in OK magazine - maybe not the UK version though.  Might have a quick flick through in WH Smiths tomorrow just in case!

Bruce is putting in another one of his guest appearances. This time on a track on the New Stewart Franke CD.  No I'd never heard of him.  In case you are as clueless as me here he is

Finally for this week a special mention for my hubby Mike.  It's our wedding anniversary tomorrow so this is for him