I asked the man what he wanted for it , he asked me what would i give for it , the wife rolled her eyes in a men-really-cant-communicate-can-they expression , i said name a figure and ill say yes or no with my best poker face , then the gentleman started a spiel about just how valuable this thing in his hand with no takers is really worth , adding touches of the drama about how this vital piece of paper got in his aloft held hand and the treatise on the pros and cons of postage and packaging and the mechanics of booking fees.By this time both i and the wife were rolling our eyes in a fuck-sake-get-to-the-point manner.To cut a long story short i was eventually in possession of a ticket for £30 pounds and everyone was happy.
At the concert itself things started of slowly with the sound slightly out of balance between voice , percussion and bass,as the concert went on the sound improved dramatically and the show was incredible.We were treated to a a three and a half our set of thirty songs without a break , including a beautiful tribute to Clarence on the second anniversary of his passing. The set included included at least ten songs that i had never seen performed live before.
Below is the scene from a picture taken from the stands.
He and the band so obviously love every minute of what they do , and the mood easily translates to the crowd.An emotional and unbelievable night is a guarantee when he is in town for old and new watchers alike.A normally cynical first time attender said "The man oozes class. I had never seen him. Having heard the hype, I was expecting a letdown. I cannot believe how good he was.", another old time concert goer over many decades seeing him live for the first time enthused " that was my first time seeing him on stage and he was absolutely fantastic. I can't recall ever seeing a performer having such a close relationship with his audience. from start to finish, an incredible performance. I was not his greatest fan although loved some songs and now I want to listen to more." .Even veteran attenders who have seen him more than a dozen times were in unbelievable awe over how much energy and passion he is still able to put into his shows.
Below is a version of "Im On Fire" , one of the many request songs he done on the night.This review from "The Herald" captures the evening to a tee.
"Almost from the off, The Boss strolls to the front of the stage and picks song suggestions from the crowd, an up-close-and-personal jukebox."
Another fan listed his highlights from the set:
"Incredible moments:
1. Singing the song in memory of Shug and then giving his daughter back the card (grit in eye moment)
2. The Band introductions - pure and utter ridiculousness in terms of both length and sheer talent!
3. Seeing the Banner for Silvio with "Just when I thought I was out..." flashing up on the screen several times!
4. The Band - just HOW good were they....again ridiculous!
5. The finale singsong/mash up/jump about with a ridiculous grin on your face-athon.
6. "I need to go home I'm sixty fucking three and I think I'm having a heart attack!"
7. Getting the girls up on stage to dance, the young lad up to sing and Hazel falling off the stage.
8. Finishing with Thunder Road.
An incredible gig.....I couldnt sleep last night as I was still buzzing!"
The song in memory of "Shug" was "Tougher Than The Rest" , one from the Tunnel Of Love album , on that poignant moment a fan caught the mood of the whole crowd "I cried a little bit when he sang to Shug then gave his daughter her card back....that was a lovely gesture.
I thought it was utterly brilliant....up there with the best gigs Ive ever been at" , you can see the version of the song from the concert in the video below:
First timer at a Springsteen concert, very impressed, he seemed to be genuinely enjoying himself and that rubbed off on the crowd,three and a half hours of non stop action.
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