Blogger is playing up... again.
I have absolutely no idea why this post is looking like this, and after over an hour trying to rectify it have decided that life is just far too short to even be bothered about it - except that I am!!!
In the all of 34 years that I’ve known Tim, there have only ever been two people I would have considered swapping him for. One is David Beckham, and the other, Bruce Springsteen. It probably says a lot for Tim that it was only ever a consideration. However after Thursday’s concert (I'm told that I should use the word ‘gig’) at the Coventry Ricoh Arena, Tim could be just a fraction closer to freedom!
It had rained nearly all day, but the rain mostly held off as Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band’s Wrecking Ball tour date began. The gig was just amazing; everything I’d hoped it would be and more. I left ecstatic, and even sitting in a car park for well over an hour before we could even join the stationary queue to begin our journey home didn’t dampen our spirits. Tom and I loved it but we have a suspicion that Tim only really liked it. He gave us, a crowd of about 40,000 just what we wanted!
Me (with raging hayfever) Tim and Tom.
With such a magnificent back catalogue of work there will always be that one song you walk away saying "I wish he had performed that" but without any doubt this was a great set list.
It promised to be a good night from the minute The Boss took to the stage and gave an opening solo acoustic performance of Ghost of Tom Joad.
I first got to know The Boss in 1975 (when I was 19 and starting university), which coincided with the release of the Born to Run album. My delight was that he played the whole of the Born to Run which he dedicated to his friend James Gandolfini (Tony Soprano) who died the previous evening.
For any Boss officianados out there the set was:
The Ghost of Tom Joad
Long Walk Home
My Love Will Not Let You Down
Two Hearts
Seeds
Trapped
Long Time Comin’
Wrecking Ball
Death to My Hometown
Hungry Heart
The River - perhaps my favourite
Born To Run album
Thunder Road
Night
Backstreets
Born to Run
She’s the One
Meeting Across the River
Jungleland
Then:
Shackled and Drawn
Waitin’ on a Sunny Day
Lonesome Day
Encore:
Born in the U.S.A.
Bobby Jean
Dancing in the Dark
Raise Your Hand
Nearly three and a half hours later as the final chord of American Land was played
I was surprised by this person's drink of choice!
To sum up, this was the best gig that either Tom or I have ever attended - and between us we've been to quite a few!
What can I say other than to quote:
"and the poets down there don't write nothing at all they just stand back and let it all be".
"and the poets down there don't write nothing at all they just stand back and let it all be".
Anyone know where this quotation is from?
Love the happy photos of you guys :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you! I thought the one of me looked like I was there under sufferance!
DeleteIt sounds wonderful. And isn't it great that his appeal crosses the generations, in the crowd as a whole and your own family.
ReplyDeleteHi Craig,
ReplyDeleteIt was wonderful! I'm sure everyone felt the same.
I went up to Lancaster to collect some of Tom's belongings yesterday as wouldn't fit it all in his car. He wouldn't part with his guitar, but he does a mean Bruce Springsteen!
Lucky you! Sounds like a fantastic evening of fun and song!
ReplyDeleteHi Leslie,
DeleteI can't believe just how lucky!
Some great photos here. I keep thinking I want to get away from Google I am getting fed up with all the changes they make, but I agree life is too short and do I really want to go to the trouble of changing my blog to somewhere else? I have not even got the time to blog at the moment!!! Hope all well Diane
ReplyDeleteI've had very little time to post recently but haven't really encountered any problems for a few months, until today! I normally cut and paste the whole thing in from word. Today I did this with some of the text and added the rest in blogger. However even when i took the whole thing out the template was strange when it was pasted back in.
DeleteBlogger has a mind of its own!!!
Great post Gaynor. I have loved him since about the same time as you. When I taught in the Us in the mid 80s, my complete dream come true was driving down the highway, between Sheboygan, where I worked, and Milwaukee, about a 40 minute drive south, in my 1976 Pontiac Catalina, with the Boss playing very loudly...."Born in the USA" never sounded so good, although my favourite album was always Nebraska.....so moody ! So glad you enjoyed the "gig" so much. Jx
ReplyDeleteThanks, Janice.
ReplyDeleteI understand what you mean about Nebraska - Atlantic City is one of my favourite tracks.
However I've loved the Boss in all of his incarnations - from the Seeger Sessions to the more 'pop' Born in the USA. It's hard to have a favourite track but 'The River' comes close for me along with the more melodic 'Meeting Across the River' - but check out the words!
It's been such a hectic time recently that it was just what we needed - even though it meant less than 4 hours sleep that night! x
This does sound like an outstanding concert, and the place looks like it was packed with happy fans. You hit a jackpot concert I think.
ReplyDeleteI have the impression that every Springsteen concert is the same, Vagabonde.
DeleteI quite like Springsteen...which is obviously not good enough...but delighted you had such a wonderful time, despite the hayfever. However, I DO like the look of Tim - he looks like really good fun! So...
ReplyDeleteAxxx
In Welsh English to say that you quite like something actually means that you really like it!
DeleteTim is the old one with the white whiskers; Tom is much more fun - and a better dancer!! ;o)) x
(Am trying really hard to control the pedant in me...) I quite like Bruce, but I really like Sting. In English English, there's a difference. And I really did mean Tim! (Tom is gorgeous.) Ax
DeleteAnd now that all sounds wrong! I'm sure you know what I mean...Ax
DeleteI know!!
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ReplyDelete