Springsteen - Manchester

[deelightful3 10]

You lucky lucky people,have seen bruce twice and each time was outstanding,such a performer.

[Teabag 10]

Bruce and the band played Dublin Friday evening, here's the review for the gig:

 

What's on George Bush's iPod? Not Bruce Springsteen or Neil Young, one suspects. Both rock legends have just released Bush administration-baiting albums, a song on the latter's Living With War even imploring "Let's Impeach The President".

 

Springsteen? Well, when he performed material from his latest record, We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions, at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival last week, he spoke of Bush's "criminal ineptitude" in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. With that he launched into "How Can A Poor Man Stand Such Times And Live?", dedicating the 77-year-old folk song to "President Bystander".

 

And so to Dublin for the opening date of The Boss's European Tour, where we are promised an "all-new evening of gospel, folk and blues". It's a musical banquet that Springsteen and his 17-piece ensemble are more than qualified to deliver, and from the get go they don't disappoint. They open with the old ***** spiritual, "O Mary Don't You Weep". Springsteen gives its potent, nursery rhyme-simple melody all he has. In the space of a few minutes, fiddle, accordion, trumpet and piano players all take short, gutsy solos. It's breathless, invigorating stuff.

 

A Hootenanny-type mood is quickly established, Springsteen proved just how easily he can reach row ZZ of an arena.

 

"John Henry had himself a red-headed woman," he roars on "John Henry", as his own redheaded wife - backing singer Patti Scialfa - joins him fleetingly at his front-of-stage microphone. He's never been afraid to choreograph a move, but his music has rarely sounded more spontaneous or vitalising than this. Further in, he introduces "Old Dan Tucker" as "a 150-year old Bob Dylan song". No matter that this bluegrass banjo-led toe-tapper was made famous by Dan Emmett circa 1843: this is Springsteen acknowledging Dylan acknowledging Woody Guthrie acknowledging all that came before him.

 

As Dublin is just the place to big-up folk music's baton-passing traditions, this goes down a treat.

 

It closes much as it had begun, Springsteen and his cohorts tapping into the Dixieland tradition for that non-pareil set-closer, "When The Saints Go Marching In". It's been an astonishingly rich evening, the persevering, life-affirming choruses of tunes such as "Jacob's Ladder" and "Erie Canal" provoking a mass sing-along. At times it felt like a gospel rival show, and at times a down-home barn dance. Mostly, though, it felt like the biggest, bestest pub lock-in Dublin has seen in years

[ANVIL 10]

yeehaa! top show!

 

bruce is more rock n roll than most other 'rock n roll' stars combined, even when he's doing folk!

 

what did y'all think?

[BruciesBabe 10]

Wow, Wow, Wow, Mr Springsteen was on TOP form!! What a night! I've seen him many times before, in the UK, France and America and he truly is The Boss!! I'm sure he has converted many doubters and he has done his fans proud!

 

One hell of a night!!

 

Love and Hugs,

BB.xx

[Teabag 10]

Very different and better for it. I did miss the E Street Band at first but I thought it was a great night.

Highlights for me were 'Jacob's Ladder', 'Open All Night' and as for, 'My City in Ruins' it was sublime..glad to see you all enjoyed the show

[Teabag 10]

Put something on my blog to listen to:

 

http://asillyaddress.blogspot.com/

 

Enjoy

[ANVIL 10]

my highlights were mrs mcgrath, erie canal and pay me my money down

[ANVIL 10]

oh yeah, and brucie's comments about a certain mr. bush were a highlight for me too

[Babz 10]

Some blurry piccies on my site Southort Chat but it won't let me post the url:(

[Teabag 10]

Great Bruce show on BBC 4 tonight..loved the live version of 'Jacob's Ladder'.

 

Reports suggest that he will be back to these shores for more live dates in the late summer/early Autumn - unsure if this is with Seeger Sessions Band or the E Street Band

[Fibutton 10]

Anyone going this Friday 2012?

[janie48 98]

Wish i was.