This blog is about energy, which is something I feel a renewal of since then. So there will be quite a few updates along the way that focus on the concerts and songs. A great deal of the blog will continue to focus as it has previously on the significant projects in my life, that of my domestic environment, and increasingly now, the physical energy of becoming more healthy.
It has taken me a long while to work out how to arrange my writing about this inspiration, not only because I don't want to stuff it up, but because there is just so much, all encompassing yet very specific. I'm hoping other Springsteen concert goers know what I mean here.
What I decided upon was to write a song-by-song review of the impact. Not running through the songs by the setlists for each concert, but through the songs roughly in the order that they pierced my consciousness and changed my outlook.
But first here is a summary of events, to put all these individual songs in some kind of context.
Bruce Springsteen, the accidental inspiration. Yes, that’s right, accidental. I was absolutely a Bruce ‘virgin’, having no idea that the 'booing' sounds were actually the sounds of ‘Bruuuucccce’, not the grouchiness of those experiencing a one hour delay in performance start time! My husband bought the newly released tickets as a surprise for me, and what a gift! I had wanted to go to the concert, but tickets had sold out before I could book them in early December, and there was also (surprising to me now) no-one to take with me. Playing a Springsteen CD one evening, my 8 year old started dancing around the kitchen. When I asked her if she liked the singer, she said "oh yes very much" and I was thrilled that if new tickets became available I had my concert-going company right in my own home! Luckily, new tickets were released and we were on our way!
For the concert on 14 March, my daughter and I were seated in the "B Reserve" area, 6 rows back in the raised seating area, dead centre to the stage.
Sadly we were behind the seating 'barricade' that prevented me from rushing foward to greet the man himself on his forays into the audience. Right from the beginning though I was caught up in the enthusiasm of the crowd with "We Take Care of Our Own", a song totally unknown to me lighting up the crowd. The whole show leading the audience through ups, downs, shouting and silence was an orchestrated showmanship I'd never experienced before. Seasoned Springsteen fans, perhaps were familiar, however for me it was a life changing experience of seeing magic in the form of a whole lot of enthusiasm and technical artistry work its way through the 10,000 strong crowd. My daughter noted solemnly that "you have to sing from the heart, Bruce Springsteen sings from the heart, and thats how I knew he is a great singer" She's a very insightful young woman.
My own experience was somewhat obsessive, twenty minutes after arriving home I read my first online review, soon to find the guru of all things Springsteen, Tomo, of Bruce Springsteen Croatia fame. Not long after I was following several Springsteen related Twitter accounts (what are they even called?) including Jake Clemons and Springsteen himself.
In the days that followed, I greedily absorbed all the information from his Sydney shows, until one afternoon, clicking on a link from a random Springsteen related Tweet, discovered that what I thought were sold-out shows in Melbourne actually were not. Hours later I was on the phone to my girlfriend in Melbourne pleading with her to trust me on how good the show would be and convince her to come with me to see the first Melbourne show with a GA ticket in the pit, where we could dance and hopefully be close-up! She agreed after 11pm and I was in crazy motion buying concert tickets, plane tickets and working out logistics for a 30 hour Melbourne stopover. And come Sunday night, my mind was blown. Instead of the gentle narrative of the Brisbane show, the audience was hit with a 3 hour wall of music. Barely pausing for breath, Springsteen, belted out song after song, and certainly didn't get all chatty with the audience as he had in Brisbane.
In fact the longest (and most uncomfortable) silence I remember was during Darlington County when he knelt on the platform right beside me for what seemed like a small eternity!
Monday morning watching balloons hovering over Rod Laver arena, both my girlfriend and I were keen to repeat the entire evening! Rushing through other commitments, I arrived back in Brisbane to convince my husband that our whole family needed a Melbourne holiday that started immediately! Fortunately he was keen to join in the enthusiasm, and new tickets were bought for Tuesday night, with our plane landing with just enough time to rush from the airport to the concert. After barely any sleep again, we set out for my third Springsteen experience. And I was not disappointed. Standing at the back of the GA area, we met a couple from Perth who were returning for Wednesday's concert; a man who was also going to Hanging Rock; a couple who between them seemed to have taken in the entire tour; and a large group of keen sign holding fans who clearly had several concerts under their belt. The house lights stayed on and the concert opened with "Badlands", everyone off their feet immediately and so much energy! The narrative was back, but with more audience interaction than Brisbane. Bruce even took the cap offered by Dave, who was standing beside me, before heading into the audience for a crowdsurf.
My experience was not quite over however, as I wanted for my husband to be able to share what it was like to see Springsteen and the E Street Band live. He rushed at the last minute to grab a 'cheapie in the rear of the stage' ticket for Wednesday's show at 6pm from the lawn outside the Arena, and spent the night on his feet dancing!
I feel blessed to have been able to celebrate turning 40 (in a few months time) with my girlfriend in such a unique way. The pleasure of being a part of the comraderie and spiritual renewal of a Bruce Springsteen concert will not be soon forgotten.
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