I think it's 39 anyway......
Two sleeps.
After being a bit.....meh about this tour, and all things Bruce generally, I'm now excited for Tuesday.
Getting home on Wednesday has turned into a chore due to the train strikes but it'll get sorted.
My ticket is safely tucked away.......in my Google Pay wallet.
The last few trips away I've done have brought home to me the extent upon which we rely on mobile phones.
If you're flying, boarding passes are on it, train, train tickets are on it, gig/sporting event tickets.......you get the picture.
Right down to music for the journey and something to read thereon via the Kindle app.
Maybe it's an age thing but I find it more insidious than handy.
Still,enough old man digression, will he open with No Surrender or My Love.....?
Or some left-field-er?
Either way, this old man is ready to grow young again!
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/jun/03/bruce-springsteen-and-the-e-street-band-murrayfield-stadium-edinburgh-review
Another excellent review - not entirely sure how she arrived at 4 instead of 5 stars!
@bosstralian
Fair comment......
Time for a synopsis.
Put simply, the gig was awesome.
The band, predominately a collection of men galloping headlong towards their mid-to-late 70s lest we forget, have never looked tighter to me.
They're all looking well.
Stevie looks to have dropped some timber, I thought Garry looked a bit unhealthily skinny initially but, on seeing his camera shots on the big screens, he looked good.
I'm guessing he just likes loose fitting clobber on stage.
He also did an odd wee goblin dance as he came out on stage.
The main man looks pretty damn exceptional at 73.
His attire was on the usual lines, but I noticed he'd eschewed his normal biker boots in favour of what I call "match of the day trainers", the black ones with the thick white soles so beloved of sports TV presenters these days, usually worn with a suit.
I'm wondering if these are Sketchers, or an equivalent brand, designed to lessen the impact on the 73 year old knees, hips and back.......
So, to the much maligned static set-list.
Static, maybe, but blessed of a plethora of wonderful songs.
The unlikely heros for me were "Kitty" and "Shuffle".
Both of these had a jazz-funk/soul-review feel as they were elongated by individual showcases.
Johnny 99 was also given a funky makeover.
"Last man standing" into "Backstreets" brought the theme of mortality front and centre, it lingered throughout the set in all honesty.
It became most overt, unsurprisingly, in the penultimate "Tenth Avenue" with the videos featuring Clarence and Danny.
Speaking personally, I had some unconventional reactions during the set.
I kind of drifted into myself, while watching.
I wasn't anything like as emotional as I thought I'd be.
I teared-up during the opening "No Surrender" and, as always, at the ".......where Giants play the game...." line in "Wrecking Ball".
But lengthy periods of the set were almost an out of body experience for me, very odd, borderline ethereal.
Anyway, the second half (or thereabouts) of the show morphed into a more conventional rock vibe, Bruce seemed to.. ............ I don't think loosen-up is the right way to put it, but he seemed more spontaneously playful, looning about with Steve with one of the cameras on stage, for example.
All in all it was a relief that a Bruce gig remained as life-affirming as ever following the various PR mis-steps in the planning, ticketing and marketing of the tour.
In short, I loved it.
Minor, minor criticisms......I thought the mix on Max's bass drum and floor tom was a bit off, a bit "meaty", in the initial couple of tracks, while I think Bruce's voice needs to warm up a bit before "Ghosts".
Having it at two in the setlist saw him reaching a bit........and not quite getting there.
Also, the big screen as a backdrop......I can't recall this being done before (maybe it has and I just can't remember it) and I found it occasionally distracting.
I'm curious to hear how those further back found it though.
Oi'll give it foive. 😁
Errr, there seems to have been plenty of fun before and after the show.
Well, I assume there was a show... how did that part go for everyone???
@Walkerinthesun & @MagicRatAFC I have sent you both a PM on GL.
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/may/31/bruce-springsteen-review-murrayfield-stadium-edinburgh?fbclid=IwAR0NhEwu5g9kcLqBXaGEdqdjCBPHTBeqw3ii1lLcK9FGV8rzmQLV1wqJNP4
Hope this works! Good review from today's Guardian.
Heading to his place in Italy for the break. V complimentary about last nights show and Embra in general.
Unbelievable!!!
0219......Kitty O'Shea's......I am officially dreading the journey home while simultaneously not giving a fuck.
@walkerinthesun I'm in a boozer called Kitty O'Shea's which, I'm told, is open until 3......
Just right of centre, 2nd row. Baking hot.
In the fanzone, £40 a t-shirt.......piss take man.
@Walkerinthesun you too have fun tonight. Live music is always rejuvenating.... And Bruce is still doing his magic.... Enjoy the show.
Band are at the Balmoral. Around 06:30pm yesterday.
Pics by a friend who’s not doing the q thing. Meanwhile we were on our way out to the 7pm roll call
We spent much of the evening in the Guildford Arms & Cafe Royal just across the road and can confirm none of the band were in either!
No sleeps!
TBH Louisa I am too!
It's a different vibe this time.
Have a great show tomorrow Mr.Rat. I am really curious about what kind of emotions the gig will evoke in you. Let us know, and most importantly have fun.
Right, I stuck my nose into the Embra thread on the other place.
I'm curious.
Apparently the Q has started already.
I'm assuming this is folk Q-ing to get "on the barrier"?
When I've Q-ed previously it's just been to get in the pit.
But this time, as there's a ticketed Pit, I've no intention of Q-ing.
I'm just a bit concerned there'll be a second, smaller pit inside the front area.
I think that would be poor TBH but hey-ho.
Are Badlands doing any events this tour?
Not travelling down until tomorrow Bud, but I've sent you a message beyond that.
If you’re around Monday night give us a shout and we’ll try & sort a blether over a pint. Bunch of girls my mate knows have asked us along to the Hard Rock tonight so we’ll be in the city centre. If not here then Brum!