Springsteen and I

Time for a confession. Before I saw Bruce Springsteen live for the first time I knew barely any of his songs. I'd heard a few off Wrecking Ball. I knew Born in the USA. I'd heard OF Born to Run but don't think I'd heard it. That was it. Had no idea about any others. 

Also I had a seat in the lower tier but the day of the gig checked and somehow there were floor tickets available. Someone I knew went to an earlier gig and raved so for reasons I'm still not entirely sure of, spent $200 to buy a floor ticket. Also this was the first gig I'd ever stood for. So I had absolutely no idea what to expect.

Got there later than I wanted to, about 20 minutes before scheduled start time (yeah right) but was still amazingly close. I looked at the mic and it hit me "He's gonna be right there. This close".

Out he came. Badlands. I didn't know any of the words but holy shit. It was unlike anything. I've seen Prince, Muse and BB King but this was something else. Then, just when I thought that was it, as he was changing guitars for the next song the crowd kept singing Badlands. So be just shrugged, swapped guitars back and kept playing it a bit longer. If I wasn't already then that was it. I was in.

Things that I know now happen most gigs were amazing to me that night. The signs. The lack of a setlist. The kid on stage during Waitin On A Sunny Day. All of it. Around the 45 minute mark most acts do some slower songs. Bruce? He threw himself into the crowd during Hungry Heart. Yep.

At one point he pulled out a sign for Red Headed Woman. He admitted he couldn't remember what key it was in, the band barely remembered it and Tom Morello had never played it. Did that stop him? Nope. WHO DOES THAT? The Boss. That's who.

When I left that night I sent a message that remains one of my favourites I've ever sent. It reads: I FEEL LIKE I JUST FOUND GOD EXCEPT HE'S REAL AND IT'S BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN. That's what it was like. I'm a staunch atheist/agnostic, but if religion is as powerful to you as Bruce was to me that night, then I get it.

Leaving that night, leaving the next night, when I finished watching London Calling at Hyde Park, and tonight after seeing Springsteen and I, I've been left with the same feeling. It doesn't matter. Those things we think are really important; that report at work, being popular, buying that thing, none of it matters. Just be you. Be who you want to be, not who you're told or who you think you should be. Don't worry about being a "success" and don't worry about "failure". Just be you. That's what Bruce means to me.

Thank you Bruce.