Last night I went to the library, I mean... I went to see Bruce Springsteen at the Emirates Stadium.
I am a big fan of his music (but not his political views) and I have seen him four times in concert. The best one was in Paris during "The Rising" tour in 2002. I was standing a stone away from the stage and I met lots of fans like me and it was exciting. I felt like one of the few "chosen ones", able to enter the small circle of people with the wristbands, the ones who can say "I was there he winked at me, ha ha ha".
This time, being a bit older, and less fanatic about Bruce, I decided to buy a seating ticket because I couldn't face three or more hours of queuing outside, considering that I was going to the concert by myself. But I thought it was going to be ok, because I had in the past bought a seating ticket for one of his concerts and everybody, from the first tune to the last chorus, was standing anyway. At least that was 10 years ago but this time... with my bewilderment, everybody was instead glue to the seat and the only movement I could spot was was the hammering of the feet or the nodding of the head... depressing indeed.
I must admit the majority of the crowd was over 50 years old of age and I can understand a more moderate approach to a rock concert than youngsters in their 20s but hey, Bruce himself is 58, if he can jump and sing for more than two hours, the supporters can at least stand up and punch the air a little bit, can they? No, apparently.
It was weird to watch the concert that way. I felt a bit bored, the music was not that loud, the view not that great and it seemed to me Bruce himself was not as able as before to carry the crowd with him. It was also the fact that a concert in the stadium, is not, in my opinion, as good as the concert in a closed space. There is a lack of atmosphere in this type of concert and Bruce at 35 was able to step up to the challenge but at 58, I am afraid not.
Another thing that let me perplex was that some people left three quarters into the concert, what's the point of that? I have paid for all the ticket! That remind me an Arsenal-Sunderland match I saw a few years ago. Arsenal was up 2-0 and many Sunderland supporters were leaving the stadium with I think more than 20 minutes to play. I was surprised to see them leaving so early because they were coming from miles away to see their team and then you never know... in fact Sunderland scored 3 goals in a blink of an eye, won the match and went to the next stage of the Carling Cup. I could painfully imagine what the Sunderland supporters that had left early had to say to their wifes when they come back home: "Hi honey, took a day off work, travelled all the country for a silly Carling Cup 3rd round match, spent £££ to watch my team going 2-0 down at half-time and I left before my team amazing comeback to victory. Priceless!"
The best part of the concert was when he performed Badlands. The song beat is very catching and lots of people including me started to clap their hands along with it. Lots of people around me dropped out but I carried on, listening Badlands without clapping? No way!
Thanks God the last three or so songs, including Born to Run, everybody was standing and shouting but all in all I felt the atmosphere at the Emirates was way below my standard for a Springsteen concert.
Out of the stadium, I overheard a couple's conversation, they were both in their 50's and the wife was complaining to the husband that tonight there were too many young people to the concert... Blimey rock is dead for sure, bring on the mazurka!
I am a big fan of his music (but not his political views) and I have seen him four times in concert. The best one was in Paris during "The Rising" tour in 2002. I was standing a stone away from the stage and I met lots of fans like me and it was exciting. I felt like one of the few "chosen ones", able to enter the small circle of people with the wristbands, the ones who can say "I was there he winked at me, ha ha ha".
This time, being a bit older, and less fanatic about Bruce, I decided to buy a seating ticket because I couldn't face three or more hours of queuing outside, considering that I was going to the concert by myself. But I thought it was going to be ok, because I had in the past bought a seating ticket for one of his concerts and everybody, from the first tune to the last chorus, was standing anyway. At least that was 10 years ago but this time... with my bewilderment, everybody was instead glue to the seat and the only movement I could spot was was the hammering of the feet or the nodding of the head... depressing indeed.
I must admit the majority of the crowd was over 50 years old of age and I can understand a more moderate approach to a rock concert than youngsters in their 20s but hey, Bruce himself is 58, if he can jump and sing for more than two hours, the supporters can at least stand up and punch the air a little bit, can they? No, apparently.
It was weird to watch the concert that way. I felt a bit bored, the music was not that loud, the view not that great and it seemed to me Bruce himself was not as able as before to carry the crowd with him. It was also the fact that a concert in the stadium, is not, in my opinion, as good as the concert in a closed space. There is a lack of atmosphere in this type of concert and Bruce at 35 was able to step up to the challenge but at 58, I am afraid not.
Another thing that let me perplex was that some people left three quarters into the concert, what's the point of that? I have paid for all the ticket! That remind me an Arsenal-Sunderland match I saw a few years ago. Arsenal was up 2-0 and many Sunderland supporters were leaving the stadium with I think more than 20 minutes to play. I was surprised to see them leaving so early because they were coming from miles away to see their team and then you never know... in fact Sunderland scored 3 goals in a blink of an eye, won the match and went to the next stage of the Carling Cup. I could painfully imagine what the Sunderland supporters that had left early had to say to their wifes when they come back home: "Hi honey, took a day off work, travelled all the country for a silly Carling Cup 3rd round match, spent £££ to watch my team going 2-0 down at half-time and I left before my team amazing comeback to victory. Priceless!"
The best part of the concert was when he performed Badlands. The song beat is very catching and lots of people including me started to clap their hands along with it. Lots of people around me dropped out but I carried on, listening Badlands without clapping? No way!
Thanks God the last three or so songs, including Born to Run, everybody was standing and shouting but all in all I felt the atmosphere at the Emirates was way below my standard for a Springsteen concert.
Out of the stadium, I overheard a couple's conversation, they were both in their 50's and the wife was complaining to the husband that tonight there were too many young people to the concert... Blimey rock is dead for sure, bring on the mazurka!
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