Bruce Springsteen at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
16/06/2008
It was 7th July 1985 at Roundhay Park Leeds that I first saw Bruce Springsteen in Concert. It was part of the "Born In the USA tour and he was on amazing form. In fact if you watch the live video of "Born to Run" and you knew where to look at the right time, you might see me in the audience. Next time out was the in 1988 on "The Tunnel of Love" tour. This was September 7th 1988. It was a good concert but not a patch on the one before. He even did "Born to Run" Acoustically. what's all that about? So hearing he would be playing in the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, I knew I would buy a ticket but would he be any good?
Well I need not have worried. He was on Sparkling form. Lesley was disappointed there was no place in the set for "Dancing in the Dark" or "Jersey Girl" but for me all the big songs we there. Highlights included "Because the night" with a blistering guitar solo from Nils Lofgren and "Jungleland" with the beautiful sax playing of Clarence Clemons. The full set list was:
From Small Things (Big Things One Day Come)
Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out
Radio Nowhere
No Surrender
Lonesome Day
The Promised Land
Blinded By The Light
Magic
Atlantic City
The River
Gypsy Biker
Darlington County
Because The Night
She's The One
Livin' In The Future
Mary's Place
Working On The Highway
Devil's Arcade
The Rising
Last To Die
Long Walk Home
Badlands
Jungleland
Thunder Road
Born To Run
Rosalita
American Land
Jesus was an only son
As he walked up Calvary Hill
His mother Mary walking beside him
In the path where his blood spilled
Jesus was an only son
In the hills of Nazareth
As he lay reading the Psalms of David
At his mother's feet
A mother prays, "Sleep tight, my child, sleep well
For I'll be at your side
That no shadow, no darkness, no tolling bell,
Shall pierce your dreams this night."
In the garden at Gethsemane
He prayed for the life he'd never live,
He beseeched his Heavenly Father to remove
The cup of death from his lips
Now there's a loss that can never be replaced,
A destination that can never be reached,
A light you'll never find in another's face,
A sea whose distance cannot be breached
Well Jesus kissed his mother's hands
Whispered, "Mother, still your tears,
For remember the soul of the universe
Willed a world and it appeared."
As he walked up Calvary Hill
His mother Mary walking beside him
In the path where his blood spilled
Jesus was an only son
In the hills of Nazareth
As he lay reading the Psalms of David
At his mother's feet
A mother prays, "Sleep tight, my child, sleep well
For I'll be at your side
That no shadow, no darkness, no tolling bell,
Shall pierce your dreams this night."
In the garden at Gethsemane
He prayed for the life he'd never live,
He beseeched his Heavenly Father to remove
The cup of death from his lips
Now there's a loss that can never be replaced,
A destination that can never be reached,
A light you'll never find in another's face,
A sea whose distance cannot be breached
Well Jesus kissed his mother's hands
Whispered, "Mother, still your tears,
For remember the soul of the universe
Willed a world and it appeared."
(Jesus was an only son be Bruce Springsteen)
Will I be there on the next tour? You can bet on it!
Well, I saw Bruce at the Emirates with my partner and Cardiff with my Daughter - both not really Bruce Springsteen fans However, I think they both (unexpectedly) enjoyed it. I thought he was EXCELLENT and want to go and see him again before he goes back to the USA. However, nobody who I know have such a high regard of his music. I expect that I'll be going by myself....
Posted by: Viv | 20/06/2008 at 10:10 PM
After all the time since the Cardiff gig - the stadium isn't up to much, poor facilities, and the city was dour - this gig still hasn't inproved any. The first Emirates gig was excellent, vintage stuff but this started poorly, late and with an unknown to most song. Bruce seemed distracted, strained even and it took a while to get going. The crowd around me didn't seem to kniow the music and sat down most of the time. It was all too eerie for me. I wisdh he'd drop the River and Mary's Place - they're done to death now. Because the Night and Badlands were great. But American Land pleeeaase, this is rubbish.
Posted by: OldRaver | 08/07/2008 at 08:33 PM
Please disregard all but the 2nd to last sentence of the review above! The city is amazing, the stadium is awesome (though the toilets) are lame! Bruce was on great form and it was a great set.....err that's it!
Posted by: Gary Smith | 09/07/2008 at 06:09 PM
* Gary Smith
I think people can make up their own minds about whether my comments have any validity or not. Please do not be so arrogant!
I was surprised by the level of facilities at the stadium, the sound was poor with too much distortion, especially Clarence's solos. Bruce and the band were not together at the beginning. I can talk from some experience of seeing the band over the years. The set was, as I have suggested, up and down with the highlights as above. This was my experience of the evening. It is valid.
Posted by: OldRaver | 09/07/2008 at 09:24 PM
Gary Smith is right on the money.
Posted by: Anthony Jones | 03/04/2024 at 09:33 PM