Bruce Springsteen

On the last Tuesday the 8th I kind of saw Bruce live. I have never been a huge Bruce fan, but after all he is a legend and his songs are part of events in my life. I remember spending a long time as a child trying to figure out what that was in his back pocket on the cover of "Born in the USA". I had never seen a baseball cap and it was just a few years ago that I realized that that is what it is. Back then I think I settled for some kind of a fancy pocket. So, when my friend and band colleague suggested that we would go to the concert and see the and hear the whole thing from outside the fences and just take part in the experience I thought: "Why not, then I can say that I have seen Bruce and 80 000 people over two nights can't be that wrong?" Norway is a small country and any artist that can gather that many people must be worth seeing. My personal opinion is that Bruce has been the object of a great hype in Norway the last years and it's very very popular to like him, I think that has a lot to do with it, but at the same time, the man is one hell of an entertainer and he has simple but catchy tunes.

So we gathered on a little hill behind the stage and watched from there for a while but there was really no view from there and horrible sound, so we decided to move on in between the trees. A lot better sound quality down there, people climbing trees and we could even see one of the big screens when ever Bruce decided to go for a walk around stage.



And when he played "Born in the USA" I also had a chill down my spine. That is such a great classic and they played it so tight and good. I also really missed to of my favourites "Streets of Philadelphia" and "The River". I really love those songs and was sad that they were not played... The things that were played was filled with energy, spirit and excitement, but to me the songs feel a bit dull. It's the same bass and drum line again and again... I guess if you love it, you love all of it, but just not really my cup of tea. It was great seeing the concert with some Americans though. Made me realize that Bruce is to them almost like De Lillos are too us, the universal rock icon. That captures the soul of a whole people. And THAT you gotta respect, when it not only applies to Americans but too people everywhere, Norwegians included. It's universal in a way, Bruce's music. I am tempted to write simple music for simple minds, but that would sound all wrong. I mean that it's just immediate and you know what you get and simple in a good kind of way. Hm... Sometimes to simple, dull and a bit boring for my liking but he definitivly has his amazing moments and deserve the status as a legend. You feel the greatness, and the love that all of those 40 000 people feel for the man and the music. Unfortunately the same 40 000 consists of maybe 80% people that haven't been to Oslo the last 15 years. That results in a bus trip home for me taking 90 minutes instead of the usual 30 ;)

Bruce doesn't actually travel light, does he? ;)