My previous Springsteen concerts have been religious experiences. Hanging Rock was close to The Rapture. When you can touch the stage, good things are going to happen.
While I was in the line waiting to be admitted I met a young Australian couple, Nikki and Sam. Nikki is a paediatric nurse and a big Springsteen fan and her boyfriend Sam is a very talented electrician. It was Nikki's dream to dance with Bruce (like every woman) and Sam had made a sign that lit up and flashed to get The Boss' attention. Ingenious!
Springsteen is a family affair for these people, and before long Nikki's parents, brothers, sisters, and significant others all showed up. It turns out they are all very involved with Australian politics and volunteer work etc. with the Labour Party. Kate, one of the brothers' girlfriend, is running for an MP seat. We had a great time and talked about my family coming over, life in NZ compared to Australia, American and Australian politics, health care and insects. Really, really nice people.
Nikki's Mum Carmel, Dad John, and two brothers Luke and Sam--offering more
VB (Victoria Bitter)--and 16,996 other people.
We had a terrific spot. There were 17,000+ on hand--the biggest crowd at Hanging Rock to date--and we were right in front. Then the man appeared . . .
Yes, yes, I was that close...and closer.
Wow . . . OMG . . . Bruce is, as of this writing, 63 years old. After 32 years of Springsteen concerts he has never been better. There is no letting up, no taking it easy. The energy was just fantastic.
At one point, I held up the "Dance with Nikki" sign while Sam operated the buttons to make it flash. Bruce saw it and POINTED AT ME (well, at the sign anyway--bit I WAS HOLDING IT!) and motioned to bring him the sign which I did. He took the sign, held it up and read it, and said "Dance with Nikki? We'll see, we'll see," and handed the sign back.
At one point, I held up the "Dance with Nikki" sign while Sam operated the buttons to make it flash. Bruce saw it and POINTED AT ME (well, at the sign anyway--bit I WAS HOLDING IT!) and motioned to bring him the sign which I did. He took the sign, held it up and read it, and said "Dance with Nikki? We'll see, we'll see," and handed the sign back.
The E Street Band played close to 4 hours and hit about every album. They were in fine form and the crowd was jumping. Jake Clemmons was stellar doing the impossible job of filling the Big Man's shoes. The expanded horn section lends greater depth to the original E Street arrangement, a welcome addition from the Seeger Sessions. Nils Lofgren and Tom Morello were incredible. Watching Bruce and Tom Morello perform The Ghost of Tom Joad was worth the price of admission alone. It was a spectacular evening made all the better for making new friends.
So here is a taste of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band at Hanging Rock. Its a 4 hour concert reduced to less than 3 minutes (and filmed entirely with my iPhone).
EPILOGUE:
On February 12, 1981, Eugene DeFazio and I drove that dusty road from Fort Walton Beach, Florida to Mobile, Alabama to see our first Bruce Springsteen concert. Eugene was from Sommerville, NJ and he and I were in the Air Force together stationed at Eglin AFB. He was a music aficionado and his friendship knew no bounds. Together we covered the deep south, Indiana, New Jersey, and most of Europe. Eugene had an incredible love of music and strong sense of 'doing the right thing.' There were many times that we didn't talk for months due to busy lives, but when he called or vice versa we picked up like we had just talked yesterday.
Eugene was taken far too early. Its easy to let loss make you angry, make you wonder what the point is. At Hanging Rock, as Bruce took the stage I thought a lot about my 'Little Buddy.' But there was no reason to be angry or sad. As Eugene's mother Pat knows, he was right there with me.
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