#springsteendublin

Last Friday marked my very first trip to Dublin, Ireland.

I was going for some sightseeing and topping the trip by attending Bruce’s second gig at Croke Park.

Having planned this trip for months I was really exited to go. I love travelling – I love to see and feel other cultures, doing some tourist-must-sees, meeting new people and brush off my english.

The Bruce-fever stroked me already when we touched down at Dublin airport – being there around 6 pm I could actually make it for the first show – just needed a ticket :D

Me and my wife went out to catch something to eat. On our way we passed a pop-up-restaurant called The E Street Inn – celebrating Bruce and The E Street Band! We skipped this place in favour of Bushes pub – got a nice juicy burger and crispy fries and they played Springsteen only! Perfect dining music! Bruce and burgers = heaven! :D

Afterwards we went for a stroll down to Croke Park to catch a feeling of the atmosphere and the surroundings. I was really struck by how big the stadium was!

We could easily hear the band, actually the sound was quite good from behind the stage. We got a glimpse of Bruce, Nils and Soozie :) We got a snip of The Promised Land, Waitin’ On A Sunny Day, Tougher Than The Rest. Later from within our B&B I could hear Bobby Jean as I was slipping into The Sleepylands.

We spent Saturday sightseeing onboard a hop-on/ off bus tour. On our way the bus guide told us Springsteen was staying at The Merrion Hotel. We couldn’t resist and after dropping off the bus we headed back to the hotel to try out our luck. We had a chat with other fans but no sign of Bruce.

Later that evening we were joined by another “Bruce-couple” from Norway – enjoying a good meal, chatting about big stuff, small stuff and of course Springsteen. I had my first Guinness ever – thanks to my Norwegian buddy! I enjoyed it very much! Later we were joined by even more Bruce fans – fans that I know from Twitter. It’s really great to meet people that share the same interest as yourself. Even if you’ve haven’t met before it’s easy to chat and feel some kind of connection. It’s really a certain kind of comradeship.

Finally, Sunday = Bruce-day! I got dressed in my Bruce-suit wearing: The River cap, The River shades, My selfdesigned Meet Me In The City-Tee and a replica of the famous River shirt! Got an acknowledgment from Nils on Twitter! :D

We headed out to Croke Park and as we walked closer to Croke Park the streets were filled and packed with people. It was so well organised. Instructions was easy to understand and once inside the stadium we were guided to our seats. Very nice staff – great Irish hospitality/ service I guess! We had great seats in the lower part of the stands. Great view of the stage and the sun was shinning!

And then – BOOM! At 7 pm Bruce walked onto the stage and sat down by the piano leading into a solo version of Incident On 57th Street. When playing a solo quietly and soft in front of a crowd of 80.000 the impact of the performance was even more powerful I think! Goosebumps – first round! Bruce’s voice was clear and strong! That song means a great deal to me personally and back in time I did a piece of artwork of that particular song.

The ESB joined in – starting an electrifying show. Bruce had his I’m-gonna-rock-this-crowd-to-pieces-face on – looking almost “angry” :) The crowd responded enthusiastically to his commitment by singing along, jumping and raising hands – and even in the stands the people would get off the seats from early on! Soooooo great! I had “concerns” if the party would make it to the stands – but it sure did!

Both Nils and Stevie were sharp playing some really cool guitars parts! Just to mention a few – Saint In The City, Youngstown, Murder Inc. and Because The Night. Blasting!

Bruce ended the show as quietly as he had started it by playing Thunder Road solo acoustic. A very emotionel performance. Goosebumps – second round! :)

Some how the show felt rather short (approx. 3 hours, 15 min) – but I guess time flies when you’re in good company, right!? We left the stadium in high spirits.

Onboard my flight back home I browsed my videos and pictures on my cell – my “wingman” turned out to be a fan too – so once again I had a great chat with a person I’ve never met before. We talked Springsteen and shared tour memories. I couldn’t ask for at better way to wrap up my Irish trip.