Sunday 30 December 2012

So that was Wrecking Ball 2012

I last wrote a Sunday post on 22nd July 2012. Finding time when I was doing the tour blog was just impossible. Although the shows thinned out a bit towards the end of the year I just didn't have the enthusiasm to start writing on a Sunday again.

Anyway as this is the last Sunday in 2012 here I am.

The 2012 Wrecking Ball tour was a bit different for us, as it was the first tour since we had made friends with other fans.

We went to the two UK shows in Sunderland and Manchester and both Paris shows. All the gigs came within two weeks so a bit like Christmas - I spent months looking forward to it and then... it was all over in the blink of an eye.

The weather is the first thing that springs to mind when thinking back to the UK shows. Sunderland was a bit mizzly and it poured down in Manchester. Sunderland was a bit of a disaster all around really - we were late so we didn't get time to spend with friends before the show, we parked miles away from the venue and the show was a bit flat. Apart from the rain Manchester was better and our best friends, who were at their first show, are now fans and will be coming with us in 2013.

My stand out moments were both during Paris night two.  Mike and I have been lucky enough to hear many rarities.  We had Incident at only our third show when we didn't even recognise the song!  We were at MSG in November 2009 when, of course, a few rarities were played both nights. But... I'm Goin' Down the second night in Paris was really an OMG! moment for me. Not one of THE songs from 'Born In The USA'  but my favourite track, and the only song from the album we hadn't heard live.

The second moment was when Mike tapped me on the shoulder to dance with him during Dancing In The Dark.  He doesn't dance so it was a great surprise.

I think Paris night two is considered one of the best shows of the tour. It certainly was for me.







Tuesday 18 December 2012

Mexico City 10th December 2012 - show 86






Mexico City is built on top of an underground pool. Because water is regularly drawn, it is sinking at a rate of six to eight inches a year.





Well no reviews out there. The only one I can find is here in full.


MEXICO CITY – Bruce Springsteen performed some of his greatest hits for about 12,000 fans in Mexico City’s Palacio de los Deportes.

Springsteen, known as “The Boss,” thrilled the audience Monday night with his performance of “The River,” which drew the most ovations during the concert, one of the stops on the Wrecking Ball Tour.


The singer performed a string of his oldies and spoke a few words in Spanish, drawing cheers from the audience.

Springsteen high-fived with people in the front row and climbed off the stage, walking through the crowd and landing in their arms at one point.

The Boss, who was backed up by his E Street Band, kept the audience on its feet for most of the concert.

Springsteen also performed, among other songs, “My City of Ruins,” “The Promised Land” and “Hungry Heart.” EFE


Here's the set list.  



Glendale
6/12/12
Time 8.18 to 11.23
Mexico City
10/12/12
Time unknown
1
Surprise Surprise (1)
Badlands (78)
2
No Surrender (23)
Out In The Street (41)
3
I’m A Rocker (6)
Hungry Heart (43)
4
Hungry Heart (42)
We Take Care Of Our Own (86)
5
Prove It All Night (27)
Wrecking Ball (86)
6
Trapped (16)
Death To My Hometown (86)
7
Lost In The Flood (7)
My City Of Ruins (86)
8
We Take Care Of Our Own (85)
Spirit In The Night (51)
9
Wrecking Ball (85)
E Street Shuffle (25)
10
Death To My Hometown (85)
The Promised Land (40)
11
My City Of Ruins (85)
The River (30)
12
Be True (4)
Because The Night (37)
13
Light Of Day (5)
She’s The One (31)
14
Darlington County (29)
Darlington County (30)
15
Shackled And Drawn (69)
Shackled And Drawn (70)
16
Waitin’ On A Sunny Day (85)
Waitin’ On A Sunny Day (86)
17
The Way You Do The Things You Do (29)
The Way You Do The Things You Do (30)
18
6345789 (29)
6345789 (30)
19
The Rising (68)
The Rising (69)
20
Badlands (77)
Land Of Hope And Dreams (60)
21
Thunder Road (48)
Thunder Road (49)
22
Incident on 57th Street (7)
Born In The USA (30)
23
Born To Run (85)
Born To Run (86)
24
Dancing In The Dark (85)
Glory Days (21)
25
Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town (8)
Dancing In The Dark (86)
26
Tenth Avenue Freeze Out (84)
Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town (9)
27

Tenth Avenue Freeze Out (85)
28


29


30


31


32


33








Glendale 6 December 2012 - show 85



When I hear/see Glendale I always think of Jessie James robbing the Glendale Train.  The Seeger Sessions were quite educational it seems!!



For the reviews I'll start with examiner.com :-

Normally when an artist plays songs from their latest release, it’s time for that bathroom or get another beer break. Not so when Springsteen launched into “Wrecking Ball’s “ “We Take Care of Our Own,” Wrecking Ball,” and “Death to My Hometown.” The new songs were greeted with the fervor of the old, with fans singing along. Of course listening to the poignancy of Springsteen’s lyrics, it’s difficult not to remain transfixed.

This reminds me of 10 Things Mick Jagger has learned  His number 10 is - Nobody wants to hear songs from your new album. Well perhaps your fans only want to hear the old stuff, Mick, but Springsteen Fans embrace the new alongside the classics.

Anyway back to the review from examiner.com and their final paragraph:-

There is nothing ordinary about Bruce Springsteen and his concert performance along with the E Street Band only proves it. Given how often he ventures fearlessly into the crowd and tolerates their hugs and handshakes, how he embraces the audience’s song requests, how he gives it his all for over three hours and how he can lead those in attendance as an evangelical preacher one moment and be one of their own in the next, it is easy to see why Springsteen holds the appeal he does. Besides, somebody has to keep breaking the rules for us.

Always good to get a review from a laker on Greasy Lake. He finishes with:-

There's not much else for me to say.  The first time I saw Bruce in 1975 at my college in Oswego, New York, was probably the best concert I ever saw, and a life-changing event for me.  Other shows I've seen have been almost as great, some may even have been better.  But I don't think any of them since that very first time have been as special for me as Thursday night in Glendale was.  I didn't know I could still feel that way at the ripe old age of 54.  But I was wrong.  Thank you, Bruce.  

Hmmm - what about this then? The review is OK but I'm not sure about :-

This wasn't as intense as some performances I've seen. I heard one of those obnoxious hardcore fans who travel show to show (Springsteen jokingly called them "stalkers" on Thursday) complain that the Anaheim show earlier in the week was better. 

Oh dear! Does he mean us?

On to the set list with the Surprise opener - sorry couldn't resist it.




Anaheim
4/12/12
Time 8.23 to 11.47

Glendale
6/12/12
Time 8.18 to 11.23
1
Land Of Hope And Dreams (59)
Surprise Surprise (1)
2
Adam Raised A Cain (7)

No Surrender (23)
3
Streets Of Fire (5)
I’m A Rocker (6)
4
Hungry Heart (41)
Hungry Heart (42)
5
We Take Care Of Our Own (84)
Prove It All Night (27)
6
Wrecking Ball (84)
Trapped (16)
7
Death To My Hometown (84)
Lost In The Flood (7)
8
My City Of Ruins (84)
We Take Care Of Our Own (85)
9
Spirit In The Night (50)
Wrecking Ball (85)
10
The E Street Shuffle (24)
Death To My Hometown (85)
11
Long Time Coming (1)
My City Of Ruins (85)
12
Reason To Believe (2)
Be True (4)
13
This Depression (6)
Light Of Day (5)
14
Darkness On The Edge Of Town (11)
Darlington County (29)
15
Bad Luck (1)
Shackled And Drawn (69)
16
Because The Night (36)
Waitin’ On A Sunny Day (85)
17
Darlington County (28)
The Way You Do The Things You Do (29)
18
Shackled And Drawn (68)
6345789 (29)
19
Waitin’ On A Sunny Day (84)
The Rising (68)
20
Raise Your Hands (13)
Badlands (77)
21
Ghost Of Tom Joad (7)
Thunder Road (48)
22
Badlands (76)
Incident on 57th Street (7)
23
Thunder Road (47)
Born To Run (85)
24
Jungleland (8)
Dancing In The Dark (85)
25
Born To Run (84)
Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town (8)
26
Dancing In The Dark (84)
Tenth Avenue Freeze Out (84)
27
Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town (7)

28
Tenth Avenue Freeze Out (83)

29


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31


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33