If there was one gig you could have been at….

[john]

Hey

 

From history, if there was one specific gig you could have been at, who would he been playing? Where was the gig? When was the gig?

 

Out of all the gigs, why that gig?

 

Cheers

 

John

[Glammerocity]

Bruce Springsteen, Hammersmith Odeon, London, 1975.

 

 

The beginning of what became the greatest live band in the world. He was legally blocked from recording for the next three years, so they stayed on the road. It was actually a tough choice between this gig or Passiac, NJ, 1978.

 

He arrived in the UK carrying the burden of the "future of rock & roll" quote, which was on all the posters. The UK media was unforgiving.  He went around the venue ripping the posters down and tore a nail, so you can see he's soloing with two fingers (9:00). A vastly underrated soloist and a big influence on my playing. Apparently Nils Lofgren, no slouch on six strings, would often wander across stage to stand in front of Bruce's amp to listen to him solo.

 

He didn't come back until The River tour of 1981, which was a different show entirely, so a lot of my faves like Kitty's Back had gone, and I had that sad snobby thing early fans have of a fave becoming global - even my little sister came to the gig, when all she really knew was Dancing in the Dark or what she heard through our bedroom walls. Though I have to credit her for once asking me about Southside Johnny's 1978 Hearts of Stone album, which was full of Bruce and Steven songs they couldn't record. An undiscovered classic.

Edited November 6, 2022 by Glammerocity

[john]

Some awesome solos going on there. I just love the bass groove.

[Glammerocity]

8 hours ago, john said:

Some awesome solos going on there. I just love the bass groove.

 

I love how he plays a phrase and wrings every last drop out of it. Even though it's prog rock length it's as finger-clicking hooky as any pop. After the mad ensemble playing in the middle, it goes into a swing section at 11:57 with Clarence and my soul leaves my body to dance with God.

 

See also his live guitar intro to Prove It All Night in Passaic 1978 and his album solos for Streets of Fire and Candy's Room. He really tortures the guitar, proving the old adage, it's not what you play, it's the way you play it.

Edited November 7, 2022 by Glammerocity