29 May 2008

Don't worry, darlin'...

Reviewing a Springsteen gig is something no honest man can do.

How can you describe a three-hours-long rock'n'roll session delivered by 50-year-olds jumping around like they're 15? How can you write about the spirit, the energy, the *faith*? 50.000 people swarmed on Old Trafford under the gray Manchester rain, jumping and singing and clapping and crying until the weather didn't matter anymore, BRUCE AND THE E-STREET-BAND were there, everything would be alright.

The mix of old and new songs was unbelievable. I had never heard "Living in the future" before, and I was singing along after the first chorus. I had never heard "Long Walk Home" before, but I was crying while shouting it, a song so simple and so politically deep, a new "Born In The U.S.A.".

Not even a bad soundcheck could compromise this gig, because this was not a gig. This was a mass to the God of Rock'n'Roll. This was an American Celebration broadcast on Radio Nowhere. This was the Messiah of Rock announcing the Rising of November, when The Dream (battered and killed by eight years of fascism) will be reborn.

If you have the Faith, meet the Lord at Bruce's Place, you're gonna have a party.

P.S. Poor Dan Federici is gone, Patti Scialfa probably won't come to Europe anymore and "Big Man" Clemons clearly had trouble walking; go meet the Apostles of Soul while you can.

2 comments:

Byron said...

Yes, yes, and, hell, yes. (Anche io trovo Long Walk Home estremamente commovente)

Byron said...

Qui un racconto da Londra...