Wales, we'll be back

Saturday 14th June, Millennium Stadium, Cardiff.
"Helo Cymru". It was the first time Bruce Springsteen had ever played a show in Wales, and acknowledging this he opened with the rarely played rocker From Small Things (Big Things One Day Come), a song he'd donated to Welshman Dave Edmunds way back in 1981. Not a bad start to another magnificent, energetic, emotional stadium performance.

The wristbands allowing access to the front 'pit' standing area were given out early at around 1pm which meant I could have a nice relaxed afternoon down at Mermaid Quay, drinking a cold cider in the hot sun, and filling myself up with a Harry Ramsden's take out. At 6:30pm, feeling refreshed after a quick snooze back at my hotel, I entered the concert venue and took up a good position a few yards back from the stage barrier. I've got to say that the Millennium Stadium is great, much nicer than the soulless new Wembley, it's nice and compact with the stands hugging the pitch - if you are going to see a stadium show in the UK then this is the place to go.


With the vintage of the E Street Band, the no doubt exhausting touring schedule and potential health issues related to their age as a backdrop, there was a point during Clarence Clemons' long and marvellous Jungleland sax solo when my eyes welled up. I was realising that this might be the last time I'd see it performed live. The atmosphere in Cardiff seemed highly charged at that point.

All good things must come to an end I guess, but who knows?, maybe not! As the show finished, for the first time on this tour Bruce said 'We'll be back', more specifically 'Wales, we'll be back'. I hope so, it's a trip worth repeating.


Setlist: From Small Things (Big Things One Day Come)/Tenth Avenue Freeze-out/Radio Nowhere/No Surrender/Lonesome Day/The Promised Land/Blinded By the Light/Magic/Atlantic City/The River/Gypsy Biker/Darlington County/Because the Night/She's the One/Livin' in the Future/Mary's Place/Working on the Highway/Devil's Arcade/The Rising/Last to Die/Long Walk Home/Badlands
Encore: Jungleland/Thunder Road/Born to Run/Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)/American Land

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