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U2 NEWS.
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Springsteen conquers all 31/5/03
BRUCE Springsteen, Time Magazine once noted, has a songbook that reads like a union membership log.
Police officers, firefighters, soldiers, road builders, steel workers, factory labourers and migrant workers heavily populate his lyrics.
Last night in a three-hour storming show at the RDS in Dublin, Springsteen - the poet laureate of the white American underdog, the John Steinbeck of his generation - returned to the firefighters once more. With 50,000 in rapt attention, the Boss sang an impassioned elegy for the brave men lost in the ruins of the World Trade Centre that awful day.
Just as emotive was Springsteen's delivery of 'You're Missing' when he sang "Coffee Cups on the counter, jackets on the Chair. Papers on the Doorstep, but you're not there."
At 7.25 on the button the Boss crept on stage practically unnoticed and opened the show with his understated, downbeat acoustic version of 'Born in the USA'.
The story of a Vietnam vet who comes home to find nothing waiting for him, 'Born in the USA' is perhaps the most misinterpreted song in pop history.
It certainly is not the gung-ho chest-beating Rambo romp Ronald Reagan thought it was. Last night Bruce played it like a lament, slow and moody. Clearly this was a more sombre Springsteen - - a changed man in much the same way that America is a changed country. He went from his stripped-down rendition of 'Born in the USA' straight into 'The Rising', written in the months after 9/11, but another song dealing with the emotional repercussions of the attack.
Next up the Hemingway-meets-Woody Guthrie beauty of song 'Darkness on the Edge of Town' was inspirational with Bruce coming across like a creature on a mission to save himself and the world. He changed the mood then with 'Born to Run' - which had the 50,000 crowd jumping around. Then the classic 'Thunder Road' had the audience lost in the music and the man as the 53-year-old New Jersey icon had Dublin eating out of the palm of his hand. They even cheered his beautiful back up singer and wife Patti Scialsa. Equally beautiful on the night was Dolores O'Riordan of the Cranberries in a denim mini skirt alongside the stunning Morah Ryan, Marina Egan, Elizabeth Mangan and Rita Fox. Gerry Ryan wore a Hawaiian shirt. Harry Crosbie was all in black as was Lillie's Bordello owner Dave Egan with his wife Mairead. The Irish football team were there with manager Brian Kerr. It was great to have the E Street Band back. The gang was all here. Clarence Clemon's sassy sax is still a trade mark, Max Weinberg knocks the drums into the middle of next week; Steve Van Vandt and Lils Losgren's guitars add to the texture of Bruce's songs.
By the time he encored with the galvanising 'Dancing in the Dark' the crowd had enjoyed a three-hour marathon from one of Rock 'n' Rolls last great stylists.
"This was one of the greatest shows that we've ever put onin Ireland in over 40 years," said promoter Peter Aiken. Jumping up and down to Born to Run, beside him, Dolores O'Riordan and Marina Egan seemed to agree.
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Chill Peppers Slane 2003
AS Flea sang the first few bars of the national anthem a wave of euphoria swept across the 80,000 sweaty fans gathered at Slane.
Half naked, occasionally dreadlocked and universally keen on pogoing on the spot, the Red Hot Chili Peppers' fans did the ould homeland proud as they roared out the tune.
Flea, the Californian band's guitarist, happily yelled back his great grandmother was Irish, so we can only assume that a return trip to trace his roots is on the cards.
He certainly cut a colourful dash in his back and white skeleton suit - one can only guess at what was going through his mind as he dressed on Saturday evening: "The nurse's outfit tonight, perhaps or will I go with the cowboy suit? No, the skeleton is the one for me."
Whatever the motivation, he proved himself to be the finest man in Meath for the job of pulling off a Halloween outfit in front of thousands of dedicated rockers, and throwing in a few high kicks along the way, presumably in deference to his Irish dancing ancestors.
The band's enthusiastic fans were more than a match for him in terms of energy. Leaping high into the air for the second billing, Foo Fighters, some appeared to be bouncing as high as the castle battlements when the headliners came into view.
Castle owner Lord Henry Mountcharles contents himself with a more modest form of exercise - posturing happily around the grounds, posing for photos with over-excited punters with a gentle smile.
Muttering: "Fantastic, marvellous. Good to see everyone enjoying themselves," he seemed for all the world like the host of a civilised croquet party, rather than someone whose home had been overrun by an all out rave for the washed and the unwashed. There must have been something good in that holy water he joked he was drinking to guarantee good weather.
As it turned out, there was almost too much sun for some, with hoses being sprayed over the steaming fans down the front, and a regular succession of stretchers bearing out the overheated.
Those seeking refreshments in the VIP area included model Glenda Gilson and her boyfriend rugby star Brian O'Driscoll. Twink was also spotted, suffering the inevitable ignominy of queueing for the loo and Dolores of the Cranberries was said to be circling the area, along with a handful of Foo Fighters, fresh from the stage.
Out in the real world, beyond the steel VIP protecting gates, gardai and security patrolled the sites, litter pickers swooped in formation and some poor chap had to be rescued from the portaloos, having passed out with his head down the U-bend.
As the sun began to fade behind the trees, and the river safety launches were lost from sight, the Chili Peppers cranked up the pace with an unlikely couple of covers of Donna Summer and the Ramones, before reverting to their own mosh-with style selection.
The crowd became a sea of waving fists and lighters, stretching away, back from the stage and up the hill. Scruffy, somewhat the worse for alcoholic wear and flicked with sweat, they transformed en masse into a fascinating and beautiful vision of humanity.
"You people are amazing, this is a night we will never forget," said lead singer Anthony Kiedis, who went a little emotional and pondered a move to Ireland, before remembering his dislike of rain.
Slane has a history of world-beating acts, from U2 to Springsteen, David Bowie to the Verve and Robbie Williams.
Saturday's event was not legendary, but it made the best part of 80,000 people - including the Chilis themselves - very happy.
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