Ullevi Göteborg 27. ja 28.7.2012

Tänne muistelot 2012 Wrecking Ball -kiertueelta
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Liisa S
Daydream Believer
Viestit: 4206
Liittynyt: 09.01.2013 16:57
Paikkakunta: Espoo

Ullevi Göteborg 27. ja 28.7.2012

Viesti Kirjoittaja Liisa S »

Liisa's Show Review:
Bruce Springsteen at Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden, Friday July 27th, 2012
or
When the Ullevi audience knew exactly what to do

I'm writing this over a week and two far superior shows after I saw this show. I already thought of not writing about it, but then this is a very important show although the setlist is quite average. Without this show, there wouldn't have been Gothenburg #2 and without either of these, there wouldn't have been Helsinki.

A beautiful day, a good number on my hand (#157), lots of good friends around and the Swedish pit line is this time far closer to "well organized" than "total disaster", and so everything is okay. This is the first show on this tour to many Finns present, and just few of us have already been in Germany, France or other countries where Bruce has performed this summer.

The show starts quite normally, although the setlist is very good, when you think it: Promised Land, Prove It, Cover Me, Something and especially My Love Will Not Let You Down. We are happy at the front rail just under the crane cam, which seemed to cause some problems to the crew in the beginning of the show. WTCOOO, Wrecking Ball, Death to my Hometown.

Then we'll get My City of Ruins, like always. You know, these Swedes used to have that habit that whenever Clarence did a longer solo, Swedes bowed to him. Now we get to the point when it is time to remember the ones who are missing, and now pay attention, this is the important part: These Swedes now bow to Clarence's spot. All the effing Ullevi field of 40 000 fans is now bowing in unison (and we Finns bow with them, naturally). Just look at them screens! This is something bigger than life.

It takes a while for Bruce to figure out what is happening, and after that it takes a while for him to be able to react to it in any way. First he just mumbles something like "I'll join you" and does some bows himself. After it, he isn't able to do the "if we are here and you are here, then they are here" part properly and just walks quietly while the ESB plays. After the song, he says several times just "wow" and stays far longer than normal at his watering booth trying to gather himself.

Bruce thanks the audience while still clearly moved, and then we are back to your normal setlist. That was a huge emotional moment for the audience and for Bruce, but now this show again runs on its rails like it was supposed to run. After this we still do get excellent songs like Drive ll Night (my first, yes! Oh shit, look at those light spot in the audience! My cell phone joins, too!) and Rosalita in the encores, but still this show lists as more or less "average set list, but quite good performances, better than average overall but not among the epic ones" and even that My City of Ruins moment was forgotten by most of the audience - but clearly not by Bruce.

This little moment of Swedes doing what they just decided to do that moment was something important. It was a nice feeling to be a part of it, and a day later it turned out that that might have been something which perhaps has helped Bruce finally to get over mourning for Clarence and just start to celebrate the fact that he himself is still alive and able to perform with the greatest band there has ever been.

Over and out. I'm not going through the rest of the setlist. Let's move to the next day.

Set list

Show start 20:30
Morricone Intro
1. Promised Land
2. Prove It All Night
3. Cover Me
4. Something in the Night
5. My Love Will Not Let You Down
6. We Take Care of Our Own
7. Wrecking Ball
8. Death to My Hometown
9. My City of Ruins
10. Spirit in the Night
11. Girls in Their Summer Clothes (tour premiere)
12. Jack of All Trades
13. Youngstown
14. Murder Incorporated
15. Johnny 99
16. Working on the Highway
17. Darlington County
18. Shackled and Drawn
19. Waiting on a Sunny Day
20. Drive All Night (tour premiere)
21. The Rising
22. Radio Nowhere
23. Badlands

24. We Are Alive
25. Born in the U.S.A.
26. Born to Run
27. Rosalita
28. Seven Nights to Rock
29. Dancing in the Dark
30. 10th Avenue Freeze Out
31. Twist and Shout
Avatar
Liisa S
Daydream Believer
Viestit: 4206
Liittynyt: 09.01.2013 16:57
Paikkakunta: Espoo

Re: Ullevi Göteborg 27. ja 28.7.2012

Viesti Kirjoittaja Liisa S »

Liisa's Show Review:
Bruce Springsteen at Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden, Saturday July 28th, 2012
or
Lost in the flood here in Jungleland

Have you ever seen the rain coming down like this? Washing away all our sins, all the stuff that wasn't secured to us and the glue from the seams of our shoes. And still stood outdoors, listening in awe to thunder cracks and a soundcheck from the big Ullevi stadium? That rain was so incredibly hard that it wasn't even annoying, it was just epic. We somehow guessed that it was more or less suitable start for this show!

Not a big surprise that Who'll Stop the Rain was the starter tonight. We in the pit have been standing for more than 4 hours due to the rain and very wet Ullevi floor, but that doesn't matter right now, time to raise your hands and start jumping and shouting! Then The Ties That Bind, Out in the Street and Downbound Train! Here at Ullevi all it ever does is rain! Okay, the rain has actually stopped well before the show started, but everything is still soaking wet. What a rocking start, now all the few dry clothes we might have had are getting soaked in sweat! Luckily it is quite warm.

And the ESB train rolls on these tracks: I'm Goin' Down and My Lucky Day are another suitable rockers. Then a fine Lost in the Flood, like we had guessed when still standing outdoors! Good! WTCOOO, Wrecking Ball, Death to My Hometown and again My City of Ruins. The bowing doesn't work as fine today and as now Bruce was clearly expecting it, this moment isn't as strong as yesterday. But it still makes him speechless again and he thanks the audience humbly.

It's Hard to be a Saint in the City, excellent! And then Frankie, oh god what a setlist! It is very clear that this is Bruce's way to thank us for yesterday. Never mind the normal show setlist, now it is time to play requests and whatever fun stuff comes to his mind. Poor band, but they have clearly practiced quite a lot of this this new stuff (Frankie was soundchecked).

The River reveals that Bruce indeed has cold, as he can't do the falsetto part in the end. He tries to start it twice, but ends up letting the audience to do all the ooh-ooh-ooh moaning part. But luckily his voice is good for about everything else, as this is followed by Because the Night, Lonesome Day and Hungry Heart, a nice hit potpourri for those who haven't seen that many shows.

Shackled and Drawn, Waiting on a Sunny Day (today he finds a kid to sing unlike yesterday) and yes yes yes, Where the Bands Are! Another soundchecked rare gem! What is this, oh, Backstreets, the very numero uno on my never-heard-this list! I can't remember during which song I first started getting moist eyes tonight, but by now I am totally bawling. No use to try to find tissues which might have survived the flood few hours ago, I'm wiping my face to my already wet sleeves. Badlands and Land of Hope and Dreams end the main set. Snif.

Encores start with Thunder Road (more crying). Now, finally Born in the USA sounded like it should, straight from the very beginning: my kidneys felt like they started vibrating to Max's beat. And what an extended drum solo in the end! With that greenish screen and strobo lights, this is actually like Vietnam War in movies. I have never before felt like crying during this song, but tonight everything will do. Followed by totally epic Born to Run.

Let's roadhouse! Time to Ramrod! Time for Bruce & the band to dance and fool around on the stage! Then Dancing in the Dark and 10th Avenue Freeze Out.

Bruce says that they are now ready to do something special, because Sweden was so important for Clarence. They have practised this earlier, but only now they are ready for this: JUNGLELAND! Something I thought I would never hear again! Bruce sings so beautifully, and look at Jake standing there so still, excited (or scared?) when waiting for his part. Then Steve's guitar solo, and then... Oh wow, Jake. Shit, those wails in the end sound like Bruce is really crying for something too fucking big to die. Dammit, look at them hugging each others after this, look at other band members coming to them and patting Jake's shoulders! I don't believe there were any dry eyes at Ullevi after this, not in the audience or on stage.

Naturally that wasn't a proper song to end this show which was celebrating the fact that life goes on, and so after the band has bowed to us and gathered themselves, we still get another stadium breaking Twist and Shout. Bruce's voice sounds hoarse, but no matter, the audience seems to be singing most parts anyway.

This, like, was The Show To See. And we were lucky enough to be present. Bruce is probably now past most of the mourning for Clarence, and this Swedish audience really helped him to do it.

Set list

Intro Music
1. Who'll Stop the Rain
2. The Ties That Bind
3. Out in the Street
4. Downbound Train
5. I'm Goin' Down
6. My Lucky Day
7. Lost in ther Flood (request, tour premiere)
8. We Take Care of Our Own
9. Wrecking Ball
10. Death to My Hometown
11. My City of Ruins
12. It's Hard to be a Saint in the City
13. Frankie (request, tour premiere)
14. The River
15. Because the Night
16. Lonesome Day
17. Hungry Heart
18. Shackled and Drawn
19. Waiting on a Sunny Day
20. Where the Bands Are (tour premiere)
21. Backstreets
22. Badlands
23. Land of Hope and Dreams
24. Thunder Road
25. Born in the USA
26. Born to Run
27. Ramrod
28. Dancing in the Dark
29. 10th Avenue Freeze Out
30. Jungleland (tour premiere)
31. Twist and Shout
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