As we tumbled, frenzied, into the huge open-air stadium at Monte do Gozo, amidst shouts of "dimision! organizacion!" from the angry Galician crowd towards the disorganisation and lack of police presence in the few hours leading up to the concert, I wondered how even Bruce and the E Street Band were going to fill the massive expanse of space with their glorious sound. But they did. And it was the BEST concert I have ever been to.
Having seen Bruce live in Sheffield and in Old Trafford, Manchester, last year, I knew that the 40,000 fans (some American, some British, but most Galician and Spanish) would have a treat in store. However, what I could not fathom was the idea that Bruce, Clarence, Nils, Stevie and the rest could surpass themselves. But, again, they did. The fantastic setlist helped. With over 25 songs, including 'Badlands', 'Born to Run', 'Working On A Dream', 'Hungry Heart', 'This Life', 'Johnny 99', 'Out In the Street' and a softer, acoustic version of 'No Surrender', the variety of the performance, including many a crowd-pleaser, assured that the Galicians and Americans alike came alive and joined in the E Street Band's celebration of their own undeniable brilliance.
Their recognition of Galician identity, in the form of Nils' rendition of the Galician folk song, 'A Rianxeira', won over the audience within the first few seconds. As an accordion solo, it began the celebrations, and it soon evolved into an ensemble with the majority of the audience participating. Even I managed to string a bit of Galician together. All this, and Bruce's interaction with the audience, made it feel as though I had stepped into a rather large family reunion. Bruce even pulled a young girl on to the stage to dance with him to 'Dancing In the Dark'; the role taken by American star Courteney Cox in the song's music video. He even helped a little Spanish girl to practise her English by encouraging her to serenade the 40,000 "aww"-ing fans with some of his best lyrics.
Maybe it was the sheer size of saxophonist, Clarence, the shiny blonde curls of Susan, or just the awe-inspiring spectacle which Bruce and the E Street Band offered us (including hits of past musical legends, including Elvis and the Beatles!), but something made me forget that I had left my tasty 'bocadillo de jamón' in the greedy hands of my hungry father, cheering his head off on my right....