Rolling Stone - July 18,
1985 70,000 See Springsteen in
Ireland JOE BREEN
Bruce plays
before his largest audience ever
Playing before his largest audience ever, Bruce Springsteen opened his European tour on Saturday, June 1st, with a forceful performance on the grounds of an Irish castle. Springsteen, who reportedly was paid some $600,000 for the show, told the ecstatic audience of about 70,000 that it was great to play in the country many of his ancestors came from.
The Boss' first Irish concert took place at Slane Castle, thirty miles northwest of Dublin. It marked the start of an eighteen-date tour that will include three sold-out appearances at London's 70,000-capacity Wembley Stadium in early July, as well as shows in Paris, Munich and Milan.
Looking fit and healthy, Springsteen -- accompanied by Julianne Phillips, his wife of a few weeks -- arrived in Dublin the day before the concert. That night, after an extensive sound check with the E Street Band, Springsteen reportedly took part in an impromptu jam session at the castle with Eric Clapton and Pete Townshend. The huge international press corps that had descended on the nearby village of Slane was kept well away from the castle, but both Irish morning newspapers featured front-page pictures of Springsteen's arrival in Dublin.
Although 65,000 tickets costing fifteen Irish pounds each (approximately fifteen dollars) had been sold out weeks in advance, local residents had threatened court action to stop the concert, because they feared violence similar to the riots before Bob Dylan's show at the same venue last year. However, they withdrew their objections after promoter Jim Aiken and the castle's owner, Lord Henry Mountcharles, gave assurances of security.
The residents needn't have worried. With a stage that backed onto the river Boyne, the picturesque natural amphitheater was bathed in sunshine as the peaceful crowd thronged the small country roads leading to the site. In an attempt to curb scalping, an additional 5,000 tickets were made available at the gate. Security in and around the castle was tight but not oppressive, and there were no incidents.
Four years ago, during the River tour, Springsteen would have had trouble attracting half as many people to a show in Ireland. But now, after the success of "Dancing in the Dark" and Born in the U.S.A., he is a major star -- a fact that was made evident by the amount of media attention his visit attracted. Newspapers and TV and radio stations from all over Europe had been pumping out Springsteen bios all week, while their reporters scurried about to find some fresh angles on New Jersey's most famous son.
Shortly before the show's five o'clock starting time, members of the media crammed a special VIP area, where they vied with local politicians and businessmen for a prime view of the stage. In addition to an inconspicuous Clapton and a talkative Townshend, the guests included Elvis Costello (disguised as an Orthodox rabbi) and various members of Spandau Ballet, whose singer, Tony Hadley, was later quoted as saying that Queen was still the best live act he had ever seen.
He must have witnessed a different concert, because Springsteen, after a cautious start, put on a show that gradually built toward a thrilling climax. In an attempt to accommodate the enormous crowd, giant Diamond Vision video screens were erected, enabling those at the back to see what the small figures onstage looked like. Up front, it was a tight squeeze, and fans suffering from the intense heat were carried away in a steady stream.
Musically, the show was a triumph -- through Springsteen did have to make a few compromises. Playing before 70,000 people in the open air and in broad daylight, he was unable to create his usual feeling of intimacy and community. And although "The River" was especially well received, the crowd responded more readily to the pop appeal of "Dancing in the Dark" and "Hungry Heart" than to his slower, more difficult or emotionally demanding songs. By playing such huge venues, it seems, Springsteen has had to sacrifice two of the most important elements of his live shows -- total contact with and control of his audience.
He compensated for that by delivering a high-energy, hard-rocking performance. Ably assisted by the E Street Band, Springsteen steamrollered the audience into submission, tearing through memorable versions of "Bobby Jean," "Pink Cadillac," "Cadillac Ranch," "Badlands," "Thunder Road" and many more, before closing the set with a typically robust "Rosalita." As the crowd screamed for more, Springsteen and company returned for an encore, ending the three-and-a-half-hour performance with their "Twist and Shout"/"Do You Love Me" medley.
The Boss and his band were back in Europe and back in big business.
