Bruce Springsteen: Count the band in and kick into overdrive

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Forty-three years have passed since I first saw Bruce Springsteen on stage at the Edinburgh Playhouse. He’s now 74, I’m 60, and we’re on tour this summer.

When I say ‘on tour’, strictly speaking he’s on stage and I’m just a face in a crowd of 60-80-000 others, but it’s been a lifelong journey together. Almost got to meet him once -  a story for another day -- so the lifesize cardboard out which sits behind my seat and features in all my conference calls, is the closest our paths will ever come to crossing.

My first gig came via a free ticket because my dad stayed in the row of houses opposite the Playhouse’s stage door. Afterwards my brother and I scooted down the lane, through the house and opened the garage door to watch the band depart in their limos.


Standing just feet away, the teenage guitar playing me toyed with stowing away to live on E Street. It seemed a much cooler place than Wester Hailes; one of the parts of Edinburgh the tourists don't get to see. Alas, common sense kicked in - I had school in the morning - but Springsteen’s music has been the soundtrack of my life, and his concerts have been uplifting, magnificent occasions.


I’ve genuinely never seen him dial anything even remotely close to an average show, and we’re talking about three-hour plus sets that leave the audiences exhausted. His energy levels last year were utterly insane.


“Count the band in and kick into overdrive, by the end of the set we leave no-one alive” a statement of intent as well as a lyric from his track, Ghosts which is a defining celebration of the joy of life in a band, and a celebration of those no longer by your side. 


Springsteen’s 2023 gig at Murrayfield was astonishing, but what excites me is he is back with even greater zest. I’ve watched Springsteen shrink Wembley Arena to little more than a village hall for a celebration of the music of Pete Seeger that could only be described as joyous, and connect with entire stadiums, making songs resonate personally and powerfully.


And it’s that connection that is so special at every Springsteen gig.


One memory burns bright. At Hampden Park he took a handwritten sign from the crowd to play ‘Tougher Than The Rest.’ The sign had the birth and death dates of a young woman’s dad. It was his favourite song. He made a special moment life-affirming by handing her his harmonica. I swear bits of grit swirling round Hampden got in our eyes as her face lit up, and crumpled, at the same time on the big screen.


Back to that ‘81 gig, at school the next day I told my music teacher I’d seen Springsteen. He said: “He’ll change your life.”


He was right.

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