Bruuuuce

Wembley would have been amazing, but already have Slane tickets.

The man is playing 20 mins away from me!! Never ever thought that would happen! Cannot wait for next July!

Bruce tribute up the west end tomorrow night

I was planning on taking the car but this has got me right in the mood for having a mad one.

hopefully i'll be going to wembley. if i do then it'll be my first bruce concert

I am quite happy with the fact that Bruce will come back to Europe next year and will have a venue completely for himself. The last 2 times he only played a festival here and I do not think he belongs there as it restricts him. He visits Holland in June so hopefully the weather is good, it's open air so I can enjoy the weather and the music. I feel a good day coming!

I salute you,
TS

O2 presale for the UK gigs next Wednesday.

So as I'm getting into Bruce more and more, I can't help but seeing some very strong gospel rooted music and Christian influenced music. Also, after seeing him live, it seemed kind of almost "preachy" at times? Anywho - is Bruce Christian or religious of any sort? Just wondering.

I think Bruce is Catholic but I don't get much of that coming through his music.

I do agree that a lot of his stuff is almost evangelical, Wrecking Ball has a lot of gospel influence in it as do other albums.

Has anyone got any advice they can give me for going to see Bruce? As it's my first time should i get seats or standing? How early should I be getting there to get a good spot if I go for standing? I'm not talking about being front row but good enough so i don't have to look at a big screen for hours.


cheers

I've seen Bruce discuss how he was raised Catholic and that much as he may try he can never escape that past. So, the influence of that Catholicism seeps into his writing and into his music. I think Bruce is just such an exquisitely brilliant songwriter that he sometimes uses evocative religious imagery to tell a particular type of story (e.g. Jesus Was an Only Son tells of a mothers love for her son), expresses the difficulties that people face in their lives and their way of facing these difficulties (Badlands, Rocky Ground) or uses such language in a metaphorical sense to express an emotion (I'll Work for Your Love).

In addition gospel music can be rather beautiful and Bruce's musical influences are as wide and varied as can be, so it's only natural that influences of that gospel sound should infiltrate his own.

I've no idea about whether Bruce himself is a theist or an atheist, and if a theist, what kind of Christianity he might subscribe to.

I read a Bruce interview recently in which he stated was a practicing catholic but then I've read since that he's lapsed. I think religion is a very strong and on going theme in his life and music.

Here's a very long but insightful piece on how Flannery O'Conner (religious writer) influenced a lot of his work - http://dappledthings.org/1148/naming...e-springsteen/