Bruce Springsteen along with his E Street Band have been captivating audiences with their musical prowess as they near the end of their four-event tour in Ireland. Belfast’s Boucher Road was first to witness their performance on May 9th, followed by Kilkenny’s Nowlan Park on May 12th, and next at the Park Uí Chaoimh in Cork on May 16th. The tour is set to conclude fantastically at Dublin’s Croke Park on the upcoming Sunday.
The revered musician has been seen at various locations throughout his Irish tour. On the eve of the final concert in Dublin, Springsteen shared a video from outside a well-known local hangout, McGrattans Bar, voicing his affection for the city and promising a rocking finale at the Park. While Springsteen has previously been seen sipping on a pint at the Long Hall pub in Dublin, it remains uncertain if he enjoyed the same at McGrattans Bar.
The Boss, with his whimsical charm, played “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town” for his audience in Cork, responding to a fan’s request.
Adding to his Dublin visits, Springsteen patronised Leo Burdock’s fish and chip shop in Christchurch twice recently. A favourite amongst many including U2 and Tom Cruise, they’ve referred to him as a regular. According to the establishment, Springsteen has a preference for fresh cod and goujons, although his all-time favourite is lemon sole.
In Belfast too, Springsteen remained a star; his interaction with a young admirer at the gig warmed the hearts of many.
During a renditon of Hungry Heart mid-set, the legendary Boss strolled into the audience and presented a guitar pick to Farrah Lavery from Aghagallon, Co Antrim, who was attending her first concert. This sweet interaction also involved a hug joined by her father.
Farrah was amongst approximately 40,000 fans at the show, accompanied by her parents and sibling. She was perched on her father’s shoulders when Springsteen came over bearing his gift for her. Sporting an “I Heart Bruce” t-shirt and holding a sign requesting the song Sherry Darling, Farrah, as described by her mother Michelle, was clearly a true fan.
Michelle revealed they listen to this song every morning on the way to school, starting their day in a positive spirit. She mentioned how Springsteen’s music has been a companion in both her joyous and challenging times.
However, when her daughter decided to make a sign requesting for the song, she didn’t really anticipate Bruce catching sight of it. Yet, Bruce, after performing a few songs, specifically came over to their side of the stage. Michelle remarked, “he paused slightly ahead of us and then kept gazing at her whilst performing, before moving towards her with hands open wide”.
Engaging in a brief conversation with Farrah instead of simply singing, the artist asked if he could receive a hug.
The family took home the setlist from the night along with Springsteen’s gifted guitar pick. They also expressed plans to attend Springsteen’s performance at Nowlan Park in Kilkenny on Sunday.
“His music has always been a significant part of her life, she’s so fortunate, it’s absolutely amazing” said Michelle. “What a proud moment for a mother,” she added.
In a moment filled with joy, a woman expressed her contentment in deciding to bring along her child in what she said turned into “the most fantastic encounter not only of her lifetime but mine as well”. She voiced her happiness about being able to show something so special to her child.
Earlier within the week, a sharply observant fan, Stephen Coulter, managed to come across ‘The Boss’ in a rather unplanned encounter just outside the Culloden hotel, which is where the artist was lodged. Revealing his excitements, Coulter mentioned, “Understanding that there would be a private flight from Cardiff heading to Belfast, I kept tracking its movements. Most times when he comes to Belfast, he takes residency at the Culloden, I kept a close watch at the flight movements and grasped my opportunity”.
One of the crew members was already present there, whose main role was to ensure everything was set for ‘The Boss’s arrival. Coulter was then asked to stand in a particular area, keeping his position still until the motorcade pulled in.
“Bruce was the first off the minibus and approached directly. I had a Born to Run album, which I got him to sign, took an emotionally charged selfie with him”, Coulter mentioned, bursting into laughter. He further stated, “Everything happened so rapidly, within minutes everything was over, despite the flood of questions I had planned to ask, I chose to concentrate on the essentials – capturing the moment in a photograph and getting his autograph”.
This was the first time the 55-year-old Coulter, who first saw Springsteen live on stage in 1985 at the age of 16 “so I’ve been following him for quite some time”, he admitted. “The album has already been dispatched for framing, I’m yet to retrieve it but I’m hopeful that it’ll be an inspiring sight; it’ll be given a special place somewhere in my house.”
The Culloden Estate and Spa is a luxury five-star resort hotel embedded within the lush Holywood suburb of Belfast. It provides views overlooking Belfast Lough and the Co Antrim coastline along with 12 acres of concealed gardens and woodland, providing ample solitude for ‘The Boss’.
The Irish Times is keeping a tight vigil on Bruce’s movements, so any sightings would be appreciated.