Bruce Springsteen @ NEC Arena
Nov 10 2006
By Andy Coleman, Birmingham Mail
So when was the last time there was a hootenanny at the NEC?
Actually, it was last night when rock'n' roll legend Bruce Springsteen brought his Seeger Sessions party to town - and invited 12,000 fans along for the ride.
Taking The Boss's latest album, We Shall Overcome, as the starting point, Bruce and 16 musicians delivered a mix of folk, blues, gospel and bluegrass that left the audience spellbound and, even after two-and-a-half hours, eager for more.
On the album, Springsteen and his Seeger Sessions band explore American roots music popularised by veteran folk icon Pete Seeger.
To help create the necessary nostalgic atmosphere at the NEC the stage was framed by velvet drapes and chandeliers hung from the rafters.
Most of the record was performed, from the hillbilly outlaw tale Jesse James, complete with ragtime piano, to the honky tonk O, Mary, Don't You Weep.
But there was so much more. Springsteen took a selection of his own songs and gave them a rootsy edge, with a little help, of course, from the vast array of musicians and instruments available.
As well as acoustic and steel guitars there were banjos, fiddles, an accordion, a tuba, trombones, trumpet, double bass and even a washboard.
For The Ghost of Tom Joad he was joined by guitarist Frank Bruno for a haunting duet, while You Can Look (But You'd Better Not Touch), from The River, was transformed into a riotous encore singalong.
Nebraska's Open All Night was given a sixties doo-wop makeover and Further On (Up The Road) from The Rising had vocals shared by four band members.
And let's not forget the olde time religion of Jacob's Ladder, When The Saints Go Marching In and This Little Light Of Mine which should have had the hardest of sinners repenting.
What a revelation this show was!
READER'S VIEWS:
Bruce Springsteen with the Seeger Sessions Band Tour '06 delivered an energetic explosion of folk-fuelled, big band style music in an exhilirating two-and-a-half-hour set that had die-hard Brummie fans dancing in the aisles.
Upbeat folk songs from the Seeger Sessions including Old Dan Tucker and Mary Don't You Weep saw the 15-strong band jamming with sheer pleasure, violin, trumpet and banjo solos adding to the unique melting pot of the folk/gospel/blues experience created by this immensely talented band and not once did I miss earlier classics like Born To Run as a I was too busy singing along!
Opening with old concert favourite Blinded By The Light, a typically buoyant and fine-voiced Bruce, at times unable to contain his excitement, dancing across the stage, encouraged audience participation, mixing up folk numbers with recent material such as Devils and Dust and My City Of Ruins with more poignant fare When The Saints Go Marching In and Ghost of Tom Joad unforgettable highlights.
A re-arranged, folk version of Bobby Jean from his biggest-selling 1984 album, Born In The USA, was an unexpected treat, calling to mind the amazing longevity of this indisputed icon, whether winning an Oscar for socially-conscious songs like 1994's Streets of Philadelphia or providing pure entertainment with tonight's wonderfully diverse set-list.
With disappointing audience turnouts in America, Bruce's European tour dates have been sell-outs with the clearly thrilled audience no exception, old and young alike embracing the folk spirit with delighted dancing and hand-claps, and were graciously thanked for "taking a risk in coming out to see us".
A faultless, revved-up band performance and a superb Bruce prove why, Seeger-sessions or not, he will always remain The Boss.
-Malaka Chowdhury, Birmingham
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