BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN | WEMBLEY STADIUM 5.6.2016

The last week or so has been crazy in terms of concerts with the Manic Street Preachers and the Super Furry Animals in Swansea one weekend and Stereophonics and BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN the next. I will eventually get around to discussing all of these gigs but first I am going to start by, I mean I basically have no choice but to start by, discussing The Boss' gig at Wembley Stadium last Sunday.

If you're a seasoned reader of this blog or if you know me at all then you know that I have now been in love with Bruce Springsteen for around ten years - since I was around 12 - thanks to my mam constantly playing his records at home. Although I don't think I quite love him as much as my mam, I mean she cried three times during last Sunday's gig - once when Bruce came within spitting distance of us, once when he sang Because the Night and once right at the end with the solo acoustic version of Thunder Road. This is a testament to Springsteen's music and live performances that even though my mother has been following him for the best part of 30 something years his music and gigs still connect with his audience.

We left Cardiff on the infamous Megabus for London (cheap as chips but not the most comfortable but for £5 return for both of us you can't go wrong) at 7am after something ridiculous like 4 or 5 hours sleep thanks to the Stereophonics concert we went to the previous night. After some delicious breakfast in Victoria and a short walk to Westminster we made our way to Wembley. Mam had booked the Premiere Inn which is situated around 2 minutes from Wembley once the dates for The River Tour were announced which means we got the hotel for a heck of a lot cheaper than if we had booked it once the tickets had gone on sale! Forward thinking at its best. It also meant that we didn't have to fight our way onto a tube or race to catch the last train home - yaaaaay.

Before we spent the rest of the day queuing in the baking sunshine with other bruce buds we popped into Lidl to grab some snacks, a few beverages and magazines. Seeing as we only made it to the stadium by like 1pm we were pretty close to the front of the queue (not the golden circle queue but the just outside the golden circle queue). In the 5 hours that we were queuing and waiting for Bruce to come onstage we made some new friends (because Springsteen fans are the nicest), drank beer, bough t-shirts, ate grapes and saw people pass out (it was CRAZY hot). Although we were mere mortals when it came to queuing - some people had been queuing since Thursday! I love that dedication and if I could have done it then I most probably would have!

Obviously seeing as the tour was The River Tour, Bruce and the E-Street Band played numerous songs from The River including The Ties That Bind, Sherry Darling, Hungry Heart and of course, The River. If you want to see the whole 33 song setlist from Sunday night - yes, you read that correctly THIRTY-THREE SONGS!!!!! - then click here. Lets just stop for a minute to appreciate that Springsteen and the band were onstage for around 3 hours and 45 minutes with NO INTERVAL- THE MAN IS 66 YEARS OLD!

Some of my favourite moments/songs of the night were Badlands, Dancing in the Dark, The Rising, Out In the Street, Because the Night and my favourite way to end a show, Shout. The whole gig was one big party, the crowd were bouncing and in full voice. I know I've said it before but nothing, nothing comes close to the feeling you get from being at  a Springsteen gig. You get this kind of euphoria which is like nothing else. Gosh, Bruce makes me so happy! Also, Little Steven's look makes me equally happy!

What a night!

It's the little things in life

If you're a seasoned reader of Lisi Loo or if you know me at all then you'll know that I love Bruce Springsteen. Whenever a Springsteen song comes on the radio I literally jump for joy, It doesn't mater where  I am. It happened once in the library, I had some weird looks but I didn't care because Bruce was serenading my ears with one of his hundreds of utterly amazing songs. 

Lisa, why this sudden urge to declare your love for the Boss on your blog once more? Well, the answer is that yesterday while having my lunch break and a desperately needed hour away from my desk and dissertation reading I scrolled through my Sky+ planner to find the recording of Springsteen's 2013 MusiCares concert. Two and a half hours of musicians honouring Bruce by singing their own renditions of the Boss' hits. 

A VERY MIXED MIX TAPE

When faced with the question "what music are you into" my immediate response is rock/blues. It always has (except for the whole Sclub 7, Steps, Bewitched period) and most probably will always be my answer. I have been brought up in a house whose walls regularly vibrate with the sounds of AC/DC, Bruce Springsteen and B.B. King and have spent many a night queuing to go see the likes of U2, Jools Holland and the Manic Street Preachers.

However, if you looked at my Spotify playlists you would question my answer. Out of the gazillion playlists I follow or have created only a minority of them support my 'rock/blues' answer. My playlists range from the works of Jay-Z, Kanye West, Eminem and Dr. Dre to 90s classics from TLC, Will Smith, Nirvana and Shania Twain. Often a Blink 182 song is succeeded by Beyonce or the voice that is Tom Jones.

Even in my day to day interests I confuse myself. One second I could be totally engrossed in a rugby match and in a blink of an eye I'll find myself reading Bridget Jones' Diary all over again while listening to some Motörhead before settling down to read what's been going on in the world of international politics all while roaming Asos for a new dress or a nice pair of trousers.

I think this very random, questionable even, playlist that I have created for the blog today perfectly illustrates how maze-like my mind is. You never know what's round the corner up there. One morning  I'll wake up wanting to dress like Keith Richards the next I would do anything to wear the clothes of Cher from Clueless. I guess it makes my life interesting, ey!

ALTERNATIVE CHRISTMAS PLAYLIST //

It's that time of year again when Slade, Wizzard, Mariah and Bublé are all thrust back on to radio playlists and I for one love it but I though I might provide you with a list of songs that are not played regularly throughout the month of December in the majority of people's houses throughout the country but they are songs that I love. So, without further ado, here we go . . .

Otis Redding - White Christmas

I discovered this version of White Christmas while roaming through Spotify a few christmases ago but I'm sure a lot of you will remember this song from the classic Richard Curtis film Love Actually. I love the blues and soul music so this version is right up my street and is possibly, controversially, my favourite version of this song ever. I could listen to it all day, everyday up to and even after the twenty-fifth of December. 

B.B King - Merry Christmas Baby

This version of Merry Christmas Baby by the king of the blues, Mr. B.B. King, is mighty fine. I toyed with the idea of including the king of rock 'n' roll, Elvis Presley's version and The Boss, Bruce Springsteen's version, but King jut pipped it. I can't pin point why I like this song so much but I love it. It doesn't sound like any other christmas song I've ever heard, there isn't a school choir singing in the back and there are no cheesy sleigh bells heard in the back. Perfecto, 

Biffy Clyro - Merry Christmas Everyone 

We're all used to Slade's version of this song and I'm sure I am not alone when I say that we have all shouted "IT'S CHRISTMAAAAAAAAS" in unison with Noddy Holder whenever and wherever this song is played. But, Biffy's version is a nice change from the original version that we've heard a gazillion times since our first christmas (it's still awesome though). Despite this being one of the first times the band had ever played this live and I don't think that they had even played it in the rehearsal room, it still sounds quite awesome and I loves Biffy Clyro whatever they sing. 'Mon the Biff. 

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band - Santa Claus Is Coming To Town

If you're a frequent visitor to this blog you'll know that I love Bruce Springsteen and everything that he does (I mean, have you heard his new single High Hopes?). This version of Santa Claus Is Coming to Town is the version that is played in our house more than any other. With Clarence's deep voice and ridiculously great saxophone playing along with Bruce's raspy vocals. Nothing says christmas quite like it! 

AC/DC - Mistress For Christmas

I understand that this song might not be everyone's taste but it's a bit of fun. I love AC/DC and when I discovered this song I just laughed - of course the band would have written a song called Mistress for Christmas! It's certainly a million miles away from Cliff Richard's Mistletoe and Wine! Have a listen, you never know you might discover a new Christmas favourite. 

Merry Christmas

Nadolig Llawen 

HAVE A BREAK, HAVE A LISTEN // PLAYLIST

Sometimes life can be stressful and people deal with stress in numerous ways but personally I find that if you've had a stressful day just have a lie down, put on your headphones and listen to some music that you find calming and I can assure you that you'll feel at least 80% better in a few minutes. People can find a variety of different genres calming - jazz, blues, folk or sometimes even some heavy metal or dub step can be what somebody needs to relax. I have created a list of a few songs that I find relaxing, it might not what you'd choose to chill to but it works for me. I'd love to know what songs you find do the trick for you so leave a comment below and make sure to have a little listen to the songs that I've chosen, you never know you might find a new song to have a little nap to.

Bruce Springsteen - Racing In The Street



I could have basically filled this whole playlist with Springsteen songs. He can act like a comfort blanket when you want to shut yourself away from the world and make you feel better about yourself and what you're doing with your life when you feel a bit stressed with everything and everyone. I could basically go on and on about how I love Bruce but I'm sure you all know that by now. I hope everyone has there own Springsteen who they can turn to again and again, knowing that they'll definitely feel better after hearing the first chord to their favourite song. This might feel a bit dramatic I mean it's very hard to believe how one person can change a person's mood so dramatically but it's the truth and I'm very thankful for it and for Mr. Springsteen. Racing In The Street is one of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard and its perfect to put on just before bed to get you in that calm mood.

Augustana - Fire 



I can't remember how I discovered this band and this song but it was during secondary school sometime. This song used to be a staple on my playlist for the bus ride home. The vocals on this are quite haunting and very soothing, the piano also helps to calm me down. I like a good piano! It's a short and very sweet song that I think everybody needs to have on their ipods just to listen to now and again.


BB King - Let Me Love You



I am a massive fan of rhythm and blues and well there is no one else other than BB King who can chill me out after a long day at the library. Blues also remind me of home because it is always on in the background, in the kitchen as dinner is being made or in the living room as we read sunday papers etc so that's another reason why the Blues do it for me. Even today when I came back from a 6+ hour day from uni I turned the ipad on and went straight to BB King's album  BB King Story. I couldn't find the version of  Let Me Love You that's on my ipad on youtube but this version is still pretty awesome. Another good thing about rhythm and blues is that there are a few instrumental segments which are perfect to switch off to as your mind isn't distracted in attempting to concentrate on what the lyrics mean.

Ben Howard - Old Pine



Ben Howard is awesome - Simple as. His music could be the soundtrack to everyone's dreams, yes, that's how magical it is! All the "wooooo"ing and whimsical guitar rifts could send anyone straight into relax city before they could even put their headphones on properly. Having ruled the Brit Awards, Howard is still continuing to sooth people with his surfer, folk music around the world and wow, he's doing a great job of it!

Bruce Springsteen - Thunder Road




Wait what? Another Springsteen song? Of course. Thunder Road is my all time favourite song and when I heard an acoustic version of it at the end of his Wembley show back in June it was honestly one of the best moments of my life (yes, I admit it, I am sad!) but it was extraordinary. Any old version of Thunder Road makes me feel happy but an acoustic version makes me ecstatic and a smile can't help but break out on my face. That first sound of the harmonica and the piano and then the singing, it's just the most perfect song ever created in the history of music! Ok, before I go too far just have a listen and see for yourselves. I dare anybody not to love it.

5 Things

Since it's pouring down with rain outside I thought I might cheer myself up with a list of five things that I'm really liking right now. So here we go . . .

This is a necklace my mam bough for me over the weekend and it is so cool! The lady in the shop took the label off before putting it in the bag so I have no idea what make it is but I love it. 

I have a never ending reading list for university to get through over summer and I have no idea how I'm going to finish them all but this one that I have almost finished is superb. A real insight in to the lives and mentality of the elite in early 19th century Britain.

Records seem to be so expensive to buy so instead of forking out £20 for a single album I've just been listening to my Mam's collection. Urban Outfitters however, currently have an awesome collection of old records for £6 each or two for £10 which is amazing. 

Exercising at home is great although not all the time. Most of the time I go swimming, to the gym or out on the bike but sometimes working out at home is harder. If you have the equipment then you're sorted. Here I use 2km weights to put on my feet, 3km weights in my hands that I do a lot of reps with and finally we have the 10km weight which is great when doing deep lunges etc. 

I know, you're probably sick of me going on about Bruce but I can not help it. He is The Man, The Boss, The Rock 'n' Roll God. He is more than just a musician to many people including myself. His music is incredible but so is his relationship with his fans. His concerts are out-of-this-world with him playing for up to four hours - and yes he is in his 60's. Since the end of his Wrecking Ball tour in Europe I've just been youtubing him all day which might not be the best cure for the Bruce Blues but hey :)

SUPER SONG SUNDAY // Eric Burdon & Boom Boom

We were treated to an awesome surprise Tuesday evening in Bruce Springsteen's Cardiff gig - The Animals' Eric Burdon joined the E Street Band on stage to perform his hit We've Gotta Get Out of This Place. When the rock legend came out on stage about halfway through the concert the crowd of over 20,000 people erupted with joy. When the chorus began the roof was shaking as people shouted "we gotta get out of this place if it's the last thing we ever do..." back to the performers on stage. Awesome! I was unsure whether to include the original 1960's version of the song in today's Super Song Sunday but as I'm still reeling from Tuesday's incredible gig I though I'd link that very performance. I hope you enjoy listening to it because I sure loved living it! Oh, and how awesome is Burdon's t-shirt & scarf combo!



And just for good measure I have included the song that followed this surprising collaboration - Boom Boom. "C'mon and shake it up babeyyyy"!!!

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, CARDIFF - 23.7.13 // Summer Adventures

“There are good Bruce shows, there are great Bruce shows, and then there’s Cardiff!” - Helen Jones 

Wow. I have thought about how to describe what myself and over 20,000 Springsteen fans saw on Tuesday night but there are no words. 

My Mam, my brother and I opened are deck chairs and sat in the Cardiff sun all of ten hours before The Boss made an appearance on stage. It had to be done. After being so close to the Golden Circle in Wembley last month we knew we had to be even closer this time. The E Street Band are like a drug which you just want to experience on a more intimate level every time. Next time (and there will be another E Street tour) we'll queue the day before if we have to  - Springsteen has that effect on you. The hours fly by because Springsteen fans are like a big family - everybody talks to each other, look out for one another and swap stories of their experiences of life on the road with the Boss. From Australia, Netherlands, America and Italy, they were all there ready to see Springsteen in the Welsh capital. 

Once we were in the stadium we were ridiculously close to the front and on many occasions during the 3 and a half hour set (yes you heard right, 3 and a half hours) Springsteen was at a face to face distance from us which was enough to almost make my mother (who has been following the Boss for 30 or so years) cry! That was enough to make it one of the best nights of my life but then the setlist, oh the setlist. What an incredible thing it was!

After being privileged enough to hear the whole of Darkness on the Edge of Town in Wembley I was quite happy for the Boss not to play another album from start to finish but just to play songs from his never ending back catalogue. And wow, what a show he put on for us. The band burst on to the stage with a fantastically gospel version of This Little Light of Mine which I was incredibly pleased about and this is also the song that ended the first encore.  I was already pumped by the end of the first song but when Adam Raised A Cain was played as the third song in the set I knew that the show would be one that would not be forgotten for a long time. Adam Raised a Cain is one of my favourite songs not only from Darkness on the Edge of Town but ever. 

After running in to the crowd to grab some sign requests (sadly not mine) we were treated to a world premiere of TV Movie. A song that has never been heard live before and according to Bruce, a song that will never be heard live again! Cynthia, another song from the 1998 "Tracks" boxed set was played after TV Movie to the delight of Steve Van Zandt and the crowd, before the band jumped in to a trio of Wrecking Ball tracks - Death to My Hometown, We Take Care of Our Own and Wrecking Ball. 

 Bruce treated the people of Cardiff to an awesome surprise as The Animals' Eric Burdon came on stage to perform We've Gotta Get Out of This Place with the amazed crowd shouting the chorus back at the performers. If the Millennium Stadium was not already almost filled to the roof with energy, Springsteen launched into a cover of John Lee Hooker's Boom Boom which was followed by Cadillac Ranch and (one of my favourites) Summertime Blues. The seated crowd were told to "get off their Welsh asses" when Pay My Money Down came on and they listened to turn to the atmosphere in the stadium up to 11. As the set came to an end with an immense version of Badlands the roof was now shaking and the crowd were jumping - could things get any wilder? 

With a 10 song encore, yes they most definitely could. The first encore included Springsteen hits such as Born to Run, Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out and Dancing in the Dark and ended with a totally mental version of Shout which saw Bruce crawling across the stage in an almost see through shirt as the sweat flooded from the singer after 3 and a half hours on the stage. Not bad for an almost 64 year old. With The Boss ignoring cut off time and as the band left the stage, Springsteen continued with an emotional and sensational acoustic versions of Janey Don't You Lose Heart and Thunder Road which left many of the audience with tears in their eyes. 

Bruce, as one sign in the crowd stated simply - Thank You. 

SUPER SONG SUNDAY // BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN

Aloha everyone. It's Sunday again (I have no idea how the weeks seem to fly by) and it's time for a Super Song Sunday. Whilst looking back through my Super Song Sunday (& Super Sunday Song) archive I was quite surprised to see that I'd only done two Springsteen posts and one of them wasn't even solely on the man himself (here & here). But don't worry, I've made up by writing many a post about The Boss in other areas of this blog (here). What better time to feature Springsteen but two days before I see him for the second time on his Wrecking Ball Tour in Cardiff. When I saw him in Wembley Stadium back in June it was one of the best experiences of my life and you can read more about that concert here.

With preparations under way for Tuesday's gig (sign making, time scheduling etc.) I decided I'd post one of my favourite Springsteen tunes of the moment for SSS. I say 'of the moment' because as all Springsteen fans know, there are just too many songs in The Boss' catalogue to have one continues favourite song, although Thunder Road might be an exception because that is, in my opinion, the Best song Ever written. So, at the moment Backstreets tops my own personal Springsteen chart. After looking through Springsteen's set lists from his 2013 tour it seems that this song is rarely played when the E Street Band are not playing the whole of the Born to Run album which baffles me.

Whilst I'm on the subject of set lists, this morning I was googling to see what songs Bruce and the E Street Band performed in Belfast over the weekend and I discovered an awesome blog called Burgers And Bruce. The blog discusses exactly what it says on the tin - Bruce Springsteen and Burgers. It is written by a E Street lovin', burger eating fanatic called Hannah and if you're new to Springsteen she has written a very insightful beginners guide on how to properly go and watch Bruce and the E Street band live which you should check out.

So, without further ado, I give you Backstreets. 

This week I've chosen songs for those awesome long summer days we've been having recently. There's a good mix of hip-hop, pop, rock, punk, reggae and rhythm & blues in their so something for everyone. I've linked all the songs down below so have a listen to them and enjoy the summer sun :)

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10

SUPER SONG SUNDAY // This is Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band's Summertime Blues which I can only describe as one of the best sounds to have ever been heard through my ears. 

MUSIC // Vinyl Collection (a bit of it)

It happens every time. Once I've been to a band's gig, their music is all I listen to. Day and night. As predicted it has happened again. I must have listened to Springsteen's Darkness on the Edge of Town album from start to finish, without skipping a single song, about six or seven times now! I'm trying to ease myself off Springsteen for a while because I don't want to get sick of the man, which I personally don't think is possible, but I don't want to risk it! However, before this easing commences I listened to a few Springsteen records my mam had upstairs. Our house has so many CD's and vinyl that there is actually no more room for anymore! There's vinyl on shelves, boxes, cases and it's the same with CD's. Listening to vinyl is so much nicer than CD. I like the crackling in the music and the sound the record makes when moving on to the next song. Today, if you go and buy vinyl from the latest bands they cost soooooo much. I saw Justin Timberlake's Mirrors in Urban Outfitters last week and it cost something like £24! Craaaazy!

I decided to take a few pictures of only a handful of records that we keep up in the loft.

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN // WEMBLEY STADIUM

Let it be noted in history that the 15th of June 2013 was one of the best nights of my life. It was the night I saw Bruce Springsteen for the second time in my life (mam's 7th time) and the night that he sang an acoustic version of Thunder Road and the whole of the Darkness on the Edge of Town album.

We left for Wembley Stadium early afternoon and with a bit of running, we managed to get an earlier a train that allowed us to arrive there an hour or so before we were due to. When walking down the queue in order to join the back of it we thought that it was already pretty long at 3pm however at about 5pm we looked behind us and the line seemed to be going on for miles! About half an hour in to our queueing the heavens opened and oh my word, we got soaked. My jeans were dripping and my converse felt that they had become temporary ponds for the evening as every time I moved I could hear the squelching of buckets of rain move with me. At one point I took my cons off and managed to ring water out of my socks. The thing is, nobody cared because we were going to see the Boss perform in Wembley for the first time in 25 years!

We were actually much  closer to Bruce than what we thought because by the time we were in the stadium we were by the barrier of the main crowd (not the golden circle) and mam said that's the closest she's ever been to the main man. He came on just after seven and the rest spoke for itself. Within the three hour set Springsteen performed without stopping. He performed hits such as Born to Run, Shackle and Drawn, Waitin on a Sunny Day and Dancing in the Dark. my second favourite performance of the evening was of Adam Raised a Caine which included an awesome guitar solo by the Boss. My favourite and one performance that I will never forget was the last song of the mammoth set - Thunder Road which was performed acoustically. It was just amazing, I know I've said it a million times but I just can not tell you how awesome it was. Thunder Road is my all time favourite song and when Springsteen was singing it (I know this sounds a bit weird) but I had to close my eyes on occasions just to take it all in! Wow.

After the performance we went and bought a hell of a lot of Springsteen merchandise - three t-shirts, a bandanna and another poster to add to the ever increasing band posters that live upstairs.

What an awesome night. Next month we'll be queueing outside the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff to see the Boss again. My mum, brother and I are planning to get there really early to be one of the first in the queue so we can be right in the front of the golden circle. I am already super looking forward to it!!!