We go inside the E Street Band with sax-player Jake Clemons who tells us about his biggest “pinch me, am I dreaming moments?” touring the planet with Mr. S.
“One of them has to be playing with Sir Paul McCartney in Hyde Park – even if they did pull the plug on us!” Jake enthuses. “Despite wanting to be different growing up and telling people The Kinks were the better band, I’ve huge appreciation for The Beatles. To perform ‘I Saw Her Standing There’ and ‘Twist & Shout’ – well, half of ‘Twist & Shout’! – with him was a massive honour.”
He also talks about his first encounter with Bruce, the time he’s spent in Ireland hanging out with Glen Hansard, filling his Uncle Clarence’s shoes and no two Springsteen shows ever being the same.
“Sometimes you don’t hear him introducing the song and have to try and work it out from the first couple of notes,” Jake says of The Boss’ penchant for making the set-list up as he goes along. “Most of the time when you catch me looking at Steve or Nils it’s in an enquiring, ‘Do you know what the hell’s going on because I sure don’t!?’ sort of a way.”
Ahead of supporting Bruce in Kilkenny, the aforementioned Glen Hansard reveals how Springsteen and himself have become close friends and why he’s such a massive fan of Bruce’s.
“What a normal, straight ahead, fuckin’ legend of a dude!” he states. “Forget about a genuine rock star, he’s also one of the most genuine human beings I’ve ever met.”
Asbury Park isn’t so different to Donaghmede reckons fellow celebrity admirer Damien Dempsey.
“Bruce gives you pride in your working-class roots,” Damo reflects. “He’s written songs about the horrible parts of that and the great parts so it’s influenced me. He gives people hope in his songs and I try to do the same. He opens their minds and takes them on a journey. Great imagery, a strong storyline – they’re modern day ballads.”
We also hear from Brandon Flowers who reveals: “One of the first things that hooked me was Bruce’s honesty. The guy’s not afraid to lay his soul bare”, and Blondie’s Clem Burke who nails it on the head when he says, “He’s better than Elvis, he’s better than The Beatles and better than The Rolling Stones. He’s outlasted it all; he’s a force of nature.”
Add in more soliloquies from Delorentos, Donal Lunny, The Handsome Family and Noah And The Whale, and you’ve an issue full of Springsteen-y goodness!