40 years ago today: Bruce Springsteen played his first ever Irish show at Slane

Slane Castle's Henry Mountcharles

Speaking in 2019:

“It was the victory lap, if you like, for Born In The U.S.A., which had sold 25 million copies and produced hit single after hit single. Bruce had played to big crowds before, but none as massive as the 80,000 attending Slane and he was nervous. To alleviate those nerves somewhat, he rehearsed his entire set – it must have been heading towards thirty songs – in the dining-room to a small gang of us, which was every bit as extraordinary as it sounds!

"Rather touchingly, he came back a few years ago with his family to revisit what turned out to be the scene of his triumph. After Slane, it just got bigger and bigger for him.”

And again in 2021:

“I remember in ’85 someone going, ‘Henry, can you talk to one of the main American networks about Bruce; it’s for the news so keep it short’. We were out in front of the castle and I said, ‘St. Patrick converted Ireland to Christianity from the hill of Slane; now Bruce Springsteen is here to convert it to rock ‘n’ roll’, which they loved.

"What Bruce and pretty much every other headliner has commented on is the exuberance of the Slane crowd, which has really thrilled me.”

Credit: slanecastle.ie

Springsteen's manager Jon Landau

Speaking in 2024:

“Does Bruce have a special bond with Ireland? You bet he does! A lot of that stems from our wonderful promoter Jim Aiken, who god bless him is no longer with us, and his son Peter who we’ve known since he was a baby and has turned into just such a fantastic person.

"Slane was a great success and learning episode that’s etched in our minds but it was also a bit crazy! We weren’t quite prepared for the liveliness of the crowd. It was a little shocking but a great way to begin our career playing outdoor shows. I remember thinking, ‘We better get ready for this because this is not the same thing as playing indoors.’ And, yeah, afterwards Bruce became a master of the large venue.”

Glen Hansard

Speaking in 2012:

“I was heading over to Grafton St. to go busking. The bus from Ballymun drops off on Parnell Square, so I had to walk past the Gresham Hotel where this pink Cadillac was parked. Having never seen an American car close up before, I stopped for a look and bumped into this dude – I had me guitar on me back – and he said, ‘Sorry!’ and it was Bruce. It was fucking amazing. He was in town for Slane, which we went to the next day and I’ve been an obsessive fan ever since!”