It's been quite a week for gigging. In very uncharacteristic fashion, I and the current Mrs Rudin (!) visited two Premiership (soccer) grounds in a matter of five days: needless to say, football was not on agenda on either occasion! First up came 'Ver Boss' at the 'Theatre of Dreams' on May 28th. I'd bought six tickets, including ones for our next door neighbours; die-hard Manchester United and Springsteen fans! We were treated to a blistering, near three-hour set with the E-Street Band. Bruce had the 50,000 audience (standing on the –covered-hallowed turf, or seated (in theory!)) in the palm of his hand. Such a tremendous back catalogue to choose from but we got tracks from the recent Magic album, including Living in the Future – preceded by an eloquent and clearly heartfelt lament for the loss of supposedly immutable liberties in the USA, which had me close to tears, and the classics such as Dancing in the Dark –brilliantly appropriate as couples spun around on the field - and, yes, Born to Run.
Picture © Manchester Evening News
He switched the mood from hard rockin', defiant, anthemic tracks, to wistful romance and longing (he said in an interview with BBC Radio 2's Johnnie Walker a few months ago that all rock music was about longing, and Girls in their Summer Clothes certainly fits with that theme), to political/social statements-and back again, taking the audience with him every inch of the way. An awesome, magnificent and charismatic performer it's surely impossible to find and the E Street Band, sadly minus keyboards' player Danny Federici, who died about a month before, were in superb form. There were some blog posts complaining about the sound in the north stand-but, without being too smug - I have to state it was spot on in the east stand!
Brilliant stadium too - I had been there before in a director's box no less – but not, needless to say, for a footie game. We got in and out in quick time, using public transport in-bound (including the great Metro trams) and all the facilities at the ground were superb (had to wait for about 30" for a drink).
Unfortunately, the same could not be said for what was billed as one of the highlights of Liverpool's year as Capital of Culture, the Liverpool Sound concert held at Liverpool FC's Anfield Stadium on Sunday, June 1st. We arrived to find ourselves having to snake up and down some very grim streets in Anfield, with about every fourth house boarded-up. Embarrassing, given the great number form outside the city, including visitors from Canada, the USA, Spain, Germany, Japan and many other countries. Some of them could hardly believe their eyes. Not a great show-case. No sign of any stewards but mounted (on horse-back!) police telling us which line we should be in. Everyone was very patient and typical British stoicism – but things became a little less good-humoured when, after two changes of direction, we finally made it to within sight of the turnstiles only to have wife's umbrella- quite a magnificent specimen which is also handy to rest on if one has knee problems! – confiscated by the 'security' staff. We had used this same umbrella to go to the Springsteen gig (also on a day with heavy rainfall) with no problems. Was there a supervisor I could speak to? Of course not-nothing to do with us, it's the ground says we've got to do it, etc. Yeah. Right. "Don't get angry with me" protested the usual fuckwit type. (If he knew me, he would know this most definitely was not me being angry but of course they always try and get you on the back-foot with that one). We could pick it up after the event we were assured and, (bizarrely!) I actually had a packet of Post-It notes on me so stuck one on with our name. Needless to say they weren't there at the end of the gig from same spot (see below!).
So, we storm into the ground in a very bad-tempered manner. Not a good start. After that, I am determined we shall not spend a penny on their over-priced, dreadful offerings re food and drink (fortunately we had both before we left home). Determined not to let this shambles and theft spoil our evening and once things got underway, with a more than competent set by The Zutons , who were understandably nervous in front of their 'home' crowd and then the glorious Kaiser Chiefs, who weren't(!) all was mostly forgotten (If not forgiven!) Then just after 9, another non-Liverpool (!) talent, Peter Kay came to the stage to deliver a typically surreal series of put-downs and waspish comments for the "star turn"; then in the formal introductions "with thanks to" he received a great roar of appreciation for BBC Radio Merseyside, who were covering the event 'live', and then a tremendous and clearly unexpected and massive "boo" when he attempted to thank Liverpool County (sic) Council. I think the TV broadcast of the event-shown on BBC-2 immediately after the gig - did a bit of editing on that but it still couldn't be disguised. No doubt council leader Fireman Warren went as red as his fire engine!
Picture © icLiverpool
Sir Macca himself then quite humbly came on stage and launched into (with a bit of help from an excellent band) 'Hippy Hippy Shake', kicking off over 90 minutes of material from the Cavern days to most recent album and plenty of Beatles and Wings material from a back catalogue of now 45 years. He WAS in really good form – his voice seemed much better than in previous years or when we saw him in Manchester back in 2003 - and he played at least five instruments, including the ukulele in a clearly heartfelt tribute to George. Olivia Harrison, Yoko, and his three children from Linda were in the audience and he dedicated My Love to his great, life-time soul-mate. He was obviously moved and delighted to be playing back in his hometown. Some pyrotechnics, during 'Live and Let Die' (as well as at the end of the event) added some bombast and spectacle to the event, which Sir Paul's office has said was his best-ever gig.
We made a speedy exit just before the bulk of the crowd (I am not very keen on being in 'mass mobs') and headed straight for the umbrella stand: needless to say, not there but some talk of them being available at St. George's Hall the next day (great if you've travelled far and wide and were going back that night or first thing the next morning!).
It seems a very petty complaint compared with such a fab' evening, for which millions around the world would have envied us, and I didn't intend to take it any further until I heard a very complacent (and disingenuous director of the Culture Company on air on the Roger Phillips 'phone-in on Radio Merseyside the next day. He faced a number of complaints about the stewarding of the event and the blasted umbrellas and said it was common practice for them not to be allowed in to such concerts-having been allowed to retain it at Old Trafford I felt obliged to put him right; so I got on air and then did a follow up e-mail - which Roger also kindly read - after a woman caller said I must be a Man' United supporter! Another complained about the moaning about these trivial matters, with one stating that this was the trouble with Liverpool-it was full of moaners and people should only be talking about what a fantastic event it was (which of course it was, but no thanks to the Culture Company the council or LFC – I mean it's hard to get an unsuccessful event out of Paul McCartney playing in Liverpool). In any case, that isn't the problem-it's the inability to accept valid criticism and, as demonstrated by that woman caller, to assume that anyone who makes any criticisms about anything to do with Liverpool must have another agenda.
But it WAS a great night!
©Manchester Evening News
The day of this posting is the centenary of the birth of the still influential and revered U.S. broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow and this October sees the 50th anniversary of his famous "wires in the box" speech to the RTNDA, portrayed in the brilliant movie, 
(John Libbey, 2007) which told the fascinating story of Radios Normandy, Luxembourg and many others, including the stations under the IBC under the extraordinary Captain Leonard Plugge. The reaction of the authorities, not least the BBC, was very similar to that towards the offshore 'pirates' some thirty years late and there are even connections with the first licensed commercial competitors to the BBC in the 1970s. Sean Street – a gentleman, a scholar and poet! – did a brilliant job of research into all this (the book also contains a CD of some representative output), including interviews with those 1930s pioneers. He also has an excellent style of radio presentation; in fact he is so talented that if he wasn't such an all-round top bloke you could really dislike him!
