Spiringsteen

[alframsey]

The 3 and half minutes that I could stand of the most bland drivel I heard at Glastonbury was very dire - I've definitely been converted, converted to now being sure that Bruce is hugely over-rated crap.

[Mardy]

got to be honest, he didn't do it for me at all. But now I know and I've learnt my lesson.

[alframsey]

oh please springsteen had the biggest crowd of the weekend the most requested I player on the bbc site and nearly every post on twitter and other forums have been positive

he did a great performance and i am tired of the same people on here having a go all the time

anyway i dont really care bruce is a legend and he did his reputation a power of good not that he needed to

anyway not saying anymore as a lot of people on here just want to insult him for no reason and praise other lesser bands

[eFestivals]

You could not be more wrong!!! The most ridiculous statement ever made!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry, I didn't realise that it's wrong for me to form my own opinion, and that I'm only allowed my opinion if it's alright with you.

Some facts for you:-

1. I thought he was crap.

2. so did VERY many others.

Yes, I'm sure many thought it was fantastic .... but the only people I've met so far who thought it was are either the sorts of people who would cheer Bruce farting on stage just because it was Bruce, or the 72 year old grannie with no ideas about music who watched it on TV.

[eFestivals]

I get the feeling there is a very very small number of people on here who didn't like Bruce before he played Glasto, and are now just repeating themselves. Thus creating the illusion that many people thought he was crap!!!

you're very VERY wrong about this.

There were huge numbers who thought it was crap, as proven to me by everyone I asked (bar one - a huge Bruce fan anyway) thinking it was crap.

Yes, I'm aware that my survey was far from scientific; I'm sure there were plenty who thought it was fantastic. But the fact remains that very many did not.

PS: if he was so fantastic to everyone but a handful, how come the crowd got noticeably smaller during his set? That would have taken more than just a handful leaving.

[alframsey]

"the same people"???? I've posted my opinion of Bruce just in this thread.

My opinion ofr Br8uce is no less valid than anyone elses. And the simple fact is, from those I spoke to who saw him, the massive majority thought it dire.

I'm not insulting him for no reason, I'm insulting him because he incredibly bland. Tens of thousands of others thought the same too I'm sure.

[alframsey]

yep, I can acknowledge each to their own - have I complained about the fact Bruce was playing? Nope. So I accept his right to be there.

Yes, millions of people have seen him. Similarly, millions of people have seen Barbara Streisand, Take That, Boyzone, and hundreds of other crap acts. And so the fact that millions have seen him means not a lot.

It seems to be the case that Bruce is only able to speak to the already converted - that was certainly the impression I got speaking to people who saw him. To my mind, a great act can win over those not already converted, which very many headline acts at Glastonbury have done before. Bruce failed.

[eFestivals]

I simply do not believe you have spoken to "tens of thousands of other people", and I dont agree that they feel the same way. You have probably spoke to 15-20 people who were undecided about Bruce and the majority of this 15-20 people said he was dire. He was magnificent, electric and blew the crowd away!!! He is the best ever to play the festival.

I cannot comment on Blur, but a lot of people on here feel they were the dogs, but judging from what I am currently seeing on Sky+ they were ten times worse than Bruce. But like I say, I can't comment as I didnt see them!

I spoke to over a hundred people about Bruce. All but one thought it dire, and that one was a huge Bruce fan anyway.

I'm not claiming my survey was in any way scientific - I'm sure that if I'd asked the same question while in the Bruce crowd the responses I got would have been very different. Yet all the same, I'm certain that a very large number of people were not impressed by him at all.

Unless of course I just happened to randomly speak to the only 100-ish people on site that hated him....?

[K-Rod]

got to be honest, he didn't do it for me at all. But now I know and I've learnt my lesson.

[ml1dch]

Yes, I'm sure many thought it was fantastic .... but the only people I've met so far who thought it was are either the sorts of people who would cheer Bruce farting on stage just because it was Bruce, or the 72 year old grannie with no ideas about music who watched it on TV.

[grumpyhack]

I thought it was fairly dull to be honest.

Played absolutely loads of stuff that only his fans would know and absolutely no interaction with the crowd. He just got to the end of each song, shouted "1,2,3,4" and then launched straight into the next one.

[alframsey]

see, every random I asked that had seen both thought Neil Young far better, tho few rated that particularly highly .... but at least he was putting his whole self into every note. Bruce was simply spending another day at the office from what I saw.

[MieleBee]

or the 72 year old grannie with no ideas about music who watched it on TV.

[sifi]

I'd just like to reiterate, I cannot believe what I am reading. I literally spoke to no-one that felt he was boring or crap or drivel, but I did speak to people he thought he was fantastic, and brilliant, and awesome, and the best they ever seen, and mind blowing, and just god damn fantastic!!! I get the feeling the are a very very small few people on here who didn't like him and are kicking up a fuss.

[EasyUserName]

No, be fair, sometimes he only shouted "1,2,3" ...

[eFestivals]

Which of those camps would you put the 50,000 or so people who were watching it rather enthusiastically into? Presumably you managed to miss out speaking to any of them.

Surely 1/3 of the people at Glastonbury wouldn't be such big Springsteen fans that they would fit into your first description...

I spoke to lots of people who thought it was excellent, lots of people who thought it was fairly average and a few who said they watched it and thought it wasn't their thing and they didn't like it.

Incidentally, I spoke to more people who were elsewhere and heard that it was rubbish than actually saw him and said it was rubbish. Which I personally feel tells its own story.

As I've said, my little survey was far from scientific. But the fact remains I got the results that I did, and that certainly shows that he failed to win over a sizable proportion of people that made the effort to go see him - and the fact they made the effort to go see him demonstrates that they were prepared to like him if there was something there for them to like, which there clearly wasn't.

It's of course possible that those I spoke to didn't see him and chose to bullshit me by saying they did. But why would they have done that? They'd be no point to it.

[alframsey]

No, be fair, sometimes he only shouted "1,2,3"

I was surprised that someone as experienced as Springsteen took so long to get attuned to the crowd. Diehard Springsteen fans seemed a bit disappointed at the end but those who didn't really know him seem to have been blown away by his energy.

[eFestivals]

Exactly, and you apparently saw 3 1/2 minutes, how is that enough to judge on whether he was putting his all into every note.

it's enough to judge that Neil Young was putting everything into every note for every minute I saw him, and that Springsteen wasn't for the three and half minutes I saw Springsteen.

I'll happily admit that less than two soings isn't really enough to be able to properly judge an act from all perspectives; however, it was more than enough to judge him from my own perspective - I know I wouldn't have found him any more enjoyable if I'd have stayed watching him for weeks. He was - simply - blandly dire.

I get the feeling the are a very very small few people on here who didn't like him and are kicking up a fuss.

keep kidding yourself if you want. There were huge numbers very far from impressed.

[Langdale Wolf]

I haven't seen any footage of his performance, and if I'd have gone, I probably wouldn't have gone to see him anyway, but my mates who did go all went to see Bruce out of curiosity.

None of them lasted more than half an hour. They said it was as dull as dishwater and they wanted to go and get drunk.

My mum and dad watched it on TV. My mum swoons at the mere mention of his name. Dad is impartial but will give anyone a chance. Mum adored it, dad went to bed after the first few songs.

My best mate and his girlfriend also watched on TV. He claims to be his number 1 fan (couldn't make Glasto as he's a teacher and - like me - a new dad). His partner is a massive music fan, and can take or leave Bruce's music. He adored him. She lasted the set, but only to humour him. She was knitting the baby a new jumper by the end.

There's a pattern emerging here. I'm not commenting on the performance myself (because I'd be lying as I didn't see it) but this patterns seem to conform to what Neil is saying.

Fair play to him, my Glasto-attending mates, my dad, and my mate's girlfriend who at least gave the guy a try. That's more than I did. But they weren't bowled over by it.

In their opinion, he wasn't great.

[alframsey]

So what I guess we are finding out here is that Bruce is either love or hate. I will stop kidding myself and I accept that many may not of enjoyed him, but I also know that many many people loved him. And for those that did love him he was fantastic and in some cases the best ever. I have duly removed my 'rose-tinted glasses', but my opinion is not changed, he was the best I have ever seen at the festival, and was also for many others I spoke to.

[steveo]

well id just like to add that our group went along not one of us really likeing Bruce and only really knowing a couple of his songs... in fact only really went as i cant stand franz ferdinand and we had a really good spot for Kasaiabin so stayed

and all i can say is we all thought he was immense only knew 3 of the songs he played but the rest were played with such passion and enthusiasm he had us all converted and cheering

this year was my 6th Glasto and it is by far the best headlining slot i have ever seen, everyone where i was stood was loving it

oh and im no big bruce fan as ive said but even i knew he wasnt going to play born in the usa and why he doesnt play it anymore

but loved every minute of it

[eFestivals]

but if the 72 year old grannie who watched it on tv with no idea about music liked it then she formed an opinion on it herself and decided she liked it. It does not make her opinion not valid.

it's no more of less valid than any other opinion.

Then again, to me, it's about as valid an opinion on modern music (of which she knows zero) as a Westlife fan's opinion of music.

People like what they like. Just because they have no idea about music it does not mean they can't watch something and say "yeah, I really enjoyed that". You don't need to have some expansive knowledge of music to be able to form an opinion and say you like something.It doesn't mean that your opinion does not count.

I absolutely agree - people are allowed to like what they like. I've not suggested anything remotely different to that.

However, contrast my view on that with some Springsteen fans view of my opinion - apparently, to them, I'm not allowed my own opinion that he was as bland as it gets, and that my opinion is wrong.

And contrast the views of the people I asked with those Springsteen fans too. Apparently, according to some morons, I never heard anyone say he was bland and dire, and I've made it all up.

One of us is doing it wrong, and it's not me..... which kinda makes me think I can safely ignore the opinions of such moronic Bruce fans, who think that all people can only think he's fantastic or they're insane.

[alframsey]

it's no more of less valid than any other opinion.

Then again, to me, it's about as valid an opinion on modern music (of which she knows zero) as a Westlife fan's opinion of music.

I absolutely agree - people are allowed to like what they like. I've not suggested anything remotely different to that.

However, contrast my view on that with some Springsteen fans view of my opinion - apparently, to them, I'm not allowed my own opinion that he was as bland as it gets, and that my opinion is wrong.

And contrast the views of the people I asked with those Springsteen fans too. Apparently, according to some morons, I never heard anyone say he was bland and dire, and I've made it all up.

One of us is doing it wrong, and it's not me..... which kinda makes me think I can safely ignore the opinions of such moronic Bruce fans, who think that all people can only think he's fantastic or they're insane.

[ml1dch]

keep kidding yourself if you want. There were huge numbers very far from impressed.

[chrisdebag]

well id just like to add that our group went along not one of us really likeing Bruce and only really knowing a couple of his songs... in fact only really went as i cant stand franz ferdinand and we had a really good spot for Kasaiabin so stayed

and all i can say is we all thought he was immense only knew 3 of the songs he played but the rest were played with such passion and enthusiasm he had us all converted and cheering

this year was my 6th Glasto and it is by far the best headlining slot i have ever seen, everyone where i was stood was loving it

oh and im no big bruce fan as ive said but even i knew he wasnt going to play born in the usa and why he doesnt play it anymore

but loved every minute of it