When the was debacle over, he sauntered up to the mic and stated with a smile, “Well, we got thru that one with a few key changes and heart attacks.” He continued to say repeatedly how he was worried that they weren’t fucking up enough. “This is the time to fuck up. Can’t fuck up later,” implying that the rest of the tour was more important. He went on and on and on like this, laughing more.
This, though funny at the time, gradually pissed me off the more I thought about it. There were also plenty of sound problems with feedback and missed cues which left certain solos silent for a passing moment. My brother and I discussed how inappropriate it was for the band to be so nonchalant towards the show considering we all paid over $100 for our tickets (working in the fascist TicketMaster charges).
All in all it was a good show. That I will not deny. The fact that no one seemed to mind that we were all really expensive guinea pigs is a testament to their loyalty as fans. Still I couldn’t help but feel a bit bamboozled. Oh sure, a portion of the proceeds were apparently going to the many Asbury Park charities, but does that truly warrant the high price? Especially with tickets for the rest of the tour costing considerably less. In some cases, less than half.
This made the cynic in me think that Bruce and the band did not forfeit any of their own fees to the charities. Rather they simply doubled the price and gave the excess away. I have no real proof of this, but as I have said in the past, I’m willing to learn Bruce’s motives when it comes to his charity work. All he needs to do is call and if I’m wrong, I’ll make nice and apologize. Hell, I’ll even pay for the beer.
See Also:
www.BruceSpringsteen.net
Springsteen @ Paramount Theatre April 22, 2005
