domingo, 9 de agosto de 2009
quarta-feira, 5 de agosto de 2009
ON THE ROAD OF HOPE AND DREAMS
I have been crossing Portugal on foot since February 2008. Last year I interrupted the journey to follow Bruce Springsteen in concert in places as Hamburg, Antwerp, Paris, Milan or those two crazy, hot, rockin nights of Camp Nou, Barcelona. Being on the road folowing Bruce turns a believer into someone in love with other Bruce fans dream. I will never forget a girl seated in a rocking chair in Antwerp, Belgium, near the entrance of the parking lot, waiting hours and hours for Bruce's van. I told her she would have little chances of talking with Bruce. She told me his bus driver had told her Bruce would came that way. That was her reason to believe.
This year I interrupted my journey again. I was somewhere in the mountains of rugged northern portuguese country when I read a mail from my friend José Alves, 62 Bruce concerts in his shoulders: "Someone ready for the five concerts in Spain? I counted the money in my pocket and answered: I am." What I wouldn't know is the 20O9 Spain Tour of Bruce would be an unbelievable journey of afection, humanity and love for rock'nroll, sharing with people from all over the same passion, the same records, the same clothes. The only thing I can't say is if we all busted out of class...
FOUR THOUSAND MILES OF FAITH
So, on a sunny saturday we started the journey from the town of Matosinhos, close to Porto, directly to Bilbao. We started on the afternoon and reached Bilbao at night, my friend José Alves always driving because I don't drive and prefer to sleep on the backseat. José drives fast and safe and wears a brazilian F1 sppedy gonzalez Massa cap. So, let him drive, as much he drives I dream aboute land of hope and even more dreams.
DUSTY HIGHWAY TAKING US TO BENIDORM
We arrived at the Bilbao hotel after many wrong turns and Jose said: "No bath, two minutes and were going to San Sebastian. He always stops in gas stations to buy local newspapers and read everything Boss. He read in "Diario Vasco" that Bruce had arrived by plane in Biarritz, France and was staying in Maria Cristina five stars hotel in San Sebastian.I was tired and never made that fan run to the hotels but who could stop Jose. He packed a picture he took with Max Weinberg in Cape Canaveral one day and kept saying "Max, Masx, I must see Max".
WE ARE PORTUGUESE AND PROUD BOSS FANS
About 22h30 of a summer saturday night, San Sebastian on a jazzy mood, people going to a jazz festival, others drinking and having fun on dozens of bars and plazas, we stood in front of Maria Cristina. I saw there were some fans but everything was quiet. We were there for a long time. I wanted to go back to Bilbao or to rush to the best tapas bar in town. I'm not that kind of guy that likes to seat down waiting for a picture. I would like to seat down drinking a beer with Bruce Springsteen talking about Hank Williams or the day I met George Jones, talking about Ralph Stanley, Marty Stuart, zydeco, cajun, swamp pop, bluegrass, my other heroes Johnny Cash, Charlie Rich, Lucinda Williams, tejano, Billy Joe Shaver, Delta Blues, old vinil stores, Highway 61 or the day I met B.B. King in his hometown. Staying there just waiting was making me more crazy than I actually am.
BLOOD BROTHERS
Jose was worried about the place where he left the car. I was alone when I saw a river flood of young people running from the front door of the hotel and running to the back of the hotel. I called Jose and started running with his bags on my hands. He remembers now seeing a guy taking his bag with his Max Weinberg picture and thinking he was being robbed. I ran and ran and Jose was the one who pointed to someone on the old streets of old town: "Bruce". That night I didn't like what I saw. There were guys sending flashes, other filming Bruce watching street performers. Bruce's security guy called one more guy. From the bars people would star and say: "Hey, te digo, vi a Bruce!" Bruce would try to go one way and a bunch of "fanaticos" would go too. I was in the middle of them. I decided to go back when Bruce turned and stayed two, three meters from me. As a 47 years old fan who started listening to his music at 16 on the smalll portuguese town of Aveiro, I would call him and would be immediately stoped by bodyguards. We decide to go back, Bilbao hotel on my mind.
Jose was still obsessed with Max: "Bruce went to sleep but I wanna meet Max!" That day i had strong muscle pain, I was exausted. That was when Carla De Las Casas, Jose's wife proposed us to go quietly to Maria Cristina's hotel. Jose is a professional. He told me I could go wearing my 17th Bruce t-shirt. He went to his car and brought me a baseball t-shirt. I don't like baseball, love soccer, love portuguese soccer team Benfica but I said: "That's okay". I seated on the bar drinking non-alcohoolic beer, something very strange for my stardards but I did it for Bruce. I would'nt talk him throwing a mix of San Miguel and Jameson smell from my mouth.
After about one hour Carla showed me a picture: Jose, Carla and Bruce Springsteen himself. I wanted to cry. Instead, I stood with my beer watching about 45 minutes Bruce chating with musicians, just in front of me. One move and the security would send me "a la calle".
It's 1h30, Bruce is preparing to go to his room. My brain says: "Take a move, Nuno, take a move". I pass the bar and stay between the way to the promised land and Bruce. The bodyguard says: "No". I make my snake dive and tell Bruce: "Sir, I just came one thousand miles just to see ya. Can I take a picture with you?" The body guard took the picture. I told Bruce, shouting: "This is the happiest picture of my life, you're the one!" Bruce was laughing, his security man not so much because all the other low profile clients of the bar just jumped from their seats.
I touched the body guard arms and said: "You look portuguese" and he answered "I am portuguese". So, in the end, Bruce in his Maria's bed, I saw him again, shouted "Gimme five, portuguese and proud!"
PRESS
Galicia Press did a good job, specially "Correo Gallego" that published my back wearing a Seeger Sessions coat that costed me 50 euros in Dublin. But Galicia newspapers must understand Bruce has only one wife, thiner then Soozie...eheheh...Even when we read Bruce stuff we're having fun!
terça-feira, 4 de agosto de 2009
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