Janet Christie's Mum's the Word - Catching up with Springsteen at last in Hyde Park

If lockdown and The Boss have taught us anything, it’s to get out there and seize the day

Mum's the Word. Pic: J Christie

“Springsteen’s touring in 2023,” said Dundee Woman, back in the dark days of Covid.

“I’ve never seen him,” I whined, “and now I never will.”

But lockdown ended and Eldest and partner were going so tickets were bought, thanks to his laptop perseverance and Dundee Woman’s birthday gift generosity, it turns out we’re capable of going to London after missing out on Murrayfield, and not messing up.

Mum's the Word. Pic: J Christie

There was no double booking or missing of trains/hotels/the gig, or trips to A&E to be consigned to our ‘wee adventure’ archive, to the extent that we risk a few tentative “it’s going smoothly so far isn’t it?” while checking over our shoulders.

Janet Christie’s Mum’s the Word

Hyde Park is baking and we sit among the 65,000 of all ages next to friendly Canadians whose enthusiastic espousal of ‘weekend cottaging’ is cleared up satisfactorily as The Chicks’ set ends and the crowd swells in anticipation of Bruce and The E Street Band.

Time for me and Dundee Woman to manoeuvre through the crowd down to the front, dragging Eldest and Partner in our wake, only to come up against a massive fence.

“Aw yeah, that’s the VIP enclosure,” explains Eldest. “More expensive tickets. We can’t get any closer.”

Outraged at the undemocratisation of festivals, we settle for standing on tip toes and I can still see Bruce’s steely quiff and admire Little Steven’s bandana.

“Yeah, like a Spanish granny,” said Eldest, “but nice Rickenbacker.” Tall people can be annoying.

The Boss might be able to remain upright for an impressive three hours at 73, but he’s not standing en pointe so eventually Dundee Woman and I strike out for the higher ground at the back.

There all it takes is an encouraging “Come on, doll,” from a fellow Scot who slaps the planks of a picnic table and propels me upwards with a thoughtful, “It’s sturdy enough”, and I dance in the dark with the best view until a killjoy taps me on the calf, claiming I’m ruining her Insta vista, despite there being acres of room.

“Tell that to Stella McCartney, Kate Hudson, Jon Bon Jovi and the rest in their massive VIP viewing structures in front of the stage,” I didn’t say, because I remember lockdown and if Springsteen can still move with the times and ‘seize the day’, so can I.