Sunday 31 March 2013

Snippet of Hanging Rock

'Now this is the important part ...'
Leaving for show #2 shortly. Booked a coach (bus) ticket many moons ago, assuming I'd be too tired from show #1 to drive. Sort of glad I did, since I am shot and a wicked cold had me wearing a face mask in the car beside Aradhna during the hour-long ride to Hanging Rock from Balaclava while teaching her the lyrics to 'The Promised Land', 'Born in the USA', 'Rosalita' and others. (She's flying to the UK tomorrow and I don't want to get her sick.) Problem with the coach today is it leaves from Federation Square at noon, which means I've got to wait around a bunch of binge-drinking Aussies until 7:00 when Bruce & Co. take the stage. Plus I miss my last day with my wife before she's gone for over 3 weeks.

The things we do for Bruce Springsteen.

I'll do a complete wrap-up of both nights in my next post.
The 'Hanging Rock' of Hanging Rock. In a notepad yesterday I wrote that it 'loomed like a melting pipe organ' but then during the drive back saw a sign for Organ Pipes National Park, proving once again my hackness.
First thing I noticed when we got out of the car was the abundance of kangaroo scat in the parking lot. Roos love nothing more than munching on grass and sunning themselves upon exposed hillsides. The mowed areas of Hanging Rock would be highly appealing to local mobs.
This was the view of the stage from atop the hill. Aradhna and I hung out here before heading to our seats, which were further from the stage than I'd hoped. Whaddayagonnado?
Aradhna was kind enough to purchase the scarf around the swollen glands of my neck from one of the many stalls selling food, warm clothes, champagne, beer, beer, beer, beer and beer.
They didn't sell champagne/sparkling wine by the glass -- they sold it by the bottle. I had more medications running through my bloodstream than a Pfizer test rat so I couldn't touch it, leaving more for Aradhna.
The stage. Note the Aussie flag at top left, USA at top right.
Believe me, it was more interesting watching the skies change as the sun set behind Hanging Rock than watching Jimmy Barnes' set. I'll have more in my next post. Living in Australia for 7 years means I've heard more motherf*cking Jimmy Barnes songs than any human should be forced to endure.
Band hit the stage bang on at 7:00 with 'Badlands'.
That's it for now. Got to catch a bus back to Hanging Rock .......

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks Joe for the BRILLIANT photos and commentaries. You've captured the essence of The Boss & the E Street Band. More great memories to savour! Cheers Mossie Pearl

Marilyn said...

Loved the pics and commentaries on them. Good job, Joe.
Hope you feel better soon.
Take care.
Love and Hugs for you both!!

Matthew White said...

Hi Joe, thanks for the posts and especially the photos, f**cking brilliant !!

It was great to meet you over the last week, beginning last Sunday arvo waiting for Rod Laver 1 to kick off, all the way through our regular roll calls during the week and culminating in an exceptionally interesting chat pre Bruce's Rod Laver 3 show. This discussion covered such topics as the racial divisions of Asbury Park during the formative years you spent there to the current day economic conditions of the very same town. We also lamented the lost opportunity (at least up until this point) of preserving and indeed marketing and promoting the many poignant areas (one upstairs room in particular) of the sea side town where much of Bruce and the E Street Band's early efforts first raised their hands.

I can't thank you enough for the insight and most friendly chats we've had since meeting just over a week ago. I'm sure the connection we forged through Bruce and his music will result in us meeting again one day, most likely, and I would say somewhat symbolically, across a river somewhere.

Take care of yourself with that flu my friend, see you again somewhere down the road.

Matt.

Timc2007 said...

Thanks for the pictures Joe and for leading me to tears reading about Incident while waiting for a client....they must have thought I really needed the sale.

Pleasure meeting you sir and hanging at the shows and meeting your beautiful wife. See you further down the road. Please holler if I may ever assist in your pursuit of E St nirvana. Be good to yourself,
Tim