Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, Ireland, July 2013

[T Fearon]

Exactly.Enjoy the shows,don't let your conscience bother you that you've shelled out 100 euros to a global brand.

Genuinely amazed by the amount of people on this thread willing to take vicarious offence on behalf  of a multi millionaire rock star/entertainer who doesn't even know them much less give a fiddlers about them after pocketing the dosh

[ross matt]

Exactly.Enjoy the shows,don't let your conscience bother you that you've shelled out 100 euros to a global brand.

Genuinely amazed by the amount of people on this thread willing to take vicarious offence on behalf  of a multi millionaire rock star/entertainer who doesn't even know them much less give a fiddlers about them after pocketing the dosh

I thought you had "all" his albums? That would have set you back more than E 100 for a concert ticket?

How's your "conscience on that"?

Or well they all presents? I'd imagine (judging by your posts) that you're really popular and have lots of generous friends.

[T Fearon]

I enjoy his music and have been to at least three concerts.But I regard him as an entertainer,not the voice of the oppressed,dispossessed etc.

[ross matt]

I enjoy his music and have been to at least three concerts.But I regard him as an entertainer,not the voice of the oppressed,dispossessed etc.

Oh I see. You "shell out E100" (x3) to "a global brand" + E?? on "all" his albums because you "regard him as an entertainer" not like the other 99.99% who regard him as "the voice of the oppressed, dispossessed etc".

[Mikhail Prokhorov]

Have all Springsteens albums,but he is an entertainer at the end of the day and crudely commercial,touring to promote albums,cashing in on nostalgia,exorbitant ticket pricing,or in short,out to make money,like bankers.That is not idiotic,that is fact.Also I believe he is pretty ruthless with staff on tour,firing at a him,hardly the Mark of a socialist with a conscience.

Still if you choose to believe the bullshit,good luck to you.

If you want to discuss nostalgia and exorbitant pricing, then talk about someone like the Stones. How much of their set comes from the last ten years? Or the last 30 years?! Not thecase with Springsteen.

As to your larger point, by your logic, no one on this board should be appalled or feel anger and sympathy when we see victims of third world oppression or famine on the tv. The parallels are similar.

In my own case, I thankfully live a fairly comfortable life, at least for now, in New York City. Does that mean I've lost all feeling and understanding for those who might be suffering very hard times in rural Donegal where I grew up?

How the hell do you know anything about what Springsteen might be seeing among his relatives and friends in NJ?

Give it up!

what exactly do you do for the stricken people of rural donegal?

enjoy your 'comfortable life', hope you find bruce across the river!

[T Fearon]

I heard he has an invitation to meet Bruce in Atlantic City, to discuss practical wealth redistribution

[johnneycool]

I heard he has an invitation to meet Bruce in Atlantic City, to discuss practical wealth redistribution

He's waiting on El Papa in Rome to lead the charge on that front.

[J70]

Have all Springsteens albums,but he is an entertainer at the end of the day and crudely commercial,touring to promote albums,cashing in on nostalgia,exorbitant ticket pricing,or in short,out to make money,like bankers.That is not idiotic,that is fact.Also I believe he is pretty ruthless with staff on tour,firing at a him,hardly the Mark of a socialist with a conscience.

Still if you choose to believe the bullshit,good luck to you.

If you want to discuss nostalgia and exorbitant pricing, then talk about someone like the Stones. How much of their set comes from the last ten years? Or the last 30 years?! Not thecase with Springsteen.

As to your larger point, by your logic, no one on this board should be appalled or feel anger and sympathy when we see victims of third world oppression or famine on the tv. The parallels are similar.

In my own case, I thankfully live a fairly comfortable life, at least for now, in New York City. Does that mean I've lost all feeling and understanding for those who might be suffering very hard times in rural Donegal where I grew up?

How the hell do you know anything about what Springsteen might be seeing among his relatives and friends in NJ?

Give it up!

what exactly do you do for the stricken people of rural donegal?

enjoy your 'comfortable life', hope you find bruce across the river!

None of your fuckin business what I do for anyone.

My point was that just because my circumstances have changed, it doesn't mean I forget my roots or that I am oblivious or apathetic to those who might be struggling in my home area.

[haveaharp]

I heard he has an invitation to meet Bruce in Atlantic City, to discuss practical wealth redistribution

He's waiting on El Papa in Rome to lead the charge on that front.

You would be waiting a while on that bunch of medieval head bangers actually doing anything to help people.

[T Fearon]

J70 But what are you doing in the way of practical assistance? More importantly, assuming you do not have the resources that Bruce enjoys, what is he doing on a practical level to help those he waxes lyrically about? At the end of the day remembering your roots costs nothing, fertilising them does.

[J70]

J70 But what are you doing in the way of practical assistance? More importantly, assuming you do not have the resources that Bruce enjoys, what is he doing on a practical level to help those he waxes lyrically about? At the end of the day remembering your roots costs nothing, fertilising them does.

Again, none of your business and totally beside the point.

The issue is your claim that a (now) rich singer has no clue what poor people might be living through and experiencing.

As for what Springsteen does in terms of charity work, he's played plenty of benefits, and every show I've been to of his stateside has had fundraising staff for homeless and hunger causes. What he does privately, I've no idea. Neither do you. But again, that wasn't the point.

[T Fearon]

So you think a lot but do nothing?

The point is that it is crass for multimillionaires to pretend they care about poor unfortunate people, as if the system was right, there would be neither millionaires nor poor people.

Springsteen is a good entertainer with the business acumen to con a vast array of people into believing he gives a shit about the poor as he amasses huge wealth. A bit like so many clerics, who preach but don't practice the Gospel message. A clever marketing tool, used by global brands the world over, if you'll pardon the pun.

[J70]

So you think a lot but do nothing?

The point is that it is crass for multimillionaires to pretend they care about poor unfortunate people, as if the system was right, there would be neither millionaires nor poor people.

Springsteen is a good entertainer with the business acumen to con a vast array of people into believing he gives a shit about the poor as he amasses huge wealth. A bit like so many clerics, who preach but don't practice the Gospel message. A clever marketing tool, used by global brands the world over, if you'll pardon the pun.

Listen, don't  presume to make pronouncements about what I do. This is a public internet forum. I have no intention of making anything but the most vague personal revelations. My charitable acts are private.

And capitalism does not preclude charity or sympathy for those less fortunate.

[gallsman]

Springsteen is a good entertainer with the business acumen to con a vast array of people into believing he gives a shit about the poor as he amasses huge wealth. A bit like so many clerics, who preach but don't practice the Gospel message. A clever marketing tool, used by global brands the world over, if you'll pardon the pun.

I'd say you'd be hard pushed to find any of us are going to see him over the next few weeks because we've been conned "into believing he gives a shit about the poor as he amasses huge wealth". I for one am going to see him because I've spent a majority of my life growing up listening to his music, the majority of which I happen to love and because I believe he's one of the best live entertainers of any form on the planet.

[T Fearon]

Galls man nothing wrong with that and is the reason why I've been to numerous concerts of his.

But the likes of J70 swallow the shit that he's some sort of People's Poet for the oppressed.