Bruce Springsteen has been in Cape Town for the last week. He played at the Bellville Velodrome which is a relatively compact and intimate venue. It was packed. Tickets were sold out almost as soon as they were released some months ago, prompting an additional concert date. What a wonderful performance. He wooed us and provided us with 3+ hours of nonstop, energetic music. He sang a moving and memorable version of "We Shall Overcome" as a tribute to Pete Seeger who died this week. Otherwise, he only spoke a little but noted,
eloquently, how cold the sea is around Cape Town.
How does a 64 year old rock star have anything to do with breast cancer?
During the performance, he picked several people to climb onto stage. First was a young child. Then others joined in the dancing. One woman was led up by Bruce himself, she having held up a sign that said that she had survived breast cancer and melanoma. She added that she had traveled
over 6000 miles to see him so I presume she was from America.
I am not sure how I feel about this. What she did could be seen as inspirational, brave and courageous. Alternatively, it could be seen as using her illnesses to get a pass to be with one of the most famous musicians. Is it a version of a DIY "Reach for a Dream" which is undeniably a wonderful organisation? The fact he picked her out of the thousands of other women who would have loved the chance to dance with him says a lot about him.
How do you feel about this? I would like to say a huge thank you to Bruce Springsteen. It was certainly one of the most exhilarating concerts I have been to.
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