Big Man Tribute

Last month, on July 24th, I went to see Bruce Springsteen perform at Koengen in Bergen. It was my fifth live encounter with The Boss and his legendary E-Street Band. The show was tremendous, as Springsteen played a three and a half hour set, proving once again that he stands without peers in todays music industry.

There were many highlights in the impressive set. The very first song, an acoustic version (and tour premiere) of "Long Walk Home" with Springsteen appearing alone on stage to start the show. An explosive "Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)" and a beautifully executed "Racing In The Streets" also deserves mentioning. But none made a deeper impression than what happened during "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out", which was the second last song in the set.

This "Wrecking Ball" tour was Springsteens first since the death of E-Street Band member Clarence Clemons in June last year. As part of their set, Springsteen and the band have paid tribute to their lost companion with a long pause midway through the song "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out". The last verse of the song starts with: "When the change was made uptown/And the Big Man joined the band". After uttering the line Springsteen raises his hand and the band stops playing as a slideshow of photos featuring Clemons rolls across the big screen on stage. What follows is several minutes of applause from the audience, paying tribute to the Big Man, who is deeply missed by Springsteen, the band and their fans.

Prepared that this might happen, I managed to record most of it, just after Springsteen stops the music. It was a powerful and emotional moment for every real fan, and a beautiful way to celebrate the life and music of Clarence "Big Man" Clemons.