Bruce Springsteen gig

Deco99 · 19-07-2013 9:09am

so who was impressed by how efficient the bars were?

horgan_p · 19-07-2013 9:15am

Deco99 wrote: »

so who was impressed by how efficient the bars were?

They were efficient at taking your money. Turning the vouchers into pints was a whole other story. Queued for nearly 40 minutes at one point

GavRedKing · 19-07-2013 9:17am

I think half the city was down the Marina last night, every other person on my FB was either at it uploading pics or outside it relaxing it.

Seen a few pics of a good couple of yachts down the river as well just listening out.

hoodwinked · 19-07-2013 10:02am

Just listening to 96fm about the exits at the end, one gate was locked because they couldnt find the key???? i thought that was illegal in case of fire or emergency?

Grand Moff Tarkin · 19-07-2013 10:12am

hoodwinked wrote: »

Just listening to 96fm about the exits at the end, one gate was locked because they couldnt find the key???? i thought that was illegal in case of fire or emergency?

Not had much dealings in the past with the GAA I take it?

bigtimecharlie · 19-07-2013 11:38am

hoodwinked wrote: »

Just listening to 96fm about the exits at the end, one gate was locked because they couldnt find the key???? i thought that was illegal in case of fire or emergency?

Great gig. Best I've seen since slane 2001 (U2).

Exit (only ONE) was a joke, glad there wasn't a crush.

lukin · 19-07-2013 11:50am

A lot of criticism on the peoplesrepublicofcork forum as regards the organisation (or lack of it to be more precise).

Massive queues for the bars; took ages to get a drink (queues were not stewarded properly either)
The men's toilets closed an hour before the end of the gig
No lighting on the way out; people stumbling around in the dark
Main exit was blocked (incredible if true)
Traffic going down roads that were thronged by people. No shuttle buses to take people back into town.

I was at the Oasis gig in 96 and can't remember any such problems (however as regards the drink I was too young so I wasn't allowed)
Pairc Ui Chaoimh is a totally unsuitable venue for concerts due to it being outdated and the location doesn't help.
Not surprised there hasn't been a concert there since the Oasis one, I assume there won't be one there for a long time again.

lisasimpson · 19-07-2013 11:52am

the exit was a joke. we got stuck having to walk over old iron poles with nettles etc

I think they were lucky with the type of crowd that was at the gig that there was no incident at the exit. imagine if it was a sat gig opened since 3 with a younger crowd drinking all day

SpaceTime · 19-07-2013 11:54am

The location is absolutely stunning but the stadium's very run down and a bit of a mess.

A new stadium is very urgently needed to replace it.

It was looking clapped out in 1996 and not much has changed since those Oasis and Prodigy gigs.

bigtimecharlie · 19-07-2013 11:56am

lukin wrote: »

A lot of criticism on the peoplesrepublicofcork forum as regards the organisation (or lack of it to be more precise).
Massive queues for the bars; took ages to get a drink (queues were not stewarded properly either)

The men's toilets closed an hour before the end of the gig

Surprised to see the men's loo's closed at the end, so out to the porto-loo's.

As regards the drink queue's, there was no notice that vouchers had to be purchased beforehand. And the voucher van should have been further away from the drink queue. Too many people getting vouchers and then passing them to mates at the front of the drink queue.

GavRedKing · 19-07-2013 11:59am

lukin wrote: »

A lot of criticism on the peoplesrepublicofcork forum as regards the organisation (or lack of it to be more precise).
Massive queues for the bars; took ages to get a drink (queues were not stewarded properly either) - The ques are to be expected really, it is a concert after all, stewarding could well e an issue I seen a few statuses about people skipping and line hopping freely.

The men's toilets closed an hour before the end of the gig. - That would be a stupid decision to make if true.

No lighting on the way out; people stumbling around in the dark. - I think only the Marina, heading away from the stadium and back towards Blackrock Village is unlit, the rest of the area has lamp posts up so that shouldnt have been a problem.

Main exit was blocked (incredible if true). - heard this, very serious issue if true.

Traffic going down roads that were thronged by people. No shuttle buses to take people back into town. - Some people parked in the surronding Blackrock/Mahon/Ballinetemple/Ballinlough area so that was always going to happen, even people walking back to town was going to force thousands on to the roads, the buses was always going to be an issue as you pointed out with all the people it would have been impossible for transport to go to and from the venue without incident.

I was at the Oasis gig in 96 and can't remember any such problems (however as regards the drink I was too young so I wasn't allowed)
Pairc Ui Chaoimh is a totally unsuitable venue for concerts due to it being outdated and the location doesn't help.
Not surprised there hasn't been a concert there since the Oasis one, I assume there won't be one there for a long time again.

I think the venue as it is, is spointless for concerts, out of the way and out dated, massively. The weather and the boss made the gig what it was, not the facilities, that could have ruined a perfectly good evening, at least the majority enjoyed it.

mossie · 19-07-2013 12:54pm

GavRedKing wrote: »

I think the venue as it is, is spointless for concerts, out of the way and out dated, massively. The weather and the boss made the gig what it was, not the facilities, that could have ruined a perfectly good evening, at least the majority enjoyed it.

It definitely need improved access and improved lighting on the roads leading to the stadium as well as the planned upgrade of the stadium.

S Barrett · 19-07-2013 1:11pm

As a person who is Health and Safety qualified last night was a joke. They had one gate open and the bones of 40,000+ people trying to exit through that gate. It was a disaster waiting to happen and luckily, as previously mentioned, the concert goers were a mature audience so there was no pushing or shoving. I mentioned it to one Garda and he said that it was a fu.k..g nightmare.

On the plus side I have to say that it was the best gig I was ever at. Rock on Bruce.

Zardoz · 19-07-2013 1:21pm

S Barrett wrote: »

I mentioned it to one Garda and he said that it was a fu.k..g nightmare.

The gardai werent much use,they were just standing around at the end when 30,000 people tried to get through one gate and there was another gate open 200 yards away and hardly anyone using it.
One guy with a mega phone would have been sufficient to at least split the traffic.

No floodlights in a ground in this day and age is ludicrous ,the stage crew were dismantling the stage using torches and headlamps !

Ludo · 19-07-2013 1:38pm

I exited under the uncovered stand. Was that the only exit for the whole stadium?

stop animal cruelty · 19-07-2013 2:22pm

just watched dancing in the dark from last night...the women that were dancing and playing the guitars at the end with bruce, hard to make out their faces but l swear they were queing with me in limerick and l was around with them in the concert too :O :O if its them lm delighted for them...they go to all his concerts here...so lucky

Zardoz · 19-07-2013 2:23pm

stop animal cruelty wrote: »

just watched dancing in the dark from last night...the women that were playing the guitars at the end, hard to make out their faces but l swear they were queing with me in limerick and l was around with them in the concert too :O :O if its them lm delighted for them...they go to all his concerts here...so lucky

Were they Irish ?

stop animal cruelty · 19-07-2013 2:25pm

Zardoz wrote: »

Were they Irish ?

the ones lm thinking yes...

leahyl · 19-07-2013 2:49pm

A few of them didn't look Irish that were on stage with him. The girl with the blue dress that danced with Jake was welsh I think and the 3 ladies that played the guitar with him looked foreign

Zardoz · 19-07-2013 3:22pm

leahyl wrote: »

A few of them didn't look Irish that were on stage with him. The girl with the blue dress that danced with Jake was welsh I think and the 3 ladies that played the guitar with him looked foreign

I guessed as much

stop animal cruelty · 19-07-2013 3:47pm

leahyl wrote: »

A few of them didn't look Irish that were on stage with him. The girl with the blue dress that danced with Jake was welsh I think and the 3 ladies that played the guitar with him looked foreign

the one with the short black hair is the one l recognise...very tanned & skinny..think she asked the other girls to come up? lm dying to know if it was them!

SpaceTime · 19-07-2013 5:44pm

If you've concerns about the health and safety it would be worth raising them with the HSA.

Bacchus · 19-07-2013 5:53pm

Awesome gig. Had a great time. He's just such an entertainer. Great fun.

The bar was a disgrace though. Massive queues which led to half the crowd not bothering to get a drink (myself included) and the other half getting 4-8 pints a go and just binge drinking (mind you there was little to no trouble from the crowd from what I saw). A friend had to queue 20 minutes for the vouchers and another 40 for the drinks. Shambles.

The gates thing is another joke. There was a crazy amount of people going through that gate. Lucky the crowd was chilled out and not pushy.

JP Liz V1 · 19-07-2013 7:22pm

Awesome gig, the Boss was great as was the atmosphere and the people, great craic and banter between everyone

Was the lights not working in parts of the Park as when we were leaving it was really dark

Zardoz · 19-07-2013 7:44pm

JP Liz V1 wrote: »

Was the lights not working in parts of the Park as when we were leaving it was really dark

It doesnt have any lights !

The stage crew were taking the stage down using torches and headlights.:o

JP Liz V1 · 19-07-2013 7:48pm

Zardoz wrote: »

It doesnt have any lights !

The stage crew were taking the stage down using torches and headlights.:o

:P

thejuggler · 19-07-2013 9:12pm

For me I think there were too many lesser known songs at the expense of his memorable hits such as

Cover Me, The River, 57 channels and nothing on, Brilliant Disguise, radio nowhere, Streets of Philadelphia, Working on the highway,
I'm on fire, I'm goin down, Hungry Heart, Glory Days

I appreciate it wasn't billed as a greatest hits tour but I think people should expect to hear the hits when they go to a concert.

Many music stars are a bit self indulgent in this regard.

mossie · 19-07-2013 9:29pm

thejuggler wrote: »

For me I think there were too many lesser known songs at the expense of his memorable hits such as

Cover Me, The River, 57 channels and nothing on, Brilliant Disguise, radio nowhere, Streets of Philadelphia, Working on the highway,
I'm on fire, I'm goin down, Hungry Heart, Glory Days

I appreciate it wasn't billed as a greatest hits tour but I think people should expect to hear the hits when they go to a concert.

Many music stars are a bit self indulgent in this regard.

The problem with this is that Bruce is well aware that many people attend more than one show and if he does a Greatest Hits set every night that's all they get to hear so he tries to vary it as much as possible.

Zardoz · 19-07-2013 9:54pm

mossie wrote: »

The problem with this is that Bruce is well aware that many people attend more than one show and if he does a Greatest Hits set every night that's all they get to hear so he tries to vary it as much as possible.

What percentage of people attend more than one concert do u think and what percentage of people last night were casual fans ?

I'd say 80% of people in Cork would have been casual fans ,he has never played the city before and alot of people were going as it was a day out .
Under those circumstances a more greatest hits style setlist would have been better .

He also played 4 cover songs ,one twice ,which seems a waste considering his back catalogue.

mossie · 19-07-2013 10:42pm

Zardoz wrote: »

What percentage of people attend more than one concert do u think and what percentage of people last night were casual fans ?

I'd say 80% of people in Cork would have been casual fans ,he has never played the city before and alot of people were going as it was a day out .
Under those circumstances a more greatest hits style setlist would have been better .

He also played 4 cover songs ,one twice ,which seems a waste considering his back catalogue.

That may well be, but you could say the same for any of his shows. The simple fact is that is how he does it otherwise it would be the same set all the time. I was disappointed he did "This Little Light" twice in both Cork and Limerick, but otherwise was delighted he changed the set so much. It's always that way when he does shows close together in time and proximity.

leahyl · 19-07-2013 11:27pm

To be honest guys I was just so delighted to see him! Yes I was a bit disappointed that he didn't do Glory Days, The River, My Hometown and Human Touch but his amazing stamina and charisma more than made up for it!

I heard that there was a huge crowd down the millennium gardens across the river as well and they could hear everything as clear as day!

bogman · 20-07-2013 10:34am

Still recovering, what a night, local businesses had a field day

Half way down the pitch, big screen was a godsend, sound quality was way ahead of the marquee, just as well there wasn't an emergency at the showgrounds exit with it being locked and all

9/10 for my 1st Springsteen concert, 3hrs 20 mins, you couldn't have asked for more, so who is going to Kilkenny next weekend :-)

grainuaile · 20-07-2013 5:50pm

Hey there ... I'm the OP on this so thought I'd update anyone who still cares :P we drove down and back up home again after the gig, 5hrs each way but totally worth it. The show was just amazing, as I knew it would be. This is my fourth time seeing them and the first time without rain! Made a nice change
I haven't been to Cork or Pairc ui Chaoimh before and thought it was quite a good venue actually, although we did say we wouldn't go to a match there, there is a lot of walking involved and feck all parking. We lucked out there, pulled into a filling station to get our bearings and they had space to park round the back, no charge:) were fairly relieved the car was still there when we got back mind u!
And as for those giving out about the set list, he has such a huge back catalogue that not everyone is going to hear their favourites (although I did, Thunder Rd for the encore ... shivers )

evilivor · 20-07-2013 6:56pm

Probe into chaos around Springsteen concert

A review is under way into potentially serious crowd control problems after the Bruce Springsteen concert in Cork, which sparked fears of a Hillsborough-type crush incident.

Thousands of concert-goers were corralled towards one small gated exit outside the Páirc Uí Chaoimh GAA stadium after Thursday’s gigs. Huge queues built up in the Showgrounds area as the exit struggled to cope with the volume of people streaming out on to Monahan Road.

As fans continued to flood out of the stadium, the queue stalled with delays of up to 45 minutes reported.

Fans closer to the gate began to panic as the crowds swelled to the rear — there was some crushing at the front. It resulted in gardaí ordering the GAA to open a second gate, redeploying officers to that area.

Stewards then advised fans to scale fences and cross an open field to leave by this gate.

Angry concert goers vented their fury at organisers yesterday.

“Thomond [Springsteen played there on Tuesday] was so much better organised and safer. Last night was a health and safety hazard when leaving the grounds,” said Louise Murphy.

Alan Cogan said it was a great gig, but disgraceful organisation. “Hang your heads in shame organisers and say a prayer you aren’t waking up to a tragedy that would be fully of your making,” he said.

Concert goers also complained about the operation of the bar voucher system, with delays of up to two hours reported at some alcohol outlets.

Concert promoter Peter Aiken, who staged the gig in association with the GAA, said he was “annoyed” that the crowd problems had developed.

“I have asked our event controller, and the various bodies that were involved, for a full report, so I can’t comment in detail on it until I’ve seen that report. But it shouldn’t have happened.”

Supt Barry McPolin, who is in charge of policing in the city, said there was an initial debrief of the situation after the concert. However, he said all the agencies involved (including the concert promoters, the GAA, gardaí, the HSE, and the city officials who granted the concert licence) will be invited to attend a formal review of the entire event over the coming weeks.

“The exit issue from the venue will form part of a forensic review of the event in the near future and any lessons that need to be learned from the management of the event will be incorporated into any future events that may take place here,” he said.

He praised concert-goers for following Garda and steward directions. “There were no arrests associated with the concert. The crowd were good natured and in great form.”

JohnMearsheimer · 20-07-2013 7:40pm

I enjoyed the gig for the most part. There were a bunch of girls next to us who would have been more suited to a Westlife concert. When Born in the USA came on about 5 of them in a row went up on shoulders blocking the view of a whole load of people behind them. A load of people asked if one or 2 of them could come down to give people a chance to see but they were told to f*** off.

I'd have liked if he did I'm On Fire, Hungry Heart and The River but I guess his back catalogue goes back 30-40 years at this stage. He has to mix things up for his own sanity as well. Plus it will give us all a reason to see him again

When he came out for the last song with the harmonica I was convinced he was going to do The River but Thunder Road was great too. Born to Run was fantastic, Jake Clemons did a fantastic job on the sax for the night.

Getting out was a bit of a disaster. I could see the other gate was open but at completely the wrong side for us to get to. We had to walk through nettles for a bit to get out.

juneg · 20-07-2013 9:43pm

http://www.setlist.fm/setlists/bruce-springsteen-2bd6dcce.html

This will show you the set list of all the concerts he has played and how many times he has played each song.

I was in Thomond park and it was very well organised. No crowd issues and plenty of toilets, bars etc but I suppose they are used to hosting huge sold out events there.

My first Bruce concert though I know his songs well and have been a fan since his " Dancing in the dark" days with Courtney Cox!
. I wouldn't have minded hearing any of the songs to be honest as the atmosphere was so good.
He really leaves it all on stage doesn't he!

housetypeb · 21-07-2013 11:56am

The voucher scheme was a disaster for the concert goers but possibly made money for who ever had the beer contract.
A lot of people bought vouchers but didn't bother waiting for beer as they knew the concert would be around 3 hours long, and to miss half a Sringsteen concert just for a few beers wasn't worth it.

leahyl · 21-07-2013 12:16pm

housetypeb wrote: »

The voucher scheme was a disaster for the concert goers but possibly made money for who ever had the beer contract.
A lot of people bought vouchers but didn't bother waiting for beer as they knew the concert would be around 3 hours long, and to miss half a Sringsteen concert just for a few beers wasn't worth it.

I couldn't believe the amount of people who actually queued outside for 40 minutes just to get a pint! If I saw a queue that long I wouldn't have stood in line to begin with! Crazy stuff, missing 40 mins of a concert (esp Bruce!) just to get a pint!!

JohnMearsheimer · 21-07-2013 1:50pm

leahyl wrote: »

I couldn't believe the amount of people who actually queued outside for 40 minutes just to get a pint! If I saw a queue that long I wouldn't have stood in line to begin with! Crazy stuff, missing 40 mins of a concert (esp Bruce!) just to get a pint!!

I was the same. I saw the queue and said feck that. The sun was beating down on the queue as well. We just took shelter in the shade for a while before it started.

SpaceTime · 21-07-2013 1:56pm

leahyl wrote: »

I couldn't believe the amount of people who actually queued outside for 40 minutes just to get a pint! If I saw a queue that long I wouldn't have stood in line to begin with! Crazy stuff, missing 40 mins of a concert (esp Bruce!) just to get a pint!!

You forget that a large number of people here are basically alcoholics though.

One of the best concerts in years and they're in hour long line for beers.

Nicely sums up the way we don't really notice quite how addicted a large % are

leahyl · 21-07-2013 2:02pm

SpaceTime wrote: »

You forget that a large number of people here are basically alcoholics though.

One of the best concerts in years and they're in hour long line for beers.

Nicely sums up the way we don't really notice quite how addicted a large % are

It's ridiculous - so many people just giving out about the drink queues rather than commenting on the actual concert - because they missed most of it queuing for drink!! I didn't have one drink and I was happy out (and I do drink normally btw) - why do people absolutely have to have an alcoholic beverage to enjoy a concert in this country?

the beer revolu · 21-07-2013 2:22pm

SpaceTime wrote: »

You forget that a large number of people here are basically alcoholics though.

One of the best concerts in years and they're in hour long line for beers.

Nicely sums up the way we don't really notice quite how addicted a large % are

leahyl wrote: »

It's ridiculous - so many people just giving out about the drink queues rather than commenting on the actual concert - because they missed most of it queuing for drink!! I didn't have one drink and I was happy out (and I do drink normally btw) - why do people absolutely have to have an alcoholic beverage to enjoy a concert in this country?

leahyl wrote: »

I couldn't believe the amount of people who actually queued outside for 40 minutes just to get a pint! If I saw a queue that long I wouldn't have stood in line to begin with! Crazy stuff, missing 40 mins of a concert (esp Bruce!) just to get a pint!!

It's all very well saying that people shouldn't need drink at a concert but if the organisers decide to offer a bar service, then that service should be fit for purpose and have the capacity to cater for the numbers that are likely. Also, I reckon a lot of people had bought vouchers before realising just how big the queue was and then didn't want to loose their money so they queued. I believe the queuing system was poorly organised with much queue jumping going on. It seems the organisers were happy to take peoples money but offered little in return.

It seems a bit unfair to turn it around and have the attitude that it served them right because, in your opinion, they shouldn't need/want drink.

leahyl · 21-07-2013 4:27pm

the beer revolu wrote: »

It's all very well saying that people shouldn't need drink at a concert but if the organisers decide to offer a bar service, then that service should be fit for purpose and have the capacity to cater for the numbers that are likely. Also, I reckon a lot of people had bought vouchers before realising just how big the queue was and then didn't want to loose their money so they queued. I believe the queuing system was poorly organised with much queue jumping going on. It seems the organisers were happy to take peoples money but offered little in return.

It seems a bit unfair to turn it around and have the attitude that it served them right because, in your opinion, they shouldn't need/want drink.

Nothing wrong with wanting a drink but when you queue for 40 mins to an hour just to get one and miss most of the concert then I don't have much sympathy for people to be quite honest!

Bowlardo · 21-07-2013 4:39pm

leahyl wrote: »

Nothing wrong with wanting a drink but when you queue for 40 mins to an hour just to get one and miss most of the concert then I don't have much sympathy for people to be quite honest!

I think your missing the point. how are they to know how long they will be in the queue?

leahyl · 21-07-2013 4:45pm

Bowlardo wrote: »

I think your missing the point. how are they to know how long they will be in the queue?

Surely looking at the length of the queue and seeing how long it takes others to get drinks should be enough?? It'd put me off straight away anyway - having to queue to get vouchers and then queuing again to get the drinks...

bleary · 21-07-2013 6:28pm

I can only agree with what the interviewed fans in the examiner article said.
This turned out to be one of the poorest concerts in terms of organisation in over 20 years of concert going. In fact it reminded me so much of some of my earliest concerts in the 1980s.
In terms of food and drinks options we had the choice of 3 vans of burger and chips,and i think one coffee van. a lot of concerts now pride themselves on the food you can get but in the foodie capital cork we got one variant of burger after the next, drinks situation as above, seemed like plenty of staff but it took us over 40 mins to get a drink. Concert itself was the main thing and couldnt fault stage setup and the man himself.
Going home was a disaster unfortunately almost literally, between stewards directing us back from safe exits towards a poorly lit , over crowded area strewn with debris. A trailer filled with security fences dumped in the middle of the exit lane. No directions, a few nervous looking young stewards and , one garda standing about 10 feet back radioing for assistance . God help anyone in a wheelchair as i witnessed one surrounded by a crowd tring to push their way over rough ground. This was an amateur operation and they should be thanking their lucky stars that besides some cuts and bruises no one was badly hurt.

Bacchus · 22-07-2013 9:07am

leahyl wrote: »

Surely looking at the length of the queue and seeing how long it takes others to get drinks should be enough?? It'd put me off straight away anyway - having to queue to get vouchers and then queuing again to get the drinks...

I think the problem was because there was two queues. Everyone got their vouchers assuming quick times at the bar as a result... roll on an hour or so and everyone has vouchers but the drinks queue is becoming a nightmare. Anyone who got their vouchers face either loosing their money or joining that long queue. Also, TBH, I've seen huge queues at gigs/festivals move very quickly before. It's quite likely many people got their vouchers and joined the bar queue before realising how long it would take and then find themselves halfway up it 20 minutes later? Do you stick it out or abandon the queue after getting the vouchers and standing for 20 minutes in it?

This isn't about "oh Irish people, they love the ould binge session don't they", as some have suggested. Granted, there will always be a small proportion of people looking to just get wasted but by in large this was totally down to poor planning. For a start the voucher system is only good for festivals over multiple days so people don't feel rushed into getting drink in case their vouchers don't become useless. This is why so many people were buying 4-8 pints at a time. If they didn't, they'd never have an opportunity to use their vouchers again! It should have been cash at the bar. Second, there should have been more staff at the bar to get through the crowds quicker. That way people could have drank at their own pace as they liked without fear of missing half the gig or loosing money.

It's a real shame because it was a perfect day for a gig and a pint. The sun was shining, Bruce was rocking and the crowd was in good form. I would have enjoyed a pint or two but fortunately was told the queue was 40 minutes long at that point so stayed away. I could easily have been sucked in to getting the vouchers (there was no queue for them) before getting caught in the trap.

angeline · 22-07-2013 11:18pm

Wanted to go but was working. Did he sing Jack of all Trades?! Love that song.

P.lane78 · 22-07-2013 11:26pm

yep ...class:)

bogman · 23-07-2013 10:11am

If this wasnt the best Springsteen concert (and I was well happy) im looking forward to my 2nd one if he comes back, if its going to be better its going to be deadly

Kilkenny this weekend.........now there's a thought :-)

Bruce Springsteen gig

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