Springsteen loyalists walk the line for Boss’s Croke Park concerts

Bruce Springsteen fans are nothing if not loyal and the diehards know their place.

Getting a spot in the pit for any concert is usually a chaotic affair doled out on a first-come, first-served basis.

Queuing up overnight to bag a prime spot near the front of the stage is not allowed by the Croke Park authorities so Springsteen fans have organised themselves to ensure they do not lose out. Fans are allocated a number and take their place near the front of the stage accordingly.

Áine Carvill was second in the queue on Tuesday, but fans have to come back for rollcalls four times a day between signing up and gates opening. This is to ensure that fans do not just sign up for the pit and go away again.

Ms Carvill, originally from Rostrevor, Co Down, has seen the Boss 69 times, but is a part-timer compared to some of the fans who have clocked up more than 100 concerts.

‘Devotees’

She volunteered to do pit duty. "I'm a little bit of a fan," she said with suitable understatement. "I've been as far as South Africa and I've danced on stage with him. Well it was with a member of his band, but I got a hug and a kiss from him."

Liryn De Jager has come from South Africa for both concerts. She also attended his concerts in Kilkenny in 2013. Springsteen does not tour South Africa often so she has to tour to see him. For her the music is only part of it. It is kinship with fellow fans that matters most. “It is a community of fans. It’s about the music and it is about so much more. He’s preaching and we are his devotees.”

For most of the committed, Springsteen has been the soundtrack for their lives.

Tom McCormack from Clonskeagh, Dublin has seen all but one of his 26 shows in Ireland.

“No two concerts are the same. Every set list is changed. He has a wonderful range of songs. We like stories and Bruce has lots of stories for us as we get older. It starts with getting out of town and then you get the romance, the love stories, the jobs and the loss of loved ones as you go through your career and life.”

Friday’s concert at GAA headquarters begins at 7pm with doors opening at 5pm. Springsteen is also playing on Sunday night.

Dublin Chamber of Commerce estimates the two concerts will provide a €16 million boost to the local economy. A total of 164,000 people are due to attend the concerts.