Editor's Note
Editor’s Note: This is Part Two of guest blogger Dan French’s incredible E Street adventure from 1981. If you haven’t already, be sure to read Part One before continuing on.
Dan French is the founder of one of the very first Springsteen fanzines: Point Blank, first published in 1980. Point Blank published ten issues (and a couple of specials) through 1992; today, it lives on as a vibrant Facebook community.
Dan’s story has to be read (and re-read) to be believed, so without further ado, Dan’s adventure continues.
The next morning we had a late breakfast, took photos outside the hotel, and left – but not before I encountered Roy by the postcards and asked him for a scribble. ‘Sure,’ he smiled. ‘Take it easy.’ No one else was there.
We took a train back to Rena’s place in Mannheim, and I met Ilona and Hubert, her neighbours. Spent the day resting, and the next day went into town to eat and visit her friend’s hi-fi shop. In the afternoon Rena called some hotels in Munich until she found the one Clarence was staying in, the Hilton, and asked him if she and three friends could come to the show tonight. Sure, said the Big Man: ask Glen for your tickets when you come.
So Hubert drove Ilona, Rena and I the 200km to Munich that evening! We got to the Olympiahalle just before 8 o’clock, and found Glen – but only three tickets and passes. A misunderstanding: Glen found another set, and we went in.
There was quite a different feel from the Frankfurt atmosphere – moody. Early into the show the crowd surged into a space near the front and Bruce had to stop before introducing “Independence Day” and ask people to go back to their seats. Rena and I moved from our places in the guest rows on the side down into the stalls where there was room to stand and dance.
As it was the last night in Germany, there was a big reception laid on backstage, and as guests we took the chance to eat and spot Roy, Max, Danny, Garry and Clarence mingling. Bruce and Steve didn’t show up this time: we spent a while hunting for the dressing-rooms in the large backstage area, but no luck.
So we drove to CC’s hotel, went up to his room, and he welcomed us all with champagne!
We sat and listened to his latest recordings on Dedication: ‘That’s me!’ he’d say, on a sax solo. His other cassettes included the Fabulous Thunderbirds and Stevie Wonder.
Rena took photos and got Ilona and Hubert to take some of us. I saw the tour handbook and made a mental note that a second Stafford gig had been penciled in for 22nd May. Entries included: “Tuesday – day off – have a good time!”
We must have stayed a couple of hours. Clarence offered to give us rooms at the Hilton, but the others had to go to work the next day, so we all drove back in the wee wee hours and left CC to travel to Paris the next day with the band.
It was light when we got back to Mannheim, and I slept until the afternoon. We had a bite to eat, played some records and watched a few German videos – she had a good collection. Rena couldn’t go to Paris, so I left and tried to hitch out of Mannheim on the outskirts of town, but gave up after trying for a long time and getting cold and restless. So I took a train again back to Paris, and slept rough once more – Good Friday, I think it was.
On the 18th, I found the address where John H was staying before seeing the show that night, and once again feeling very consciously the tramp, called in at the posh block of apartments, and found him and the friend whose flat it was. It was a relief to speak English to a familiar face and sit on the sunny balcony having coffee!
We agreed that although I didn’t have a ticket, we’d wander up to the hall, the Palais de Sports on the north side of town, and have a look around. We walked from the Metro stop over the bridge of the river to the site of the odd-shaped sports hall rising on the far banks.
No sign of any posters or ads for the show, but we walked up the drive as far as we could and found a small box-office. It was open, and inside at a table, a little old lady was opening envelopes containing tickets for both shows!
Quickly I borrowed some money from John (which was to take me six months to repay!) and we bought three extra tickets for each show, plus one for John for the Sunday night; we knew that Geoff N and Kristina V were coming and didn’t have tickets. We couldn’t believe our luck! I was going to see Bruce twice more before I had to go back!
To be concluded…
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