The Boss is back: Remember Springsteen in Slane?

Bruce Springsteen’s performance at Slane Castle in 1985 marked a turning point in the American songwriter’s career. He had been recording since 1972 and had already released six albums, building a large and loyal fanbase in the process. But it was only with the release of his seventh album, Born in the USA, that Springsteen was elevated to the ranks of superstardom.

‘Land of Hope and Dreams – Celebrating 25 years of Bruce Springsteen in Ireland’, published by Greg Lewis and Moira Sharkey in 2010, traces the history and cultural significance of Springsteen’s concerts in Ireland

It reveals the concert in Slane was the first outdoor concert Springsteen ever played in Europe and by some distance, the largest crowd he had ever played to. It was also his first ever performance in Ireland. Held on 1st June, 60,000 tickets were sold in advance but with additional tickets made available on the morning of the concert and a large number of people getting in with forged tickets or by breaking in, the crowd by the time Springsteen took the stage was estimated at close to 100,000.

Demand was buoyed by extensive airplay of hit singles such as ‘Born in the USA’ and ‘Dancing in the Dark’ and Springsteen’s reputation as one of the one most important musicians in the world at the time. As ‘Land of Hope and Dreams’ recalls, however, the concert nearly didn’t go ahead. A legal challenge by the Slane Village Householders Association (SHA) to stop the concert was lodged. Following the incidents of drunken vandalism in the village after the Bob Dylan concert the previous year, local residents were anxious to avoid a repeat. After a protracted legal battle, the SHA eventually backed down after promoter Jim Aiken gave extensive undertakings to prevent a repeat of the previous year’s scenes.

So at 5pm on a sunny bank-holiday Saturday, Springsteen took to the stage at Slane. Opening with the familiar chords of ‘Born in the USA’, Springsteen rattled through an exhilarating three and a half hour long set. One of the highlights of the performance for many was his rendition of ‘The River’. As the opening bars of Springsteen’s harmonica rang out, images of the Boyne were shown on the huge video screens each side of the stage. These images went on to be shown around the world for the rest of the tour.

Springsteen’s concerts are often described as a ‘religious experience’ and his gig at Slane was no different. Though the largest and most exuberant crowd Springsteen had ever played to, little of the intimacy and connection Springsteen creates with his audience was lost. The descendant of Irish immigrants, Springsteen has long spoken about the special connection he has with Irish audiences. This is a relationship that has become only stronger in the three decades since his first Irish performance at Slane.