Chris Carry

So, something strange occurred in May 2024. Bruce Springsteen played four shows in Ireland. They started on May 9th, the night before my birthday and ended on 19th May. The shows took place in Belfast, Kilkenny, Cork and Dublin. 

So what was strange about this? Well, I didn't go to any of them. On purpose. 

For a chap who had previously seen Bruce FIFTY TWO times in concert this was something of a seismic shift in the paradigm. It appears to have confused people, others thought I must have been unwell - 'how come he didn't go to any of the Irish shows' (let alone catch a couple of dates in Europe, which I was wont to do in previous tour years).  

So, I'll tell ya why. I wanted to wait until the tour left Europe and because I really didn't want to denigrate or question the enthusiasm of any of my fellow fans-in-Bruce, who were/are quite entitled to go enjoy what is arguably the best live show you'll ever attend. I should know, fifty two times right?

I became aware of Springsteen back in 1978. Like many young men of my generation (I was 15-ish at that time) watching the live performance of ‘Rosalita’ on the BBC's Old Grey Whistle Test (OGWT) was highly transformative for me.  I had never seen anything like it. My passion then, in ‘78, was and still is, David Bowie. 

I had heard the song ’Born To Run' on the radio before I saw the OGWT clip but it did nothing for me, not at least until I started digging into the Springsteen catalogue. It was just another generic (white) American rock song and nothing like anything musically that Bowie (or Lou Reed) had transfixed me with. 

The Wild, The Innocent And The E-Street Shuffle album was pivotal to changing my musical life. Indeed, I would say it changed my life in general. In the ‘70s, and early ’80s, Bruce was what you'd consider to be a ‘cult’ artist. I belonged to a small subset of musical fanatics who really did see ‘the future of rock and roll’ as being all about Springsteen. And hey, if anyone is going to make a joke about a bunch of cults, it's me!

It's great being a cultist. You can be snob, an elitist, and you know you know something that very few people know. After reading the book ‘Born To Run’ by Dave Marsh, I became even more aware of how special this guy was. How his life was a product of the Jersey Shore community, how he spoke through the music (you have to remember, at a time of no internet, there was very little in the world about Springsteen. There were no video's (just the film clips from the OGTW), you never saw Springsteen, you rarely read anything bout him in print, and you never heard him speak. He rarely ever gave interviews to the press. You had to buy a ticket to the music to learn what was going on. But still, someone had to tell you about the music. 

Springsteen's music wasn't like Bowie, Bolan, Lou Reed or the Beatles. It was ‘grown up’ music. It was personal and reflective. I became aware there was a world out there, an adult world, where you know, sh*t happens. The songs brought me from being a horribly immature boy to a better sense of myself and a long overdue maturity. 

In 1984 I was literally ringing the Columbia Records distributors in Dublin weekly asking when Born In The USA (BITU) would be released. Not many kids (well, I was 20, so, not a kid) in Ireland were doing that. Only Springsteen fans knew about BITU. However the wold would soon catch up.

From 1978 onwards, I would stalk the bootleg cassette stalls or street sellers in Dublin, buying truly horrible low grade copies of unreleased songs (mostly from the Darkness On The Edge Of Town and The River sessions). However, and this may still seem strange to some people, even at the time of the release of BITU, Springsteen was STILL generally speaking a cult artist. Yes, The River had attracted a newer audience but he still wasn't a global superstar. If you knew, ya knew. 

What kept attracting me to Springsteen was his ordinariness. He did become the voice for the working man, for the disenfranchised and even the lost and lonely. His songs evoked sentiments to an American way of life that an Irish person could relate to in many ways. The songs were not coming out of the hippy ideals of 1960's California, nor from the psychedelic, nor the art rock or new wave musical movements. The songs came out of Springsteen himself, fully formed and spoke of real life, real people, and real situations. 

Look, I could write a book about my Springsteen fandom (indeed I have a couple of entries in a couple of Bruce related books) but I want to get to the core of my decision making about this 2024 tour. 

As a young man looking for direction, I was truly lost, I found great moral guidance from Springsteen. He gave me a social conscience when I didnt have one, or realised I even needed one. He said “no one wins, unless everyone wins”. That statement became a personal affirmation for me that I carry to this day, whenever I can, it informs a lot of what I do and how I treat people, although I am far from perfect. 

When the tickets were announced for the 2023 tour a new phenomenon happened. TicketMaster announced that they would introduce dynamic price ticketing for the Springsteen shows. This meant that demand would drive ticket prices. In the weeks that followed after the tickets went on sale I saw many long time fans, like myself (on long established fan forums), meekly concur that they simply would not be able to attend a Springsteen show because they couldn't afford the tickets. Fans would go to TicketMaster and find the only available tickets advertised were for hundreds of dollars over face value, and often thousands of dollars, above face value. 

The recent farago with Oasis tickets is basically the same story. A monopolised (ticket) delivery system designed to take advantage of music fans everywhere by hyper-inflating demand and then monetising it to their benefit.  Capitalism at its truly awful best. 

Initially most fans of my standing assumed that Bruce didn't know this was being done in his name. We were assured and confident that when Bruce heard his fans were being gouged he'd surely put an end to it? 

Nope, instead he doubled down on backing the pariah that is Ticketmaster. In a tetchy interview with Rolling Stone we learned that Springsteen did indeed allow TicketMaster to implement this pricing situation, and if we wanted our money back we could have it back if the show didn't deliver. To me, thats completely missing the point. People have to get into the show first.

At this point the Boss online bible, my first internet hit every day, Backstreets.com announced they were out.  After nearly 40 years of supporting the Springsteen audience they couldn't engage any further. It was a gut wrenching twist but I genuinely admired their position. That took balls. They closed the site, left a note and walked away. The note is still there, you can read it at www.backstreets.com. Sadly Charles Cross one of the key folks behind Backstreets.com passed away recently. I hope he knew what his work and that of his excellent team of journalists meant to the Springsteen community. RIP Charles. 

The seeds of doubt about how the Springsteen organization were now reshaping their ticket strategies were sown for me with the ticket situation for the Springsteen On Broadway shows. In some ways it was a sense of what was to come. For the show I attended in NYC (Nov 2019) I was lucky. I got a ‘cheap’ ticket ($230) in the fan lottery. The folks I sat beside had paid $1,500 EACH). It's just morally wrong. 

I had a quiet word with myself after I got home to Ireland. Yes, the show was brilliant but again, as you can tell from the amount of celebrities there each night it was an ‘event’ not a show for ordinary fans. For a lot of people it was their first Springsteen show. It's what the 2023 →2024 shows have become. An event. It's a Tik Tok moment, an Instagram post, it's a self validation about being in the middle of the current conversation. 

For the recent tour the forums became a litany of fans lamenting the fact that the only tickets available were $300, $500, $700, $1500 etc etc. Whatever about buying a single ticket, it was no longer possible to bring your date or your kids. I saw a couple of rejoicers, let's call it for what it is, bragging about paying $1000 → 4,000+ for tickets. If you did that, no offence, but you're an idiot. 

So, the man of the people, the champion of the working classes, the social conscience of a generation had finally sold out. It was a disgusting turn around from a man (and of course, Jon Landau his manger) who had built is audience over 50 years by being one of us. He's not, he's a equestrian stud farmer now from the most expensive real estate in New Jersey. I don't begrudge him that at all, I really don't, but he's just not living in the real world anymore. In many ways it's understandable. 

However. Someone has to keep some integrity here, and you know what Bruce, if it's not you, its going to be me. You won't miss me, and you'll still deliver arguably the greatest concert experience there is out there. But to suggest that just because other musical artists are following the new economic or market principles (money grab, price gouge, call it what you want, it's the same f*cking thing) doesn't mean YOU had to do it Mr Springsteen. We expected more from you, long before you were an ‘event’ ticket, we filled those stadiums for you. 

As an aside, as of Sept 2024, Bruce has still has not expressed an opinion about that vile, stomach churning, truly awful shyster looking to put his grift back into the highest offices of American politics. I suspect, as per a comment by Stevie Van Zandt, that when Bruce supported Obama, he ‘lost half his audience’ and that it may have something to do with it. Well, at least until the tour is over. Can't be losing ticket sales now, can we? The world needs heroes right now who will stand up and be counted. Sadly it hasn't happened. 

Just like post 9/11 when he was stopped in the street and told “Bruce we need you”, and he put out The Rising in response, it's time again for a moral conscience from the word of music to talk common sense and point out the threat to democracy in the room. Of course, he doesn't have to, but he used to. So, just like backstreets.com, sorry Bruce, but I'm out. 

I'll always have the music, it doesn't diminish over the years. I still listen to Springsteen a lot, in particular lately the box sets of previously unreleased music ('The Promise' is the great lost Springsteen album). Frustratingly, there's still an archive worth, full of unreleased music. How do I know? Because, I have quite a lot of it! 

I'll love my relationship with Bruce until the day I die. Meeting him in person on the steps of a Dublin hotel will be one of the most treasured memories I'll take with me to the end. Having pizza in Federici's in Freehold NJ, sitting outside his house in Colts Neck, just breathing the same air, strolling along the board walk at Asbury Park, standing beside ‘Tilly’, driving down Kingsley, sitting on the stage at the Stone Pony. All from a small island in the north Atlantic sea. If you'd told me at 15, or 25 that I'd do all these things (aside from the 52 concerts!) my head would have truly exploded. 

Some of my most happiest times in life have been musical. Fifty two of those times have been from sitting in the same room as Bruce Springsteen. For the moment I'll truly miss adding to that number. 

As an aside, in 2024 Bruce Springsteen was declared a billionaire.  

So, 2023 and another new album. After I had released 'The Jellyfish Doodles' I had a few songs left over plus some other fully realised instrumental tracks that didn't have any lyrics. As I started to review those particular musical bits and pieces, as what often happens, I started writing new songs again. I've never, luckily for me, maybe not for the listeners, had a problem composing music or writing lyrics, at times it just pours out of me and it can be hard to keep up - hence all the odd's n sods's I have hanging around.

For 'Mystery' (which was originally called 'The Mystery Of The Trees'' - as a nod to the artist Declan Comerfords' studies on that same subject ) the title track was one of those unfinished pieces of music that I luckily rediscovered when looking through the archive. The music was composed and recorded many years ago but (modestly) it has a lovey melody (it actually has a few melodies going on in there) and the new lyrics came to me as I was browsing through Declans' on-line catalog and saw the tree paintings. I bought one, the cover of this album, and was subsequently gifted one for my 60th birthday by Declan. With 60 trees on the canvas :). Nice one Dec.

I've had some very humbling and positive feedback from several people outside of my FB friends (and, let's face it, FB friends are not generally an 'audience'', they're your friends! You hope they say nice things about your art, but very few of them would consider their little bald mate as an artist. And that's ok. I don't write for any audience, I just do it for, me.

It's a legacy thing I think? What will be left of me when I'm gone? There'll be an awful lot of physical music and instruments to find homes for, maybe a few pictures of me, not many though, so I guess, at some psychological level, I'm leaving a trail of musical breadcrumbs behind so that I can be remembered for maybe a generation or two. 

As for 2023 itself, Amanda and I continue our journey, we're 17 years down the road at this point, and that road has often been difficult to say the least. You're a fighter kiddo. 

I alo hit the big 6-0 this year in May, and although I wasn't filled with any existential dread about the milestone it does make you reflect that the journey is coming to an end. For my 60th birthday I took a week off work (yeah I did!) and I went to 3 Springsteen concerts in 7 days (that makes it 52 shows now). I 'allowed' (no option) a party in my name to happen on the big day itself (I'd have been happy enough watching the football that evening on my own) but the wonderful Amanda organised a 'surprise' celebration attended by all my family (and Justin Evans who's as good as family) and it was lovely. I'm not too enthusiastic about celebrating myself, I'm actively anti-social in many ways, I'm sure there's a 'scale' somewhere with my name on it, but I was grateful that this get together in my name happened. And Amanda orchestrated some cars and rememberence's from friends near and far.

In 2022 my friend Pat (Cusack) celebrated his big milestone and it was wonderful to see him receive the appreciation and kudos from his friends from over the years. It was a struggle for me to physically go to Clare (I have such a hard time being in a room with too many people) but again I am so glad I did. It was a great occasion and wonderful to see so many of the 'old' faces. Such a good bunch of people, but then, they're Pat's mates, why wouldn't they be. 

I still miss Bowie. It's been 7 years and I often ponder just what he'd have done in that time? He was never less than interesting. Prince is also gone 7 years. I feel he had probably done all he was ever really going to do musically. He wrote SO many songs over his time on this planet that I think he exhausted every genre available to him.However, still, he left us way too soon. And then, Stu Eccles, sigh. 

Sinead O'Connors' recent passing has manifested a sense of national grief. Such a sad loss of another great artist. A troubled soul, I felt she often polarised a lot of people with her strong opinions, and she was skilled at prompting a response. She was right in so many ways, long before the rest of us copped on. I think sometimes there was a tendency for the message to get lost, for example, the continual adopting of new religious alignments (Sinead in priests clothing, rasta Sinead, muslim Sinead etc), and bold pronunciations are rarely ever welcomed by the general population, particularly if there's a sense of provocation. 

There's a huge amount of retrospective virtue signalling recognition going on at the moment, it happens when famous people pass, some of it white washing (not in any racial sense - funny/sad how you have to put disclaimers like that into context these days) the actual facts that Sinead was a complex woman who tested many boundaries. She was a human being and all that goes with it. Its hard to start the on the road to adult life with the childhood she had. I saw her once in concert, an it was a revelation for me. I bought the audio book of her autobiography when it was released a few years ago. I suggest people read/listen to that first before they make any glib glorifications. But could she poke the bear!  She will always be a legend, certainly in Ireland, and for good reason. It is gut wrenching to know the things she went through, particularly the tragic loss of a child. You don't come back from that. The human body might, but the soul never will. RIP Sinead. 

Everton have continued to be the bane of my life for the past two years (or, the past 30 years - I'm a supporter of my tribe for 53 years now). I really shouldn't care any more. Football has become completely amoral and beyond greed, and it's not about the sport anymore, it's all about money, cultural sports washing, gambling companies etc and at some point I'm going to have to walk away. There's nothing (in football) more reprehensible than watching soccer players kissing ''the badge'. I don't begrudge (hmm? maybe I do?) players making a good living an setting themselves up for life. But when middle range players are now regularly ‘sold’ for £100m, then the world has gone crazy, and there are supporters of these clubs who can't put food on the table. Our society is breaking down year after year, and getting further apart on the ends of the scale. Young adults hopped up on drugs with little or no future roaming the streets in gangs with what appears to be very little consequences for some awful behaviour. Who's to blame? I have opinions however the global political system is not going to help anyone except itself and its protagonists. OK, 'nuff said.

I have to say I've enjoyed watching the World Cup ladies football, it's still got an open and honest attitude. But no doubt that will change when it too becomes all about the money.

I'm going to be a grandad early next year and it is a very emotional feeling (all good!). It seems like yesterday since Ben himself was born and now he's going to be a Dad himself. I can't dwell too long on that or I'll just be an emotional puddle on the floor :D. He has his own journey now. When we had him I was 26, and an relatively immature young man (as I had been a very immature boy). That middle of the night coming home after his birth from the hospital in Drogheda, I had to pull the car over in Slane village, and I don't mind admitting it, I bawled my eyes out for half an hour. I grew up that night. Just the thoughts about the enormity of this new responsibility and worries if I would be able to look after him. It passes and we get aligned with life as he will too. 

Ok! Going to go and torture myself by looking for an illegal stream to watch EFC vs Sporting in preseason friendly. Masochist. (edit - we won 1-0! There's a surprise).

Hopefully there'll be more music in 2023 and I aways aspire to get better on each release around the technical aspects of the production stuff. The songs will always be there

best wishes

Chris

Aug 2023

It's been a while. It's actually been a long time since I spoke to myself via the medium of my blog spot!. So, whats new Chris? Well, we lost a few more people, amongst them the following who meant something to me at one time or another - Raquel Welch, Tina Turner (sounds unreal adding her name here), Christine McVie (again, wtf, I was a big fan), Cynthia Weil (you won't realise it, but you'll know lots of her work), Ryuichi Sakamoto, Hugh Hudson, Bert Bacharach, Tom Verlaine, Jeff Beck, Melinda Dillon and undoubtedly a few I may have forgotten. May their god bless them wherever they are now. Life is unrepentant and relentless. Lead with love and do no harm. 

I turned the big 6-0 in May, so yeah, THAT happened and to be fair, any existential crisis about  the landmark passed and I had a great birthday week. For a start, the karmic forces of the universe were in play when it was announced that Springsteen was going to be doing three shows in Dublin the week of my birthday. You couldn't make it up. If anyone had asked me about what would I like to do to celebrate my momentous landmark occasion, quick as a whip, I'd have said I'd like to see Bruce Springsteen in concert. The fact that he was in Ireland THAT week, is coincidence enough, and then I got to see him three times!! Concerts 50, 51 and 52. I've been very lucky. On the day of my birthday my wonderful Amanda had organised all my family to come over to the house (plus Justin Evans who's like family anyway) and we had a lovely evening. I don't do social occasions or celebrations that have anything to do with me, indeed, there's a rumour that I may not even turn up for my own funeral. Ha, you'll have to catch me first. 

Later in May my beloved Everton retained their place in the top flight of English football, undeservedly I feel, but credit to the manager Sean Dyche for getting us out of trouble. It was a ridiculously tense and anxious week waiting for the last game of the season to decide if Everton would be relegated to a lower division for the first time in 69 years. Lots of relief and a celebration (Zerosecco and cigars) but all tempered with a sense that we shouldn't have been in that position. Nothing as entitled as football fans eh? I suspect right now, a full year away, we'll likely be down there again next season.

Alex and I ventured to Goodison Park (and Merseyside) in March and were delighted to be present when Everton had a rare home win against Brentford. We were interviewed for local tv before the game! It's a l-o-n-g drive back across North Wales to the boat home when you lose, so this was a happy return. I brought Alex to where I am from originally, where I lived, where I went to school and where I played as a child. 

I always go back to Lowton when I go to England. I left there when I was twelve (on my birthday in 1975) and I often wonder just how different things might have turned out if my parents had stayed there. It's 17.1km from my old front door to Goodison. Anfield is 18km. I had to be a Blue, simple as. To get from L4 to Lowton takes 35 mins. I often forget thats how close we were from Liverpool city. I don't remember us going to the city much as a kid, if we did head west it was to the beaches of Ainsdale and North Wales or the lights in Blackpool during the season. A drive to picturesque Rivington was also a familiar Sunday spin. There are some beautiful parts of Lancashire, and I think in general when we think of England we tend not to think of the beauty of its countryside and, in the north west, its lovely people. Haven't done it in years but the drive north from Liverpool to the Lake District is just wonderful, and “the Kendall freeway's fast” (thanks Macca)

Ok, time to go and catch up with some tv or as I'm currently working through it AGAIN, the brilliant ‘Peep Show’ comedy (with David Mitchel and Robert Webb). It's just great and this is at least the third time I'm rewatching the whole series. Currently on S05. Wonderful stuff that you often have to watch from between your fingers. 

At lunch everyday I watch about 25 minutes of something, just to clear my head and then go back to work. A whole episode of Peep Show (or any US sitcom, I just finished Brooklyn 99) fit the timing perfectly. 

Thinking of starting a podcast for my own amusement, there wouldn't much interest in it but I think its a way of building a legacy of some sort? My grandkids (IF they ever arrive) might only get to hear their grandads voice from the songs or maybe, a podcast. 

Until the next time!

There's enough info and context about the new album on it's own web page on this site. I won't bore you with repetition or any further guilding of the lily. 

Luckily my expectations are very low when it comes to the question will anyone actually hear this music? Then I tell myself "Hey? Gobshite? You don't do this for anyone else except yourself, and you do it it's because you HAVE to". The inside voice is generally correct. 

It would be nice to think that somewhere someone in time might go "Hmm? Monkey Aviator Spaceman Dead Man In A Car sounds like a catchy title, wonder what thats all about then?". But my expectations are low annnd will remain so. 

Theres a nice sense of self when you can be creative and when a lot of hard work finally materialises in front of you and maybe you're able to say yourself, huh, that's not bad. I don't think anyone purposefully goes out to make 'bad' art.

I'm sure there are many great unheard songs or paintings that remain sitting on easels or home walls, or on computers that will never get the attention they deserve. In this world you really have to be aggressive with yourself to push the visibility factor around your artwork. It's thankless and because our society has lost sight of the value of art it's become wall paper, background noise etc.It has little value. If art does get attention, then it's gone from sight in the blink of a web page refresh. It's a bit troubling to think where will the art come from in 20 years. Will folks still be listening to the (great) music of the 60's, 70;s, 80's and still queuing to see the Mona Lisa? Who knows. 

It's sad in many ways, there's a generation or two of us who will never forget the anticipation around acquiring for example, a new record. I think it's an experience a couple of generations have sadly missed on.

But then I'm old, and a man out of time...

It's been quite some time since I took the keyboard out of mothballs and plugged that sucker into the laptop. This is just a quick note to the universe to say that I'm going to be releasing an updated 'redux' version of my 2010 album 'Blue Eyed Boys' shortly. 

When I made that record, as with the vast majority of my earlier work, it was poorly recorded. I didn't know what I was (or wasn't) doing. This re-release, and remaster, addresses quite a lot of the difficulties I had back then. Most prominently, having spent a couple of weeks away in Italy with a prodigious group of real musicians, I discovered the Mac and Garageband. It was a revelation. I had been using a Boss BR1600 to record my first 3 albums and it was an unwieldy beast. Perfect for knock off demo's, burning straight to CD, but not great for making anything that would be released commercially. However, it didn't stop me doing that. 

I came home from Italy, bought a Mini Mac and started using this new methodology. I subsequently upgraded both the Mac (to a 17" Mac Pro - which I still use) and went from Garageband to the professional version of that software, Logic Pro X. The next album, 'Life And Everything In Between' was the first output in the new musical regime. 

Anyways, more to come, when I actually press the upload button at some point soon. 'Blue Eyed Boys' contains some fine songs (modestly) and included some of my first more experimental efforts ('Set The Twilight Gleaming' and "Jagged Edge'). There's autographical songs, the title track is a nod to the various mothers in my life, and 'Said Hello To New York' is a verbatim reflection on my time in NYC as a young man, leaving home for the first time. 

I'll put some words up when I get around to it as I generally do when releasing an album. I always like to understand what the artist was thinking about and get a view on the lyrics and what they mean. Anorak. Completely. 

bye for now

Chris

Home, 1st Nov '21

After much deliberation around the final mixes I have settled on the track listing and soon Doesn't Play Well With Others will be inflicted on an unsuspecting world. It is without doubt my best album to date. It kicks ass in several places (particularly the title track) and I'm very happy with it. I think. Kinda. 

More news to follow....

Track list has been picked and final mixes going through quality control (Amanda). They may change again, who knows! It's been a journey but I'm very happy with the new songs. There's a few I didn't include which I'll probably put up on Soundcloud at some stage. 

I'm adding a new version of an old favourite tune, 'Pretty Monster'. The original was REALLY badly recorded and it deserved better. New drums, new vocal, new guitar, saxophones and a steady production. If you liked the original, you'll love this version. 

Anyways! More anon.

Confirmed tracks are;

01) We Live In The Flicker

02) The World Is Falling Down

03) All For You

04) Doesn't Play Well With Others

05) Disintegration

06) Sweetheart

07) Say Goodbye To The Last Girl

08) Star Gazing Lonesome Man

09) Hide

10) Believe

Bonus Track

11) Pretty Monster (2019)

About 2 months ago I was relatively confident that I'd have the new record out lickety spit. Not to be. Real life events kinda took over. Then there's been a heavy work cycle for the past 2 months so music hasn't been the numero uno priority. 

Anyways! I'm down to find mixes and track selection - at the moment it's all abut what won't be on the record. Then there's the occasional distraction of writing songs when I sit down to mix! Ah, it's an occupational hazard, as long as it's something good :).

More updates nearer the time...

Chris

Home 18th Aug 19

I was born in Warrington, at the time it was part of Lancashire eventually moving borders to become part of Cheshire in the late '70's. On the banks of the Mersey Warrington is 20 miles east of Liverpool and 20 miles west of Manchester. Right bang in the middle. Eventually the family moved to Lowton which again is almost equidistant from the two larger metropolis's of Scousers and Mancs. I went to primary and secondary school in Newton-Le-Willows (home to Rick Astley!) which is part of the borough of St Helens in Merseyside. Given these locations you can extrapolate the influence of soccer in the area and of course the four major clubs - Manchesters United and City, Liverpool and of course Everton. 

When I was born Everton won the league. I don't remember too much about that of course, but given The Beatles were also Number One ("From Me To You') maybe it was a glimpse of my eventual destiny. From 1964 - 1970 the other League Champions were Liverpool/United/Liverpool/United/City/Leeds/Everton. An indication (Leeds aside) that the Northwest was a true football stronghold. Add in 5 appearances in FA Cup Finals during that time also.

In 1970 when I was 7 Everton won the league again. I can distinctly remember one summer evening walking home from a kick about at a local pitch telling my young self that it was time to pick a team. I had friends that were Liverpool, United and City fans. I decided I was going to be a Blue. Actually, I was going to be a Blue because the final choice was between City and Everton. 

To seal the deal I was on holidays in Ireland and my folks left me and my siblings with our grandmother and they went off for a weekend. When they came home they had brought me back a football kit. It was actually navy blue, but close enough. 

19th April 1975. Everton vs Sheffield United. My first game at Goodison Park. My Dad and a mad Blue neighbour John Carroll headed off to L4. Everton went 2-0 up, goals by Gary Jones and David Smallman. My idol Bob Latchford played that day. But, in a turn of events that has become more than a common occurrence for Evertonians, Sheffield fought back and won 2-3. Set the tone for the rest of footballing life. Tony Currie played for Sheffield that day, and he was one of the most wonderfully gifted footballers I ever saw. 

My love of all things Everton continued to grow, from my first ever pin up, Joe Royle, the dynamic duo of Bob Latchford & Duncan McKenzie, Mick Lyons, Dave Watson through to Duncan Ferguson. I've been able to tell Howard Kendall "thank you" for the wonderful years in the mid to late 80's when either Everton or Liverpool were Champions or cup winners. I was at the first ever all Merseyside Final, the League Cup in 1984 and I was at the next all Merseyside final the 1989 FA Cup Final (the 'Hillsborough' final). 

Its been an almost 50 year journey. Dreadful lows (although no relegations, just!) and a few significant highs. There's a saying that you're born an Evertonian, it's in your blood. You're picked, you're anointed. I'm too sure about any of that, all I CAN tell you is that it's certainly character building. There's only two points of reference that I have carried with me throughout my life, one is Bowie the other is Everton.

I'll hardly be changing allegiances anytime soon. I've had to stand by and watch Liverpools domination of Europe in the 70's and 80's. See United take the mantle through the 90's and 00's. In more recent times, watching City become a dominant force. I always say, if there are two queues for anything and I'm in one of them, join the other one.

Nil Satis Nisi Optimum baby. Never be satisfied by nothing but the best. That's rang hollow for nearly three decades. Maybe I'll see a last hurrah from the Toffee's in my lifetime yet. I won't be holding my breath.

One of the first conversations I ever had with Amanda was about books and when we kind of touched on music (and I got my Bruce/Bowie/Beatles worship credentials out of the way, she was very patient) we found a reasonably unique common ground - we both loved Kate Bush. 

For someone who was a teenager (about 15) when Kate hit big with 'Wuthering Heights' it was impossible not to notice and appreciate Ms Bush at that time. She was a revelation and indeed, KB was still a teenager herself. I certainly didn't expect Amanda to name check KB as one of her favourites. At that time (circa 2004) KB hadn't released an album in something like 11 or 12 years. I was pleasantly surprised by this dark horse, and we had a nice, relatively brief chat about KB, and she immediately went up in my estimation.

I posted an interview on this site (somewhere!) from 2010 and after mentioning some of the concerts I'd been to I was asked was there anyone that I'd still like to see that I hadn't already. It took me a nano-second to say "Kate Bush, end of". 

In 2014 Amanda had a milestone birthday and I was looking for a significant birthday present. I was in luck. One morning in Spring I received an email from the KB official fan site. I was a long standing member of the fan club and the mail was telling my unbelieving eyes that Kate was going to be playing a series of concerts in London. The mail confirmed that I would have the opportunity to buy pre sale tickets before general availability. If you don't know anything about the mercurial artiste that she is, at that time Kate Bush hadn't played a live concert (of her own) since 1979. THIRTY FIVE years. Her album releases since the late '90's would require the redefinition of the word sporadic. This announcement was officially a BIG deal. A really, really big deal.

I went online the day of the ticket sales and secured two tickets for centre stage in the eighth row. They weren't cheap but not only was this a dream situation for me, it was for Amanda too. Probably even moreso. We flew over to London from Ireland, and on the night we were close to pinching ourselves as we queued to go in. It was SO exciting, so unreal, and, given the general bon homie of everyone in the queue, it was a lovely 'people' event. There was a wonderful ambience, everyone was smiling, good vibrations abounded.

When we got inside I could barely stop myself from cracking up (emotionally). This was the same venue that David Bowie retired Ziggy Stardust in 1973. That plays big in my wheel house. I've been a Bowie fanatic since I was 10. I walked up to the stage and put my hand on it. It was truly emotional for me (DB was still with the Earth at that time), and now I was about to see Kate Bush on the very same stage? Was this some class of cosmic joke? (KB is supposedly have attended that very same '73 Bowie show)

I started looking for our seats in the eighth row i.e. 'H'. Hmm? Something wasn't right? As I approached I counted eight rows but as we reached the row it was marked 'N'? Turns out, to accommodate a larger stage area, they had removed the first six rows. We were in the second row, centre stage. We couldn't believe it. 

It was arguably one of the greatest spectacles I have ever seen. It was joyous. Even more so because I was sharing the moment with Amanda, and I KNEW how much this meant to her. It meant a lot to me too of course, but so did meeting Springsteen, seeing Bowie live so many times, meeting Lou Reed, John Hiatt, Elvis Costello etc. I've had so much elation at meeting my heroes. This was Amanda's first time in the room with her idol. I felt that I'd done something good for someone. The concert was simply amazing. Indescribable - elements of concert, theatre, puppetry, fantasy and magic, just fricken' awesome. 

The whole room was filled with love and when KB walked on stage the noise and emotion that greeted her was nothing short of a massive melt down of 3,500 hearts. It was on a different level. Imagine finding out Santa Claus was real and you were invited to the Elves Workshop with a few close friends (everyone in that room that night was a friend). KB has always seemed to be an immensely sound and grounded woman. It's the Irish blood of course :) (her Mum, Hannah was from Waterford). 

We sat in absolute awe of this wonderful artiste and could see every eyelash. It's not that we were looking with a critical eye, it was that we wanted to take in every atom of this woman. I'd been listening to her music for over three decades - The Dreaming is still one of my favourite records of all time. Kate Bush is one of the few 'no argument here' choices for car journeys.We l-o-v-e her. We were in the same room.

So from a casual conversation in 2004 (we only knew each other as colleagues at that time) to 2014 when she had been the centre of my world for nearly a decade, to 2018 when Amanda was diagnosed with invasive breast cancer. She's still the centre of my world, our life continues to be soundtracked by Kate Bush. Her music and her attitude is a constant inspiration, to me as a songwriter, but in a huge way to Amanda as a healing balm and a source of significant comfort and distraction. We'll get Amanda fixed soon, she has no option, Kate and I will not accept any other result.

Kate Bush. You're owed a big big heartfelt thank you. So, thank you madam.