Debz Bunting from Morecambe at Anfield ahead of Bruce Springsteen's first Liverpool concert
Debz Bunting from Morecambe at Anfield ahead of Bruce Springsteen's first Liverpool gig
(Image: Photo by Andrew Teebay)
One Bruce Springsteen fan has seen the legendary artist perform 64 times - but his Anfield gigs are going to be something special. 'The Boss', known for hits including Born in the USA and Dancing In The Dark, is performing alongside the E Street band at Anfield Stadium tonight, June 4 and this Saturday, June 7.
Earlier this month Bruce, 75, issued an update on the European shows as he officially named the tour, The Land Of Hope and Dreams. Renowned for his legendary live shows and a huge back catalogue of hits spanning six decades, tens of thousands of people are set to descend on Anfield tonight for the first of two shows at the home of Liverpool FC - many who have waited years to see him perform in Liverpool.
Among the super-fans is Debz Bunting, from Morecambe in Lancashire, who first saw Bruce Springsteen live in concert back in the 1980s. Now 63, the two Liverpool shows this week will be Debz' 65th and 66th time seeing the Grammy-award winner.
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Debz told the ECHO: "When I was in the army, I was serving in Hong Kong and I met my friend Jane and she introduced me to him. I'd never heard of Bruce before and I just loved him straight away.
"But the first time I got to see him was in 1988 when I was serving in Northern Ireland. I flew over by myself to see him at the old Wembley Stadium.
Debz Bunting, from Morecambe, has seen Bruce Springsteen 65 times and has tickets to both his Anfield gigs. Pictured, Debz with her friend Jane at a previous Springsteen concert
Debz with her friend Jane at a previous Springsteen concert
"I was stood queuing at Wembley and there were two really tall guys in front of me. I said something like it's never like this at Elland Road because I'm a Leeds fan.
"They both turned round and asked me where I was from, if I was by myself. I explained why I was by myself, so they said, you're not by yourself anymore.
"I went in with them and they were meeting friends in there and the friends had a big blanket and we sat on there because it was a lovely day. They gave me champagne and gave me food and everything.
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"One of them put me on his shoulders for the acoustic version of Born To Run. I'd just love to have been able to say thank you to them today. That was my first Bruce show and I was hooked then.
"I loved his music when I first heard it. I've seen quite a lot of other acts live over my time and there's nobody like him.
"He's just a complete showman. Back in the day when I've seen him, he was playing for well over three hours. He plays even now at 75, he's playing up to three hours him and the band. It just brings me pure joy."
Debz Bunting, from Morecambe, has seen Bruce Springsteen 65 times and has tickets to both his Anfield gigs. Pictured, Debz at a previous Springsteen concert
Debz Bunting, from Morecambe, has seen Bruce Springsteen 65 times
Debz's favourite Bruce Springsteen song is Born to Run and she hopes to soon get some of the lyrics as a tattoo. She also loves the songs Thunder Road and Jungleland and has seen Bruce perform in America, France, Germany, Sweden, Spain and Italy.
Following his Liverpool shows, Debz is also heading to Berlin, San Sebastian and Milan to see 'The Boss,' bringing the total up to 70 shows that she has seen. Debz said she has fond memories at many shows through the years with fans she's met from across the world and her son Josh Morris, 21, who has seen the singer-songwriter six times so far.
Debz said: "Josh's first show was at Glastonbury. We'd had a really fabulous day in the kids area and I wheeled him up there in his push chair.
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"Just as Bruce came on, he fell asleep and just as Bruce went off, he woke up - so I had a bright orange T-shirt made saying /I slept through Springsteen, Glastonbury 2009.'
"I used to take him and two friends to school in the car when they were at primary school and if Bruce ever came on the radio, they always went completely quiet because I told them that they had to. A year or so later, his the teacher phoned me up from primary school laughing.
"In one of the classes they were talking about different types of laws to the children and asked them to name a few. One said stealing, another said hitting somebody and apparently Josh put his hand up really, really seriously and said 'talking when Bruce Springsteen is singing."
Debz Bunting, from Morecambe, has seen Bruce Springsteen 65 times and has tickets to both his Anfield gigs. Pictured, Debz with her son, Josh, at a previous Springsteen concert
Debz with her son, Josh, at a previous Springsteen concert
Liverpool has had a huge impact on the life and career of Bruce Springsteen, with the New Jersey-born singer-songwriter crediting our city's most famous sons with inspiring him to become a musician. He was a teenager when The Beatles made their all-conquering arrival in the United States in 1964 and the Fab Four's debut on The Ed Sullivan Show was then a cultural watershed moment watched by more than 73m people in America.
A young Bruce was among those impacted by them. In an interview with Rolling Stone in 2020, 'the Boss' explained how The Beatles inspired him.
He said: "'I Want To Hold Your Hand' came on the radio in 1964. That was going to change my life because I was going to successfully pick the guitar up and learn how to play."
Debz Bunting from Morecambe,at Anfield to see Bruce Springsteen for the 65th time
Debz Bunting outside Anfield (Image: Photo by Andrew Teebay)
In an interview with Simon Mayo for Greatest Hits Radio last year, Bruce shared his anticipation about coming to Liverpool. Bruce admitted it was a long-held dream for any American to visit Liverpool, thanks to The Beatles.
He said: "I'm very excited about that. I've never been there. If you come from America, you want to see Liverpool."
Debz said she "loves Liverpool" and thinks tonight's Anfield gig will be "extra special," given it's his first ever concert in Liverpool and he is good friends with Paul McCartney. She said: "He said in a previous documentary about how he's always wanted to come to Liverpool - so it'll be fabulous.
"His drummer, you know, his drummer Max is playing at The Cavern and we've got tickets for tomorrow so that will be amazing. I don't know if Paul McCartney will come on stage tonight, however, there's a midnight show at The Cavern after the last show in Liverpool on Saturday that I've been desperately trying to get a ticket for."
Debz Bunting from Morecambe,at Anfield to see Bruce Springsteen for the 65th time
Debz has tickets to both Liverpool shows(Image: Photo by Andrew Teebay)
This week, hundreds of Bruce Springsteen fans have been meeting up in Stanley Park three times a day for over a week before his Anfield gig. There, they have been given a number, which corresponds to how close they will be to the stage.
When the gig takes place, they will be walked in first by Bruce’s security team. Debz has visited fellow fans in the queues this week ahead of the two shows.
She said she is looking forward to wearing her favourite Bruce t-shirt, which has a photoshopped photo of herself with the star on it and says 'Mrs Bruce Springsteen.'
The back of the t-shirt also has a photo of herself and her son Josh watching one of his previous shows. Debz said: "It just fills my heart with joy. I've cried all the way through most of the shows. I've met so many friends all over the world, literally all over the world because of Bruce.
"If I'm going somewhere to see him, there's always somebody who says come and stay with me Debz. You don't have to book a hotel or anything, because we're just a big Bruce family. I want 'being Bruced' to be added to the dictionary with the meaning ' fills your heart with joy' because that's what he does to each and every one of us.
"In the very rare times I take my eyes off the stage it is usually when Born in the USA comes on. because I like it but that's sort of my least favourite song. Then I look around at the crowd and if I'm not crying by then I then cry because it's just wonderful to see everybody.
"They don't care what they look like - they're dancing, they're singing and there's just absolute joy. He's just brought more joy to my life than just about any other man apart from my son, I think."