Five Guys Not Bruce

FIVE GUYS NOT BRUCE

TOM BROOKSBY/DARREN DRIVER/KEV JAMIESON/RICO RICHARDSON/STEVE GASCOIGNE

Musician Pub 21st October 2023

At the The Musician Pub satruday night for a rare treat... an evening with FIVE GUYS NOT BRUCE. This gig was the brainchild of Tom Brooksby who gathered together a group Springsteen tribute artists to play an evening of acoustic Boss music. This was no tribute concert with the musicians copying the original... everyone put their own spin on the songs.

The five perfromers were very much on a par, all equally good... no star or make weight here.

Tom started the evening by explaining the purpose of the show and how it would work.. which was that each man would perform 4 songs solo then all 5 would take the stage for the finale.

So, opening act was Tom Brooksby who opened the show in fine style, concentrating on the less often performed part of the repertoire. He ended however dedicating a song to the millions suffering untold unimaginable hardship and suffering in the middle east... the song being "My City in Ruins" which saw the audience sing the title line and, with hands aloft, delivering the "Rise up" refrain... this was a great performance and hugely emotional moment to end a very fine set by Tom.

Next up was DARREN DRIVER who upped the tempo and audience participation with a glorious performance of "Atlantic City" before taking to a keyboard to bring us "Reason to Believe" and "Tenth Avenue Freeze Out" The introductions to these three were enthusiastically received and had the audience singing throughout. Another great and very upbeat set.

After this up stepped Kev Jamieson. Kev started with a beautiful emotional version of "No Surrender" which he dedicated to friends everywhere... followed shortly by "Nebraska" where the audience singing helped him in the moment he appeared to forget the words... having seen Kev many times as "Bootleg Boss" i know he cant fail to be great... and so it was tonight... a great set

4th man up was RICO RICHARDSON who maintained the standards, first with a beautiful rendition of. "My Hometown" followed by another Boss classic... as he played the familiar intro the audience took it up with "I got a sixty nine chevy with a three ninety six... " and then sang the bulk of"racing in the Streets" with Rico's accompanying.. a great moment in another great set

To conclude the solo spots up stepped STEVE GASCOIGNE, the old man of the group!.. He dedicated his set to the late great Sir Bobby Charlton who had passed away during the day and and delivered a great rousing set including a superb upbeat version of "The Ghost of Tom Joad"

As he finished, the other musicians returned to the stage and delivered a free-for-all ramshackle medley of classics... it was at times like a gentlemans excuse me as someone delivered a verse, to be tapped by someone else who took over the next verse or chorus... while musicians picked up and put down guitars and harmonicas. This was however a hugely uplifting glorious triumphant end to what had been a magnificent concert... as a band they delivered "The River" "Born to Run" "Glory Days" and ""Dancing in the Dark" all of which had the audience singing and whooping throughout...

Judging by the expressions on stage the players had enjoyed the gig as much as i had...

Finally Tom asked if they should make thids an annual event to celebrate the Boss... oh yes... definitely

Are you listening CHRIS McMINN... get it sorted for a repeat next year please!!!

Special thanks to Tom and Chris for pulling this together... it was superb!!

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