The Wizards have been busy tracking The Boss (aka Bruce Springsteen) and the E-Street Band around the country recently and you can hear about their adventures. However, one issue that was raised was the desire from us to touch The Boss. With Bruce marauding the stage, fans, as a man, woman and child, dived forward to touch the hem of their hero.
Tactile Bruce Obsession In Action
This really begs the question: what am I? A 15 year old at a 1D concert? For the love of god, I have seen many stars of rock and pop live and never felt such and all embracing urge to embrace. Even in the first flushes of musical obsession, which for me was perhaps seeing The Clash live in 1981, I didn’t try to touch Joe Strummer. I did try to spit on Joe Strummer, but couldn’t because my mouth was so dry from all the exertion (and I was probably a bit shy (well I was 16)).
What can I say they were intimidating
Its not just me either. The other Wizards felt the same as did the thousands of people in the ground. To give you an idea, I was in competition with a woman I am sure was over 65, a small boy who was 10, and 2 girls next to me who I estimated to be around 13.
Out of the way kid, he’s mine!
So what is going on? Well, let’s explore various theories to attempt to explain this phenomena:
- Hopes and Dream Emerge In A Human Form
All Bruce’s music is full of meaning and depth and repeated listening can embed a set of values and ways of thinking and being that transcend you as a human being. After 30 years of absorbing this potent mix of justice, energy, principles, hopes and dreams all tied up in some of the best sounds and tunes known to mankind, when this emerges in a Human Form we enter a shaman like state and are drawn to want to make contact in a way that no rational analysis could explain.
- Bromance
It’s not a sexual thing, but a deep affection that one feels towards someone who has become like a member of the family. What is a common way of greeting and recognising a member of the family? Shake their hand put your arm around them and give them a big cuddle. Bruce fans may have listened and paid more attention to him more than many members of their family, so it’s only natural they would treat him like a family member without the snide remarks about the crappy Christmas presents (“Oh yea Norma a silver corkscrew I get the deeper meaning. Bitch”).
- Peer Pressure
Let’s face it, you’re there in the middle of 2000 people and they are all doing it, what are you going to do? The Poznan?
Well, this would be different
- To Touch The Magic Dust
Bruce’s talent is not natural and most of us could practise and work from now until the next Bruce tour (if there is one (what do you mean of course there will be one (well I am just saying (Screw you)))) and we would still not have registered a single song that might appear on a outtake album two decades later. But if we touch the leg of Bruce, we might wake up tomorrow and have magic in our fingers and throats and be able to rock and roll with guts and soul (you never know its worth a punt).
- I Am Gay
I say so often that there is nothing sexual about it, I am beginning to think I protesteth too much. After all Bruce has kept himself in good shape and is charismatic, handsome and has a few bob. If I was to be attracted to a member of the same sex, why not him? In addition, we are all on a spectrum and maybe this is a safe outlet for latent homosexual tendencies, maybe the first toe in the water or something.
Did I touch Bruce
Ok now we have the posturing explanations out of the way let’s look at the evidence. At Coventry there were limited Bruce touching opportunities at our podium. He did grace our section on quite a few occasions, but being at the side he tended to give more attention to the front section something to do with those 30,000 paying punters also wanting a good front-on view of proceedings no doubt.
There was a decent chance here
Nevertheless, I contend that we got 2 high fives each and whilst I can’t speak for the other 2 wizards present, who are still too emotional to discuss the matter, I contend that I held hands with the great man. Let me explain. During his performance Bruce comes onto the walk ways and sometimes reaches out into the audience and at other times sings and allows his hand to drop to one side with a slight uplift on the finger. That was where I was able to put my palm firmly into his palm and there we were properly holding hands. I know it’s too fantastic to believe. OK, well here is the proof…
Look closely there we are
Ok you cynics here it is in close up
As if that was not enough, here is Jake high-fiving the other 2 Wizards in attendance.
Jump Back Jacket after a clean contact
And Kicker of Elves not necessarily letting go
Kicker breaks a finger
All further evidence can be examined here from 2 minutes 50 seconds to 4 minutes 24 seconds (not that we bothered to count)
Check out more Bruce related Wizard exploits here:
https://trustthewizards.com/2013/06/12/podcast-10-bruce-springsteen-special/
https://trustthewizards.com/2013/06/14/podcast-10a-bruce-springsteen-album-by-album-roulette/
TRUST THE WIZARDS 
I would like to confirm that I also managed a calf rub (back of The Boss’s left leg not a baby cow).
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