The show in Milan goes down as one of the hottest days in my life. The temperature was somewhere between 30-40 degrees and the humidity was awful. In short, it was hotter than any hell you can imagine.
After a lot of fuss about the que, it started with two ones that after half a day became one, a lot of arguments about when to have roll calls in the night, we lined up in groups of fifty and waiting for our wristbands. They were handed out around ten the day of the show and I managed to get one. I was number 460 and they gave out 800 wristbands at first, but apparently more were handed out later.
Finally they opened the gates at maybe twenty minutes to five and we got in. Although I had a bad number i managed to get a spot at the left little catwalk, I was about 3rd or 4th row. They had put some sort of metal floor to protect the fotball ground, a floor that was more like a frying pan since it was glowing hot. A little hard to sit on… I had been drinking a lot of waterin the heat, about seven litres, but I must have lost too much minerals and salt in the heat, because I got an awful headache. The three hours before the show started went very slow my feet wereaching, head hurting and at that point I was truly wondering why in God’s name I was doing this.
But it all went away as soon as Bruce and the band came on stage. The show was really greate, Bruce was very playful, but it was hard to appreciate the show as much as it deserved. It was simply too hot. The security handed out water, Bruce himself splashed people in front with a spnge and handed them water. It wasn’t bothering me that much, not as much as the pangs in my head. But anywat it was great. I especially enjoyed Rosalita, Racing in the Street, the surprise opener Summertime Blues and the Detroit Medley. And of course Twist and Shout. Although he must have felt the heat just as much as we in the audience, Bruce never hesitated to give us all he could.
I was totally worn out afterwards, but after some food, more water and a shower I felt better and fell asleep as soon as I put my head down on the pillow.
After one day at home, doing some laundry, I’m taking the train to Copenhagen in Denmark tomorrow morning. The next show is on Sunday, June 29th.