The Boss
by "Pistol" Pete Repka

Roving UK Reporter Pistol Pete Repka bringing you news from across The Pond.

It's just not cricket.

Any regular visitor of clevercitizen.com is sure to have felt the recent presence of The Boss. First JoshO, his sis book and Calvin "Coolwhip" Heinle book tickets to see the big man play August in Jersey, and these tickets were featured as Guest of the Week. Then the aforementioned Coolwhip holds a mildly controversial comparison between The Boss and Billy Joel and presents overwhelming evidence as to why Bruce is king of the hill.

So I thought it my duty as a regular visitor to this page to pass on some national news from across the pond which appeared in "The Guardian" on Thursday May 1, 2003, concerning the aforementioned Boss. It seems promoters are facing problems overturning a ban on a sell-out gig by the Boss at the Old Trafford cricket ground in Manchester. Readers might be interested to note that the main bone of contention for Trafford Council in Manchester was that "when Oasis performed in September their fans had behaved loutishly, urinating in gardens and swearing". However councillors are being reassured that "the 'profile' of Springsteen fans would be different." That and the 100 thousand pounds Lancashire County Cricket Club stand to lose if the gig is cancelled seem to be the main points in the case for the defence.

The City of Manchester may well have held a successful commonwealth games last year (the U.S. gave up itss right to participate when they vanquished the evil and inept English king trying to tax tea imports over 200 years ago. An event which you'll be celebrating on a day when aliens invaded and Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum saved the world, God bless 'em) but it seems they are not willing to subject themselves or their citizens to Rock and Roll Boss-Style. As a Londoner I'm not especially bothered, so I'm not entirely sure of the ramifications thousands of miles away, other than clevercitizen Springsteen fans (JoshO, his sis, and Cal to name but three) being safe in the knowledge that they at least will get to see their denim-clad hero perform one of his legendary three hour gigs.

'Til next time (If there is one),
"Pistol" Pete