Springsteen and Music Rage

Tonight, Bruce Springsteen’s Seeger Sessions will convene in Belfast, and I can see the arena from the window of my office here in East Belfast. At the end of the working day I’ll pick up a boyhood friend who’s flying in from Glasgow, and meet others, including Ade and the kids, at the Odyssey to join the party.

I finished reading Nick Hornby’s book ‘A Long Way Down’ last night, and in typical Hornby fashion he has a reverential riff about music, which he puts in the head of a failed rock musician called JJ.

JJ is ranting about those who don’t understand music and the particular loyalties it creates. The specific cause of the rant is the failure of two other characters to appreciate the work of Nick Drake. JJ wonders whether it would be possible to punch both out at once, but rejects the idea because it would be over all too quickly and they wouldn’t suffer long enough. He would prefer to pummel them after they were down, which would mean doing them one at a time. He describes the strength of his feeling against those who fail to appreciate brilliant musicians in the following way:

‘It’s music rage, which is like road rage, only more righteous. When you get road rage, a tiny part of you knows you’re being a jerk, but when you get music rage, you’re carrying out the will of God, and God wants these people dead.’

Yea, verily Nick Hornby is a prophet.

So, now you know how I feel about Springsteen.

Now you have a term to describe what would happen to you if you ever disrespected him in my presence.

Now I have syndrome to excuse my behaviour.

You have been warned.