Glory Days for Alice as she bops with The Boss
CLONROCHE WOMAN ALICE ENJOYS BEST MOMENT OF HER LIFE DANCING ON STAGE WITH BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
‘It was by far the best moment of my life. One big, surreal experience,’ was how Clonroche woman Alice Coppen described dancing with her idol Bruce Springsteen on stage at Croke Park on Sunday night in front of 80,000 people.
Having queued up to get as close as possible to Springsteen for hundreds of hours at numerous gigs over the years, Alice, 22, couldn’t believe her luck when the American rocker spotted her A4 sign which read: ‘For the Love of Bejaysus will you ever just dance with me?’
Alice was in the pit area in front of the stage holding aloft the sign while balancing on her boyfriend’s shoulders when Springsteen called her on stage.
Still coming back to earth from the night of her life, Alice said: ‘It was a moment I have been dreaming of since I was a little girl. My mother idolises him and saw him 50 times and I’ve been to see him countless times also. A few seconds into the song Dancing in the Dark he walked down to where the podium is on the stage and he grabbed the sign. He looked at me and he kept mouthing the word ‘Bejaysus’ and then everyone just moved and my boyfriend walked me towards the stage and he handed me over to Bruce.’
Overcome with emotion, Alice fell to the ground and started crying and shaking. ‘He kept saying “It’s Ok, it’s Ok. He hugged me and gave me a peck on the cheek and he did a little shuffle dance and twirled me and we danced to the music.’
Springsteen brought Alice to the microphone where two other fans were bopping along beside some of the band members. ‘I did air guitar and sang along to the hey baby part and he kept asking me if I was Ok. As I was leaving the stage I ran back to see guitarist Steve Van Zandt and I told him how much I think of him. He gave me his plectrum and I got another hug from Bruce and I returned to the crowd and fell on my knees crying. It was by far the best moment of my life. I’ve spent hundreds of hours queuing to see him and I’ve tried so hard to get to meet him. He was lovely. He just kept smiling and laughing, saying he was no big deal.’
Describing herself as the 66-year-olds biggest fan, Alice had been disappointed having been refused entry to the standing area at the Friday gig because she had a seated ticket.
‘Sunday night more than made up for it. I was there from noon and was let into the pit but there was no water or food. It was all worth it.’
Her mother Ann of Coppen’s Pharmacy, Enniscorthy, was in the Hogan Stand on Sunday, having also attended the Friday night gig.
‘I bought my first Springsteen EP in 1973 and saw him in Slane in 1985. The only gig of his that I missed was in 1993 when the doctors wouldn’t let me go as I was giving birth to Alice,’ she said.