COMMENT: Field of dreams for music lovers

HERE’S a confession: I have never attended a single Gaelic football or hurling match in Croke Park. Isn’t that a shocking admission for a man of my age? 

Not that I’m a stranger to the hallowed turf of the GAA’s spiritual home. I’ve been something of a regular at Croker’s non-sporting events for the past three decades, excluding, of course, all the boybands and Garth Brooks.

My first experience of a Croke Park concert was in the summer of 1985, when U2 brought their triumphant ‘Unforgettable Fire’ tour to their hometown. I had just finished my Inter Cert and the ticket was a reward for all the hard work leading up to the exams.

The sheer scale of the event was difficult to take in. I remember that In Tua Nua were on the bill, along with Welsh band The Alarm and pop maestros Squeeze. So were REM, whose set was treated with rude indifference by the Irish audience. 

Who would have thought that they, too, would later go on to become one of the biggest acts in the world, even headlining Slane 10 years later in 1995.

U2 were superb that day, with Bono lapping up the crowd’s adoration, as he would a few weeks later when the band performed at Live Aid.

One year on I was back in Croke Park, this time for Simple Minds who were at the height of their powers. Support act The Waterboys made a lasting impression on me that day, riding high on the success of their ‘This is the Sea’ album.

Serial gatecrasher Bono joined Jim Kerr on stage during Simple Minds’ performance, a tradition he has carried with him all the way through to Bruce Springsteen’s recent visit to Croke Park.

The goodwill extended to Bruce Springsteen by Croke Park residents was in stark contrast to their reaction to Garth Brooks’ attempt to play five nights at the stadium in 2014 – and we all know how that one ended. It proves, perhaps, that a delicate balance needs to be achieved in terms of the number of concerts held at the venue and the importance of locals’ voices being heard.

Have lessons been learned from the Brooks’ debacle? You’d certainly like to think so. Even the country superstar himself is rumoured to be open to a return to Croke Park, with BoyleSports offering odds of 1/4 that he will play there in 2017, 1/3 that he’ll perform three shows and 1/20 that he’ll return to the stadium before 2020.

I might just give that one a miss.