First solo trip in years! This is another trip that was booked around a concert (which is becoming a main theme for this blog). I already had tickets to see Bruce Springsteen at Wembley this year but after seeing him just once last year (Hyde Park) I learnt the hard way that once is not enough! (That was the worst post-concert depression I’ve ever had!). So I bought myself a ticket for his Cardiff show too. (After I got home from Cardiff I ended up buying a ticket to see him in Sunderland as well, I couldn’t wait until Wembley!). I’d never really been to Cardiff before and there’s lots to see and do there so it seemed like the perfect place to make a trip out of it.
As this was my first solo trip in years I had a lot of anxiety about it. I’d been struggling a lot with anxiety lately anyway which didn’t help. So this trip felt a bit daunting at first but every time I thought about seeing Bruce live again most of the anxiety would turn into excitement and the little bit of anxiety that was left wasn’t so overwhelming and became more manageable.
So here’s how I got on in Cardiff for a few days….
Saturday 4th May
My train was delayed so I got to Cardiff a bit later than planned, however I was still feeling upbeat and ready for a great weekend. There was no ‘Waitin’ on a Sunny Day’ for Cardiff as the sky was clear and the sun beamed down over Principality Stadium where I would be seeing Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band the next ‘Night’. I was staying at a B&B just across ‘The River’ from the stadium so I had a great view of it as I made my way there. Bruce Springsteen was blasting through my earphones as I crossed the bridge and got even more excited for the concert. As I was approaching the B&B I suddenly heard loud music coming from the stadium and then a very familiar voice……it was Bruce! I had arrived just in time to hear their soundcheck. I stopped listening to my Bruce playlist so that I could listen to him in real time. The only person I stop listening to Bruce Springsteen for is Bruce Springsteen himself!
I normally stay at a hotel when I travel alone but when I came to book my accommodation for this trip all the main hotels were fully booked and most of the others were either really expensive or miles away from the city centre. I ended up booking a room at The Riverhouse in a blind panic straight after buying my concert ticket. I was initially put off by the “shared bathroom” but was desperate to find somewhere close to the stadium/city centre for a reasonable price. I actually had a really nice stay at The Riverhouse despite being a little out of my comfort zone. The bathroom had several private cubicles with a toilet, sink and shower in them and were cleaned regularly which made me feel more at ease. My room had a nice view of the stadium and as I checked in I could still hear Bruce’s voice echoing across the river. I couldn’t wait to get back outside and listen to more of the soundcheck.
The band were now playing ‘Janey Needs a Shooter’ and I quietly sang along with Bruce as I made my way back towards the stadium. There was a small gathering of people by the gates listening to the soundcheck. There’s usually a queuing system in place for Bruce concerts where you get a number (first come, first served) and you have to check back in at certain times throughout the day (roll call) to keep your place in the queue. I got my queue number (546) and joined the group of people by the gates. Bruce and the band had just started playing ‘If I Was The Priest’, everyone cheered and we all started nodding our heads/tapping our feet along to the music. ‘Priest’ is one of my favourites and on my dream setlist so hearing it at soundcheck gave me ‘High Hopes’ for the concert. I could have stayed and listened to the rest of the soundcheck but there was a certain record shop I wanted to visit and it’s closed on Sundays and Mondays so this was my only chance to go during my trip.
I teared myself away from the stadium gates and headed towards the city centre. Cardiff is known as the ‘City of Arcades’ due to it’s Victorian and Edwardian shopping arcades hidden within the busy streets. Each arcade is full of independent shops, cafes and bars. I found my way to Morgan Arcade and walked through it, admiring the architecture as I went. The arcade lead me to Spillers Records, the oldest record shop in the world. It was founded in 1894 and originally sold phonograph cylinders before they evolved into the flat disc records we know and love today. I excitedly entered the shop and was pleased to hear them playing Bruce Springsteen. They were clearly prepared for a lot of Bruce fans popping in and out throughout the day. There was just enough time for me to browse through everything before they closed. I came across a reissue of Van Morrison’s Moondance album. I’d been listening to a lot of Van Morrison lately and this album has a few of my favourites on it so I decided to buy it.
After that I decided to explore the rest of the city centre. Cardiff had well and truly been taken over by Bruce fans. There were so many people wearing Bruce Springsteen T-shirts that you would have thought the concert was that night. The whole place was buzzing and full of excitement. There was time to kill before the 7pm roll call so I found a pub to have a drink in. I didn’t really feel hungry or have an appetite (probably because of the travel anxiety) but I didn’t want to be stuck with a rumbling stomach and no food at the B&B later so I forced myself to eat some chips.
It was getting close to 7pm so I started making my way back to the stadium. I lost my bearings and got a little bit lost but after wandering round in circles and down some ‘Backstreets’ I got to the stadium just in time to get my number checked and keep my place in the queue. Phew!
By this point I had developed a headache and was starting to feel really tired so I went back to the B&B, had a shower and went straight to bed.
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