Bruce Springsteen fan recounts singing on stage with The Boss

BBC News

2 days ago

"I remember looking up and seeing like 40,000 people there."Bruce Springsteen superfan Haydn Craven said being pulled out of the crowd, aged nine, to sing on stage with The Boss will be a moment he remembers for the rest of his life.The 18-year-old's parents were huge fans of the Born in the USA singer, and Haydn had inherited their love of Springsteen's music.Haydn and his mum Sally feature in a new BBC documentary When Bruce Springsteen came to Britain, which examines the singer-songwriter's relationship with the UK.
In 2016, the family travelled from their home in Dinas Powys, in the Vale of Glamorgan, to Coventry to see him perform.They queued up to get into the gig and when the gates opened, and managed to get very close to a smaller second stage.Springsteen would often get young fans on the stage with him, and Haydn remembered thinking, perhaps there was hope for him."I was on mum's shoulders. And I remember thinking, there might be a chance here," he said. His mum Sally said as soon as Bruce jumped up on to the stage in front of them, she knew it was their moment."I almost threw him on the stage," she recalled.
Haydn said he remembered Bruce reaching out towards him.He added: "Bruce didn't have a choice really, I think he went to shake my hand or ruffle my hair or something, but mum went, 'there you go, you're Bruce's now'."The next thing, the nine-year-old was on stage in front of a huge crowd singing along to Hungry Heart with the star he had been listening to since he was a baby.Haydn said he was really nervous, saying: "I remember looking up and seeing like 40,000 people there."And I can remember him lifting my hood up, and I remember my ears sticking out of the hood and going, 'right, this is going to be viewed for the rest of your life, sort your hood out, because your ears will be sticking out'."Then when he actually gave me the mic, I remember a big panic, because you can't hear yourself at all either."But I knew the words. It was all just the most surreal thing, like you actually can't explain, it's so weird."
For Sally, it was a dream come true to see her little boy singing with the family's hero."I describe it as the happiest day of my life, and I apologise to my husband that it's not our wedding day," she said. "Bruce Springsteen, singing with my son, the happiest day of my life."It has been 50 years since the American singer first performed in the UK, giving his new Born To Run album its European premiere.In the documentary, Springsteen described how much he enjoys children such as Haydn, coming to his concerts."Young audiences bring with them a lot of energy. A lot of energy," he said.
For Haydn, that childhood encounter with Springsteen has encouraged him to want to perform, and he is now an actor, appearing in the CBBC football drama Jamie Johnson.He also sings and plays guitar, inspired by his hero."I don't just I love him because my parents love him," he said. "I've got my own path with him now, I've got my own story and it's why I listen to the songs and the albums. "He's my favourite."
You can watch When Bruce Springsteen Came To Britain on iPlayer.