Book Review: Grab Your Ticket and Your Suitcase by Dan French

Being a Springsteen fan often feels like being part of a big family. In Grab Your Ticket and Your Suitcase: a personal Bruce Springsteen concert history, my dear friend (and fellow Bruce fan) Dan French shares his story of a life spent chasing the music he loves. The title is a line that every Springsteen fan will recognise, and it fits the book perfectly. Dan has been to over two hundred shows across the UK, Europe, the US, and even Australia.

Dan’s book is full of ticket stubs, setlists, details and memories from all the shows he’s been to over the years. It’s not just about the concerts, it’s about the people, the travelling, the encounters, and all the moments that stick with you when you’re a fan. At first, I almost felt overwhelmed by how much information, facts and statistics there were. But as I kept reading, I found plenty of parts and stories that really caught my attention and in this review, I’m going to share a few of my favourites.

But first things first. I really like the actual book itself , the size is just right, and I’m glad it has soft covers. The picture on the cover looks great, and I like that it’s not shiny. It just feels good to hold and to flip through the pages, which somehow fits the whole feeling of the book.

Another thing I really like is how each show in the book starts with a picture of the original ticket stub, along with the date, the city and the location. It’s all in chronological order, starting with 14 April 1981 in Frankfurt, Festhalle, and ending (for now) with 27 July 2024 at Wembley Stadium in London. There’s even a link for an online update after the UK shows in 2025, which is a great idea.

With so many shows and memories packed in, it’s impossible to mention everything. But a few stories (and details) really stayed with me. Here are some of the ones I enjoyed the most:

One of the stories that stood out to me was when Dan bumped into Clarence’s parents in London in 1981- a unexpected and unique encounter. The backstory leading up to it was fun, but I’ll leave the details for you to discover.

There were a couple of parts that got to me emotionally. One was the story about the band’s second show after Danny Federici’s funeral. The way Dan describes the emotion in the air that night really stayed with me.

Another part that stood out was when Dan talked about seeing Bruce on Broadway. That moment added the reflective side of Dan’s fandom that I had been missing in the previous pages of the book. The way he shared his thoughts and feelings about Bruce Springsteen and what his fandom means to him gave the book a deeper, more personal perspective.

There were also plenty of moments that made me smile or even giggle. One of my favourites was that Dan FAXED a song request to the Albert Hall in 1996. 😄 And then there were the extreme close-up photos from the Glastonbury Festival in 2009, which were just hilarious.

Overall, this is a book that brought me a lot of joy to read. The personal details, the photos of familiar faces, and the memories shared made it something special. I’m also honoured to be in some of the photos and even mentioned in the “Roll Call.” It’s a great reminder of the connections we all have through Springsteen and his music, and I’m glad Dan shared this journey with us. And, of course, after reading the book, I think we all end up wondering: who exactly is the “Fookin’ Luv Ya’” guy?

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To make this review even more personal, I wanted to share two photos that aren’t in the book but are part of my own contribution to the story. The first one is from 2016, taken outside Ullevi in Gothenburg — a moment captured before a Springsteen show. The second photo is a replica of that same shot, but taken in 2023, with the same people in the same location (Dan included of course). It’s amazing how time passes, but the connection and the music remain as strong as ever.