FEW WOULD HAVE predicted it, but Garth Brooks is now set to play a whopping five nights in Dublin’s Croke Park in July of this year.
Five nights, which means 400,000 people – just under one-tenth of the Republic of Ireland’s population.
But who are these people? Well, we’ll tell you exactly who they are.
Here are nine people you’ll definitely see at the Garth Brooks gigs.
Die-hards
These people have bought tickets for all five gigs, and may have flown in for them from all over the world.
They will queue every day from 7AM to ensure that they are right up the front. They will remain stony-faced from dawn ’til dusk, but when Garth comes on they will LOSE THEIR MINDS.
They live for Garth.
Mams
They’ll be out in force in their Dunnes Stores fold away rain jackets, their good jeans and their practical shoes.
Depending on the intake of pinot grigio, they may or may not don a diamante cowboy hat and a feather boa.
Dads
You’ll find the dads in small groups, discussing Garth Brooks memories through the years.
The real heroes will have been to see him in The Point in ’94 and Croker in ’97.
Watch them, they’ll know every word to every song.
People in full costume
You can bet your bottom dollar you’re going to see people in full Brooks regalia. They’ll have the shirts, the Stetsons (proper ones now, not the rubbish ones people buy outside the O2), the cowboy boots, they are probably planning their outfits already.
That is, of course, if they haven’t had the gear since 1997.
Children
You don’t know why they’re there. They don’t know why they’re there. But €70 was spent to make sure that they are.
People in pink cowboy hats
These people are at every gig, wearing the same pink cowboy hats. These hats have nothing to do with country music you see, they are simply a garment which screams ‘I’m off the lead, the kids are at home, and I’m ready to get lllllllloooooockkkkkked!’
#GIRLSNIGHTOUT
People who haven’t been to a gig since Garth in 1997
They’re a little shell-shocked by the crowd, but dammit if they aren’t prepared.
They’ll arrive early wearing a Garth Brooks ’97 t-shirt, with sandwiches and possibly a flask of tea. Their method is to be respected.
Bandwagoners
You’ll know these guys because they’ll be locked.
They bought tickets out of FOMO (fear of missing out) during the ticket-buying frenzy because they know one or two songs, but truth be told they’re just there for the gas.
Watch out for the withering looks being fired at them by the real fans.
The Unexpecteds
These are not people you’ve seen tweeting or posting about the struggle to get tickets, nor have they been snottily giving out about Garth’s popularity. Instead, they’ve been strangely silent.
They’ve been silent, because they secretly love Garth Brooks and know all the words to all the songs because his albums were the only ones allowed to be played on family car journeys from 1993-1999.
They might have beards and be wearing skinny jeans, but don’t let that fool you, they are big fans.
