Bruce Springsteen gave it his all – and then some – at BST Hyde Park on Thursday (Picture: Getty Images)
There was a moment 90 minutes into Bruce Springsteen’s mammoth three-hour London Hyde Park set that you could hear a pin drop. No mean feat when there are 65,000 adoring fans hanging on his every word.
‘Death is like standing on the railroad tracks’ Springsteen mused, before recalling an emotional memory of his good friend, and guitarist from his first band The Castiles, George Theiss.
‘Death brings a certain clarity of thought and of purpose and of meaning. I realised that his passing would leave me as the last living member of that band of guys that got together in that house so many years ago.’
Cutting a solitary figure, Springsteen preceded to play Last Man Standing alone on the Great Oak stage.
The theme of morality hung heavy in the evening’s summer air. Pinpricked throughout the running time, Springsteen defied death and defeat with the rallying one-two of No Surrender and Ghosts kicking off the spectacle.
Paul McCartney may have directed playful jibes at Springsteen for encouraging longer sets, but to deliver a performance boasting both quality AND quantity is quite some achievement.
Joined by his E Street Band, Springsteen showed his younger contemporaries how it’s done (Picture: Backgrid)
A crowd of 65,000 gathered at the latest BST Hyde Park to watch one of the best to ever do it, do it (Picture: PA)
At 73(!), the inexplicably youthful Springsteen deftly puts many of his younger contemporaries to shame. He still shreds his guitar like his life depends on it, at one point even ripping open his shirt much to the delight of both men and women. Even as a heterosexual man, I can confirm Bruce has definitely still got it…
And on the strength of last night’s no-holds-barred performance at American Express presents BST Hyde Park – the first of two sellout shows helmed by Springsteen at this year’s series of concerts – there are no signs of slowing down just yet.
‘Do you see anyone alive out there London?’ There was no let-up throughout the 27-song-strong runtime, as cries of ‘1, 2, 3, 4’ ushered in each incendiary salvo.
With a bountiful catalog stretching back six decades, there was something here for everyone. Blue-collar tales of industry, dusty railroad tracks, rousing odes to pretty girls, free-wheeling bluesy workouts, and propulsive anthems for ripping down the interstate highway chasing that elusive American dream.
Springsteen entertained thousands of adoring fans with his playful energy and at times, sombre moments (Picture: Metro)
Joined by Steven Van Zandt, there were many moments of playful interplay (Picture: Getty)
Augmented by the velvet-voiced E Street Choir – a soulful rendition of the Commodores classic Nightshift book-ended a particularly country-tinged segment of the show. A high-flying Darlington County, the jaunty Working on the Highway, and playful Kitty’s Back.
By the time Badlands and Thunder Road were unloaded upon a passionate audience, you had to wonder what was left in the tank.
Fortunately, the E Street Band are masters of their craft, with Springsteen leading us into a stupendous encore that managed to pack Born In The USA, Born To Run, Glory Days, and Dancing In The Dark before curfew.
Throughout the set there were plentiful moments of playful interplay. Like the duelling guitars of Steven Van Zandt and Nils Lofgren, a loving arm around Jake Clemons – the nephew of late-great Clarence Clemons – during the many thrilling saxophone solos. Or the moments when The Boss roams the stage like an untethered animal, guitar-thrusting, posing for selfies with the front row, clasping hands, tossing out plectrums, harmonicas, even whipping off a fan’s hat at one point. At times this was less a chrome-laden rock show, more an evangelical event. ‘Come on up for The Rising’ – indeed.
And as the sun set across Hyde Park and our heroes, we came full circle. As a rousing Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out played out, pictures of dearly departed E Streeters Danny Federici and Clarence Clemons were played out across the Great Oak stage.
‘Cos if you’re alive, then I’m alive. And that’s what we came here for.’
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Only decades of experience could have led to such a breathtaking performance.