Springsteen played with the energy of a man half his age as rumours suggest that this is his last tour
Some rock concerts stick in your memory because of their theatricality: the lavish production or the crazy set design. Others stay with you because the setlist comprises back-to-back hits. And others are unforgettable because they pivot on one moment of musical transcendence. This extraordinary Bruce Springsteen show in London’s Hyde Park did none of those things.
Rather, it was a three-hour display of musical storytelling from a man at the absolute peak of his powers. The Boss may be in his eighth decade. But, backed by a tight E Street Band and under a golden setting sun, he played with fire in his belly, a twinkle in his eye, and the energy of a man half his age. I honestly don’t know how he did it. And if he was emotionally wrung-out by the end, spare a thought for the 65,000 fans who watched him. Slack-mouthed amazement – with the odd tear-stained cheek – seemed to be the general vibe.
It’s 50 years since Springsteen released his debut album and gradually became music’s blue collar demigod. His romantic hymns about muscle cars and pretty girls, about escaping his native New Jersey, about factory graft and economic hardship became touchstones for a generation.
Dressed in black with a grey Tintin-esque grey whiff, he opened with 1984’s No Surrender and didn’t let up. He howled and he cajoled, throwing shapes with his mottled yellow Fender guitar slung low behind him. Is there a more iconic image in rock? I doubt it.