An Unforgettable Night with The Boss
Attending a Bruce Springsteen concert is always a special experience. The fact that this one was on my home turf at The Stadium of Light made it extra special.
In fact, it was not that long ago since I last saw Bruce at Murrayfield, Edinburgh. As a long-time fan, I have many memories of seeing the man over the years including his first UK appearance at the Hammersmith Odeon in 1976, and numerous other concerts since; at Newcastle City Hall, St James’s Park, Dublin’s The Point, London O2 Arena, Leeds Arena, and a previous appearance at the Stadium of Light.
Bruce has always been magnificent. This night, despite the challenging weather, was no exception. Springsteen took the stage with his characteristic energy, launching into a setlist that spanned his decades-long career. From the opening chords of “Waitin’ on a Sunny Day,” the entire stadium was with him. Classic tracks including “Born to Run,” “Dancing in the Dark,” and “Thunder Road” had the crowd singing along, creating the usual great atmosphere that I have come to expect at a Springsteen concert. Bruce’s voice was as powerful as ever, and his interactions with the audience as authentic and genuine. Particularly moving for me was “Thunder Road” which closed the main set and has become a crowd favourite, Bruce on harmonica and great vocals.
I recall playing the song to my friends after I bought the Born to Run LP (it was always real vinyl in those days). I thought his voice was unlike anyone’s I had heard before. Perhaps a cross between Elvis Presley and Bob Dylan? Every song on that album is a classic and many of them remain in his set today. The very last song has come to be “I’ll See You in My Dreams” which is a perfect end to the evening and to his now traditional three-hour set.
This time I decided to treat myself to hospitality in the Black Cats Bar which was top-notch. The staff were helpful and accommodating, ensuring that my carer and I were comfortable throughout the evening. The bar provided an excellent vantage point, combining the thrill of being part of the crowd with the convenience of a more relaxed (and dry) setting. This made it easier to enjoy the concert without the usual issues that come with being in a large, bustling venue. My second carer, seated elsewhere in the stadium, also had a dry and enjoyable experience.
The weather was bad, with rain pouring down throughout the concert. While we stayed dry in the Black Cats Bar, and my second carer was dry in the stands, the fans on the pitch were not as fortunate. Despite those soaking conditions, their spirits were high, and their enthusiasm never waned. Only an artist like Springsteen has the incredible ability to connect with his audience and keep the energy high, no matter the circumstances.
Sadly, Bruce lost his voice after this concert and had to cancel his next couple of concert appearances in Europe. Elaine took some great photos throughout the night. Many thanks to Chris for manipulating the site as usual. And here is something I must reveal. I used Chat GPT to create the first draft of my review, partly as an experiment and partly to try and speed up the process, as I am way behind with my blog entries. However, I am not sure if it did speed up the process as I had to rewrite much of the text to remove the robot and replace it with Peter. Not sure if I fully succeeded.
Setlist: Waitin’ on a Sunny Day; Lonesome Day; Prove It All Night; No Surrender; Ghosts; Letter to You; The Promised Land; Hungry Heart; Light of Day; Atlantic City; Darlington County; Nightshift; The River; Racing in the Street; Last Man Standing; Backstreets; Because the Night; She’s the One; Wrecking Ball; The Rising; Badlands; Thunder Road. Encore: Born to Run; Glory Days; Dancing in the Dark; Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out; Twist and Shout; I’ll See You in My Dreams
Brooooce, Brooooce the crowd cheered as we waited for The Boss to take the stage. 7 PM, exactly as announced, 
The first hour consists of songs which, to my shame, are not so familiar to me. After all, this guy has a massive 50 year catalogue to draw from. And that is exactly what he does throughout the evening, selecting songs from throughout his career. Bruce and I have travelled some of his long road together. My first experience of Springsteen was at his debut UK concerts in Hammersmith Odeon 1975. Since then I have seen him at Newcastle City Hall, St James’s Park Newcastle, Dublin Point, the O2 Arena London, Hampden Park Glasgow, Leeds Arena and the Stadium of Light, Sunderland. Two of those concerts have been immortalised on DVD: the legendary 1975 London shows and the Dublin Seeger Sessions show.
“Darkness on the Edge of Town” takes me back to more familiar territory and then “Kitty’s Back” goes even further back; in fact right back to the very start. Class! Soon we are into “Backstreets” which takes me to 1975 and more familiar material. The rest of the evening passes in a blur. So many great songs and so many memories. “Because The Night” is of course a signature song for Patti Smith, for whom Bruce wrote the tune; but Bruce also does a great version of this classic anthem. “She’s the One” is as great as ever. The set closes with the haunting mouth harp of Bruce leading us into “Thunder Road” which is as haunting as ever. The audience take over and sing the majority of the vocals.
Steve Van Zandt looks as cool as ever. He and Bruce bounce off each other throughout the night, with Steve playing some great guitar.
“Glory Days” soon follows, then another classic “Dancing in the Dark”. Back to 1975 and “Tenth Avenue Freeze–Out”, with some great images of the late, sadly missed big man Clarence Clemons, he of the magnificent sax playing in the original E Street Band. Bruce closes the evening, a lone figure on the stage, with “I’ll See You in My Dreams”.
We all file out of the stadium and into the cool Scottish evening. Well organised buses transport us back to our hotel in Rose Street, just off Princes Street and Waverley station. Then, next morning, luckily unaffected by the train strike which was taking place that day, we board our LNER service to Newcastle. All works like magic. A great day with a great performer, songwriter and someone who has so much energy that he can ignite any stadium around the world. Long may you continue to do so Bruce.
Setlist: No Surrender; Ghosts; Prove It All Night; Death to My Hometown; Letter to You; The Promised Land; Out in the Street; Candy’s Room; Darkness on the Edge of Town; Kitty’s Back; Nightshift; Mary’s Place; The E Street Shuffle; Johnny 99; Last Man Standing; Backstreets; Because the Night; She’s the One; Wrecking Ball; The Rising; Badlands; Thunder Road.
Laura, David, Luke, Phil and I all went to see Bruce last night. Great gig, and a pretty marathon set, coming in at over 3 hours, which seems to be pretty standard for Bruce these days. The afternoon had started with the heavens opening, soaking Sunderland with a deluge of rain, but that didn’t dampen the spirits of anyone there. Bruce was advertised to come on stage at 7pm, with no support act. David, Luke and Phil went over around 6pm, but Laura and I couldn’t get away until a little later. We drove over and managed to get parked in a side street quite close to the stadium, and got in to the gig around 7.30pm, thus missing the first few songs. Its quite strange entering a massive gig after the show starts; and seeing the band and crowd in full swing. Its like entering a party late, where everyone is already drunk and well into the spirit of the thing. The set was a mixture of old and new, and although there were quite a few songs that neither Laura or I knew, it didn’t drag at all. The favourites were kept until the end; Laura was delighted he did Thunder Road, and of course Born to Run, she had been hoping for Because the Night, but hey you can’t get everything. The E Street Band was as tight as any band can be, and Bruce’s energy and stamina was just amazing. The show was somewhat understated, no gimmicks or technology, just good honest music. And that for me is what makes Bruce world class, the boss, the future of rock and roll, whatever you choose to call him. You get the feeling that this guy really means what he says and sings; that he really feels it, and yet he does so almost effortlessly. There is a level of honesty, passion and authenticity about Bruce that few others have. He comes over as a working class guy with a voice that transcends political, cultural and geographic boundaries and barriers, and he connects with the audience in a unique way. The connection between performer is so natural, simple, through the songs, the way he holds and plays the guitar, and yet in a way no other performer can quite match. Last night in Sunderland everyone of the 50,000 people in that stadium felt a connection with that guy on the stage, and we all went away feeling a little happier, stronger and all the better for it. I went to work today, and everyone I met was talking about the gig, whether they were there or not. 
This was the seventh time I’ve seen Bruce, the first being at his first UK gig in Hammersmith Odeon in 1975. What I observe over the years is the way in which the guys music and confidence has grown, from a young guy wearing a wooly hat singing his songs about American life to a small(ish) theatre almost 40 years ago, to a guy who is perhaps at his peak now, leading a stadium full of people of all ages through a series of anthems that mean so much to so many. Just amazing. Setlist: Badlands; We Take Care Of Our Own; Wrecking Ball; Death to My Hometown; My City of Ruins; Spirit in the Night; Does This Bus Stop At 82nd Street?; Jack of All Trades; Youngstown; Murder Incorporated; Johnny 99; Working on the Highway; Shackled and Drawn; Waitin’ on a Sunny Day; The Promised Land; Point Blank; The River; The Rising; Out in the Street; Land of Hope and Dreams. Encore: We Are Alive; Thunder Road; Born to Run; Hungry Heart; Seven Nights to Rock; Glory Days; Dancing in the Dark; Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out.
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