Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band
London Emirates Stadium
30th May, 2008

View: 70 metres out, standing, centre

Promoting Magic, Springsteen and band put on a rock’n’roll show of such energy it belied their collective maturity. While elements of the muso-nouveau head for rehab, Springsteen’s bar-served apprenticeship shone through with stunning effect. From the opening Tenth Avenue Freeze Out, to the closing American Land, we were transported through vividly illustrated soundscapes, such as the emotional The Ties That Bind, to unquestioning faith in Reason To Believe, and the despair of Because The Night, aided by Nils Lofgren’s screaming guitar. With a smattering of tunes from Magic and The Rising, one could forgive omitted favourites from the 25 songs on offer. The 40,000 clapped, waved and sang from start to finish, and as the first encore track Thunder Road declared, there was ‘magic in the night’.

Reviewed by Gordon Taylor
<< Back to Issue 353