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The Herald Scotland
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Review: Bruce Springsteen, Anfield, Liverpool
Five or six songs into the set, a friend's Apple Watch alerted him that the sound levels had reached 100db. To which the only meaningful response was: yes, it's loud, but it's not often we get the chance to see Bruce Springsteen live on stage, so the risk of hearing damage somehow seems worth it. This was an extraordinary show at Anfield stadium, home of Liverpool FC. Springsteen, playing the city for the first time, reminded us that he is rock music's great showman. He was playful and energetic the next, sombre and understated the next. Several times he walked down a flight of steps to where the front rows of fans were corralled behind barriers and touched outstretched hands. At one point he performed a brief harmonica duet with a girl who was perched on someone's shoulders and had arrived with her own harmonica. The huge video screens appeared to show him presenting her with his. Read more Without mentioning Donald Trump by name Springsteen made his contempt for him crystal clear, repeating the much-publicised message about a 'corrupt, incompetent and treasonous' US administration he had delivered at a Manchester gig a few weeks ago. Other songs, such as Death to my Hometown and Wrecking Ball, were delivered with a venomous edge. Throughout it all - and this was a standard-length set for Springsteen and the E Street Band, beginning at 7.38 and finishing at 10.22 - he was never less than compelling. And, at the end, he looked genuinely touched by the warmth of the Liverpool reception he received. The concert opened with My Love Will Not Let You Down, Lonesome Day and an impassioned Land of Hope and Dreams, the song that has given the tour its name. The great Springsteen songs came one after another, with barely a pause for breath inbetween: No Surrender, Rainmaker, which was introduced with a reference to a certain unnamed demagogue, Atlantic City, The Promised Land (with that impromptu harmonica duet), Hungry Heart, The River. Murder Incorporated was particularly rousing, notable for a guitar duel between Springsteen and Steven Van Zandt. The lines in House of a Thousand Guitars about the 'criminal clown' who has 'stolen the crown/he steals what he can never own' occasioned a rousing cheer. Read more The E Street Band, augmented by a brass section and a handful of backing singers, were in blistering form. Jake Clemons replicated perfectly the original sax parts played by his late uncle Clarence. Guitarist Nils Lofgren performed axe heroics that hearkened back to solo albums of his, such as Cry Tough. Max Weinberg was as ever a powerhouse behind his drum kit. The Rising, Thunder Road and Badlands gave way to a dazzling series of encores, the stadium floodlights illuminating the exuberant crowd on the pitch, including a young woman who had been dancing with a saltire held up behind her back, like angel's wings. And what a way to end the gig, as the threatened rain finally came on: Born in the USA, Born to Run, Bobby Jean and Dancing in the Dark all ushering in a joyous Twist and Shout - a nod to the Beatles in their home city - and Bob Dylan's 1964 classic, Chimes of Freedom, introduced by Springsteen as 'one of the great songs of freedom'. Springsteen's progressive politics, and his distaste at what has been termed 'darkness on the edge of America', are well known. It's not often that a major artist can urge his audience to rise up against authoritarianism and make them want to sign up for the cause. At Liverpool he did all this and more, and enthralled his fans, young and old, with songs of beauty and unfeigned compassion. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band play Anfield on Saturday night
Time Out
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Bruce Springsteen at Manchester's Co-op Live: start time, tickets, potential setlist and what you need to know
Manchester, the Boss is in town. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band are up north for a very rare UK residency at the Co-op Live – and his shows have already kicked off. Bruce is one show down, with two more still to come. Bruce's current tour has been rolling on since 2023 and it's already one of the highest-grossing tours of all time. Manchester is the city tasked with getting the next leg of The Land of Hope and Dreams Tour going, and it's one of only two places in the UK getting an E Street Band tour stop in 2025 (the other is Liverpool, in June). Heading to see Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band in Manchester over the coming days? Here's everything you need to know about the shows. When is Bruce Springsteen playing at Manchester's Co-op Live? Bruce's three shows in Manchester are on May 14, 17 and 20, 2025. What are the timings? The timings vary slightly for May 17 and 20, though the merch trailer and canalside area open at 2pm for both shows. Expect him on stage at around 7.45pm. Saturday May 17 Early entry is at 5pm, premium doors 5pm, general admission 6pm. Tuesday May 20 Early entry is at 4.30pm, premium doors 5pm, general admission 5.30pm. What's the setlist? True Bruce Tramps know that the Boss plays a different set every night. For an idea of the songs he plays, here was his setlist at the first Manchester show (according to Land of Hope and Dreams Death to My Hometown Lonesome Day My Love Will Not Let You Down Rainmaker Darkness on the Edge of Town The Promised Land Hungry Heart My Hometown Youngstown Murder Incorporated Long Walk Home House of a Thousand Guitars My City of Ruins Letter to You Because the Night (Patti Smith Group cover) Human Touch Wrecking Ball The Rising Badlands Thunder Road Born in the U.S.A. Born to Run Bobby Jean Dancing in the Dark Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out Chimes of Freedom (Bob Dylan cover) Who is supporting? There's no support. Can I still get tickets for Bruce Springsteen at Manchester's Co-op Live? Ticketmaster says that Bruce's remaining dates have 'low availability', with tickets (including resale) up for grabs from around £115. Find out more here. Seating map Here is the seating map, according to Ticketmaster. Bag policy, cloakroom and banned items Each person can bring one bag into the venue, which must be smaller than A4 and not a backpack, travel case, laptop bag or large tote bag. Baggage storage is in the orange car park, and each bag costs £15. Banned items include weapons, ammunition, explosives, horns, whistles, drums, fireworks, flagpoles, large umbrellas or any other item which in the venue's reasonable opinion, may cause danger or disruption to any event or to other visitors. Laptops, iPads, Go Pros and the like also aren't allowed. What are the reviews saying? Springsteen and the E Street band's first show in Manchester on May 14 was a mighty, dominant performance notable for Bruce railing against the current US administration. It received rave reviews from several publications. In the Guardian, Daniel Dylan Wray's five-star review said the evening was 'bruised and angry yet also hopeful and filled with love', describing the band as a 'hurricane force'. The i 's Joe Goggins awarded five more stars, saying that Springsteen 'appears ageless' and that 'throughout this three-hour set, wherever you look on the stage, something exhilarating is happening'.
