Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band BST Hyde Park review

Bruce Springsteen and the legendary E Street Band played a second night at the BST Hyde Park on Saturday, July 8 to a sell-out crowd of more than 65,000.

The E Street Band, who haven’t toured with Springsteen since 2017, included guitarist Steven Van Zandt and saxophonist Jake Clemons, the nephew of the original member Clarence Clemons.

Apparently changing the set list from Thursday night’s gig, they opened with My Love Will Not You Down and the first hour was hit after hit, including Prove It All Night, Promised Land, Badlands and The Promised Land with just a verbal ‘one, two, three, four’ between numbers.

Just what kind of rock deity The Boss is must be asked when during Mary’s Place chorus ‘Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain/Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain, let it rain’ the heavens opened and it poured. The crowd did not stop singing while fumbling with waterproofs or just got wet!

‘The Boss’ Bruce Springsteen performs on the Oak Stage with the E Street Band at BST Hyde Park (Image: PA)

An hour into the show, Springsteen shared the story of George Thesis, who died in 2018. Thesis was dating Springsteen’s sister and she told him that her 15-year-old brother could play the guitar. Springsteen joined George Thesis’ band The Castiles in 1965 having only been playing guitar for only six months. The Castilles lasted three years but as Springsteen pointed out, for a teenager, that is a lifetime.

Last Man Standing was introduced as “George’s gift to me when he died…” The song was was written for Thesis when Springsteen realised that he was the only member of the teen band still living. The crowd was unnervingly silent during a moving acoustic version of the song with Barry Danielian on trumpet. The Boss had us in his hands.

The encore, and what an encore, started with Born To Run and ran through the big hitters such as Glory Days and Dancing In The Dark. Midway through Glory Days, The Boss turned to Steven Van Zandt, put an arm over his shoulder and said “Steve, I think it’s time to go home…. They are going to pull the […] plug again” referring to Springsteen’s 2021 Hyde Park performance when he ran over curfew and the plug was literally pulled.

The full band was introduced before Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out was sung in memory to fallen E Street Band members Clarence Clemons and organist Danny Federic.

The band left The Boss grabbed a harmonica and alone on the stage sang I’ll See You In My Dream, an emotional end to a very special performance.

The 73-year-old still has it. He smiled – the crowd smiled, he shed a tear – the crowd shed a tear – he even ripped open his shirt for a few seconds… Lucky audience members got close-up to The Boss as he jumped into the crowd handing out harmonicas and guitar picks and had selfies taken.

Generations came together to share this incredible night.