'Ticket's There' – Irish and International Music Blog

What can you write about the Boss that many other, much better writers haven’t written before? Very little, that’s what. Those who’ve seen his legendary live shows know exactly what it’s like to stand in his crowd and see one man control almost every element, both natural and spiritual around him. More than most performers, he manages to bring an incredible amount of love into his shows and makes the experience special and unique for everyone in the audience rather than going through the motions every night. As if this wasn’t enough, he’s backed by the incredibly talented, fun and inspiring E Street Band who must have inherited the title of Hardest Working Band in Show Business at this stage. As if keeping up with Bruce’s constant set-list changes, crazy sliding and crowd pleasing antics isn’t enough, the band manage it with such ease that their musical expertise and experience stands out twenty miles. So with The Boss, The Big Man, A Soprano and the rest of the band in toe, how did they hold out at their second show in Dublin’s R.D.S.

Opening with the energetic No Surrender from the bands Born To Run Album, Bruce and co bursts onto the stage and into the crowds awaiting hearts. Bruce’s command of the arena is astonishing, especially considering he’s creeping close to the grand young age of sixty six. His sher zest for performing carries him through the three hours and ten minutes with ease, despite having a couple of falls the previous night. The band continues to build momentum as the jumpy classic Badlands and atmospheric Outlaw Pete set the tone for the night to come. An extended rendition of Hungry Heart see’s Bruce collect several song requests on boards from the crowd before continuing the set, delivering classics such as Johnny 99 and Darkness on the Edge of Town. Bruce then turns to the boards he’d collected earlier and starts picking song choices at random, giving his band about three seconds to prepare for each one. Spirit In the Night, Sherry Darling, Proud Mary and Prove it All Night get and airing before an emotional performance of Promised Land.

Hardly stopping for a second between songs, Springsteen gives the audience little chance top catch their breath before exploding into Radio Nowhere from 2007’s Magic. American Skin, Lonesome Day, The Rising brings things near a close before the ultimate anthem of them all, Born to Run excites and delights the forty thousand fans in attendance.  

Amidst the chants of BBrrruccceee (which several people confused as Boo’s) , Bruce returned for an extremely moving performance of Jungleland before the Irish sounding American land exploded in all its majestic energy. Rosalita, Glory Days. Dancing in the Dark and this tours closing sing along, Twist & Shout ended one of the longest sets this country has seen since..well, since the last time Springsteen played the country. With Bruce and the band still performing like this now, who knows how long the E Street band will be around for and by the looks of things, they will continue to enthrall and inspire their audiences for many, many years to come.

Set-List
No Surrender (Born In The U.S.A.)
Badlands
Night
My Lucky Day
Outlaw Pete
Hungry Heart
Working On A Dream
Seeds
Johnny 99
Youngstown
Darkness On The Edge of Town
Spirit In The Night
Sherry Darling
Proud Mary
Prove It All Night
Trapped
Waiting On A Sunny Day
Promised Land
Radio Nowhere
American Skin (41 Shots)
Lonesome Day
The Rising
Born To Run (Born To Run)

Jungleland (Born To Run)
American Land
Rosalita
Glory Days (Born In The U.S.A.)
Dancing In The Dark (Born In The U.S.A.)
Twist & Shout