Read our take on Bruce Springsteen’s show at AAMI Park Melbourne
More than 65,000 concert goers on Saturday and Sunday night were enthralled as Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band put on two epic concerts at Melbourne’s AAMI Park.
The Saturday night concert included a surprise appearance from Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder, who joined Bruce for a cover of AC/DC’s “Highway To Hell” and the Springsteen classic “Darkness On The Edge Of Town”.
Bruce Springsteen’s long time manager and confidant Jon Landau said: “Bruce and the E Street Band loved the return to Melbourne, where they first appeared nearly thirty years ago”. Now I recall Bruce’s first performance in Melbourne, alright, around April 1985. It was at the Flemington Showgrounds, the Born In The USA tour and I had flown over with my wife and a mate from Tasmania just to be there. It was by far the best concert that I had ever been to at that point and I do not believe anything has surpassed it over the past thirty plus years. I still have the official program for the night.
I was at Sunday’s (16 February 2014) show at AAMI Park. The fans were fantastic, the venue first class (my first visit there), the sound pristine, viewing great and the music incomparable. This night included a special treat – the reformation of the mighty Australian legends Hunters & Collectors who had resumed for one last ever tour and the band showed that its prowess has been undiminished by the years.
Hunters & Collectors
Add to this a great stanza from Dan Sultan (who contended graciously with a medical emergency as he was about to commence his set), which might just about put this show into serious historical perspective. Sultan started at a little after 5pm and Bruce finished heading toward midnight. An amazing night.
Set List
The Bruce Springsteen set list from Sunday 16 February 2014 was as follows:
Born In The USA
Badlands
Lucky Town*
Roulette*
Growin’ Up*
Wrecking Ball
Death To My Hometown
High Hopes
Just Like Fire Would
Lost In The Flood*
Spirit In The Night
—
(Entire Born To Run Album)
Thunder Road
Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out
Night
Backstreets
Born To Run
She’s The One
Meeting Across The River*
Jungleland
—
Heaven’s Wall
Waitin’ On A Sunny Day
The Rising
The Ghost Of Tom Joad
Land Of Hope and Dreams
Encore
We Are Alive
Ramrod
Bobby Jean
Dancing In The Dark
Twist and Shout
This Hard Land (solo acoustic)
*I believe not performed elsewhere on the tour so far
Bruce and The Fans
I have to pass on an interesting observation from late in the evening that might just sum up the depth of feeling that Bruce’s fans have for him.
Two women asked my wife to get up and dance during “Dancing In The Dark”. During their obvious euphoria, one of the women, a stranger, said to my wife: “You’d sleep with Bruce if you had the chance, wouldn’t you?”
Fortunately I did not hear the response…
Next On Tour
Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band will perform to a sold out crowd in Sydney on Wednesday night and then head to the Hunter Valley for two nights. Limited tickets are available for the Sunday night concert. From there it’s off to Brisbane for a sold out show and then across the ditch to Auckland New Zealand for two massive nights at Mt Smart Stadium.
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN & THE E STREET BAND
FEBRUARY/MARCH 2014
Wed 19 Feb Sydney | Allphones Arena (All Ages) SOLD OUT
Ticketek.com.au | 132 849
Sat 22 Feb Hunter Valley | Hope Estate (All Ages) SOLD OUT
Sun 23 Feb Hunter Valley | Hope Estate (All Ages) SELLING FAST!
with special guests The Rubens and Dan Sultan
Ticketmaster.com.au | 136 100
Wed 26 Feb Brisbane | Entertainment Centre (All Ages) SOLD OUT
Ticketek.com.au | 132 849
Sat 1 Mar Auckland | Mt Smart Stadium (All Ages) SOLD OUT
Sun 2 Mar Auckland | Mt Smart Stadium (All Ages) SELLING FAST!
with special guest Jimmy Barnes
Ticketmaster.co.nz | 0800 111 999
Read our take on Bruce Springsteen’s show at AAMI Park Melbourne
Read our take on Bruce Springsteen’s show at AAMI Park Melbourne
Read our take on Bruce Springsteen’s show at AAMI Park Melbourne
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