Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band 'The River Tour' to the Etihad Stadium, the home of Manchester City Football Club last night.
Springsteen, who turns 67 years old in September is renowned for his energetic live shows and lengthy sets and he didn't disappoint in a damp Manchester on Wednesday evening. With 18 studio albums recorded and literally hundreds of songs in his repertoire, it's near impossible to hazard a guess as to what the set list will be at a Springsteen gig. He is renowned for changing the set list each night and willingly takes requests from fans who come to the show's holding placards emblazoned with the titles of their favourite tracks on.
'The River Tour' celebrates the 35th anniversary of the release of the album of the same name. The first part of the North American leg of the tour saw Springsteen and the band perform the album in its entirety, but the European fans have been treated to a mixed set list incorporating many of his more well-known hits from his other albums. 
The mammoth 33-song set list began with 'Atlantic City' which was just the tonic that the packed Etihad Stadium needed to rouse their spirits given the drizzly weather. 'Badlands' was a surprisingly early entry and it was not until the fourth song of the evening 'The Ties That Bind,' that material from 'The River' album was showcased. From there, we were treated to several other numbers from the album before Bruce spotted a man in the crowd dressed as Santa Claus. A bizarre sight to behold given it's the back end of May, but Bruce ushered the man to the stage. Holding a placard with his request of 'Santa Claus Is Coming To Town,' the delighted fan made his way through the crowd and up onto the stage to join Bruce and the band for a rendition of the Christmas classic. The whole stadium applauded the absurdity of the situation and the man has a story he will not tire of telling; getting to sing a Christmas song with Bruce Springsteen, in May. Brilliant.
It was then back to songs from 'The River' with 'Hungry Heart' and 'Out In The Street' before Bruce declared; 'Manchester we got a crush on you.' Springsteen gets the balance just right in terms of audience participation and getting on with the business of performing classic rock songs. He doesn't need to pad out a performance with needless chatter or costume changes but he interacts with the occasional story and with getting up close to the fans lucky enough to be on the front barrier. From the moment Bruce blows the opening note to 'The River' on the harmonica, he has the whole stadium in the palm of his hands and they're happy to be there, accompanying him through every line of the classic hit. 'Point Blank' was the final song performed from 'The River' album, before Bruce took us on a journey through some of his other work.
'Waiting On A Sunny Day,' taken from the 2002 album 'The Rising' received a huge cheer and another lucky fan, a young girl of about 11, joined Bruce on stage for the end of the song. Another happy fan able to go into school today with a tale to tell of how she sang in front of thousands with one of the world's most renowned rock stars.
Other notable highlights were 'Because The Night,' 'Thunder Road' and 'Dancing In The Dark,' before an emotional tribute to Clarence Clemons, the bands' legendary late saxophonist who passed away in 2011. Clarence's nephew Jake Clemons is a worthy replacement to 'The Big Man' on the sax.
Just when you think Bruce has finished for the night and can't possibly have anything left in the tank, he'll yell 'ah-1-2-3-4' and leap into another song. A cover of Lulu's 'Shout' and 'Bobby Jean' seemed like the finale, before Bruce returned to perform 'This Hard Land,' an emotional acoustic number to send the wet but happy fans on their way. With over 50 years in the business, Springsteen still oozes the enthusiasm of a newcomer. He and the band evidently enjoy each other's company and welcome the audience in to party with them. If you have not seen Springsteen and The E-Street Band live, put it on your bucket list; you're not going to be disappointed. Bruce and the band will now take in Dublin, Glasgow, Coventry and London before heading over to Europe and finishing the tour off in North America in September. By that time he'll have played over 70 shows to millions of fans. It's evident to see why he is and always will be 'The Boss.'
Setlist:
Atlantic City
Murder Incorporated
Badlands
Ties That Bind
Sherry Darling
Two Hearts
No Surrender
Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
Hungry Hearts
Out In The Street
Darkness On The Edge Of Town
Crush On You
You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)
I Wanna Marry You
The River
Point Blank
Johnny 99
Darlington County
Working On A Highway
Promised Land
Waiting On A Sunny Day
Because The Night
The Rising
Thunder Road
Backstreets
Born To Run
Glory Days
Dancing In The Dark
Tenth Avenue Freeze Out
Shout
Bobby Jean
This Hard Land
Reviewer: Matty Houghton
Reviewed: 25th May 2016
