Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band

Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band delivered a politically charged, electrifying performance in Manchester, as they kicked off their Land of Hope and Dreams Tour. A performance that was as politically resonant as it was musically superb. With 23,500 fans packed into the Co-Op Live Arena, the show fused iconic rock ‘n’ roll with impassioned calls for justice, unity, and resistance.

Before Bruce sings a word on the opening night of his European tour, he has something to get off his chest. “The mighty E Street Band is here tonight to call upon the righteous power of art, of music, of rock’n’roll in dangerous times,” he says.

“The America I love is currently in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent, and treasonous administration.” The band then launch into a roaring, rousing version of Land of Hope and Dreams, as strings swoop, brass soars and Springsteen gives an impassioned take of the song he sang for Clarence Clemons on his deathbed.

Followed by Death to My Hometown – with the titular lyrics delivered with venomous sting – it sets the tone for an evening that is bruised and angry yet also hopeful and filled with love.

The band are a hurricane force; so tight and in lockstep that they actually feel loose and relaxed. Darkness on the Edge of Town purrs along, almost grooving; The Promised Land is as potent as it is poignant. These songs are about ordinary lives or livelihoods crushed by situations beyond their control.

There is an inescapable feeling of loss that permeates the evening, with Springsteen mourning the corroded spirit and erased freedoms of the country he loves so dearly.

Springsteen sings the line “hard times come and hard times go” in Wrecking Ball with such seething intensity it feels like a mantra. Bruce declares: “We ask all who believe in democracy to rise with us, raise your voices against authoritarianism, and let freedom ring”.

The setlist is nothing short of epic. Explosive renditions of Death to My Hometown, Lonesome Day, My Love Will Not Let You Down, Darkness on the Edge of Town, and The Promised Land sets the tone, mixing political urgency with rock anthems that have stood the test of time.

Then comes Rainmaker, a subversive song about a conman who promises the world and preys on the vulnerable. Receiving its live debut, it is the story of Charles Hatfield, an early 20th century sewing machine salesman who claimed to be able to produce rain but who was exposed as a conman.

Springsteen’s anger is as palpable as his pain tonight, with songs frequently darting between rage and mournfulness. On a stunning solo re-working of House Of A Thousand Guitars, the line “the criminal clown has stolen the throne” in a snarling delivery from Springsteen.

Jake Clemons carries the torch on saxophone with soulful power, honouring the legacy of his uncle Clarence “The Big Man” Clemons. Backing vocalists and a diverse group of eighteen musicians, including violinists, percussionists, and a grand piano, which elevates the performance to orchestral heights.

Veteran bandmates Nils Lofgren and Steve Van Zandt bring fierce energy, dancing and weaving across the enormous stage. Bruce, now 75, looks sharp in his classic jeans, shirt, tie, and waistcoat, showing no signs of slowing down. Swapping guitars nearly every song, he moves with tireless charisma and, at one point walks through the crowd handing his harmonica to one fan, a moment of connection emblematic of the night’s spirit.

Highlights include heartfelt versions of Hungry Heart, a joyous moment of abandon with Springsteen bounding up and down the stage; My Hometown, Youngstown, Murder Incorporated, which receives its first live outing since 2017, and Long Walk Home.

Before My City of Ruins, Springsteen delivers a powerful monologue. Disturbing and dangerous events are unfolding. Free speech is under attack. The richest individuals ignore the suffering of the world’s poorest children. Civil rights are being stripped away. Our allies are abandoned, and American workers are treated with cruelty.

“They’re removing residents off American streets and without due process of law, are deporting them to foreign detention centres and prisons. This is all happening now. Yet, despite all this, America is a great country, because of its people. We will endure.”

From here, the momentum only grows, with emotional and high-energy performances of Letter to You, the Patti Smith classic Because the Night, Human Touch, Wrecking Ball, and The Rising.

The final stretch is bursting with joy though and its emphatic run exists as a symbol of love over hate and the power of unity over division, as ground-shaking, versions of Badlands, Thunder Road, Born to Run and Dancing in the Dark ring out.

The encore was a masterclass: Born in the U.S.A, which leaves no room for misinterpretation, Born to Run, Bobby Jean, Dancing in the Dark, a moment of unbridled escapism, with some frenetic guitar solos from Nils Lofgren. It all built to a joyously explosive finale when Springsteen went walkabout in the crowd, delivering a celebratory Tenth Avenue Freeze Out whilst swigging from a pint offered to him by a fan.Then there’s the expected side-by-side playing with Stevie Van Zandt, and the frequent synchronised guitar showmanship with Longfren.

But the choice to finish on a fiery yet emotional version of Bob Dylan’s Chimes of Freedom hits home a clear message tonight. Bruce left the crowd with one final rallying cry: “It’s in the union of people around a common set of values, now that’s all that stands between democracy and authoritarianism. At the end of the day, all we’ve got is each other.

As Springsteen puts it, “I believe in the truth of what the great American writer James Baldwin said: ‘In this world there’s isn’t as much humanity as people would like, but there’s enough.’

This was far more than a rock concert. It was a gathering of souls, bound by music spanning five decades and a shared belief in something greater - a night where hope roared louder than fear. He didn’t just remind us why he’s the boss - he made it impossible to forget. There are few artists able to pluck hope from the darkest depths of the US, with such elegance and beauty, quite like Bruce Springsteen