Music
Bruce Springsteen celebrated by 43,000 fans in Düsseldorf
US musician Bruce Springsteen rocks the stage. photo
©Oliver Berg/dpa
73 years and not a bit quiet – US rock legend Bruce Springsteen brings a sold-out stadium to the boil in Düsseldorf.
US rock star Bruce Springsteen heated up around 43,000 fans in Düsseldorf with his greatest hits. In the Merkur Spiel-Arena, Springsteen and his legendary E Street Band pushed their physical limits for almost three hours in tropical temperatures. The performance in Düsseldorf was the first of four concerts in Germany on Springsteen’s European tour.
At the age of 73, the “boss”, as his fans call him, moved a little more cautiously on stage. The wiry musician recently fell at a concert in Amsterdam. But Springsteen only needed a few announcements to get the stadium celebrating.
“One, two, three, four”
The US superstar from New Jersey has been successful in the music business for around 50 years, some of his band members have been with him for decades – and his fans have aged with him. The average age at the concert in Düsseldorf must have been over 50 years. Many fans brought their children and some probably their grandchildren, who danced along enthusiastically.
Springsteen does not make big words in his black outfit on stage. A “one, two, three, four” is enough, and the E Street Band spreads their rich and loud guitar sound. There are no breaks between the songs. With songs like “No Surrender”, “Out In The Street” or “Letter To You” the fans are sure of the lyrics. Again and again the “boss” takes the harmonica or plays guitar solos – but also leaves a lot of room for his gifted guitarists Nils Lofgren and Steven van Zandt.
Shiny fan eyes
Springsteen’s E Street Band is much more than rock music. Jazzy big band sound fills the stadium with “Kitty’s Back”. It gets soulful when the band covers “Nightshift” by the Commodores – the only song from the current cover version album “Only The Strong Survive”. There are shining fan eyes at “My Hometown”.
After a quieter phase, the cover version of Patti Smith’s legendary song “Because The Night” won’t stop you in the stadium. The concert becomes a sure-fire success. In the package, Springsteen delivers his greatest hits such as “Born In The USA”, “Born To Run”, “Glory Days” or “Dancing in the Dark” as encores. Thousands of fans happily sing and dance along. A drenched in sweat Springsteen has done a great job again for three hours.
The tour takes the “boss” in Germany to Hamburg (July 15), to the Hockenheimring (July 21) and to Munich (July 23).