The first “map wanted” sign is encountered right on the subway platform. Festival atmosphere on the way to the Munich Olympic Stadium. Private beer sellers, an accordion virtuoso, a bagpipe player – the high summer temperature has dropped slightly. It’s 6:50 p.m. when you see the band coming through the marathon gate and disappearing behind the stage. In shifts, as Springsteen and the E Street Band perform here in full orchestra. 6:57 p.m.: The classic opening of this tour – “No Surrender”. What kind of number. Like a Cadillac Eldorado, she hurls onto the rock ‘n’ roll street with screeching whitewall tires, only to stabilize in seconds.
Little Steven plays a blue and yellow electric guitar. “There’s a war outside still raging,” sings Bruce. peace, yes But no surrender. No, this band doesn’t need an opening act. A full stadium is up to operating temperature in three minutes. “Ghosts”, the next song, a new one that has everything a Springsteen classic needs: a striking riff, melancholy and sex appeal. The ranks are clapping.
The Munich evening is the 58th concert of a major world tour that began on February 1st in Tampa, Florida. The Springsteen entourage has been on the road in Europe since April 28th. They have already visited Spain, Ireland, France, the Netherlands, Scotland, Switzerland, England, Belgium, Sweden, Norway and Austria. And they have already played three times in Germany. Bruce Springsteen will celebrate his 74th birthday in America at the end of September before the tour ends in San Francisco on December 12th.
It’s a tremendous feat that Springsteen indulged in after the years of the pandemic, after the planned 2020 tour had to be canceled and Springsteen played solo shows on Broadway instead. But on this evening one suspects that Springsteen’s tour life also has a strong family character.
When the camera sweeps across the faces of the band members, you can see the undisguised joy. ‘Prove it All Night’ – Springsteen escalates into an excessive guitar solo that promises a lot. For this night in Munich.
You can read a detailed review of the concert on Monday morning sz.de/munich.