Born to Run or Born In The USA? These were the two most rumoured and obvious choices for Bruce to play a full album run through for his first gig in the new Wembley Stadium. Almost everyone was convinced (and rightfully so) that it would be BITUSA. Oh how we we were wrong! What we did, in fact get, was Darkness On The Edge Of Town from start to finish. I'll use this time to spare a thought for the casuals who wanted BITUSA. That's enough of that though. I'll get on with my view of the show.
The day started a bit wobbly. I went online to buy our National Express bus tickets that would take us direct from Oxford to Wembley Stadium and back again. Only to encounter a 'booking failed' message every freakin' time! Turns out they stop selling tickets a day before or something so they can get their 'passenger list' in order. Whatever. Then, my boy found out that we could take a quick 20 minute drive to Bicester and get the train direct from there to Wembley Stadium! It worked beautifully and, more importantly, the last train from Wembley was 23:55pm! We wouldn't have to leave Bruce early to get the train even! Must remember this for next time we got to to Wembles! Anyway, on with the show...
Before we got to our seats we met up with some friends of mine (the lovely bastard John Styles, follow his blog here http://johnstyles.blogspot.co.uk, and his better half). It's always nice meeting up with good friends you've not seen in a while. It's even better when you happen to meet up at a Springsteen gig and drink beer together! Strangely, when we were discussing the possibilities of what would be played, he hoped for Bobby Jean! I thought it would be more than possible considering we were bound to get a full BITUSA play through...
Bruce and the band took the stage at about 1920 and got off to a fantastic start with a Land of Hope and Dreams (bit of a surprise for me) but I thought it worked really well as an opener. He then went into Jackson Cage from the River Album. I know the River album but not as well as I know other albums. I was not that familiar with the song but knew it was a bit of a rarity. He then took a request for Save My Love off The Promise, an album full of outtakes and unfinished songs from when we was recording Darkness. Again, I knew the song but didn't care for it...until I heard it live (this happens a lot!) Then, the OMG moment of the whole show for me....Lost In The Flood. This one had been a favourite of mine since watching the Live In New York DVD. It is a phenomenally powerful song.
After a few more regulars (not including my first live Hungry Heart and sing a long), The Boss gave us a choice: He could keep taking requests OR they could do Darkness from beginning to end. In my opionion, both were met with the same roar of approval. For me though, it had to be Darkness. Aside from the old warhorses he plays every concert (Badlands and The Promised Land) I hadn't heard any other song from it (with the exception of Racing In The Street - he played that at Hyde Park in '09). So, yeah, I was pretty amped to hear the entire album and also to experience a full album show. Each song was brilliant, obviously. However, the stand outs for me were Adam Raised a Cain, Something In The Night (Max's drums at the end just sent shivers down my spine.) and of course, the titular track. I finally heard it live!!!
Once the intense playthrough had, erm, been played, the hits started to roll...sort of. Shackled and Drawn from the new album (it's a great track) Waitin' On A Sunny Day which I hate but you can't help but sing a long and smile when he gets a kid to sing it with him. To the end the main set The Boss broke out Light Of Day. I only know the version on the Live In New York DVD and freakin' love it. This version was slightly different and not as fast paced and frenetic as the DVD version but it was still fantastic hearing it live.
The encore started with a very jolly 'Pay Me My Money Down', the same as he did at Metlife night 3 last year. It's a great little romp of a song. Oddly, Bobby Jean (a sign request) was played (just for Styles, I like to think). Dancing in the Dark, 10th Avenue and Twist and Shout rounded out the encore. The band all made their way to the front to take their bows and soak up the praise from the crowd, all of them saying good bye. Bruce showed each of them down the stairs to the back, a night rocked...a night not finished. Bruce came back, harmonica and acoustic guitar in tow. Thanking the fans for supporting the band he sent us home with the most beautiful, emotional, haunting Thunder Road I've ever experienced. The entire stadium was quiet. No one daren't speak. It is quite something when 73,000 people are dead quiet and actually LISTENING to a song as opposed to talking over it. It was the icing on an already brilliant tasty cake.
This review is, obviously, my own opinion and based on my own personal experience. And yeah, I'm biased as hell towards Bruce and the band. I don't think it's feasible for them to even have a bad gig. And so, my June, my self titled 'Month Of Rock, is winding down. The last stop is the 29th of June at the Stade de France in Paris. Expect another totally unbiased review of that one as well.
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