Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band - Birmingham Review

I get asked quite often what the best gig that I have ever been to is. Having been to hundreds of gigs over the years, giving anything like a definitive answer is hard - and even somewhat redundant. Despite this, I have generally narrowed all of the gigs which I have ever been to down to two: Marillion's debut appearance at the Royal Albert Hall in 2017, and Bruce Springsteen bringing the party to Wembley Stadium in 2016. Both of those gigs were special for different reasons, but Springsteen's Wembley showing is one that has lived long in the memory. Wembley Stadium is huge, and I was about as far away from the stage as it was possible to be and still be in the house. I was sat in the stadium's highest row at the opposite end to that of the stage - and yet Springsteen's performance made that immaterial. Despite the literal distance I was from the stage, the atmosphere within Wembley Stadium was such that it did not matter - and I felt as much a part of the show and experience as those down in the front row shaking hands with the man himself. Being a hard rock and metal fan I do not get to many stadium shows - but there are few who can command a stadium like Springsteen can, especially during shows as lengthy and diverse setlist-wise as his. The 2016 show was, then, something akin to a religious experience - and I knew that I could not let it be my only experience of Springsteen live. Whilst he has been busy over the years, he is not someone that comes around every year - so opportunities to see him are to be jumped at. For a number of reasons, including the pandemic, Springsteen had not toured in Europe since 2016 - so when his latest world trek with the E Street Band was announced last year I knew I had to get a ticket. Of all the UK shows, the most sensible seemed to be Birmingham's Villa Park. Springsteen's London shows this year are to take place in Hyde Park, and those sort of shows never really appeal - particularly given how hot the UK has been recently and the lack of shade that would be present. Plus, there is only so far away that you can be in a physical stadium - which would also provide shelter from adverse weather of any kind. Despite all the drama surrounding the growing ticket prices for Springsteen's shows, I managed to get a face value seated ticket in the cheapest band pretty easily when they went on sale last year - so I had been looking forward to the show for quite a few months. I ended up tying the show into seeing Geoff Tate in Wolverhampton the night before - and stayed in Wolverhampton the night of the show, too, traveling to and from Witton station to get to Villa Park. On the way back it seemed for a brief period that this had been a tactical error given the amount of people trying to get into the station - but the plan worked and I got back to Wolverhampton before midnight, which was a bonus. I had not been to Villa Park before, but I liked it as a stadium. It has an old-school feel that all proper football stadiums should have - and I was in the last-but-one row this time, so at least I was not at the very back! I also had a good view of the stage and screens from my seat, with no pillars or speaker towers in the way. I got the stadium around an hour or so before the action was supposed to kick off. A 7pm start had been advertised, but it was around 7:15pm when the evening got underway.

As the E Street Band trooped onto the stage, Villa Park erupted. On this tour the band have been joined by a horn section and a cohort of backing singers, so there was a steady stream of musicians taking the stage before Springsteen himself climbed the steps to huge cheers. As is generally the case with Springsteen's shows, there was no standing on ceremony - and he and the band soon launched into a high energy version of No Surrender. Unlike most of his previous tours, the setlist of this tour has largely remained the same from show to a show - with a handful of alterations along the way. Some have criticised this choice, but, for me, the skeleton of the setlist was different enough from the 2016 show that I did not mind. It contained a good mix of well-known songs and deeper cuts - all of which covered a good portion of his lengthy career. Given that this was the first tour since the release of 2020's excellent Letter to You, too, it was right that the album was represented. Wanting to keep the energy levels high, a barnstorming version of Ghosts from the latest album was wheeled out after No Surrender - and the power of the E Street Band was established from the off. Springsteen's backing band are legendary for a reason, and the live sound mix, at least where I was sat, was good enough to allow everyone to shine. Steven Van Zandt (guitar/vocals) had a lot of 'screen time' early on, his brash guitar rhythms and nasally backing vocals the perfect foil for Springsteen, whilst the driving piano of Roy Bittan (keyboards) kept every song moving. Early on, the high-energy tracks came thick and fast. Prove It All Night saw plenty of singing from the large crowd during its chorus - whilst the more mid-paced and folky The Promised Land, augmented by some violin from Suzie Tyrell (violin/guitar/percussion/vocals), had everyone swaying. Out in the Street, featuring vocal cameos from many in the band, was the last of the early high-energy tracks - as the set then moved into a different territory for a few numbers. The more atmospheric Candy's Room, with some frantic piano playing from Bittan, set this early tone - but for me it was Kitty's Back which really kicked the set up a notch. The lengthy song has never been a personal favourite - but live it was something else. The horn section really made their presence felt during the soulful rocker, with each player taking a brief solo spot. Also soloing was Charlie Giordano (keyboards), whose Hammond organ solo was the best moment of the epic track for me. The song's R&B vibes set the tone perfectly for Springsteen's version of Nightshift to follow, which saw the backing singers, particularly Curtis King Jr., earing their pay. Another big highlight for me during this section was the rollocking Mary's Place, which again featured plenty of involvement from the horn section. Springsteen really whipped up the crowd during the song, and the spotlight was also turned over occasionally to Jake Clemons (saxophone/percussion/vocals) - who often ventured down from his place with the horn section throughout the night to solo. The last song of this more R&B-inspired part of the night then came in the form of The E Street Shuffle, which provided a few last grooves before the vibe changed again.

A few slower numbers followed, with the synth-heavy ballad My Hometown prompting one of the best sing-a-longs of the night - with Springsteen often holding out the microphone during the chorus for a call-and-response effect. This was then followed by a first outing for The River on this tour, with Springsteen dedicating it to Birmingham - as the place erupted when the first strains of harmonica were heard. There was again plenty of singing, as Springsteen emoted the song perfectly against a backing of Van Zandt's acoustic guitar. The stripped back vibe was then furthered with a version of the newer Last Man Standing, written in tribute to a late school friend, which Springsteen sung alone with his acoustic guitar - with the exception of a short, mournful trumpet solo from Barry Danielian (trumpet/percussion). It was a poignant moment in a set filled with bombast, and also marked the last slower song for a while - as by this point the evening's final third was approaching and it was time to rock again. Backstreets transitioned into this vibe perfectly, but it was Because the Night which kicked things up another notch. The song prompted more singing, and it also included an incendiary solo from Nils Lofgren (guitar/lap steel/vocals) - in a rare moment of musical excess. A few more expansive rockers such as She's the One and Wrecking Ball followed, but it was the atmospheric, hopeful The Rising which really prompted a lot of singing. Walls of keyboards filled the venue, with Tyrell's violin again adding depth, and the song proved to be the last big, expansive song of the night. The end of the main set was fast approaching by this point, so it was left to two bona fide classics to bring it to a close. The hard rocking Badlands kicked the crowd into overdrive, and the chorus was shouted back at Springsteen - whilst Clemons once again nailed the classic saxophone solo. The more pensive Thunder Road was left to close out the main set. Building from Bittan's piano, the song has long been a favourite - and it was great to hear it in full this time, as an acoustic version was played at the 2016 show instead. It kept the energy levels high, and the band really rocked it up - bringing the main set to a powerful close. Following some bows, the band returned for a lengthy encore section which was packed full of hits. The synth-driven Born in the U.S.A. was only the beginning of this seven-song party, but it was Born to Run that arguably set the tone - with the crowd joining in at all the right moments which could likely be heard all around Aston. Bobby Jean then allowed for a slight change of pace, with lots of swaying from the crowd, before Glory Days rocked the set up again - and included plenty of banter back and forth between Springsteen and Van Zandt as the meaty rocker crashed around them. More synths heralded the arrival of Dancing in the Dark, but for me the big highlight of this part of the show was Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out, which was really brought to life by the horn section. Clemons had a few saxophone spots in tribute to his late uncle, but the song overall was a real band showcase - showing the E Street Band's love of R&B, and also showing the merits of bringing along the horn section for this tour. It was also the band's last gasp for the evening, as they took their bows following its conclusion, but there was still time for one more song - and Springsteen closed the evening alone with a beautiful version of I'll See You in My Dreams from his latest album. It was a calming close to the near three hour rock fest which had preceded it, and it provided a moment of reflection whilst leaving Villa Park. The setlist was:

No Surrender

Ghosts

Prove It All Night

Letter to You

The Promised Land

Out in the Streets

Candy's Room

Kitty's Back

Nightshift [Commodores cover]

Mary's Place

The E Street Shuffle

My Hometown

The River

Last Man Standing

Backstreets

Because the Night [Patti Smith Group cover]

She's the One

Wrecking Ball

The Rising

Badlands

Thunder Road

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Born in the U.S.A.

Born to Run

Bobby Jean

Glory Days

Dancing in the Dark

Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out

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I'll See You in My Dreams

A Springsteen show is always going to be a special occasion, and my second night with the man himself was another to remember. Whilst I think that the 2016 show was slightly better overall, as well as it having the novelty factor of being my first, Villa Park's more structured set and augmented E Street Band allowed for some really powerful moments - with the R&B-inspired section in particular standing out. Given that Springsteen is 73 now, it is hard to imagine that he has that many E Street Band tours left in the tank - so I do wonder if I will get the chance to see him live again. Whether I do or not, though, Villa Park has provided more excellent Springsteen memories which will live on for a long time.