Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band - Cardiff Review

When I saw Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band live for the second time last year I thought that, given Springsteen's age and the rumours that his 2023 tour would be his last big one, I would probably not get to see them live again. I had made my peace with that. I was a bit of a late-comer to Springsteen's music, and did not get into his work properly until my early-to-mid 20s, but I saw him and his legendary backing band rock a packed Wembley Stadium in 2016 and it remains one of the best gigs that I have ever been to. He played the vast majority of the songs which I wanted to hear at the time and it was one of those nights which I often think back to - despite being at the very back of the huge stadium. I had hoped that I would get to see him again, but if I was not to be then at least I had seen him once, but that changed last year when I ventured up to Birmingham to see him at Villa Park. Whilst I am not sure the 2016 gig will ever be topped for me personally, last year's show was also very special. I am not sure that Springsteen and the band know how to put on a show which is anything less than spectacular - and the more structured set of the 2023 tour included a number of songs not played in 2016, whilst having something of a pleasing flow given that the shows were less varied than is typical. Last year's tour seemed like Springsteen was saying goodbye, but then quite a few of his American shows later in the year ended up being postponed due to illness. With those being rescheduled in 2024, it perhaps made sense to extend the tour further - including a return to Europe. I do wonder if this additional leg was always planned or whether it came about as a result of the postponed US shows - but when a handful more UK shows were announced I knew that I had to get tickets. Despite another night at Wembley Stadium being tempting, going to Cardiff made the most sense logistically - especially as it fell over the early May bank holiday weekend meaning that no leave needed to be taken from work. Cardiff is always a nice city to visit, too, and it is not somewhere that I get to all that often - which is surprising given that is not too far from my home in Devon. I do have a couple of other Cardiff trips planned for later in the year, but yesterday's trip to see Springsteen was my first to Wales since 2022. It was also my first visit to the Principality Stadium - which is principally the home of Welsh rugby. Given that I do not get to many stadium shows, and that I am not a rugby fan, it was good to finally visit it - as it is often hailed as one of the country's best. It was certainly a good one and given the closable roof it meant that those on the pitch could be sheltered from the rain which had been hammering down all morning and well into the afternoon - although by the time the gig started it had abated. As such, the 30 or so minute walk up to the city centre from my Premier Inn in Cardiff Bay was a relatively pleasant one. I was, of course, right at the back of the stadium again - but this had never affected my enjoyment of either of the two previous Springsteen shows and it was good seeing the place fill up during the hour or so between getting there and the show starting.

As usual, there was very little fanfare throughout what was to come. Springsteen may be in his 70s now, but last night's show in Cardiff was still three hours long - and it was different enough setlist-wise from last year's show to make it worth the effort. In truth, I am sure an extremely similar show would have still been very much worth it - but I was glad to hear a few different songs this time around, even if some of the songs played had also been played at that 2016 show. The show got underway in a fairly unconventional manner, though, with the deep cut So Young and in Love kicking things off. The non-album track, which had not been played live for over a decade, proved to be an up-tempo start to the night. It was not a song which I was familiar with, but its soulful strains brought the best out of the expanded E Street Band which, like last year, was augmented by a horn section, backing vocalists, and a percussionist. The horns and the choir made the R&B-inspired piece really shine - but it felt like the energy levels shot up when Soozie Tyrell (guitar/violin/percussion/vocals) started playing the main violin melody of Lonesome Day - and the smooth rocker pretty much set the tone for what was to come. Springsteen himself, as he was last year, was in fine form. He still seems to contain endless energy and vocally he still sounds strong - even if he is somewhat gruffer these days. This particularly was apparent during the heavier numbers, such as the classic No Surrender and the newer Ghosts which were both played early on, but it only gave such songs more of an edge. The set flowed nicely, though, and did not stick to one vibe for too long. An early surprise was the folk/country rock of Darlington County, which again allowed the violin and a more acoustic-based vibe to be exhibited, but perhaps my favourite early cut was a tour debut for the early 1990s single Better Days. Springsteen tends to underrepresent that part of his catalogue live these days, so it was fun to hear the keyboard-heavy soft rocker in the set. It was really bulked out by the band's two keyboard players, Roy Bittan and Charlie Giordano - with the choir again adding plenty of soulful backing vocals during the anthemic chorus. It was one of two songs of the night which Springsteen chose from signs held aloft in the crowd - and these setlist left-turns are always a big part of what makes his shows special. Springsteen's shorter, punchier pieces always come alive on stage, with the poppy Hungry Heart later generating plenty of singing from the Cardiff crowd - but I tend to prefer the live moments where the band really stretch out. One such moment in Cardiff came via Spirit in the Night - which was beefed up significantly thanks to the horn section. The E Street Band always sound powerful, but with the added horns the more soulful pieces really soared - and Springsteen spent plenty of time down with the front row during the elongated and jammed out piece. The second sign request then proved to be one of the surprises of the night, as If I Was the Priest was given a rare outing. The old song was finally released on 2020's Letter to You, and it had only been played live a handful of times before - with the rendition being excellent, and closed out by a snarling solo from Steven Van Zandt (guitar/vocals).

As with last year's shows, Springsteen is still somewhat promoting his R&B/soul release Only the Strong Survive - so, as in Birmingham, the crowd were treated to an excellent version of the Commodores' Nightshift. This was another song which really brought the best out of the horn section - but it also turned into a bit of a showcase for the backing singers, too, with all of them joining Springsteen at the front of the stage to really boost the song's soulful depth. It was a funky moment before the set took a bit of a slower turn - with both The River and an acoustic rendition of Last Man Standing lowering the tone. The former was a real stand-out, though, with Springsteen's mournful harmonica filling the arena whilst the crowd really helped him out with parts of the song vocally. This slower section helped to act as a change of pace, though, as the final third or so of the main set was pretty full-on. Bittan's piano then introduced Backstreets - and from that point on the set rocked pretty hard. Because the Night was the big sing-a-long that it usually is, and even some of the real casuals around me in the cheap seats seemed to wake up for it - and it was closed out by another excellent solo, this time from Nils Lofgren (guitar/lap steel/vocals). There were moments of smoothness during this closing section, such as the newer anthems Wrecking Ball and The Rising, but these songs still felt pretty rocking and powerful given those around them - even if the set-closing one-two punch of Badlands and Thunder Road eclipsed them due to their classic status. Jake Clemons (saxophone/percussion/vocals) acquitted himself really well, as always, but his solo during Badlands was particularly excellent. He has become an integral part of the E Street Band in recent years and is continuing on his uncle's legacy perfectly - and it was fitting that Springsteen gave him a big hug later whilst the band was leaving the stage. Thunder Road was not the end, though, as a lengthy encore of real classics followed. The stadium rock stomp of Born in the U.S.A. kicked off the seven-song run, which got everyone on their feet, but, as always, it was Born to Run which likely generated the biggest reaction of the night. Despite the song's classic stature it is one I never tire of and it got everyone singing along - before the sway of Bobby Jean and the driving synth rock of Dancing in the Dark kept the energy levels high. Even the casuals were singing every word at this point and it is clear why Springsteen tends to keep his encores pretty predictable despite his want to mix up the set night after night. With a horn section in tow, though, a highlight is always going to be Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out - and the song was another which saw all of the band pulling the same direction. It is a fabulous example of Springsteen's love of R&B and the horns beefed it out nicely - whilst tribute was paid to the late Clarence Clemons and Danny Federici. This segued into a raucous rendition of the old favourite Twist and Shout, with everyone shouting along - before the E Street Departed following lengthy bows to allow Springsteen to close the night out himself with a delicate rendition of I'll See You in My Dreams - as he has been doing every night over the past couple of years. It was a poignant end to another great night, with a setlist that showed off some of his very best songwriting. The setlist was:

So Young and in Love

Lonesome Day

No Surrender

Prove It All Night

Darlington County

Ghosts

Better Days

The Promised Land

Spirit in the Night

Hungry Heart

If I Was the Priest

My City of Ruins

Nightshift [Commodores cover]

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

Dancing in the Dark

Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out

Twist and Shout [The Top Notes cover]

-

I'll See You in My Dreams

Despite thinking the same last year, I do think it is likely that last night was my last Springsteen concert. I cannot see him coming around again with the full band and really going for it like he has been. Although he still seems in good health and full of energy it must be harder for him to do these shows than it used to be - and I imagine he is the sort of person who would want to go out on a high. Despite that, if there are more UK shows in the future then I will certainly try and go - and all three of my live Springsteen experiences now have been very special indeed. There is no-one really quite like him and he still is loved by a huge amount of people.