Rock n Roll Hall of Fame legend Bruce Springsteen put on a show stopping performance at
Hyde Park’s British Summertime, proving once and for all why he is The Boss. Izzy Morris reviews her experience at Hyde Park, where she was treated to a star-studded day of supporting acts before the main event; a 3 hour set of Springsteen magic.
It’s not every day that The Boss is in town, and so it’s no surprise that the legend
immediately sold out two nights at Hyde Park’s British Summertime, even before the incredible
supporting acts were announced. Naturally, I was incredibly eager to head down and get to
experience the legend himself in person. Known for putting on a 'capital S' SHOW, it’s hardly
surprising that I was completely and utterly blown away, but the rest of the spectacular line-up only
made the day even more unforgettable.
New kids on the block, Picture Parlour, opened up the British Airways Rainbow Stage at
Hyde Park, attracting the attention of many curious music fans. Appearing as the cover of NME
recently, despite only just having released their first single Norwegian Wood, the band has cultivated
a reputation based almost entirely on word-of-mouth reviews of their performances within their
scene.
This sort of buzz is really exciting for many, as it shows promise of a really unique and amazing experience, and you can only hope that seeing them live will prove the rumours to be true. So, just as many of the other audience members had been pulled in by that very question, I was curious to see what they’d have to offer.
What I will say is there is definitely promise there. Donning the most incredible colourful
suits, the band had a commanding presence on stage, and maintained the attention of the intrigued
throughout. They definitely have the technical chops, and sounded great throughout their set.
However, I will admit I was slightly underwhelmed. Given the praise that so much of the media has
had for this band, I was expecting something really new and fresh, that would really get me going,
but unfortunately at times, despite their obvious talent and the very clear ability to perform well
that they possess, that there would be a special ingredient that would knock my socks off. The Arctic
Monkeys influences are incredibly apparent, with extraordinarily similar lounge lizard-esque
crooning to rock superstar Alex Turner. This of course isn’t necessarily a bad thing, and is incredibly
nice to listen to, but it did nothing to electrify me into excitement. Perhaps unfair expectations
placed by the hype around them at the moment kept me from being quite as in love with them as I
thought I’d be, or perhaps they still need some time to evolve into the indie rock powerhouses that
they very much could turn into. There’s something missing for me, but I reckon with enough time to
grow creatively, we could end up seeing some really interesting results.
STONE followed Picture Parlour on the Rainbow Stage, home to a handful of particularly
exciting insights into the indie rock scene in the UK. The Scouse band knows just how to bring the
noise, providing a set full of energy. They’ve got a really exciting rock scene going on up there at the
minute, coming up alongside bands like Courting and The Mysterines, and STONE absolutely stand
right out alongside those two bands as ones to watch out for. They’re loud, angsty and down to
earth, combining the emotional and the political within their set list, backed by rowdy guitars and an
inciting sentiment, inviting the audience to bite back.
Folk-punk veteran Frank Turner perfectly fit the bill for Bruce Springsteen’s occupation of Hyde Park. His Born to Run tattoo helps, of course, but that’s not the only reason – the singer songwriter has charisma to boot, with both charm and vulnerability oozing through both his lyrics and his performance.
Of course, this charisma is not unlike the boss himself, and even the partnership of the E Street Band to Bruce and the Sleeping Souls to Frank has its parallels. The set was packed with Frank Turner staples, such as I Knew Prufrock Before He Got Famous, I Still Believe and my personal favourite, Get Better. He lept across the stage with true rock star energy for those tracks that lean more into the punk side, alongside the ever enthusiastic Sleeping Souls, and he got plenty of clapping and audience participation with his folksier tracks. I’ve never seen a Frank Turner set where he hasn’t put his whole self into his performance, and he sang every single song with heart, soul and spirit.
Concluding with Four Simple Words, in which he got the crowd ballroom dancing and
jumping, Turner got to tick off the most incredible bucket list performance. Turns out, those warm-
up 2,787 shows (his words) certainly paid off.
Every bit as political, but slightly less boisterous than some of the other bands on the line-up
for the day, The Chicks transported the audience from sunny Hyde Park to the American South with
their gorgeous bluegrass twang. To be entirely honest, I haven’t massively ventured into their
discography in the past, but this set certainly convinced me to amend that. Natalie, Emily and Martie
offered the most beautiful harmonies accompanied by a variety of different stringed
accompaniments, varying from quintessentially country banjos and fiddles, even to mandolins.
Their set explored many different societal issues, covering American police brutality, religion
and politics. Tracks like Gaslighter from their 2020 album of the same name wowed audiences, while
older tracks like White Trash Wedding spurred the audience into a joyous hoedown. They also
brought some powerful video footage with them for March March, which was accompanied by old
footage from historical protests. They’re just as fierce and as powerful as they were when they
began, and it’s great to see them continuing to bring these incredible performances.
One of the most memorable parts of their set was the breath-taking cover of Fleetwood
Mac’s Landslide that they offered, showcasing the complete synergy between the group, with
deliciously smooth harmonies. They stopped me in my tracks completely with this one, even
bringing a bit of a tear to my eye. It’s clear as day that, in their own right, they’re treated as country
legends. Enjoying their unbelievable vocals on a sunny afternoon at Hyde Park felt incredible, and
embodies, largely, the magic of these Hyde Park days. Yes, the headliners they offer are often
unbelievably talented individuals, but the undercard also contains some spectacular offerings. The
Chicks and Frank Turner were perfect choices.
With an early start time of 7pm, we knew that The Boss was certainly not going to be cutting
corners when he took to the stage, providing his incredibly enthusiastic fans with around 3 hours of
Springsteen classics. It’s rare to get the opportunity to see someone so influential to modern music,
and someone so accomplished, with a career spanning 50 years, There’s also, of course, the risk
when you see these legends that they’re going to be past their best, and that you’re going to be
going to see a shell of a former icon. At 73, this fear is probably quite justified. But then, I’ll remind you; he is The Boss for a reason. Opening with No Surrender, Springsteen and the E Street Band came out swinging, showing no sign of backing down even after decades on the road. His scratched up, worn out guitar charmingly compliments his impressive career, and also the humble and hard-working attitude that Springsteen’s music has always embodied. This isn’t an evening of grandiosity and spectacle, as you might expect from other Hyde Park headliners, like Pink’s Summer Carnival, or Blackpink’s heavily choreographed, K-Pop set earlier that week. Springsteen provided a celebration of down-to-earth human stories, accompanied by the incredible, and incredibly large, E Street Band – his dear friends and collaborators.
With 21 albums to choose from, it’s hardly a shock that a longer set is going to be needed to
span such a large catalogue. Bruce handpicked selections from across his work, with newer songs
like Letter To You from his 2020 release, slotting in beautifully alongside classics like The Promised
Land and Out In the Street. The latter track, amongst many others, had the audience joining in
beautifully with all the ‘ohs’ and ‘las’ that feature within so much of his music. The refrain in this
track is passed around the E Street Band, who each handle it wonderfully. While Springsteen is the
rock star, the night offered a collaborative experience, both on stage and in the audience. The rich
instrumentation from the unbelievable E Street Band brought these tracks to life in a way that a
record simply cannot replicate, no matter how hard you try, and hearing the crowd singing in their
thousands back truly affirmed the legend of Springsteen.
While those energetic, jubilant tracks filled to the brim with life were given the opportunity
to shimmer under the Hyde Park sun, some of Springsteen’s more emotional tracks were also given a
new, reflective quality, as the showman discussed mortality, as the last surviving member of the first
ever rock band he joined in 1965. This fact was the inspiration behind Last Man Standing, which he
performs an acoustic version of, accompanied by Barry Danielian on the trumpet. This vulnerable
moment for Springsteen showcases a beautiful moment of shade to the evening, otherwise flitting
from boogie-woogie jazz inspired rock and powerful choruses. It’s emotional, with a haunting quality
to it, with a quiet and captive audience paying complete attention to the superstar before them.
Shortly after a particularly emotional break in the set here, Springsteen and the E Street
Band roared back into life to deliver a third hour of performance. I’m starting to think that this man
has got to be a vampire, or some sort of mystical creature – he continued on with the same rampant
energy that you’d expect from him all those years ago at the beginning. There’s a spark there that’s
never disappeared. He gave his all to every song all throughout the night, and interacted with the
crowd with a true rockstar swagger throughout. During Darlington County, he donned a red hat,
taken from a woman on the front row, and gave out his harmonicas to young rockers on their
parent’s shoulders. He took pictures with members of the crowd, and ran laughed at their shirts and
their signs, like a true gentleman. To be able to feed off your audience like that is a hallmark of a
true legend.
The Boss also managed to throw in a cheeky reference to his last appearance at BST Hyde
Park, in which his set was cut off after he ran over with Paul McCartney. Joined by Steve Van Zandt,
donning an impressive purple outfit coordinating with a signature bandana, he joked that ‘They’re
going to pull the f***ing plug again!’ before launching into mammoth hit, ‘Dancing In the Dark’. The
moment the crowd recognised the iconic opening, a wave of childlike excitement spread through the
crowd, launching into movement, as the sun set. Van Zandt and Springsteen played up for the camera on stage, doing a hilariously simple step forward to the camera before making ridiculous faces. Springsteen even went as far to twerk for the audience, which went down a treat, receiving raucous applause. This is a man, and indeed a band, born to entertain.
Whether or not this ends up being his final tour or not, it was an incredible honour for all of Hyde Park to get to witness the rock n roll pioneer in the flesh. His tales of blue-collar America still resonate across the sea, even now in 2023.
While musically he has inspired so many, most obviously Frank Turner, who made it very clear how grateful he was to be able to support Springsteen, his showmanship and commanding presence are unlike any other. Springsteen and the “heart-stopping, pants-dropping, love-making, earth-quaking, Viagra- taking” E Street Band set the Great Oak stage alight with a performance nothing short of magic. The Glory Days are truly never ending.
Izzy Morris
Edited by Olivia Hannant, Image: Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP
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