Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band – O2 Arena London / Palais Omnisports De Bercy

Caught the Paris and London shows for Bruce Springsteen & The E Street bands 2007 Magic Tour.

I was a bit nervous about seeing the E Street band again – as I was worried all the players were getting older and it may start becoming something of a character of their previous selves.

Well any fears were quickly dismissed as the show is very hard rocking, the band working hard for most of the 2 ½ hours – with only a couple of slower songs for the band (and the crowd) to catch their breath.

The first show I saw was in Paris, and we were seated behind the stage. Our seats were super-close (only 5 rows from the stage) but it was an unusual way to watch a show. It was an interesting perspective to see the hundreds of faces in the pit all staring intently at Bruce and yelling every word to every song – it must be reasonably unnerving. Also we saw a great scene as the band walks on the stage at the start of the show – Bruce stands at the bottom of the ramp leading to the stage and greats everyone as the walk on, wishing them a good show. Seemed pretty cool.

For such large venues – Paris seemed slightly smaller than the O2 Arena which I think holds around 20,000 people – the sound was impressive. Clear and pretty loud, and glorious. The quisessential E Street sound. As my buddy Ross who came to the London show with me put it: “so distinctive, cacophonous and romantic, it sounds like one instrument to me”

While both shows had very similar setlists (the main different being “The River” not played in London, to be replaced with “Working On The Highway” and “Racing In The Street”) I still found them both incredible enjoyable. If anything London was probably the better of the two – as being face on to the stage (we initially had seats up in the rafters, but noticed a bank of empty seats right next to the floor area which we managed to make our way to by the fifth song) it was hard not to get caught up in the action and emotion of the show.

Highlight for me was ‘Because The Night’ each night featuring a blistering solo from Nils Lofgren. In fact I took away from the shows a new found respect for Nils as the quiet foundation of the band working hard, and seemingly constantly changing instruments (sometimes within the same song).

The show featured maybe two too many songs from the new album for my liking – in particular, while I really enjoy “Girls In Their Summer Clothes” on the record, I don’t think it makes a strong opener for the encore. On the other hand – “Radio Nowhere” is the perfect show opener, and the title track was played in a great sparse arrangement featuring Bruce on acoustic guitar and Soozie on fiddle.

The other great thing was how well songs from ‘The Rising’ blended in with the rest of the Springsteen back catalog. Having lived with the album for a few years – it’s clear songs like “Lonesome Day” and “The Rising” are modern-Springsteen classics.

These being December shows – both nights ended with a fun run-through “Santa Claus is Comin’ To Town”. And with new shows announced for May 2008 – as Springsteen said “see you in the summer”.
Full setlists:

The 02 Arena, London – 19 December 2007:
Radio Nowhere
No Surrender
Night
Lonesome Day
Gypsy Biker
Magic
Reason to Believe
Because the Night
She's the One
Livin' in the Future
The Promised Land
Waitin' on a Sunny Day
Working on the Highway
Racing in the Street
Devil's Arcade
The Rising
Last to Die
Long Walk Home
Badlands
encore:
Girls in Their Summer Clothes
Jungleland
Born to Run
Dancing in the Dark
American Land
Santa Claus is Comin' to Town

Palais Omnisports De Bercy, Paris – 17 December 2007:
Radio Nowhere
No Surrender
Night
Lonesome Day
Gypsy Biker
Magic
Reason to Believe
Because the Night
She's the One
Livin' in the Future
The Promised Land
Waitin' on a Sunny Day
The River
Devil's Arcade
The Rising
Last to Die
Long Walk Home
Badlands
encore:
Girls in Their Summer Clothes
Jungleland
Born to Run
Dancing in the Dark (with Elliott Murphy)
American Land
Santa Claus is Comin' to Town

Crowded House - Royal Albert Hall

Having seen the first show of the Crowded House show – an intimate affair on a boat in Bristol – I wasn’t particularly tempted to go to the big arena show in London. However when the announced a special last show of the tour gig at the wonderful Royal Albert Hall – that one seemed too good to pass up, so I managed to get 2^nd row seats for Kimbo and I.

It was clear from the opener “Recurring Dream” (a rarely played non album track) that this show was going to be something a bit different, and it certainly seemed like the band had as much fun as the hardcore crowd.

When compared with the very first show back in March - it was remarkable to see how much tighter and more confident the band sounded. To be fair, they didn’t sound sloppy at that first show, it’s just that after playing together for 8 months, and with full production sound behind them: the group sounded amazing tonight.

They managed to play much of the highlights from the new album ‘Time On Earth’: “Don’t Stop Now”, “Pour Le Monde”, and an excellent “Transit Lounge” in the encore (complete with Beth Rowley on guest vocals). Although sadly no “She Called Up” or “Silent House”.

In between the band mixed in a bunch of rarer material: from the opening “Recurring Dream”, a touching “Message To My Girl” (which included Neil using a mobile phone to call and dedicate the song to what everyone presumes was his wife Sharon in New Zealand), the Paul Hester penned “Italian Plastic”, and “In The Lowlands” both from the criminally underrated ‘Temple Of Low Men’ album.

Highlights from me was Neil thanking all the road-crew then, seemingly spontaneously deciding to ask the “crew band” to come out and play a song, so the members of Crowded House would have a chance to go into the audience to watch them. The crew members obliged and did an incredible version of “It’s Only Natural” – while the band yucked it up in a box half-way down the arena – before they returned to stage to take-over and finish the song.

Neil also made mention that when they’d previously played The Royal Albert Hall – they’d found the large open room very conducive to paper aeroplanes – so they provided paper on people seats, and at some stages during the show you could look up and see a dozen or so planes flying around. Impressive, though it did wear slightly thin when cheers for a particularly long flight erupted mid-song.

As I remarked about the show in March – you simple forget how many fantastic songs Neil Finn has written. Standouts for me tonight was the main-set closing “Distant Sun”. “Four Seasons In One Day” – which Neil started sans-microphone, singing from the edge of the stage only a few feet from Kimbo and I.

All in all a great night from great, great band.

Recurring Dream

Say That Again

4 Seasons In One Day

Pour Le Monde

In The Lowlands

You Are The One

Hole In The River

Nails In My Feet

A Sigh

Pineapple Head

Italian Plastic

Don’t Dream It’s Over

It’s Only Natural (first half played by Roadie band)

Don’t Stop Now

Distant Sun

encore:

Chocolate Cake

Message To My Girl

Private Universe

2nd encore:

Mean To Me

Transit Lounge (with Beth Rowley)

Something So Strong

Into Temptation

Better Be Home Soon

Powderfinger - Hammersmith Apollo

Great show from Aussie favorites Powderfinger at the Hammersmith Apollo. Show opened with new album opener "Head Up In The Clouds" but included a stack of old favorites like "My Kind of Scene" and "Love Your Way".

We'd been to see Ryan Adams and The Cardinals at this same venue only a few weeks ago, so it made an interesting comparison. The production for the Powderfinger show was excellent. Great sound, good lighting, and the stage set-up of four large Turkish rugs across the stage - one each for guitarist Ian Haug, singer Bernard Fanning, guitarist Darren Middleton and bassist John Collins- worked great.

Bulk of the show was material from their most recent album 'Dream Days at the Hotel Existence' (only out the week before in the UK) and highlights for me were first single "Lost and Running" and a solo acoustic "Black Tears".

Joined by an additional keyboardist, which led to a slightly corny organ/drum solo, the show was pretty slick. Saving some clear crowd favorites til the end of the set - so the main set finished with a mass sing-along to "My Happiness" and the rockin' "Bless My Soul" (first time played in the UK according to the band).

Encore started with an acoustic "Sunsets" just Bernard, Ian and John on acoustic guitars. Before closing on a high with "On My Mind" which segued into a reading of The Stones "Midnight Rambler".