ShareBruce Springsteen and The E Street Band performing their Land Of Hope And Dreams Tour at The Co-op Live Manchester on Wednesday 14th May 2025.
Review by Kevin Cooper
Bruce Springsteen came on to the stage of the Co-op Live in Manchester on Wednesday night and delivered an extraordinary monologue about President Trump before The E Street Band hurtled on to the stage and began with the title track of this two year tour, which is now on its final leg with a righteously impassioned Land Of Hope And Dreams.
Springsteen is 75 years old and most of his E Street Band he has known since his New Jersey days and some are also in their 70’s, but from the outset they left none of the capacity crowd in any doubt of their ability to bring their house rocking energy to the max with every note of his twenty-seven song set list.
Throughout there was a mixture of defiance and sorrow at the state of his home country which continued for the first six or so songs which were right from the catalogue of powerful Springsteen song writing. There were explosives renditions of Death To My Hometown, Lonesome Day, My Love Will Not Let You Down, Rainmaker, Darkness On The Edge Of Town from his 1978 fourth Studio Album and The Promised Land which was as potent as it was poignant, mixing political urgency with rock anthems that have stood the test of time.
Hungry Heart was a joyous moment of abandon with Springsteen bounding up and down the stage like a man half his age. The crowd sang along to his every word while a joyous saxophone solo from Jake Clemons brought a much needed moment of light relief. Fans favourite, Murder Incorporated was added to the mix and a stunning solo version of House Of A Thousand Guitars got one of the loudest cheers of the night thanks to Springsteen’s snarling delivery.
Long Walk Home was an early standout song and there was the expected side by side playing with Steven Van Zandt and frequent synchronised guitar showmanship with Nils Lofgren, all of which repeatedly delighted the crowd. There were emotional and high energy performances of Letter To You, the Patti Smith classic Because The Night, Human Touch, Wrecking Ball, before The Rising, Badlands and the euphoric main set closer Thunder Road with fans dancing, cheering and raising their arms in unity.
There was no let up for the crowd as Born In The USA, Born To Run and Dancing In The Dark were all sung out to a jubilant crowd who during the band introductions reserved a special shout out for Jake Clemons, nephew of the late famed Clarence Clemons.
Rounding off with Tenth Avenue Freeze Out as the penultimate song, he closed with Bob Dylan’s rallying cry of Chimes Of Freedom. Looking emotionally and physically drained Springsteen was born to be on a stage because he is always reluctant to leave it. Throughout the set both he and The E Street Band reminded the crowd with almost every song why when on a stage they are the world’s best ensemble and long may it continue.
