Live Review: Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band

Bruce Springsteen fans have reason to feel well satisfied. Less than 12 months since his last visit to these shores, a packed Allphones Arena was treated to a three-hour masterclass of rock and musicianship delivered with a bucket-load of charisma. With such a vast catalogue there were some omissions (no Born In The USA for example) but, in keeping with his desire to always do something a little different, he did play the whole Darkness On The Edge Of Town album track by track. Whilst some of the crowd's energy levels may have wilted a little during that period, the die-hards revelled in it and Springsteen remained fully charged throughout the show. With no video walls or spectacular effects to distract, he built a direct connection with the audience both emotionally in his songs and physically with the meet and greet on the most intimate of walkways from which he shared a beer and fell backwards to crowd surf back to the stage.

His 16-piece E Street band, every one of whom had their own deserved moment in the spotlight, turned in a faultless performance with the highlight being some explosive guitar playing on The Ghost Of Tom Joad by Rage Against The Machine's shared member Tom Morello, which had to be heard to be believed. Friday On My Mind (The Easybeats), Don't Change (INXS) and Just Like Fire Would (The Saints) featured as Australian artist covers.

With the house lights up for the final few songs it was party time as Born To Run and Dancing In The Dark were belted out with gusto by all before a simply beautiful (requested) Surprise, Surprise and a spellbinding cover of Suicide's Dream Baby Dream closed the show. There just can't be any other show as exhilarating for the performer as for those in the crowd. He's set to remain The Boss for a while yet.