[IanDangerously]

Who's going to Hard Rock Calling this year at Heaton Park? I'm going to see The Boss and the E Street Band for the first time and I can't wait now, only three weeks or so away.

Anyone been to the previous shows? I've seen the one from '09 that he put out on DVD and it looks absolutely class, plus this year there'll be tunes from the Wrecking Ball mixed in with the set of course. Been looking through setlists from the tour so far and it looks like there's a wide mix of all the classics and some of the newer tracks as well. Whatever he plays it should be a brilliant day anyway!

[barratt15]

(Original post by IanDangerously)
Who's going to Hard Rock Calling this year at Heaton Park? I'm going to see The Boss and the E Street Band for the first time and I can't wait now, only three weeks or so away.

Anyone been to the previous shows? I've seen the one from '09 that he put out on DVD and it looks absolutely class, plus this year there'll be tunes from the Wrecking Ball mixed in with the set of course. Been looking through setlists from the tour so far and it looks like there's a wide mix of all the classics and some of the newer tracks as well. Whatever he plays it should be a brilliant day anyway!

I saw The Boss on Friday at the Etihad. He did some of the best songs on Wrecking Ball; Jack of All Trades, Death to my Hometown and of course Wrecking Ball stand out. Land of Hope and Dreams was also awesome. Lots of classics too like The River, Cadillac Ranch (soooooo underplayed) and Born to Run. You won't be disappointed when he goes to London, he gave us 3 and a half hours, 30 songs and blew the (metaphorical) roof off!

[billybo_h]

I was there for Springsteen in 09 and it was great. Going again this year, and judging by the setlists it looks like its going to be a great show again.

The only thing is that Thunder Road wasn't played in 09, and he has only been playing it sparingly on this tour. Really hope he plays it at Hyde Park.

[tj hughes]

(Original post by IanDangerously)
Who's going to Hard Rock Calling this year at Heaton Park?

Isn't it Hyde Park??

Really want to go, but tickets have sold out :-(

might go up and try and buy tickets from someone, or maybe just go for the paul simon day

[JLXP]

Soundgarden + John Fogerty, yessir.

[IanDangerously]

(Original post by barratt15)
I saw The Boss on Friday at the Etihad. He did some of the best songs on Wrecking Ball; Jack of All Trades, Death to my Hometown and of course Wrecking Ball stand out. Land of Hope and Dreams was also awesome. Lots of classics too like The River, Cadillac Ranch (soooooo underplayed) and Born to Run. You won't be disappointed when he goes to London, he gave us 3 and a half hours, 30 songs and blew the (metaphorical) roof off!

Sound, I was originally going to go to the Etihad gig but didn't get tickets so I decided to go to London instead and see him there. The new album has really grown on me over the last few weeks so I'm looking forward to hearing play the tracks off that live. Classic Boss is still the best though, I'd love it if he pulled out Racing in the Street or Growing Up - two of my favourite songs - but I can't see it happening!

(Original post by billybo_h)
I was there for Springsteen in 09 and it was great. Going again this year, and judging by the setlists it looks like its going to be a great show again.

The only thing is that Thunder Road wasn't played in 09, and he has only been playing it sparingly on this tour. Really hope he plays it at Hyde Park.

I certainly hope he plays it, looks class when I've seen Youtube videos of him doing it live and he stops to let the crowd sing! I hope we get a couple of tracks from Greetings from Asbury Park or E St Shuffle on the show, I love those albums but again they're rarely played on tour.

(Original post by tj hughes)
Isn't it Hyde Park??

Really want to go, but tickets have sold out :-(

might go up and try and buy tickets from someone, or maybe just go for the paul simon day

Yeah it is, did I say Heaton Park? Must've been thinkin about the Stone Roses gig I went to there on Sunday.

Im sure theyre doing two day tickets where you can go for springsteen and paul simon. They released some when they realised the sunday wasnt going to sell out and had to lure people into seeing paul simon with springsteen tickets!

[pinkpenguin]

Holy crap I cannot WAIT to see the Boss tomorrow. Got my wellies. Got the Hyde Park 2009 DVD on loop on the television.



I've never seen him before, so anticipating it to be just as good as everyone says it is! Gonna be a long old wait for him though during the day. Better be worth it....

Wishlist:

x Thunder Road
x No Surrender
x Ties That Bind
x Aint Good Enough For Me (long shot?)
x Jungleland

[ambbs]

Got given tickets for tomorrow as a surprise today, SO excited! At it happens I was listening to The Boss when my parents broke the news that we had tickets to see him! Can't waitttt! It's going to be so muddy though, I was lucky enough to be at Wireless last weekend and that was muddy enough!

I really hope he does I'm On Fire, I lovelovelove that song :-) oh my god the excitement is killing me - THREE HOURS OF THE BOSS TOMORROW!!

[pinkpenguin]

Omg.

Firstly:

Spoiler:

Show

Ridiculous. The man is unbelievable. I loved John Fogerty, but Bruce knocked it out of the park. 'dat Thunder Road. Born in the USA.

And obviously Macca. Christ me and my brother nearly had a heart attack.

Secondly: Dear boring residents who complain about noise leading to a 10.30pm curfew. Screw you. Nearly ruined rock history. Hope you're happy.

I don't mind there being a curfew. I think it's right if there are people nearby.

BUT TEN THIRTY ON A SATURDAY NIGHT? Please. The pubs are still playing music ffs. And you've just switched off McCartney and Springsteen. ffs.
If it was midnight, we're having a conversation.

[IanDangerously]

(Original post by pinkpenguin)
Omg.

Firstly:

Spoiler:

Show

Ridiculous. The man is unbelievable. I loved John Fogerty, but Bruce knocked it out of the park. 'dat Thunder Road. Born in the USA.

And obviously Macca. Christ me and my brother nearly had a heart attack.

Secondly: Dear boring residents who complain about noise leading to a 10.30pm curfew. Screw you. Nearly ruined rock history. Hope you're happy.

I don't mind there being a curfew. I think it's right if there are people nearby.

BUT TEN THIRTY ON A SATURDAY NIGHT? Please. The pubs are still playing music ffs. And you've just switched off McCartney and Springsteen. ffs.
If it was midnight, we're having a conversation.

I hate the whole curfew thing, check out Stevie Van Zandt's rant on Twitter about it if you haven't seen it yet; he was pissed that they were cut off early. There isn't even any resedential areas around Hyde Park from what I can see, just a lot of office buildings, stores, bars, tube stations and old monumenty looking things.

Disappointing that the jobsworths making these stupid rules prevented Bruce from launching into 10th Avenue Freeze-Out and doing the Clarence tribute part of the Wrecking Ball tour but his speech in My City of Ruins served as a nice tribute anyway, I was very emotional during that song tbh!

Thunder Road '75 was played to perfection, with him not playing it regularly anymore and it being such a prominent song the surprise alone made me ecstatic from the beginning. Great to hear "Johnny 99" transformed from the haunting acoustic song it was on Nebraska into this big rousing E Street Band tune as well, amazing stuff. Also noticed that the stuff off the new album is way more powerful live than on the actual record.

So glad he played Darlington County, I absolutely love that song. Would've liked No Surrender too but you can't have it all! The Empty Sky into Because the Night was magnificent too and John Fogerty on Promised Land was so cool despite the poor sound mixing on the mic making his vocal parts almost inaudible! Such a great night, hope he comes back to the UK with some arena shows on the 2nd leg of the WB tour in 2013 rather than the big festival style setup.

[pinkpenguin]

(Original post by IanDangerously)
So glad he played Darlington County, I absolutely love that song. Would've liked No Surrender too but you can't have it all! The Empty Sky into Because the Night was magnificent too and John Fogerty on Promised Land was so cool despite the poor sound mixing on the mic making his vocal parts almost inaudible! Such a great night, hope he comes back to the UK with some arena shows on the 2nd leg of the WB tour in 2013 rather than the big festival style setup.

I agree with this. Loved the festival setting and all (+ a massive massive crowd!), but it's a long day near the front without toilet breaks, and a 3 hour set is long enough as it is! Plus it's a bit more intimate with more hardcore fans.

I'd have loved for Jungleland, but I don't think they've played it this tour. Perhaps Jake C (who was awesome btw) might not have the solo down? Or they're saving it.

No Surrender would have been great, but we got Thunder Road and Born in the USA, which he doesn't play often.

And for the love of God we got Paul McCartney.

[DScofield]

Was so good, literally lost my voice for the rest of the night I had such a good time.

[IanDangerously]

(Original post by pinkpenguin)
I agree with this. Loved the festival setting and all (+ a massive massive crowd!), but it's a long day near the front without toilet breaks, and a 3 hour set is long enough as it is! Plus it's a bit more intimate with more hardcore fans.

I'd have loved for Jungleland, but I don't think they've played it this tour. Perhaps Jake C (who was awesome btw) might not have the solo down? Or they're saving it.

No Surrender would have been great, but we got Thunder Road and Born in the USA, which he doesn't play often.

And for the love of God we got Paul McCartney.

I believe Jungleland has been retired at least for now, I wouldn't mind if it didn't come back to be honest as much as I love that song. Everyone remembers it as the big man's signature solo and as good as Jake is I'd feel a bit awkward seeing it performed without Clarence I think. He'd be so proud of Jake though, I was even getting a bit choked up when during one of the big solos that he played perfectly. Beautiful stuff.

I didnt get right to the front but went in about 4 and picked up a good spot in line with the front of the sound desk and stood there until the end. Could see (and more importantly hear) everything well, apparantly people further back had major problems with the sound being too quiet.

[TheMagicRat]

(Original post by IanDangerously)
I believe Jungleland has been retired at least for now, I wouldn't mind if it didn't come back to be honest as much as I love that song. Everyone remembers it as the big man's signature solo and as good as Jake is I'd feel a bit awkward seeing it performed without Clarence I think. He'd be so proud of Jake though, I was even getting a bit choked up when during one of the big solos that he played perfectly. Beautiful stuff.

I didnt get right to the front but went in about 4 and picked up a good spot in line with the front of the sound desk and stood there until the end. Could see (and more importantly hear) everything well, apparantly people further back had major problems with the sound being too quiet.

I agree. I don't think they'll do Jungleland again. I did think Jake was brilliant though. He was really feeling all the emotion and that transmitted to the crowd.

(Original post by pinkpenguin)
I agree with this. Loved the festival setting and all (+ a massive massive crowd!), but it's a long day near the front without toilet breaks, and a 3 hour set is long enough as it is! Plus it's a bit more intimate with more hardcore fans.

How close were you to the front? I was probably about 8-10 people back from the front and just to the right of the stage, so in line with the big screen. I've been hurting today after standing there for pretty much 11 hours straight. You're right though. Great atmosphere near the front.


I nearly had a tear in my eye when he did the roll call and then asked us if anyone was missing and when he sang that he was sad.

[HeyyImRyan]

I'm a guy, and yet several times was almost blubbering last night!
Thunder Road the same way he started Hammersmith '75...what a way to start?!
The role call and saying how he could hear everyone that was missing in the crowd's voices so knew they were here...

Hit after hit after hit, incredible. Even managed to grab his arm for a good fifteen seconds when he was stood right in front of me!

Only song missing for me was Rosalita



Just wondering - what were all the cameras for? Will it be on TV...? DVD perhaps?
IOW coverage of Springsteen was shocking...3 and a half hour set and they showed four songs, in a way I'm glad though because it meant last night I didn't know what song was up next!

[TheMagicRat]

(Original post by HeyyImRyan)
I'm a guy, and yet several times was almost blubbering last night!
Thunder Road the same way he started Hammersmith '75...what a way to start?!
The role call and saying how he could hear everyone that was missing in the crowd's voices so knew they were here...

Hit after hit after hit, incredible. Even managed to grab his arm for a good fifteen seconds when he was stood right in front of me!

Only song missing for me was Rosalita



Just wondering - what were all the cameras for? Will it be on TV...? DVD perhaps?
IOW coverage of Springsteen was shocking...3 and a half hour set and they showed four songs, in a way I'm glad though because it meant last night I didn't know what song was up next!

It's going to be on Sky Arts in August but, as you say, their coverage of IOW was poor.

[IanDangerously]

(Original post by TheMagicRat)
I agree. I don't think they'll do Jungleland again. I did think Jake was brilliant though. He was really feeling all the emotion and that transmitted to the crowd.

If they ever did do it again it would open up a whole debate because there's people who want to hear it again and people who don't want to hear it without the big man and people who are on the fence about it. I don't blame Bruce at all for not doing it, him and the band have a back catalogue big and strong enough to put on a better show than any other artist in the world without having to play that song and risk dividing the crowd, so there's no reason to do it.

Jungleland is about as close to perfect beauty as music can get but whilst they're still putting on shows like last night I don't think anyone's gonna moan or feel their night wasn't complete without it.

(Original post by TheMagicRat)
It's going to be on Sky Arts in August but, as you say, their coverage of IOW was poor.

Sky Arts programming blocks are normally an hour with commercials which (usually in television) equates to around 42 minutes of actual show. That would do me, get 7 or 8 songs in there depending which ones make the cut. I can't see the DVD release for the tour being Hyde Park again since they did that last time, and really how do you do a DVD without an ending?

[TheMagicRat]

(Original post by IanDangerously)
Sky Arts programming blocks are normally an hour with commercials which (usually in television) equates to around 42 minutes of actual show. That would do me, get 7 or 8 songs in there depending which ones make the cut. I can't see the DVD release for the tour being Hyde Park again since they did that last time, and really how do you do a DVD without an ending?

I do expect more from Sky Arts on this one since it is pre-recorded unlike IOW, so they will have all of the paper work on what they can show.

Good point. Even if they had intended to release it on DVD (something I doubt as well) they can't now.


What did people think of the other acts? I liked the first band (I can't remember their name). Tom Morello was brilliant and by the end had the crowd firmly behind him. I loved 'Ease My Revolutionary Mind' by him. I wasn't familiar with Lady Antebellum's music before going but they were good. The chemistry between the two main singers was great. Fogerty was also really good. And back to Bruce; he and the band proved their brilliance by effortlessly reeling off 'Take 'Em As They Come'.

[oldham_fran]

What a gig. I got so teary when he opened with the Hammersmith version of Thunder Road. It's my favourite version and despite having seen the Boss twice previously, I was yet to hear any version of that song.

I agree with whoever said that the Wrecking Ball material sounds more powerful live. 'Shackled and Drawn' and 'Land of Hope and Dreams' were my two favourites from the new stuff

But how good was Tom Morello? I didn't think much of his set earlier in the day, as I'm not a huge fan (particularly when artists such as himself strive to get a political point across which annoys the hell out of me) but that riff during 'Ghost of Tom Joad' was amazing. And what the hell did he pull out of his back pocket? Can any immense guitar players who saw that please enlighten me? Cos that was mad skills whatever he did!!

Back to Brucey though, I thought this was much better than last time he played Hyde Park, which just shows that his age is totally irrelevant. Was so chuffed that he played 'The River,' which I adore and 'Promised Land.'

But I would love to know who's decision it was to cut the set. HRC have issued a statement citing health and safety reasons whereas Westminster Council say it was due to licensing. So someone is talking crap and both are poor, poor excuses. It takes some balls to cut off the Boss and Macca (who I was totally amazed to have seen) but what an awful decision that was, especially since they probably wouldn't have gone on for much longer.

Still buzzing though

[IanDangerously]

(Original post by TheMagicRat)
I do expect more from Sky Arts on this one since it is pre-recorded unlike IOW, so they will have all of the paper work on what they can show.

Good point. Even if they had intended to release it on DVD (something I doubt as well) they can't now.


What did people think of the other acts? I liked the first band (I can't remember their name). Tom Morello was brilliant and by the end had the crowd firmly behind him. I loved 'Ease My Revolutionary Mind' by him. I wasn't familiar with Lady Antebellum's music before going but they were good. The chemistry between the two main singers was great. Fogerty was also really good. And back to Bruce; he and the band proved their brilliance by effortlessly reeling off 'Take 'Em As They Come'.

If the sound was recorded at source they should have the ending because although it wasn't amplified to the crowd the mic and the drum kit should've still picked it up. The DVD this year should be from Metlife Stadium on the last night of the tour I think but then again that's probably a little predictable!

I missed the first two acts on because standing around all that time would've finished me off. Went and stood alongside the sound desk bit for about 4 and caught most of Lady Antebellum's set, and I enjoyed it more than expected. I'd looked up a couple of their songs on Youtube and thought they sounded OK but on stage they definitely have a lot more life and energy in what they do. Fogerty was great of course but who'd expect anything less? He's a legend in his own right, great to get a chance to see him as well was The Boss on the same day.

(Original post by oldham_fran)
What a gig. I got so teary when he opened with the Hammersmith version of Thunder Road. It's my favourite version and despite having seen the Boss twice previously, I was yet to hear any version of that song.

I agree with whoever said that the Wrecking Ball material sounds more powerful live. 'Shackled and Drawn' and 'Land of Hope and Dreams' were my two favourites from the new stuff

But how good was Tom Morello? I didn't think much of his set earlier in the day, as I'm not a huge fan (particularly when artists such as himself strive to get a political point across which annoys the hell out of me) but that riff during 'Ghost of Tom Joad' was amazing. And what the hell did he pull out of his back pocket? Can any immense guitar players who saw that please enlighten me? Cos that was mad skills whatever he did!!

Back to Brucey though, I thought this was much better than last time he played Hyde Park, which just shows that his age is totally irrelevant. Was so chuffed that he played 'The River,' which I adore and 'Promised Land.'

But I would love to know who's decision it was to cut the set. HRC have issued a statement citing health and safety reasons whereas Westminster Council say it was due to licensing. So someone is talking crap and both are poor, poor excuses. It takes some balls to cut off the Boss and Macca (who I was totally amazed to have seen) but what an awful decision that was, especially since they probably wouldn't have gone on for much longer.

Still buzzing though

I was surprised by Tom Morello as well, I've never really been able to get into Rage at all so I didn't appreciate how good a musician he actually is. He can't sing to save himself but he was great on the guitar.

The bit about being annoyed by artists pushing political points whilst going to see Bruce touring the new album kinda perplexes me though. I get why it can be annoying to an extent when artists do that, but large portions of the Wrecking Ball album read like a scathing anti-political attack on the US administration and the economy its created.