Bruce Springsteen – Merkur-Spiel Arena, Düsseldorf; June 21st, 2023
The show in Düsseldorf was my third one on the current Springsteen tour and I was excited about it all week. Seeing Bruce is still special to me. It was a wonderful show with some unexpected additions to the setlist. I loved each one of them, thought of absent friends and had a great evening.
With the concert being close to home, I had a day of work to go through before the show. In the early afternoon I was on a train and got to Düsseldorf before the doors opened. Decided to wait for a bit, ran into people I knew and chatted with them. I didn’t see any other familiar faces before the show though. The disadvantage of having a seat s not meeting so many people. Once inside, I checked where my seat was – side stage, front row, great view. It was too hot to stay though and I spent about an hour milling about and watching people. Finally I sat down and watched as the stadium filled up. Especially the standing area was really packed.
Just like in Paris the first night, the show started almost abruptly. One minute there was still music playing and the next, the first band members walked on stage. It wasn’t even 7 yet. I like it when Bruce does not keep us waiting. 🙂 They started the show with ‘The Ties that bind’ and I needed a moment to even recognize which song it was. Bruce and the band sounded great. I loved being close enough to see them without looking at the screen, but I did that too for the details. 😉
“One, two, three, four!” Bruce counted and they jumped right into the regular setlist with ‘No surrender’. I was singing along, but kept seated for now, not to piss off the people behind me. On the screens, I saw a few familiar faces, but more than that I noticed the people I didn’t see and wondered if they were in this stadium somewhere. The pre show gatherings we used to have were always nice. Already, the show moved me and with ‘Ghosts’ I was close to tears, happy to be there, feeling very alive indeed.
‘Prove it all Night’ kept it rocking and during the clap along part, everyone on the floor participated, not only the people in the front of stage area. It was beautiful. i watched Bruce’s solo on the screens and smiled. He still knows how to shred. They continued straight into ‘Letter to you’ and ‘The Promised Land’. Bruce ventured out to the sides , but mostly to his right, while I was to the left. I watched people’s reactions on the screens when he came close and they all looked so happy. I fondly recollected the times when I had been at the front, while I now enjoyed the better overview from afar. Jake joined him at the front and watching them together was pure joy.
During ‘Out in the street’, he added band member’s names behind every call of “Meet me out in the street” and they responded. 🙂 I loved that the setlist was a lot like the first night in Paris and was especially happy to hear ‘Candy’s Room’ again – it is such an amazing song. The band sounded really tight that night and each member got their moment to shine, with intros, solos and everything else. When ‘Kitty’s back’ came around, Bruce finally got the chance to take a breath after all the rocking, while the song slowly built and we all got to sing along the “ohohoho it’s alright” part with Bruce urging us on “a little bit louder.. I mean a lot louder.” 😉 The fantastic horn section brought the song to a close and then ‘Nightshift’ was a great showcase for the backing singers. So far everything was awesome.
‘Mary’s Place’ was the usual party with Bruce walking around, smiling at people and shaking hands here and there. it was clear he recognized some of the “repeat offenders” in the crowd. At one point, while he was walking along close to the audience, he stopped, to get out the necklace he was wearing to hold it to the camera for the “picture of you in my locket” – line. At that point someone touched his leg I guess, because he commented jokingly “Don’t push me while I’m working” or something along those lines.
After that he surprised me with ‘My Hometown’ and I thought of my buddy A. who does not like that song. 😀 Then, even better, he played ‘The River’. People in my section stood up and it was a great, stadium-wide sing-along. Even after more than 40 years that song has not lost any of its power – “is a dream a lie if it don’t come true or is it something worse?”
The band left the stage and Bruce told us the story of George Theiss, from joining his band to standing by his deathbed. The German translation on the screen was a bit off, because apparently Bruce deviated from his script, changing a few things. The essential message came across though. It was very moving, especially when he pointed out that he was the last surviving member of that first band and the lessons he learned from it, the lessons we should all learn from death. “It made me realize again how important seizing the day is”. ‘Last Man Standing’ was a beautiful tribute to those lost along the way with only Bruce on guitar and one single trumpet. It was wonderful and could not even be destroyed by the idiots around me who were talking into the song. It really spoke to me. I think I’m OK on seizing the day. 🙂
I checked my watch for a moment and could not believe only half the show had gone by. It felt very short and a lot longer at the same time. ‘Backstreets’ brought the band back full force. Towards the end Bruce told us of the memoirs he has kept of George and maybe other friends and finished with putting his hand over his heart and telling us “and the rest I have right here… until the end” – again I was really moved.
A fantastic version of ‘Because the Night’ into ‘She’s the one’ chased all the dark thoughts away and left me in awe. This is exactly the reason why I have seen so many Springsteen shows. 😀 “Düsseldorf, let me hear your voices,” Bruce shouted during ‘Wrecking Ball’. I really felt the message of not giving up, no matter what life throws at you, “hard times come and hard times go”. When ‘The Rising’ started it occurred to me that it had been over 20 years since I’d heard that song for the first time and yet it still fells like a newer song. 😉 And it still rocks. Seeing Steve and Bruce at the mic together ever fails to make me smile.
Bruce and the band powered through ‘Badlands’ with a lot of jumping and fist pumping going on on the floor. Most people in the seats were standing too. He definitely had us all under his command and of course everyone sang the “ohohohoho” – part. The main set ended with ‘Thunder Road’ with many lines for us to sing. I was truly happy he did not leave it out this time. It is one of those songs that I want to hear every night.
Everyone in the band came to the front to take their bows, then left stage briefly, only to come right back for ‘Born in the USA’. The last few souls who had not been into it already, were finally shaken awake then and for ‘Born to run’ the entire stadium was standing and singing. It as glorious.
Bruce was on the move again during ‘Bobby Jean’ and I thing it might have been here that he tried handing a guitar pick to a specific person, but they just could not reach and someone else got it. At least that’s what it looked like. In passing someone gave him a necklace. He thanked them and put it in his pocket.
For ‘Glory Days’ even Bruce was jumping a little bit. 😀 We also established ta nobody wanted to go home – not the people on the floor, in the stands ore in the back. “Let us continue,” he decided and we got a great version of ‘Dancing in the Dark’ – at the end he introduced everyone in the band, then, for dramatic effect, ripped his shirt open and everyone cheered. He buttoned it up again soon and I wondered momentarily how the shirt buttons had not come off. Of course the “Düsseldorf!” – “Bruce!” call and response was there too!
A beautiful and moving version of ‘Tenth-avenue freeze-out’ followed, with pictures of Clarence and Danny and Bruce and Jake standing together, holding hands. The legendary E-Street Band indeed! The band bowed and waved for a final time, before walking off and leaving just Bruce with his guitar. He played us ‘I’ll see you in my Dreams’ solo acoustic, with the words translated to German on the screen. Everywhere around teh arena, phone lights went up – it looked amazing. The perfect last song on a perfect evening. Thank you Bruce!
Setlist
The Ties That Bind
No Surrender
Ghosts
Prove It All Night
Letter to You
The Promised Land
Out in the Street
Candy’s Room
Kitty’s Back
Nightshift (Commodores cover)
Mary’s Place
My Hometown
The River
Last Man Standing (acoustic with Barry Danielian on trumpet)
Backstreets
Because the Night
She’s the One
Wrecking Ball
The Rising
Badlands
Thunder Road
Encore:
Born in the U.S.A.
Born to Run
Bobby Jean
Glory Days
Dancing in the Dark
Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out
I’ll See You in My Dreams (solo acoustic)