Bruce Springsteen took to the stage at British Summertime in Hyde Park on Saturday as he played his second, and final night.
Ahead of his performance the rocker, 73, was mobbed by fans outside his hotel as they scrambled to catch a glimpse of him.
The New Jersey rocker was joined by his famous E Street Band, along with support acts James Bay, The Coronas, Kingfisher and First Time Flyers.
His energetic three-hour set has been lauded by fans and critics as an ‘unrelenting rock spectacular’ following his first gig on Thursday.
Just hours before, crowds lined the streets by Claridge’s in London as Bruce departed the Mayfair establishment and made his way to the festival.
Rock and roll: Bruce Springsteen, 73, took to the stage at British Summertime in Hyde Park on Saturday as he played his second and final night
Chaos: Ahead of his performance the rocker was mobbed by fans outside his hotel as they scrambled to catch a glimpse of him
Bruce could be seen as he hopped into a waiting car, shielding his eyes with a pair of black sunglasses.
He wore a white shirt underneath a navy blue jacket before changing into a black shirt and jeans for his performance at BST.
On Thursday, the musician rolled back the years with an impressive 29-song set in front of a star-studded audience, that included big names Stella McCartney, Kate Hudson and Jon Bon Jovi.
Bruce kicked off his set alongside his famous E Street Band with an energetic rendition of No Surrender, before moving onto Ghosts, Prove It All Night and Letter To You.
The New Jersey rocker showed no signs of slowing down as he delivered a medley of his biggest hits for the huge crowd, along with support acts The Chicks, Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls, The Coronas, STONE, Picture Parlour, First Time Flyers, Theo Lawrence and Attawalpa.
Later in the show, Bruce reflected on the ‘greatest adventure of his life’ when he joined his first band in the mid-60s with George Theiss, who hired the teenage guitarist into the Castiles.
He went onto recall being at Theiss’ bedside 50 years later when he died of cancer, telling the crowd: ‘I realised his passing would leave me the last living member of that first small band of guys who got together in that little house.
‘Death is like you’re standing on the railroads tracks with an oncoming train bearing down upon you, but it brings a certain clarity of thought and a purpose and a meaning…’
Energetic: The New Jersey rocker was joined by his famous E Street Band, along with support acts James Bay, The Coronas, Kingfisher and First Time Flyers
Incredible: His energetic three-hour set has been lauded by fans and critics as an ‘unrelenting rock spectacular’ following his first gig on Thursday
En route: Just hours before, crowds lined the streets by Claridge’s in London as Bruce departed the Mayfair establishment and made his way to the festival
Bruce continued: ‘Death’s final and lasting gift to all of us is an expanded vision of this life, of how important it is to seize the day whenever you can.’
He went onto dedicate Last Man Standing to his late bandmate, saying: ‘George passed away and shortly after I wrote this song and it’s just about the passions you follow as kids, not knowing where they’re going to lead you and how at 15 its all hellos and later on there’s a lot more hard goodbyes.
‘So be good to yourself and the ones that you love and to this world that we live in.’
Bruce also took a moment to poke fun at being cut off early during his last BST set in 2012, which was cut short after he and guest Paul McCartney ran over curfew.
After launching into an encore that included Born In The USA and Born To Run, he delivered a rendition of Glory Days, before turning to his guitarist Steven van Zandt and telling him: ‘It’s time to go home. I’m telling you they are going to pull the f***ing plug again!’
Van Zandt replied, in jest: ‘F*** ’em!’ before Bruce launched into another medley of hits Dancing in the Dark and Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out.
In 2012, Bruce was headling the Hard Rock Calling event with Paul, organisers decided to pull the plug in the interests of public safety.
Organisers Live Nation said in a statement at the time: ‘The curfew is laid down by the authorities in the interest of the public’s health and safety.
‘Road closures around Hard Park are put in place at specific times to make sure everyone can exit the area safely.’
His show was praised by critics who were in attendance, with The Telegraph’s James Hall awarding the show a coveted five stars.
He wrote: ‘The Boss may be in his eighth decade. But, backed by a tight E Street Band and under a golden setting sun, he played with fire in his belly, a twinkle in his eye, and the energy of a man half his age.
‘I honestly don’t know how he did it. And if he was emotionally wrung-out by the end, spare a thought for the 65,000 fans who watched him. Slack-mouthed amazement – with the odd tear-stained cheek – seemed to be the general vibe.’
Writing for The Evening Standard, Mary Beaumont awarded the set four stars, writing: ‘If Springsteen ever had the number on which to phone in a performance, it clearly became sweat-soaked and unreadable decades ago.
‘At 73 he’s now putting rockers a third of his age to shame, hitting the stage with a No Surrender that sounded like a statement of intent and blazing through enough chrome-wheeled glory rock to give organisers itchy plug fingers.’
Looking good! On Thursday, the musician rolled back the years with an impressive 29-song set in front of a star-studded audience (pictured on July 6 at BST)
Kate Solomon in iNews awarded the show five stars, writing: ‘There were tears, hugs, grins, fists in the air and dancing as the sun faded behind the crowd.
‘This was a master at work, but it didn’t feel like work. It felt as much as a treat for Bruce Springsteen and his band as it was for the hordes in Hyde Park. Three hours is a long time but it passed in a flash: I would do it all again tonight.’
The BBC’s Mark Savage added: ‘With Springsteen about to turn 74, there’s a nagging feeling this could be the last chance to see Springsteen in full force.
‘And yet, he shows no signs of stopping… or even ageing. There are artists half his age who couldn’t pull off a show of this length and energy. We should savour every moment.’
Fans in the crowd certainly agreed, with one tweeting: ‘Bruce Springsteen last night was unreal,’ while another added: ‘Another awesome night watching @springsteen this time at Hyde Park. The man is a true legend. I am hoarse from aching and dancing but still on a high.’
‘Saw Bruce Springsteen for the first time last night. I’ve been gigging 30+ years and that goes straight into the top five. Three hours non-stop, no filler ust music from a band that looked like they were loving it,’ a third posted.
One tweeted: ‘Had an awesome time seeing Bruce Springsteen last night. Incredible show, three hours without a break. Sang, danced, rocked out.’
Designer Stellar cut a stylish figure in a grey boiler suit as she watched Bruce take to the stage.
Retired tennis star Roger Federer and Bob Geldof were also among the crowd at the show, which is the first of Bruce’s two performances at the festival.
Actress Kate opted for a chic white and yellow embroidered sundress as she arrived at the festival with her pal Stella, after the pair were seen partying together at Glastonbury last month.
Bruce ended his show with an intimate acoustic rendition of I’ll See You In My Dreams.
He is set to close out the BST with another show on Saturday, while Billy Joel will take to the stage on Friday, and Lana Del Rey will headline on Sunday.
It comes after Bruce unintentionally made his Amsterdam show one fans won’t soon forget after he took a major tumble on stage.
The I’m On Fire singer drew gasps from fans as he tripped and fell after climbing several steps on the stage on Saturday.
Fans watched The Boss roll onto his back and lay on the floor with his guitar still in hand before his concerned colleagues promptly rushed over to assist him.
His guitarist stepped in to remove his instrument while two concert workers manually hoisted Bruce back onto his feet.
Alleviating any concerns his fans may have had, Bruce, who is currently on a world tour, quickly smiled before addressing the audience.
‘Good night everybody!’ he roared into the microphone while throwing his hand into the air and beginning another song.
Bruce has been traveling the world for his latest tour, Springsteen and E Street Band 2023 Tour.
His tour consists of 37 shows in 32 locations. His next stops will be in Landgraaf, Netherlands, Zurich, Switzerland, and Birmingham, UK.
