Springsteen Delivers at First Glastonbury Appearance

Posted on Jun 27th 2009 7:35PM by Stephen Dowling

In the build up to 2009's Glastonbury there were some who feared Bruce Springsteen might not understand what the famed festival's vibe was about.

They worried the man used to packing in stadiums from coast to coast might not connect with the notoriously eclectic Glasto crowd. On Saturday night, Bruce Springsteen proved them wrong the way he knows best; playing a raw, ragged, rousing set of rock 'n' roll.

It was not only Springsteen's first Glastonbury, but one of the first festivals he's ever played. It didn't show.

Classics like 'Badlands' rubbed shoulders with Yes We Can-era cuts like 'Outlaw Pete,' Springsteen a swaggering, sweating preacher.

"I heard about it, I heard about it, I heard about -- now I'm seeing it!" he yelled to the thousands in front of the stage. The crowd roared even louder.

He paid tribute to old friend Joe Strummer - the Clash frontman was a massive supporter of the festival - by playing the Mescaleros' Glastonbury tribute 'Coma Girl' first up. And he dragged The Gaslight Anthem's Brian Fallon on stage for a little help on 'No Surrender', a follow up to his guesting with Fallon's band earlier in the day.

The other highlights? Almost too many to mention. Springsteen being held up over the front rows of the crowd, clasping hands and grabbing written requests. His preacher shtick reached a fervor in 'Working on a Dream' before dissolving into 'Waiting on a Sunny Day,' steam rising off of him as he sang the opening of 'The River.' A gloriously unkempt 'Glory Days' morphed into 'Louie Louie' and then, fittingly, 'Dancing In the Dark.' Nine minutes after curfew -- two hours and 40 minutes of rock 'n' roll communion.

It's just a guess, but Glastonbury will probably have him back.