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DAY 8 AT BST HYDE PARK: BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN & THE E STREET BAND DELIVER A SECOND LEGENDARY NIGHT OF MUSIC

American Express presents BST Hyde Park  

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
& THE E STREET BAND

DAY EIGHT: Saturday 8 July 

SPRINGSTEEN & CO DELIVER YET ANOTHER THREE HOURS OF LEGENDARY SONGS,
SPANNING OVER 50 YEARS, AT
AMERICAN EXPRESS PRESENTS BST HYDE PARK 2023


The ‘Born To Run’ singer-songwriter takes to the Great Oak Stage for a second extraordinary night, delivering 28 of his greatest hits

With a supporting line up of:
The Chicks | James Bay | Brittney Spencer
Pa Sheehy | Sam Barber | Kezia Gill
Kingfisher | Oscar Corney | Kelly McGrath

Nils Lofgren, Bruce Springsteen and Steven Van Zandt of the E Street Band perform on stage on Day 9 of American Express Presents BST Hyde Park on July 8, 2023 in London, United, Kingdom. (Photo by Dave Hogan/Hogan Media/Shutterstock)

It was an epic penultimate day at American Express presents BST Hyde Park on Saturday with headliner BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN & THE E STREET BAND dazzling audiences for the second time this week.

Bruce let the music do the talking tonight as it rained down on London town. Keeping the audience on their toes he switched the set around from his headline Hyde Park appearance on Thursday night, this time kicking off with My Love Will Not Let You Down. What followed was hit after hit of his best-loved tracks, from Prove It All Night, Promised Land, Badlands and Mary’s Place, which popped up at exactly the right time for the crowd to bellow: “Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain, let it rain!”

The 18-strong band, which included guitarist Steven Van Zandt and saxophone player Jake Clemons – nephew of original member Clarence Clemons – once again performed stellar cover versions of The Commodores’ Nightshift and a song written with Patti Smith, Because The Night.

An hour or so in and Springsteen stopped the music to share the story of his friend and original bandmate from The Castiles, George Theiss, who passed away from cancer in 2018. “In 1965, I was 15 and I had been playing guitar since I was 14 and a half,” he told the crowd. “[George] was dating my sister and she had told him that I play guitar.” 

Going on to introduce his track, Last Man Standing, he explained: “It was George’s gift to me when he died… he left me with this.”

Closing the epic three-hour set was a phenomenal encore, packed with Springsteen’s most iconic tunes. Born To Run, Bobby Jean, Glory Days, Dancing In The Dark and 10th Avenue Freeze-Out and his famous cover of The Beatles’ Twist and Shout all featured, before he ended with an acoustic rendition of I’ll See You In My Dreams.

(L-R) Emily Strayer, Natalie Maines and Martie Maguire of The Chicks perform on Day 9 of American Express Presents BST Hyde Park on July 8, 2023 in London, United, Kingdom. (Photo by Dave Hogan/Hogan Media/Shutterstock)

Second on the bill was American country-rock band, The Chicks, who also returned for their second performance at this year’s festival. Formerly the Dixie Chicks, Natalie Maines and sisters Martie Maguire and Emily Strayer arrived on stage to Sin Wagon, followed by Gaslighter, Julianna Calm Down and Landslide (a Fleetwood Mac cover).

“Well hello, Hyde Park. Are you ready for Bruce?” called Maines from the stage. “That’s Martie, that’s Emily and I’m Natalie and we’re going to play some music for you.”

The band revved up the crowd with their songs both old and new – White Trash Wedding, Daddy Lessons / Long Time Gone, Not Ready To Make Nice and Goodbye Earl all featured, while the powerful March March left the audience close to happy tears.

James Bay performs on Day 9 of American Express Presents BST Hyde Park on July 8, 2023 in London, United, Kingdom. (Photo by Dave Hogan/Hogan Media/Shutterstock)

Earlier in the afternoon, the UK’s own James Bay hit the stage, playing both his trademark tracks and sharing some brand new exclusives. 

“Oh wow, thank you so much,” smiled Bay, as the audience gave applause. Later, Bay revealed that he has been recording new songs with his band and would be releasing new music in the near future. “I’m going to go out on a limb. You get an opportunity like this and you can’t help yourself. I’m going to play some new songs.”

Naturally, Bay’s delightful performance ended with the mighty Hold Back The River.

Brittney Spencer opened the Great Oak Stage this afternoon, with as much excitement for today’s lineup of artists as the fans themselves. “I was inspired by The Chicks, but I’ve never met them,” she laughed. “So today I’m losing my mind because I saw the sign on their dressing room with their name on. I’m so excited!”

Brittney Spencer performs on Day 9 of American Express Presents BST Hyde Park on July 8, 2023 in London, United, Kingdom. (Photo by Dave Hogan/Hogan Media/Shutterstock)

Singing original tracks including Sober & Skinny, More Than Perfect and Damn Right, You’re Wrong – she warmed up audiences nicely for the upcoming array of top-notch artists – with the added bonus of Yesterday (The Beatles cover).

Today’s action began this afternoon on the Rainbow Stage presented by British Airways with country singer-songwriter, Kezia Bill, who combined her own sensational tracks with impressive covers. “I’ve come all the way from Derby. Thank God it’s not raining anymore,” she smiled. Getting into the festival mood she followed up her track, Whiskey Over Ice, with a sip of Irish whiskey. “Cheers Hyde Park!” 

Next up were Missouri singer Sam Barber, who played a selection of tunes, such as Drowning, Ghost Town and Dancing In The Sky. Then it was the turn of Country Kerry sensation, Pa Sheehy, who hit the Irish Top 10 in 2021 with his debut EP, The Art of Disappearing.

Kezia Gill performs on Day 9 of American Express Presents BST Hyde Park on July 8, 2023 in London, United, Kingdom. (Photo by Dave Hogan/Hogan Media/Shutterstock)

With one final day of brilliant live musicians still to come, headed up by Lana Del Rey, it’s been yet another epic day at American Express presents BST Hyde Park 2023. 

BST Hyde Park 2023 returns this summer for its 10th anniversary year and we’ve got even more legendary headliners this year: All Things Orchestral presented by Myleene Klass and featuring Alfie Boe (23 June), P!NK (24 and 25 June), Guns N’ Roses (30 June), Take That (1 July), BLACKPINK (2 July), Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band (6 and 8 July), Billy Joel (7 July) and Lana Del Rey (9 July).

www.bst-hydepark.com | @bsthydepark 

About American Express presents BST Hyde Park:

Set in London’s beautiful Royal Park, BST Hyde Park kicked off in 2013 with The Rolling Stones reliving their legendary 1969 gig, plus Bon Jovi, Lionel Richie and many more packing out the park for memorable summer nights.

The event has featured many now famous shows from Carole King, Celine Dion, Stevie Wonder, Barbra Streisand, Adele, The Rolling Stones, Taylor Swift, Robbie Williams, Black Sabbath, Take That, Kylie Minogue, The Who, Blur, Kendrick Lamar, The Strokes and so many more.

Every year, each headliner is joined by a full supporting line-up across multiple stages, from major superstars to handpicked developing acts performing for fans from across the UK and the world.

And the midweek programme allows free access to the site with outdoor cinema, street food markets, children’s theatre, fitness classes, summer sports screenings, evening events, live music and much more.

About American Express® Experiences:

American Express connects Cardmembers to the kinds of rewarding experiences and opportunities that matter to them and their businesses.  Through American Express Experiences, Cardmembers have access to presale tickets, and exclusive offers at some of the UK’s most sought-after entertainment events via partnerships with a range of entertainment institutions, including AEG, Somerset House, The British Film Institute and the National Theatre. American Express Experiences is just one example of the powerful backing that American Express provides its Cardmembers. To find out more about the American Express Experiences programme please visit: https://www.americanexpress.com/en-gb/benefits/entertainment/events

About AEG Presents:

Combining the power of the live event with a focus on true artist development, AEG Presents is a world leader in the music and entertainment industries. Operating across five continents, the company has an unparalleled commitment to artistry, creativity, and community. Its tentpole festivals and multi-day music events — which include the iconic Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival and the legendary New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival alongside British Summer Time at Hyde Park, Stagecoach, Hangout Festival, Electric Forest, and Firefly — continue to set the bar for the live music experience. AEG Presents promotes global tours for artists such as The Rolling Stones, Ed Sheeran, Elton John, Taylor Swift, Celine Dion, Justin Bieber, Kenny Chesney, Paul McCartney, and Katy Perry, in addition to — through its network of clubs, theatres, arenas, stadiums and renowned partner brands such as The Bowery Presents, Concerts West, Frontier Touring, Goldenvoice, Madison House Presents, Marshall Arts, Messina Touring Group, PromoWest Productions, and Zero Mile Presents — creating and developing an unmatched infrastructure for artist development and audience reach. More information can be found at www.aegpresents.com.

AEG’s European headquarters are located in London.

About Hyde Park:

Every year millions of visitors from London, the UK and across the globe enjoy the iconic Hyde Park, one of the capital’s eight Royal Parks. Spanning 350 acres of green space in central London, Hyde Park has hosted world-renowned music artists since the 1960s. The summer concerts are an essential part of income generation for The Royal Parks, providing necessary funds to maintain and develop the parks for future generations to enjoy. They also help support the diverse culture of London and introduce new audiences to the parks.

About The Royal Parks:

The Royal Parks is the charity which manages, protects and improves the parks in an exemplary and sustainable manner so that everyone, now and in the future, has the opportunity to enjoy their natural and historic environments.

The charity looks after eight of London’s finest open spaces: Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, St James’s Park, The Green Park, The Regent’s Park and Primrose Hill, Greenwich Park, Richmond Park and Bushy Park. It also manages other important open spaces in the capital, including Brompton Cemetery and Victoria Tower Gardens.

It costs around £55m a year to manage the parks. The charity raises around 80 percent of this money itself, with the remaining 20 percent coming from the Government.

For further information please visit: www.royalparks.org.uk and follow The Royal Parks on:

Twitter @theroyalparks

Facebook.com/TheRoyalParksLondon

Instagram.com/TheRoyalParks.

About American Express:

American Express is a globally integrated payments company, providing customers with access to products, insights and experiences that enrich lives and build business success. Learn more at americanexpress.com, and connect with us on

facebook.com/americanexpress  

instagram.com/americanexpress

Linkedin.com/company/american-express

twitter.com/americanexpress

youtube.com/americanexpress

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