33 songs, 3 hours and 45 minutes tonight in Oslo, in a show our reporters have defined as «brutally intense». Bruce has given today one of the longests show of his career, just three minutes short of the magnificent performance in Madrid last June 17th. But a Springsteen show is not about records or lenght, but intensity and emotions. And in Oslo emotions flew free since the beginning, with the acoustic version of «The Promised Land» which opened the gig, followed by a double dose of rock with «No Surrender» and «Two Hearts». The lenghty show featured two tour premieres: «Ain’t Good Enough For You» (off The Promise) and «Streets of Fire», one of those gems Springsteen seems to have forgotten, until a fan reminded him via a sign. The intensity of the moment continued with «Prove it All Night» and «Johnny 99».
After the soulful «Raise Your Hand» Springsteen has brought back «Rocky Ground», a welcome comeback, now in a different spot, followed by «The River» and then the piano version of «The Promise». «The Rising» and «Lonesome Day» are back after a break, and the usual greatest-hits-collection that form the encores, normally ending with «Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out», has been extended with the classic «Twist and Shout» and a totally unexpected version of «Night» when everyone thought the show was over. It’s the first time Bruce uses this song as a set closer (it used to open many of his 70’s shows), but it’s totally appropriate in a city that almost doesn’t have much time of real ‘night’ in this time of the year.
Fotos: Jordi Aguilera/Point Blank