Catriona Stewart's verdict: 5 stars
London on Saturday, and the thousands-strong crowd in Wembley were treated to a complete performance of 1978 album Darkness on the Edge of Town. Would Hampden be in for similar indulgence? Sadly, that performance was a one-off, but this Glasgow show is no less for it.
The E Street Band - performing for the first time without saxophonist Clarence Clemons, who died exactly two years ago, and keyboard player Danny Federici, who died before the last UK tour - is 15-strong. A five-piece brass section adds girth and heft, Steve van Zandt's falsetto plays the jester to Springsteen's king, Roy Bittan provides astonishing piano, and the night is electrified.
The Wrecking Ball tour began its thundering progress in March 2012 and shows no sign of fatigue or complacency. Far from that; it is jubilant - as much joy as it's possible to generate from songs of loss, doubt, despair and fractured, broken lives. There's raunch, rock, soul, pulsing bass lines that have the whole stadium jiving, including a roaring Shackled and Drawn. One lucky, plucky 10-year-old is lifted from the crowd and sings the chorus of Waitin' On A Sunny Day.
Almost from the off, The Boss strolls to the front of the stage and picks song suggestions from the crowd, an up-close-and-personal jukebox.
Three-and-a-half hours in and Springsteen's enthusiasm had urged even the sun to linger a little longer in the sky, late evening rays lighting enraptured faces in the upper tiers of the national stadium. It seems as though he might play all night, but finally winds down with Twist and Shout, then Shout itself, a nod perhaps to local lass Lulu.
A showman, a treasure, flawless, and in phenomenal shape for coming-on-64 - the simple truth of it is, Springsteen just gets better and better.
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