10 things we learned as Bruce Springsteen rocked the RDS in Dublin

From the Charlie Bird shout-out to the eclectic crowd - 10 takeaways from the first of his three shows at the venue

Bruce Springsteen on the first of three sold out nights at the RDS. Picture: Andres Poveda

He came, he saw, he played the hits. But before he got to Born In The USA, Glory Days and Dancing in the Dark, Bruce Springsteen treated the RDS in Dublin to nearly three hours of fervour and old-school bar-band swagger — with some late-hours melancholy mixed in too. 

Here are 10 takeaways from the first of his three shows at the venue.

1. Age is just a number — at least for Bruce Springsteen

Springsteen was born in 1949 and yet, at 73, remains fighting fit and barely paused for breath at the RDS. He huffed and puffed, he ran down to the hardcore fans in the pit. 

But he could still belt out Born In The USA at the start of the encore as enthusiastically as he had performed it at Slane nearly 40 years ago. 

Springsteen says diet is “90% of the game”: his tour rider is said to include whey powder, soy milk, protein shakes and bananas and strawberries.

2. But the loss of old friends has marked him

One of the show’s most emotive moments came when he spoke about the death of his old bandmate, George Theiss, with whom he’d grown up as a teenager in New Jersey and with whom he played in his first group, The Castiles.

“Death is final”, he said, encouraging the audience to “live in the moment” before our “todays become yesterdays”…

Bruce Spingsteen had the crowds rocking at the RDS. Picture: Stephen Collins/Collins Photos

3. He knows how to pace a three-hour set

Unless you’re Bruce Springsteen, three hours of live music — or indeed three hours of anything — can feel daunting. 

But Springsteen and the E-Street Band are old hands at this long game and their RDS performance was structured perfectly. Arriving on at 7.30pm — 30 mins later than billed — they opened with Born In The USA’s No Surrender and then charged into Ghosts from Springsteen’s autumnal 2020 LP Letter To You, before raising the tempo once again with Prove It All Night from Darkness on the Edge of Town.

But, further in, he had fun with the setlist: the Commodores Nightshift was extended into a soulful singalong and then Springsteen plunged into laid-back and luxuriant jam-band takes on Mary’s Place and the E-Street Shuffle. It was a languid centre point for the gig which only really put down the foot again with Because The Night, his 1978 collaboration with Patti Smith.

4. It was Bruce and a band of brothers (and sisters)

Springsteen is the star. But does any other musician have lieutenants as loyal as the E-Street Band? They all had cameos, from Steve Van Zandt sharing the mic with Springsteen, to Jake Clemons, nephew of Clarence, deploying the saxophone like a guided missile and Nils Lofgren on steel-pedal and background vocals. 

Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band on stage at the RDS. Picture: Andres Poveda

This was Springsteen's show — but his support crew elevated the performance. Springsteen knew that too and surrendered the spotlight at every opportunity.

5. Charlie Bird received a shout out

The encore started with Springsteen dedicating Land of Hope and Dreams to the broadcaster. Earlier Springsteen had met Bird, diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease in 2021. 

“Last evening I was blown away brought to meet Bruce Springsteen backstage before concert. We had a couple of hugs and I used my voice app to talk to him,” wrote Bird on social media.

6. Springsteen’s soul period deserves a second look 

Critics were generally sniffy about Only The Strong Survive, a collection of classic soul covers Springsteen released last November. But at the RDS that expanded take on Nightshift showcased the punch in Springsteen’s voice.

Bruce Springsteen belting out his ballads.

7. Nobody does anthemic like Springsteen 

The house lights came on and the RDS was bathed in light as Springsteen negotiated Born In the USA, Born To Run, Glory Days and Dancing In The Dark one after the other during the encore. There had been some grumbling among diehard Springsteen fans that there isn’t enough variety in the current setlist. But who could argue with a quadruple-whammy like that?

8. It finished on a downbeat note

The show ended with Springsteen alone on stage, playing harmonica and performing I’ll See You In My Dreams — a stark ballad dedicated to the many people in his life he has lost.

“Death is not the end…I’ll see you in my dreams,” he sang — a poignant sign-off from an artist who has said more than his share of goodbyes.

9. Springsteen’s popularity spans generations

There were plenty of attendees in their 50s and 60s at the show. But Gen Zs and Millennials were out in force too. Springsteen is one of those artists whose appeal transcends age.

10. He’s Going to Do It All Over Again 

Springsteen has two more Dublin shows — after that, who knows when we will see him again in Ireland? But for those going along on Sunday and Tuesday, the newsflash is that they’re in for a treat.