Bruce Springsteen kicked off his Land of Hope and Dreams tour in Manchester, England, on Wednesday, and had some choice words for President Donald Trump and his administration.
“The mighty E Street Band is here tonight to call upon the righteous power of art, of music, of rock ‘n’ roll in dangerous times,” he told the crowd, as seen in fan-shot video posted to social media. “In my home, the America I love, the America I’ve written about, and has been a beacon of hope and liberty for 250 years, is currently in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent and treasonous administration.”
He added, “Tonight, we ask all who believe in democracy and the best of our American experience to rise with us, raise your voices against the authoritarianism and let freedom ring.”
He then kicked off the show with the song the tour is named after, Wrecking Ball’s “Land of Hope and Dreams.”
In another video, Springsteen once again railed against the administration’s actions, telling the audience there’s “very weird, strange and dangerous s*** going on out there right now.” He said that people in America are being persecuted for using their right to free speech and that historic civil rights legislation is being rolled back. Springsteen added, “This is happening now.”
According to setlist.com, the main set featured the live debut of “Rainmaker,” which appears on his upcoming box set, Tracks II: The Lost Albums. He also performed “Murder Incorporated” for the first time since 2017.
Springsteen and The E Street Band play a second show in Manchester on Saturday.
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