Reviews of Habibi Funk 031, Kayatibu, and The Good Ones
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Bossing it
WILL STONE falls for the charms and back catalogue of a 73 year old
TWINKLE TWINKLE: Bruce Springsteen and lead guitarist Steven Van Zandt in Hyde Park
[Dave Hogan]
SIMON DUFF relishes the cross contamination of Damien Hirst’s greatest hits by street artists from France and the US
In view of the grooming gangs inquiry, SIMON PARSONS feels the relevance of this powerful examination of trauma suffered at Medomsley Youth Detention Centre
JOHN GREEN doubts the motivations of a US war photographer who never questions why, or for whom, she is producing images of imperialist conflict
MARIA DUARTE reviews Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere, Hedda, The Mastermind, and Regretting You
TONY CONWAY welcomes a thrilling and concise history of Hope not Hate, that is also a manual full of tactical advice
PAUL DONOVAN welcomes an inspiring account of living with deafness that has important lessons for the treatment of deaf people in today’s UK
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band
Hyde Park, London
BRUUUUUUCE! A sea of adoring fans bellowing Springsteen’s name, which sounds a lot like boos, never ceases to amuse. Particularly after a three-hour epic set so seamlessly electrifying that the very idea of so much as a disgruntled heckle would be laughable.
The Boss, a well-earned moniker, is a force of nature on stage — even at 73 — who defies anyone hitherto indifferent to his brand of all-American heartland rock by the sheer vibrancy, passion and showmanship of his live performances.
Tunes about the life of blue collar workers, including Working On The Highway, Badlands and Out In The Street, transform into extended singalong anthems, while the Boss assumes the role of a quasi-conductor to his E Street Band as they jam out on Kitty’s Back.
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