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When Bruce Springsteen bossed it at St James’ Park, Newcastle, 40 years agoThe American superstar played two sold-out shows at the home of Newcastle United on June 4 and 5, 1985CommentsDavid
Morton Nostalgia Editor00:15, 31 May 2025Bruce Springsteen on June 4, 1985, playing the first of two shows at St James' Park, Newcastle(Image: Mirrorpix) It was the decade when stadium rock
arrived in Newcastle for the first time. In 1982, The Rolling Stones became the first major act to perform at St James’ Park. Two years later, it was the turn of Bob Dylan - and in 1986,
Freddie Mercury and Queen lit up the home of the Toon with a stunning performance.
This week 40 years ago, meanwhile, 35-year-old American superstar Bruce Springsteen stopped off in the midst of his Born In The USA world tour to play two sold-out shows that have become the
stuff of legend.
Nearly four million fans would watch ‘The Boss’ during his sprawling global jaunt, and 76,000 of those turned out on Tyneside on the nights of June 4 and June 5, 1985, netting more than £1
million. It would be the star’s first return to Newcastle since his appearance at the City Hall in May 1981.
Tickets had gone on sale at St James’ on May 1 and lengthy queues instantly formed to snap them up. The ticket price - £14.50 - was considered hefty at the time, but as student Duncan
Reid, 18, told an Evening Chronicle reporter: “It’s worth it for Bruce Springsteen.”
The Chronicle, in fact, saw fit to produce a special souvenir edition, priced 17p, to mark the concerts, and copies were presented to Bruce and his band by tour promoter Harvey Goldsmith.
The day of the first show saw Newcastle bathed in brilliant sunshine. Fans began queuing early and there was a “carnival atmosphere” as the St James’ gates swung open at 4pm. Audience
members included Bob Geldof and his then girlfriend Paula Yates, Alan Hull of Lindisfarne, Newcastle United manager Jack Charlton, local athletics stars Brendan Foster and Steve Cram, and a
host of footballers.
Article continues below Some time after 6pm, the 38,000 fans inside St James’ went wild as Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band hit the 80 ft x 60 ft stage with the anthemic Born In The
USA, the title track of his chart-topping album of the time.
Singer Bruce Springsteen performs in concert at St James' Park, Newcastle, on the Born in the USA tour 4 June 1985(Image: NCJ Archive) The Chronicle’s rock and pop reviewer, Peter Kinghorn,
wrote: “When Springsteen and his seven-piece band burst on stage, it was like a shock to the system. We had had no support act to warm us up - instead here was Bruce, looking tough in black
leather jacket and black boots.
“The sound was excellent - clean and clear, booming around the ground. It would be a show of pace, power and real passion which saw the rock legend perform no less than 26 numbers.”
Classic hits including Glory Days, Dancing In The Dark, Hungry Heart, Cover Me, The River and Born To Run were performed with tremendous energy and purpose over the course of two
electrifying sets.
As the temperature rose inside the stadium, security staff sprayed down audience members who were hyperventilating while, with a strict no-alcohol policy in place at the venue, police
officers poured bottles of booze confiscated from fans down the drain.
Bruce Springsteen performs at St James' Park, Newcastle, United Kingdom. The concert is billed as Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.The concert is part of the Born In The USA world
tour which started in Minnesota, June 1984, went to Australia, Japan and Europe and finished in October 1985 in Los Angeles.Picture taken 4th June 1985 Summing up the evening, the
Chronicle’s Peter Kinghorn wrote: “And what of Bruce? He was everything: Gene Vincent, Chuck Berry, Eddie Cochran, and Bob Dylan. A magnificent performance.”
Back at the Gosforth Park Hotel, relaxing after the show, The Boss reportedly enjoyed fish, chips, and mushy peas, while it was also revealed he donated £16,000 (nearly £50,000 in today’s
money) to sacked miners in the wake of the bitter, year-long national strike which had ended a few months earlier.
Article continues below Bruce Springsteen’s 1985 Newcastle shows were part of what was an era-defining summer for live music. In July, the massive Live Aid concert at Wembley Stadium in
London saw fans from our region heading south to see the likes of Queen, David Bowie and U2 performing in the music event of the decade. In the United States on the same day, meanwhile,
another star-studded concert took place at John F Kennedy Stadium, Philadelphia. Music fans had rarely had it so good.
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