The Boss and Macca silenced! Bruce Springsteen and Paul McCartney's microphones cut off in middle of set after council jobsworth decided they'd broken curfew

The Boss and Macca silenced! Bruce Springsteen and Paul McCartney's microphones cut off in middle of set after council jobsworth decided they'd broken curfew







Fans reacted in fury last night after Bruce Springsteen and Sir Paul McCartney’s microphones were cut off as they performed onstage together at Hard Rock Calling.


Organisers later confirmed that the gig at London's Hyde Park had been stopped abruptly because the twosome had broken the 10.30pm sound curfew.

The decision has provoked an angry backlash online, with Springsteen's guitarist Van Zandt taking to Twitter to accuse England of becoming a 'police state'.




Encore of silence: Bruce Springsteen's microphone was cut off during the Hard Rock Calling Festival as he was joined on stage by Sir Paul McCartney





Legendary performance: Paul McCartney joins Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band on stage


Springsteen, who was the headliner at the London event, had been playing for more than three hours when he was joined on stage by the Beatles star for an encore.


'I gotta tell you,' he told the delighted crowd. 'I've been trying to do this for 50 years.'

The pair then delighted the crowds by collaborating on the final songs of Springsteen’s marathon set

However, the musical veterans both found their microphones silenced towards the end of their extended version of Twist and Shout.


Springsteen did not seem to notice at first, and even attempted to address the crowd one more time.

But as it became clear that the sound would not be reinstalled, the veteran rocker simply shrugged his shoulders and left the stage as baffled fans looked on.


Cut short: The musicians were forced to leave the stage when they realised their sound had been cut off

London Westminster Council later confirmed that concert organisers Hard Rock Calling had cut the power, saying they 'were sticking to their license for the event'.

Leith Penny, Westminster Council's strategic director for city management defended the decision today.

'Concert organisers, not the council, ended last night's concert in Hyde Park to comply with their licence, which allows them to run the concert until 10.30pm,' he said in a statement.


'Licences are granted until certain times to protect residents in the area from noise late at night.'


Springsteen had apparently been due to finish his set at 10.15pm and was over 30 minutes over the running time.


His guitarist Van Zandt later accused England of becoming a 'police state' in a series of angry tweets.

'One of the great gigs ever in my opinion. But seriously, when did England become a police state?' he tweeted after the show.

'We break curfews in every country but only English cops needs to "punish us" by not letting us leave until the entire crowd goes.

'The cops got nothing more important to do? How about they go catch some criminals instead of f****** with 80,000 people having a good time?



Rousing set: The rockers performed I Saw Her Standing There and Twist and Shout together

'English cops may be the only individuals left on earth that wouldn't want to hear one more from Bruce Springsteen and Paul McCartney!'

Audience members also took to Twitter to express their anger at the decision.


'Ashamed to be British right now. Springsteen and McCartney playing Twist & Shout in Hyde Park and council pulled the plug cos of curfew,' tweeted actor and comedian Stephen Merchant.

'Springsteen and McCartney: Only in Britain could a local council pull the plug on the greatest artists of the last 50 years giving it all,' wrote journalist Richard James.


The controversial incident has turned London into an international laughing stock just weeks before the 2012 Olympics.


Springsteen, who played with his E Street Band, had earlier invited Rage Against The Machine's Tom Morello on stage to perform Death to My Hometown, Jack of All Trades and The Ghost of Tom Joad and singer John Fogerty, who played before Bruce on the main stage, had joined him for The Promised Land.





Silenced! Bruce Springsteen was unable to address the crowd after his final song when his microphone was cut off after he broke curfew




Bruce delighted the crowd with a 29 song set which lasted over three hours


A jubilant Bruce – who changed his clothes during the show - thrilled the crowds with his set, and often left the stage to shake hands with audience members.

He sported jeans and a waistcoat over a shirt and at another stage wore a checked shirt.

He also made the night for one lucky fan who had brought along a banner asking him to play the song Take 'Em As They Come, and listing the concerts around the world where he had requested it.



Fans surely won't have minded their idol being unable to address them after the concert, since he had broken curfew by playing 29 songs in over three hours leading to his microphone being cut off

Taking the banner, Springsteen said ‘Tonight, my friend, this is your lucky night. You're going to hear this damn thing.

‘It's a completely obscure track I wrote for The River when I needed some rock songs.’

Bruce has only performed the song nine times before, the last being almost 10 years ago Copenhagen, Denmark in 2003.



Springsteen also made the night for one lucky fan who had brought along a banner asking him to play the song Take 'Em As They Come

Springsteen’s encore included fan favourites including Born In The USA and Born To Run.

Other acts on the main stage included Lady Antebellum, Morello and Hey Monea!

Meanwhile Amy McDonald – who played on the Pepsi Max stage – was thrilled to meet the man himself.

She posted a picture of herself with Springsteen on Twitter, writing ‘Amazing day, amazing night. Best photo ever’



Amy MacDonald was thrilled to meet The Boss backstage





Bruce also sported a check shirt as he took to the stage at Hard Rock Calling




BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN'S HARD ROCK CALLING SET LIST 2012




1. Thunder Road (Bruce & Roy)
2. Badlands
3. We Take Care of Our Own
4. Wrecking Ball
5. Death to My Hometown (with Tom Morello)
6. My City of Ruins
7. Spirit In The Night
8. The Promised Land (with John Forgerty)
9. Take 'Em As They Come
10. Jack of All Trades (with Tom Morello)
11. Empty Sky (solo acoustic)
12. Because the Night
13. Johnny 99
14. Darlington County
15. Workin' on the Highway
16. Shackled & Drawn
17. Waitin' on a Sunny Day
18. Raise Your Hand
19. The River
20. The Ghost of Tom Joad (with Tom Morello)
21. The Rising
22. Land of Hope & Dreams


Encores:

23. We Are Alive
24. Born in the USA
25. Born To Run
26. Glory Days
27. Dancing in the Dark
28. I Saw Her Standing There (with Paul McCartney)
29. Twist and Shout (with Paul McCartney)



By Colette FahyRead more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2173758/Bruce-Springsteens-microphone-cut-breaks-curfew-Hard-Rock-Calling-Paul-McCartney.html#ixzz20i8SfqlW