Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, AAMI Park 2 Feb 2017

Here's the intro to my Backstreets report on the first show of a 2-night stand in Melbourne:

Sixteen songs into an at-times-shambolic first stadium show of this Australian tour, Bruce Springsteen leaned heavily on his mic stand above the pit of Melbourne's AAMI Park and spit out four words that tied up the state of our world in a tight, profane bow: "Shit is fucked up." He repeated those words in a cartoon voice — "shitisfuckedup, shitisfuckedup" — at least temporarily shrugging off the burden of progressive spokesperson here on "Mary's Place" and confessing to an adoring crowd that on this cool summer night "the E Street Band needs some Aussie spirit."

The report includes photos by the fantastic Rene van Diemen but I took many myself. Here's some of 'em.

Trump-induced opener  'Don't Hang Up' by The Orlons had the band, if not a befuddled audience, in hysterics.

"It just ... takes ... two ..."

'NYC Serenade'

'Johnny 99'

'Death To My Hometown'

'The River'

'Mary's Place'

'Darlington County'

Nils sings a verse of 'Darlington'

'Long Walk Home'