Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band delivered a three-hour set at London's Hard Rock Calling, closing it out with a guest appearance by Sir Paul McCartney. "I gotta tell you," the Boss said to the 76,000 people in attendance, "I've been trying to do this for 50 years."They blazed through a rendition of "I Saw Her Standing There," and then an extended 10-minute-plus jam on "Twist And Shout." Too extended, apparently, because -- as the clock struck 10:40 p.m., as "Twist And Shout" was coming to a climactic close -- the sound went dead. According to London's Westminster Council, the concert's organizers had cut the power, due to local curfew laws.
E Street Band guitarist Steven Van Zandt said (via a series of tweets) that the council, not Hard Rock, was to blame. "Hard Rock would have let us play all night … It's some City Council stupid rule."
Van Zandt also suggested that they planned to do one more song and finish up by 11 p.m., had the authorities not interrupted the proceedings.
One of the great gigs ever in my opinion. But seriously, when did England become a police state?
— Steven Van Zandt (@StevieVanZandt) July 15, 2012
Watch the video below to see "I Saw Her Standing There" and "Twist And Shout," as well as the evening's sad closing moments.
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