The Shane MacGowan tribute marked Springsteen's first performance of a Pogues song
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band kicked off their set Sunday night in Kilkenny, Ireland, covering the Pogues' 1986 classic “A Right Night in Soho” as a tribute to the late Shane MacGowan. It was the first time in their history that they covered a Pogues song.
When MacGowan died in November 2023, Springsteen wrote a tribute. “Shane was one of my favorite writers of all time,” she wrote. “The passion and deep intensity of his music and lyrics is unmatched by all but the best in the rock and roll canon. I was lucky enough to spend some time with Shane and his lovely wife Victoria last time we were in Dublin. He was very ill, but he remained beautiful in heart and spirit. His music is timeless and eternal. I don't know about the rest of us, but they'll be singing Shane's songs 100 years from now.”
Before the show officially started, Springsteen took the stage alone at 5:05 p.m. to reward “the early birds” with his first appearance on 1995's “This Hard Land” from 2018. There were no surprises on the scale of “A Rainy Night in Soho” and “This Hard Land” throughout of the rest of the night, but the group broke out on rare tour dates with “Adam Raised a Cain,” “Seeds,” “If I Was the Priest,” and “Land of Hope.” and dreams.”
The printed setlist included the High Hopes song “Frankie Fell in Love,” which hadn't been played since 2015 when Springsteen was a guest at the Wonder Bar in Asbury Park, New Jersey, with Joe Grushecky. He decided not to play it, but it's a strong sign that it could come to a future show. Also on the printed setlist was “You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)”, which has not been heard since 2017.
Springsteen's tour continues on May 16 at Páirc Uí Chaoimh in Cork, Ireland and concludes on July 27 at Wembley Stadium in London, England. An American leg begins on August 15 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It concludes on November 22 in Vancouver, British Columbia.
from our partners at https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/bruce-springsteen-cover-a-rainy-night-in-soho-1235019413/