The concert was part of Springsteen’s acclaimed Land of Hope and Dreams tour and marked a significant moment in rock history — the meeting of two of music’s most revered figures in the very city where McCartney’s career began. The show also marked Springsteen’s first-ever performance in the birthplace of The Beatles, and the moment was made all the more special by McCartney’s appearance on stage.

Rumours had been mounting beforehand, as both artists had been spotted around the city the day prior. This landmark performance came just one day after Springsteen gave a guest lecture at The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA), a school co-founded by McCartney in 1996. McCartney personally introduced Springsteen at the event, sparking fan speculation that the two might reunite on stage.

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A post shared by LIPA Liverpool (@lipaliverpool)

In a playful introduction, Springsteen teased the audience before inviting McCartney on stage: “You’re lucky tonight. We have a young man, a local young man from Liverpool, who’s going to play with us tonight. I think he has a lot of talent, and I believe he’s gonna be going places. So let’s bring out Paul McCartney!”

McCartney then joined Springsteen and the E Street Band on stage for an electric rendition of ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’, followed by the Beatles’ 1965 track ‘Kansas City’, with McCartney taking the lead vocals on both songs to thunderous applause from the crowd. Saturday’s performance also marked McCartney’s first live concert in Liverpool since 2018, making the occasion even more meaningful for hometown fans.

Following the performance, the two shared an embrace on stage and Springsteen announced, “Being in Liverpool and playing with a Beatle – that’s one of my dreams come true, right there”. Before leaving the stage Sir Paul addressed the crowd with the simple message “Thank you, Scousers”, which was met with whoops and cheers.

Although this was their first joint appearance in Liverpool, the two rock legends have shared the stage on several occasions. In 2022, they performed together at Glastonbury Festival, where they delighted the crowd with ‘Glory Days‘ and ‘I Wanna Be Your Man‘. Other collaborations include appearances at London’s Hyde Park in 2012, Madison Square Garden in 2017, and New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium in 2022.

As the tour continues across Europe, the Liverpool show stands as a powerful reminder of rock’s enduring ability to surprise, unite, and inspire.

Click here to read our recent coverage on Bruce Springsteen’s donation to UK miners in 1985

Opening up in the upcoming BBC documentary, When Bruce Springsteen Came To Britain, Springsteen finally spoke about the large donation for the first time in 40 years.

‘The Boss’ presented two miners’ wives with a $20,000 cheque backstage at a show in Newcastle in 1985, addressed to the Northumberland and Durham Miners’ Support Group.

Miners had been battling for over a year with the government as Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher looked to shut down mines up-and-down the country.

Speaking in the new BBC film, Springsteen said: “My parents were working class people and I watched them struggle their whole lives.

“I’d been reading about it (the strike) in the newspapers and so it was just something that felt it would be a good thing to do. It wasn’t a big thing, it was just a good thing to do at the time.”

Although it may not have been a “big thing” for the ‘Badlands’ rocker, it was life-changing for the support groups he was helping out.

Anne Suddick and Juliana Heron, who both ran mining support groups, were at the St James Park concert together, with Mrs. Heron saying in the documentary that a man tapped her friend on the shoulder and asked if she could “please come and meet Bruce Springsteen.”

Recalling the pleasant surprise, Mrs. Heron said: “She was about half an hour and she comes back and she says, ‘You’ll never believe this’. She just hands us this cheque and said ‘Look’.

“I said ‘That says $20,000’, and she saiid, ‘Yes, it’s for the Northumberland and Durham Miners’ Support Group. I said ‘But he doesn’t know us’, and she said ‘Yes, but he knows what we do’.”

This heroic story will feature in the new documentary, When Bruce Springsteen Came To Britain, due to be shown on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer at 9:30pm this Saturday (31 May).

The film will be part of a period of celebration at the BBC for the legendary Rock icon. Other shows will include Bruce Springsteen at the BBC which will include archival footage from him playing on Top Of The Pops.

Springsteen has recently been touring the UK where he made headlines when he called out US President Donald Trump, calling him an “unfit president” leading a “corrupt, incompetent, and treasonous administration”

This led to Trump describing The Boss as a ‘dried-out prune of a rocker” and “not a talented guy”.

Just this past weekend, Rage Against The Machine guitarist Tom Morello came to the support of Springsteen, saying on stage at Boston Calling: “Bruce is going after Trump because Bruce, his whole life, he’s been about truth, justice, democracy, equality. And Trump is mad at him because Bruce draws a bigger audience. Fuck that guy!”

Finally getting around to posting some photos and videos from Boston Calling 2025. A damp but fun weekend once again! pic.twitter.com/Rkhqa1yMA8

— Kevin Slane (@kslane) May 26, 2025

Springsteen is currently touring through Europe before returning to the UK next month for two massive shows at Anfield in Liverpool. Details for the upcoming shows and any remaining tickets can be found here.

The new film will hit our screens in May, with a specific date yet to be released, and will feature interviews from Springsteen himself, as well as friends such as Sting, Peter Gabriel and E Street Band member (and Tony Sopranos right hand man) Stevie Van Zandt.

As well as the documentary, BBC Two and BBC iPlayer will host a new episode of Bruce Springsteen at the BBC, featuring a compilation of performances from across TV shows including Top of the Pops.

The one-hour long documentary will tell the story of a 26-year-old Bruce Springsteen arriving in the UK for the first time in November 1975 for a sold out performance at the Hammersmith Odeon.

The Born To Run singer was being billed as the new Bob Dylan by his record company, but as Springsteen reveals in the film, it didn’t go completely to plan.

In the new interview, Springsteen reveals the “PTSD” he suffered from his first show on British soil, saying: “After the show I went to a party that was supposed to celebrate my triumph, but I felt I’d been terrible and so I was embarrassed to even go in.

“I went in for a few minutes, couldn’t stand myself being there, went out, ran back to the hotel, sat in my lonely room under a big black cloud, ate whatever I had and went to bed… I had PTSD from the first Hammersmith show!”

The American musician made up for the self-proclaimed disaster just a week later with a second concert at the same venue.

The film will feature archival footage from the 1970s to the 2020s and will be brought up to date by covering Springsteen’s triumphant 2024 UK tour.

Rachel Davies, Commissioning Editor of BBC Music Television, shared her excitement of the announcement, saying: “Bruce Springsteen is not only a global music icon, but he’s an honorary Brit here in the UK – he’s become one of our own!

“We know BBC viewers will love watching this film, which lifts the lid on his early visits to the UK with a world exclusive new interview, as well as some great insight from those that have been hugely impacted by him and his music.”

Springsteen’s success in the UK cannot be contested, as he has had 11 number one studio albums, being the only artist to ever achieve this feat over five consecutive decades.

The film has been produced by Wise Owl Films, know for their work on When X Came To Britain (Nirvana, Bob Marley, Blondie etc) and The Hacienda: The Club That Shook Britain.

Mark Robinson of Wise Owl Films said: “This documentary chronicles a truly special relationship between an iconic American artist and the UK – and one who seems to inspire an unrivalled loyalty and passion from his fans.”

Springsteen fans are full of excitement currently, as it was just announced last week that he will be releasing seven completed, unheard albums as part of a box set titled Tracks II:The Lost Albums.

Keep an eye on the BBC to keep up to date with their night of celebrating ‘The Boss’, as they will soon be announcing the specific date when you can catch the new film.

Springsteen will return to the UK this summer, doing three dates in May at Coop Live Arena in Manchester followed by two massive shows at Anfield Stadium in Liverpool in June. Find tickets for these dates here.

It was reported that 1.54 million tickets were sold via O2 Priority between January and November of this year – this is a remarkable 12% increase from the same time period in 2023.

O2 and Virgin Media customers are granted with the Priority Tickets reward platform, which enables them to have exclusive early access to the sale of tickets to some of the biggest events in the UK. Along with this, members can receive other benefits including VIP Hospitality packages, queue jump and a range of discounts.

What gig tickets did you buy this year?

2024 is not over just yet, but the @O2 #Priority Tickets platform has already had a record-breaking year! Over 1.54 million tickets were sold January to November – a 12% increase on the same time period in 2023.

Tours by #DuaLipa,… pic.twitter.com/xA0QVbej9R

— Virgin Media O2 News (@VMO2News) December 20, 2024

The biggest selling tours of 2024 according to the level of Priority Tickets sold, reveals the UK have an eclectic taste when it concerns entertainment.

Dua Lipa was crowned the top spot on the list. The pop sensation released her third album, ‘Radical Optimism’ this year alongside the announcement of a 2025 world tour, named after the LP. With her own ITV Special and memorable hits like ‘Houdini’ and ‘Training Season’, it is no surprise Lipa claims this spot. As the highest-selling artist on the list, it should be noted that the ticket sales for her upcoming tour were partnered with O2’s priority platform, announced through an enticingly iconic ‘Walk’ ad to increase hype for the events.

Lipa’s runner-up was none other than legendary British comedian Peter Kay. As a much-loved comedian in the UK, Kay’s upcoming tour will consist of a residency at London’s prestigious O2 Arena; with many sold out dates on this tour and some fans reporting being over 20,000 in the queue for tickets, extra shows have been added to meet demand.

Despite only announcing her tour at the end of November, Lana Del Rey claimed the third spot on the list. The forthcoming tour will mark the ‘Video Games’ singer’s first stadium tour in the UK and will be some of the first shows to witness performances of tracks from her unreleased album ‘The Right Person Will Stay’.

Other artists on the list include Usher, who continues to ride the success of his halftime performance at this year’s Super Bowl in February, along with Billie Eilish, who released her third album ‘Hit Me Hard and Soft’ this year and has spent the last few months touring the album in the US.

Gareth Griffiths, Director of Partnerships and Sponsorship at Virgin Media O2 commented on the success of this year’s O2 Priority Tickets reward platform: “There have been massive tours announced this year, ones that will go on to define an entire generation of music and entertainment.”

He continued: “With a relentless demand from O2 and Virgin Media broadband customers for access to live shows, we’re now seeing Priority Tickets smash its own sale records again this year”.

As the future remains hopeful for the continued success of Priority Tickets, it must be emphasised this comes at a time when ticket-buying experiences have become excruciating for fans who wait in online queues for hours or have to deal with dynamic pricing at checkout. Priority Tickets aims to create a hassle-free ticket-buying experience for its customers and gig-goers.

 The biggest-selling tours this year according to Priority Tickets:

1. Dua Lipa
2. Peter Kay
3. Lana Del Rey
4. Usher
5. Billie Eilish
6. Bruce Springsteen
7. Justin Timberlake
8. Linkin Park
9. Tate McRae
10. Iron Maiden

]]> https://www.mxdwn.co.uk/news/o2-priority-reveal-the-best-selling-tours-of-2024/feed/ 0 https://www.mxdwn.co.uk/news/city-of-leeds-announce-historic-live-music-project/ https://www.mxdwn.co.uk/news/city-of-leeds-announce-historic-live-music-project/#comments Thu, 04 Jan 2024 20:44:10 +0000 http://www.mxdwn.co.uk/?p=98595 The City of Leeds has announced an initiative that calls upon past concertgoers to upload their historic gig tickets online for the viewing pleasure of others. The Historic Live Music Project, launched by Leeds Libraries, allows the citizens of Leeds, and indeed anyone else who has visited the city, the chance to share their past concert tickets from iconic Leeds’ gigs with the online archive Leodis, an archive that celebrates the history of the city.

The project aims to preserve the musical heritage of the city by amassing a collection of visual memories in the form of concert tickets, thereby allowing both us in the present and those in future generations to resonate with and relive live music performances by some of the world’s greatest artists.

One of these is Bruce Springsteen, whose performance with The E Street Band in July 2013 inaugurated the First Direct Arena. Such a massive moment in the musical history of Leeds is now documented, visually in the form of an actual physical ticket, in the archive for others to enjoy and celebrate. A show by the iconic Irish rock band U2 is another among the remarkable performances recorded on the platform. They played Elland Road on July 1st 1987, where tickets were £14 and Special Guests were promised.

The archive also remembers Sir Elton John’s 1984 gig at The Queens Hall during his European Express Tour. The ticket reminded a commenter on the archive post about their experience at the gig as they stated, “I was at this gig! Elton played at the now demolished Queens Hall (tram shed) and it was truly one of the best gigs I’ve ever been to!“.

Louise Birch, the senior librarian at Leeds Libraries, recounts how the project came to be, saying, “The project came about as I was going through some of my own ticket stubs that I’d collected over the years, and I realised that many venues don’t actually issue physical tickets anymore.

“Leeds has hosted some of the biggest names in music over the years along with a thriving local gig scene and some incredible venues that have become a huge part of the city’s story.

“Every single one of these tickets also represents a unique memory for the person who went to that gig and what we really want is for people to share those memories and experiences and help us build a living, constantly evolving archive of live music in Leeds.”

The librarians who run the archive are actively trying to increase the collection and are on the lookout for particular gigs, including Jimi Hendrix at The Odeon in 1967, The Sex Pistols at Leeds Polytechnic in 1976, Nirvana at The Duchess in 1989 and Oasis at The Duchess in 1994.

The Leodis archive can be accessed here: https://www.leodis.net/.

Radio 1 presenter Sam MacGregor told BBC: “There has been a history of people who, when they have done a UK tour or European tour, have missed off Wales. But it’s exciting to see artists are starting to change that perception. And if people like Taylor Swift, the biggest artist in the world right now, can come to Cardiff, they why can’t some of the smaller or medium scale artists come?”

Fans had been eagerly awaiting information regarding Swift’s upcoming tour, and when the 34-year-old announced what cities she, along with support from American rock band Paramore, would be visiting, many were ecstatic to discover the singer would be hitting Cardiff this summer. The “Anti-Hero” singer will be playing Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on June 18, her only Welsh date for the entire tour.

Really can’t contain my excitement because… we’re adding 14 new shows to The Eras Tour. And I get to travel the world doing shows with @paramore!! Hayley and I have been friends since we were teens in Nashville and now we get to frolic around the UK/Europe next summer??? I’m… pic.twitter.com/kl1aijxR2o

— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) July 5, 2023

Taylor Swift isn’t the only superstar to be performing in Cardiff this summer, as the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Foo Fighters, Billy Joel, and Pink will be performing at the Principality Stadium, giving Wales an unforgettable summer of live music.

Emily Cotterill from FOR Cardiff, a group representing businesses in the city centre, believes each event is a big opportunity. She said: “We want people who have maybe come to Cardiff once for a gig to think ‘we want to go back and spend a weekend’. Lots of the time, especially with these big names, they are a reason to come here for the first time and then it’s up to us to help those people come back for a second, third or fourth time.”

For more information on Taylor Swift’s upcoming Eras Tour, click here.

Tour dates:

07/06/2024 – Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium – Edinburgh
08/06 – Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium – Edinburgh
09/06 – Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium – Edinburgh
13/06 – Anfield Stadium – Liverpool
14/06 – Anfield Stadium – Liverpool
15/06 – Anfield Stadium – Liverpool
18/06 – Principality Stadium – Cardiff
21/06 – Wembley Stadium – London
22/06 – Wembley Stadium – London
23/06 – Wembley Stadium – London
28/06 – Aviva Stadium – Dublin
29/06 – Aviva Stadium – Dublin
30/06 – Aviva Stadium – Dublin
15/08 – Wembley Stadium – London
16/08 – Wembley Stadium – London
17/08 – Wembley Stadium – London
19/08 – Wembley Stadium – London
20/08 – Wembley Stadium – London

Springsteen revealed the news on his Instagram. The 74-year-old megastar, who has earned 20 Grammy Awards and entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999, said in a caption: “Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band delivered “the greatest show on earth” (Billboard) across Europe this past summer, and they’ll make a triumphant return to the continent in 2024 with a just-announced 22-show stadium run.” 

Fans of the megastar flooded the comments with their buzzing excitement. One person wrote: “Great news! Thanks so much my musical father!”, and another person said in tongue and cheek: “The hope I needed in my life but I also have no money.”  

Last month, Springsteen revealed that he was recovering from ulcer disease, forcing him and the E Street Band to postpone and reschedule certain dates of the tour. Springsteen said: “Thanks to all my friends and fans for your good wishes, encouragement, and support. I’m on the mend and can’t wait to see you all next year.” 

The world tour sees the rock band and Springsteen perform various hit songs, including “Because the Night” and “Glory Days”, whilst also performing tracks from the 2020 album Letter to You and 2022 record Only the Strong Survive.  

The 2020 LP is Springsteen’s twentieth studio album and became an instant success among the masses and critics. The album topped the charts in over 14 countries, including the UK, which ended on the 2020 year-end chart performance at number 31. The record, which features hit singles “Ghosts” and the album title, received rave reviews from numerous publications such as The Independent, who gave the album five stars and said that it “comes as close to the electricity of live music as it gets.”  

Listen to “Ghosts.”

Meanwhile, the 2022 album, Only the Strong Survive, was also a smash success, peaking at number two on the UK Albums Chart and entering the top 10 on the US Billboard 200. The album went on to sell over 60 thousand copies in the UK, certifying the record as Silver.

Tour dates

05/05/24 – Principality Stadium – Cardiff
09/05 – Boucher Playing Fields – Belfast
22/05 – Stadium of Light – Sunderland
25/07 – Wembley Stadium – London

Compared to last year’s festival with the likes of Stevie Wonder, Celine Dion, The Rolling Stones, Phil Collins, Bon Jovi, Barbara Streisand, Lionel Richie, Adele and so many more artists who truly lit up England’s capital city, this year’s festival will have no problems making such a beautiful event like this, difficult to forget.

One of the lineups will include pop legends, Take That, singer and pianist Billy Joel, rock ‘n’ roll legends, Guns N’ Roses, and K-pop superstars BLACKPINK will all be one of the many headliners this summer.

Pop icon, P!NK will headline two shows as she delivers ‘Summer Carnival’ to London, and rock icon, Bruce Springsteen will also make an appearance in two shows alongside the E Street Band marks his first-ever BST debut. The last remaining headliner is yet to be announced soon.

We're delighted to announce the incredible @realdarylhall will be joining @billyjoel as a special guest at his American Express presents BST Hyde Park show this summer! ❤️

Final tickets available at https://t.co/MwqVY4aG5b pic.twitter.com/By0JZUvtfI

— BST Hyde Park (@BSTHydePark) March 20, 2023

As for supporting acts, there are a few artists that will officially make an appearance at this coming summer festival. The artists that have been named so far are Hall & Oates’ Daryl Hall for Billy Joel, Gwen Stefani for P!NK, Sabrina Carpenter, upcoming English pop-singers Caity Baser and Mae Stephens, and South Korean indie rockers for BLACKPINK, The Script and Sugababes for Take That, plus plenty more of supporting acts yet to be revealed.

The BST Hyde Park festival spans across three weekends in the summer. The first festival will commence on Friday 23 June and will conclude on Saturday 8 July. Here are the dates for each headliner performing.

06/24/2023 – P!NK

06/24/2023 – P!NK

06/30 – Guns N’ Roses

07/01 – Take That

07/02 – BLACKPINK

07/06 – Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band

07/07 – Billy Joel

07/08 – Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band

Ticket purchase wise, there is a usual mixture of ticket types which varies in prices, providing different access and experience to the event. The tickets include General Admission, Gold-Circle access and VIP Packages like the Diamond VIP experience and Great Oak Premium. For more information, visit the BST Hyde Park’s official site here.

The organisers of BST Hyde Park have stayed committed in doing the best they can to provide accessibility for fans with disability. They now have the option to apply for a Disability Access ticket option.

Despite this causing a stir, the system has actually been in place since 2011 and was set up to battle touting by ensuring fans have access to the the most in-demand tickets. The Ticketmaster website says “The prices are adjusted according to supply and demand. The goal is to give fans fair and safe access to in demand tickets, while allowing the artists and everyone involved in staging live events to price tickets closer to their true value.” Some have speculated that this approach is preferable to lining the pockets of those purchasing tickets to only resell. However, in the UK it has been illegal for people to sell tickets for live events, matches, and concerts for more than face value Since 31 July 2021.

Though some artists may welcome the dynamic pricing structure, others claim to have had no knowledge of it and are said to disagree with its practices. Back in 2020, Australian rock band, Crowded House released a statement on Twitter indicating that they were not aware of the system and had not approved the program. They approached Live Nation and requested that any ticket holders who had paid over face-value were to be reimbursed. 

pic.twitter.com/YGH9hNany5

— Crowded House (@CrowdedHouseHQ) November 17, 2020

There’s no doubt that since the pandemic, fans are thrilled that music has come back with a bang. A Wall Street Journal investigation from 2019, found the average ticket price to attend the Top 100 US tours increased up 55% in the last ten years and with the ongoing effects of inflation, and the pandemic, it is no surprise that music’s comeback will come at a cost.