Lille 24.5 2025 #SpringsteenTour2025

Another Springsteen trip, this time to Lille, France. I flew in to Brussels on Saturday morning, the day of the show. Leaving after work on Friday wasn’t really an option this time since the trains from Brussels Midi to Lille don’t run in the evening.

I met up with Oliver at Brussels Midi, just as planned. In the same train were our German friends Carina and Werner, which was a nice surprise. We all switched to the next train heading for Lille, but unfortunately everyone else had seats in coach 5 and I in coach 8, so we had to stay separated a bit longer. Not ideal when you’re itching to chat and get into concert mode, but at least we were all on the same track, literally.

I had, meanwhile, come fully prepared for a weather disaster; rain jacket, extra shoes, and even a paper magazine for drying out soggy soles. Turns out I hadn’t done my homework: the Decathlon Arena – Stade Pierre-Mauroy is a modern stadium with a retractable roof. Of course the roof was on, and of course there was no chance of getting rained on during the show. Not even a dramatic drizzle. But hey, at least my shoes travelled in comfort.

The stadium, home to football club LOSC Lille, holds over 50,000 people and was just a short 600-metre walk from our hotel. There was also a metro station nearby (Cité Scientifique), which made it easy to get into central Lille, for the transport to and from the train station (Lille Europe).

Since we arrived to the hotel hours before check-in, we walked over to the arena to check it out and grab something to eat. Outside the arena we found food stalls and restaurants, that had started preparing for the evening. We found an open restaurant and, together with a bunch of other Springsteen fans who wanted to escape the rain, we ordered French cuisine at its finest: chicken burger and fries served with beer in plastic cups. 😅

---

Later, after resting for a bit at the hotel, we made our way back. The queue outside was quite long and inside we saw that the pit was large, about half the floor. We ended up somewhere center in the back of the pit. As the lights dimmed and the band kicked off with No Surrender I expected that familiar surge of energy but this time, something felt a bit off right from the start. I turned to Oliver during the first or second song and said that Bruce sounded hoarse. During the show Bruce also missed a few lines here and there, and overall, there just wasn’t the same energy as at the last show we saw. As he moved down to the rails, it was noticeable that he made it slowly and carefully.

I wasn’t the only one who picked up on it. Someone later described it on Facebook as Bruce having a bad night, and I have to agree, at least to some extent. His timing was off in places, and he sang flat on a few songs. Some blamed the sound system, but I’m not convinced it was just a monitor issue. Hopefully it was nothing more than a temporary dip, but there’s no denying he’s getting older and tonight, it showed.

That said, the crowd was good, maybe not the most energetic we’ve seen, but they stayed with him, especially toward the end when the hits started rolling out. There was a warm response to Bruce’s speeches, which were subtitled in French. Several songs had subtitles too: Land of Hope and Dreams, Rainmaker, House of a Thousand Guitars, My City of Ruins, and Chimes of Freedom. Like in Manchester, this show wasn’t just about the music. It was about the message. The subtitles helped underscore that. Bruce is angry, and it shows: in the setlist, in the way he delivers the songs, and in the weight of what he’s saying.

---

The first half of the show was heavy, both emotionally and politically, and I don’t think the casual fan necessarily picked up on all of it. Seeds, for instance, isn’t for everyone, but it hit hard, and it mattered. That song, along with House of a Thousand Guitars, Rainmaker, and a moving My City of Ruins, stood out as the highlights for me. I also really enjoyed the guitar “battle” between Bruce and Stevie during the end of Murder Incorporated, a reminder that even on a tougher night, they still know how to bring it.

---

So, with Lille now behind us, I’m already looking ahead to next Saturday’s show in Marseille. That concert doesn’t necessarily mean more, but it is special. It’s the one that got cancelled last year, literally as we were about to enter the arena. Hopefully Bruce will have had time to rest and bounce back, although there’s another Lille show on Tuesday first. Fingers crossed for better luck this time and let’s hope for a bit of sunshine.

Thanks to Oliver for patiently accompanying me and making things happen and thanks to Carina for helping me remebering certain details!

---

Setlist:

No Surrender

Land of Hope and Dreams

Death to My Hometown

Lonesome Day

Seeds

Rainmaker

The Promised Land

Hungry Heart

The River

Youngstown

Murder Incorporated

Long Walk Home

House of A Thousand Guitars

My City of Ruins

Because the Night

Wrecking Ball

The Rising

Badlands

Thunder Road

Encore:

Born In the USA

Born to Run

Bobby Jean

Dancing in the Dark

Tenth Avenue Freeze-out

Chimes of Freedom