Bruce Springsteen paid tribute to Shane MacGowan with a cover of the Pogues classic, A Rainy Night In Soho, while performing at Nowlan Park in Kilkenny.
Springsteen and The E Street Band also came on stage early to play an acoustic version of This Hard Land, surprising fans who had arrived hours before the gig was due to start.
Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band opened their gig at Nowlan Park in Kilkenny by paying tribute to the late Shane MacGowan with A Rainy Night in Soho.
— Greg Murphy 🤓 (@TheGregMurphy) May 13, 2024
Not a dry in the house after that I'd say. pic.twitter.com/YvsOEYCMYD
They then returned to kick off the concert with a rousing rendition of A Rainy Night In Soho.
Writing on X Victoria Mary Clare, MacGowan's widow, thanked Springsteen for his "beautiful tribute".
The Pogues official X account also thanked Springsteen. They wrote: "Lovely tribute to our boss".
This was the first time Springsteen had played in Kilkenny since 2013.
Thank you @springsteen for your beautiful tribute to @ShaneMacGowan ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️Bruce Springsteen, Kilkenny May 12 - A Rainy Night in Soho https://t.co/RQvSJG79bw via @YouTube
— @victoriamary (@Victoriamary) May 13, 2024
Last May, Springsteen surprised MacGowan when The Pogues front man was in hospital and also paid tribute to the singer following his death in November: "Shane was one of my all-time favourite writers," he said.
"The passion and deep intensity of his music and lyrics is unmatched by all but the very best in the rock and roll canon."
"I was fortunate to spend a little time with Shane and his lovely wife Victoria the last time we were in Dublin,"
"He was very ill, but still beautifully present in his 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."
On Friday, The Boss - as he is known to his fans - stopped by one of his regular haunts in Ireland, Leo Burdocks Famous Fish and Chips flagship store in Dublin.
Springsteen is currently in the middle of an Irish tour, having already played dates in Belfast and Kilkenny. He is set to play Cork's SuperValu Pairc Ui Chaoimh on 16 May and Dublin's Croke Park on 19 May.
