Bruce Springsteen became the second entertainment legend this year to tell a large European audience the U.S. is fighting to save its democracy.
The “Born in the USA” singer made his impassioned presentation while opening his European tour in England Wednesday night. A day earlier, Academy Award winning actor Robert De Niro made a similar speech at the Cannes Film Festival where he received an honorary Palme d’Or.
“In my home, the America I love, the America I’ve written about, that has been a beacon of hope and liberty for 250 years, is currently in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent and treasonous administration,” the Boss told fans in Manchester as he began the last leg of his Land of Hope and Dreams tour, which began in the U.S. in 2023.
Springsteen introduced his E Street Band and called “upon the righteous power of art, of music, of rock ‘n’ roll in dangerous times” to fight the menace he feels the Donald Trump presidency represents.
Fans roared their approval of the 75-year-old rocker’s call to action, which preceded an energetic two-and-a-half hour show. The set began with “Land of Hope and Dreams” and included “Darkness on The Edge Of Town,” “Promised Land,” “My Hometown” and “Badlands” according to the Manchester Evening News.
A day earlier in France, De Niro told cinephiles that the arts are an important weapon against autocracy in a speech in which he also encouraged peaceful activism.
“In my country, we are fighting like hell for the democracy we once took for granted,” the 81-year-old movie star said. “That affects all of us here because the arts are democratic.”
