Even in the air-conditioned entertainment centre there was no escaping the record-breaking heat in Adelaide that had the coolest band on the planet sweating through their short stay in the city.
Never one to miss a tribute to the locals, Springsteen again led his band on to the stage with an exclamation about how fucking hot it was, before launching into (Love Is Like a) Heat Wave with the full band front and centre.
The high temperature was was a strong theme of the show as Springsteen went into the 'cool' of Jackson Cage's night.
The tour debut of songs didn't stop there as Roy Bittan's intro into Backstreets was welcomed with a roar of approval, sending set list watchers everywhere into a enviable meltdown.
Springsteen powered through the 'salt-infested summer' with a loud, heavy guitar that at times displaced Bittan's crucial notes on the piano, but the crowd didn't fail in picking up the song for its finale.
Any questions about why Springsteen's guitar was so damn loud through the song were immediately answered when he burst into an explosive version of Cover Me.
If Springsteen did feel frustrated from the overwhelming heat in Adelaide it was here where he let it out, engaging in an incredible axe battle with Nils Lofgren. Both lead guitarists revelled in competing against each other with Springsteen even trying a little spin in response to Lofgren's killer blow of his wild guitar cyclone.
If there was one moment from Adelaide that was not-to-be missed, Cover Me was it.
The Tom Morello fired High Hopes and Just Like Fire Would kept the energy burning before Springsteen's Hungry Heart crowd surf ended with a collection of request sign for Better Days.
A storming band version of the song that often appears in the crowd but rarely on stage.
A request for The Promised Land was also answered before Morello again got to shine with his solo on American Skin (41 Shots).
A few fans have said they would be happy to see this song dropped from the set lists but watching Morello at work as Jake Clemons' sax brings the track to his climax was incredibly powerful on the night and shouldn't be disregarded.
Neither should his role in the band - no matter how scene stealing the brilliant Ghost Of Tom Joad is, Morello is proving every night he has so much more to offer as part of the E Street Band.
Other requests on the night were Springsteen's self-confessed favourite Long Walk Home, and the arm-stretching Raise Your Hand.
The latter starting with Springsteen having a fit of laughter after jumping on Bittan's piano and 'breaking' the keyboard.
This came midway through an encore that included a debut for Hunter Of The Invisible Game and Jungleland.
You could clearly see Springsteen telling Clemons his plans for his uncle's signature tune just before the encore and taking on the spotlight for the incredible solo brought home just how much the Big Man is missed and just how determined the nephew is to keep his memory alive.
If fans didn't shed a few tears during the sax solo then they probably had a knot twisting in their stomach as Clemons hit the moving, provoking notes.
The song will never be the same without Clarence on board, but is still a thrill to see live. With Stevie Van Zandt also busting out a guitar solo effortlessly.
It was a cover of John Fogerty's Rockin' All Over The World that saw the band finish the job in Adelaide, as the behind-closed-doors soundcheck of AC/DC's You Shook Me All Night Long overhead in the line before entry, failed to materialise for the audience.
Before ending the fifth show in a row with an acoustic Thunder Road, Springsteen gave another solo performance of I'll Work For Your Love, bringing to a close two incredible nights, while leaving plenty of options for the weekend's stadium shows in Melbourne.
Set List
- (Love Is Like A) Heat Wave
- Jackson Cage
- She's The One
- Backstreets
- Cover Me
- High Hopes
- Just Like Fire Would
- Hungry Heart
- Better Days (sign request)
- The Promised Land (sign request)
- The River
- American Skin (41 Shots)
- Long Walk Home (sign request)
- Pay Me My Money Down
- Shackled And Drawn
- Radio Nowhere
- Lonesome Day
- Ghost Of Tom Joad
- Badlands
- Hunter Of Invisible Game
- Jungleland
- Born To Run
- Raise Your Hand (sign request)
- Dancing In The Dark
- Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out
- Rockin' All Over The World
- I'll Work For Your Love (solo acoustic)
- Thunder Road (solo acoustic)
Run time: 3 hours 8 mins.
Tour so far: 142 songs in 5 shows, 81 different.
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