Plug Pulled On Bruce Springsteen And Paul McCartney Mid-Song

It was sure to be a moment remembered in the vast annals of rock ‘n’ roll history, but what was a great experience for performers and on-lookers alike was cut brutally short on account of London’s strictly enforced curfew laws.

According to Consequence of Sound, when acts such as Axl Rose and Lady Gaga attempted to break the curfew, they were slapped with fines of £72,000 and £10,000, respectively. It was a price organisers of the UK tour for Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band did not deem acceptable, so even when musical royalty Paul McCartney joined Springsteen on stage (uttering to the crowd as he did so, “I’ve been waiting for this for 50 years”) they decided to pull the plug, fearing the wrath of breaking the curfew.

The two greats managed to pull off some music though, performing The Beatles’ I Saw Her Standing There and a rousing 10-minute rendition of Twist and Shout before lights went out.

E Street Band guitarist Steve Van Zandt was not too pleased at all, taking to Twitter to vent his frustration.

I’m sorry but I have to be honest I’m pissed. Like I said, it didn’t ruin the great night. But when I’m jamming with McCartney don’t bug me!

— Steven Van Zandt (@StevieVanZandt) July 15, 2012

It all boils down to an issue of public transport and city councils not wanting large numbers of people gathered in populated areas late at night, but I wonder if the person who made the decision feels good about themselves.