At his concert at Nowlan Park in Kilkenny, Bruce Springsteen paid tribute to Shane MacGowan with a cover of the Pogues classic 'A Rainy Night In Soho.' This was the first time Springsteen and the E Street Band had played in Kilkenny since 2013.

The Boss came on stage early to play an acoustic version of This Hard Land, which came as a surprise to fans who arrived hours before the gig was due to start with the full band.

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band in Kilkenny. Copyright Trevor McGrath.

The New Jersey legends then returned to the stage to open the main concert with a stirring rendition of 'A Rainy Night In Soho.'

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.

Not a dry in the house after that I’d say. pic.twitter.com/YvsOEYCMYD

— Greg Murphy 🤓 (@TheGregMurphy) May 13, 2024

Last May, the 'Born To Run' singer surprised MacGowan, in the throes of illness, at home.

What an amazing honour and a beautiful experience to get a visit from The Boss!!! ⁦@springsteen⁩ ⁦@ShaneMacGowan⁩ Such a truly wonderful man and a total genius! pic.twitter.com/waXwmWOHTZ

— @victoriamary (@Victoriamary) May 3, 2023

He also paid tribute to the singer following his death in November: "Shane was one of my all-time favourite writers,"

"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, Springsteen stopped by one of his regular haunts in Ireland, Leo Burdocks Famous Fish and Chips flagship store near Christchurch Cathedral in Dublin.

 

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A post shared by Leo Burdock (@leoburdockireland)

Springsteen is currently in the middle of an Irish tour, having already performed 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.

Check out the gallery from last night's concert, photographed by Trevor McGrath, here.