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Springsteen to play first gig at Emirates
 | | Bruce Springsteen: Emirates date |
ALL-AMERICAN guitar hero Bruce Springsteen will play the first ever rock concert at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium next year.
The chart-topping star - nicknamed The Boss - will play the second of three UK dates at the £390million football ground three weeks after the end of the Premiership season on May 30 - the first time ever the 60,000-seat stadium will be used for a live music event since it opened in 2006.
Ben Dimech, of Arsenal supporters' group Red Action, welcomed the news, saying: "It's a good idea considering how much money they're charging and how fast the tickets going. Islington Council allows the club to stage two non-football events a year and it is in the close season so the groundsman has time to relay the pitch. I'm 100 per cent behind it - it's a good way to recoup some of the money back."
He added: "It's a shame it's Bruce Springsteen though - we get enough old codgers in there as it is."
Martin Jones, of the Highbury Fields Association, said: "It was obvious when the stadium was being planned that a location like that will be used for other events, but we were very keen that extra occasions should be well-planned. There's enough trouble as it is in terms of crowding of the roads and damage to Highbury Fields."
Mr Jones added: "I do hope the council have put some block on the maximum number of fans - the area is too dense to cope."
Springsteen - who is famed for his high-energy marathon gigs and whose hits include Born To Run, Dancing In The Dark and Streets of Philadelphia - will be joined by regular backing group The E Street Band for the mini-tour, which also takes in Old Trafford - home of title-rivals Manchester United.
Roger Wright, of Highbury Community Association, said: "We've been expecting it - it will be interesting to see if it is any different to a match day and what the noise will be like. As a local resident I got some free tickets in the post this morning but Bruce Springsteen isn't really my thing."
A spokesman for Arsenal was unable to confirm the capacity for the gig, but said: "We are delighted to be hosting a Bruce Springsteen concert. This will be the first concert to take place at Emirates Stadium and we are all looking forward to an exciting event."
Tickets for the gig went on sale at 9am on Wednesday and cost £55 each.
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