Christchurch inspired choice by Springsteen

The Boss performs at full noise for three or more hours. Photo / Washington Post

Opinion

Bruce Springsteen made an inspired decision in choosing to play one of his two New Zealand shows next year in Christchurch.

The durable American performer was here in 2014. He will be 67 when he arrives in February so the concerts may be his last in this part of the world.

Always one to wear his heart on his denim sleeves, Springsteen won over fans at one of the Auckland shows when he dedicated his song My City of Ruins to, among others, the people of Christchurch.

With his E Street Band, Springsteen plays in the Garden City on the eve of the sixth anniversary of the destructive 2011 earthquake.

It could hardly be a more poignant date, and few superstar musicians besides Springsteen would have the credibility to stage a powerful show against a sombre backdrop.

Just this month it emerged that the musician has spent a lifetime battling his own demons, revealing in his autobiography that he suffers from depression.

It was courageous to admit that he had sought psychiatric help for the past 30 years and confirms the impression of an artist whose emotions and vulnerabilities are genuine.

A Springsteen show can include an entire album from a lengthy back-catalogue and ends with an encore bound to feature Born to Run, a song that he never tires of playing.

The Boss performs at full noise for three or more hours. In Christchurch in February, that may be enough to put aside for a brief time a set of wrenching memories.