Bruce Springsteen at Western Springs

By RUSSELL BAILLIE

The Boss - outspoken about the war at his Sydney show this week - took a subdued stance in Auckland last night.

The weather was top of the agenda and for their second song Bruce Springsteen and The E street band played Who will Stop the Rain, the old Creedence Clearwater Revival classic, as their take on the conditions.

"I would like to thank you for coming out on this lovely Auckland night," said Springsteen.

An audience of about 25,000 crowded into Western Springs stadium for the show with security tight in the wake of a threat to release cyanide in the city.

Springsteen made little mention of the war in Iraq in the early part of his set, but during an early acoustic bracket he played Empty Sky, a song which refers to the New York skyline post-September 11.

However, the performance soon picked up pace with Springsteen playing to the front row, his shirt damp with a mix of rain and sweat.

In Australia, the 53-year-old marked the start of war by dedicating a song to its innocent casualties.

He and his reformed band are riding high on the success of the album The Rising and have been playing to sold-out shows in the United States, Britain and Europe.

Herald Feature: Iraq