Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen Silenced in London

By Aly Semigran ,  Sunday, July 15, 2012

Blasphemy! 

Apparently not even two of the greatest rock n' roll legends are allowed to break curfew. At least, not on London's watch. On Saturday night concert organizers at London's Hyde Park did the unthinkable when they pulled the plugs on Sir Paul McCartney and Lorde Bruce Springsteen's mics. I repeat, someone silenced Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen, thus severing any and all international goodwill forever. 

Springsteen had already gone a half hour over the 10:30 PM curfew by the time he invited McCartney on stage to perform some of his classics such as "I Saw Her Standing There" and "Twist and Shout," the Associated Press reports. Springsteen and McCartney's microphones were cut before they got the chance to thank the crowd, making them leave the stage in silence. 

A statement from Live Nation said they silenced them "right at the very end" and it was done "in the interest of the public's health and safety" for the crowd of 80,000. Because if there's any two people that are going to start trouble, it's... Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen? 

The decision to cut off a Beatle and The Boss became a hot topic on the Twitterverse on Saturday. The Office co-creator Stephen Merchant tweeted in response to the incident, "Ashamed to be British right now. Springsteen and McCartney playing Twist & Shout in Hyde Park and council pulled the plug cos of curfew. WTF." The funny man then added, "If tomorrow Paul Simon brings Chevy Chase on during 'You Can Call Me Al' and the same thing happens, I'm leaving the country."

Springsteen's E-Street bandmate Steven Van Zandt was also understandably miffed and took to his Twitter to express his frustration. "Is there just too much fun in the world? We would have been off by 11 if we'd done one more. On a Saturday night! Who were we disturbing?" Van Zandt wrote, adding, "English cops may be the only individuals left on earth that wouldn't want to hear one more from Bruce Springsteen and Paul McCartney!...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!...There's no grudges to be held. Just feel bad for our great fans. Hard Rock is cool. Live Nation is cool. It's some City Council stupid rule."

According to the AP, even London's Mayor Boris Johnson agreed, telling a London radio station, "It sounds to me like an excessively efficacious decision," he told London radio. "You won't get that during the Olympics. If they'd have called me, my answer would have been for them to jam in the name of the Lord!" Rock on, Boris.