Bruce Springsteen in Sunderland as it happened: The Boss rocks soaking wet Stadium of Light

With many fans now safely home or at least on ther way, that’s it for our live coverage of Bruce Springsteen in Sunderland. Thanks for joining us!

We’ll leave you with links to our stories and photo galleries for tonight’s gig. Hope everyone who went is now drying out nicely!

* Fan pictures as drenched crowd descend on Stadium of Light

*Bruce Springsteen in Sunderland – 25 pictures as The Boss rocks stadium

*Bruce Springsteen’s setlist in full for Sunderland gig

*Bruce Springsteen Sunderland gig delayed as fans face travel chaos

Two hours after the gig finished and loads of fans are still making their way home. This is is the scene on a packed Metro back to Newcastle right now

It’s little wonder that the rain did little to put off thousands flocking to see Bruce Springsteen tonight. What a show and what a legend!

The weather might have been horrific, but fans still managed to have a ball with Bruce Springsteen in Sunderland tonight.

See if you can spot yourself in this pic from inside the stadium:

ChronicleLive reporter James Robinson is one of many people stuck in a huge queue to get on a Metro to Newcastle from St Peters station in Sunderland.

And this is his current view…

Not the first time “wetter than an otter’s pocket” has been used to describe tonight!

This is the scene in Sunderland right now as fans who’ve been at Bruce Springsteen wait to get a Metro home

And this is some setlist!

Waitin’ on a Sunny Day

Lonesome Day

Prove It All Night

No Surrender

Ghosts

Letter to You

The Promised Land

Hungry Heart

Light of Day

Atlantic City

Darlington County

Nightshift (Commodores cover)

The River

Racing in the Street

Last Man Standing

Backstreets

Because the Night (Patti Smith Group cover)

She’s the One

Wrecking Ball

The Rising

Badlands

Thunder Road

Encore:

Born to Run

Bobby Jean

Dancing in the Dark

Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out

Twist and Shout (The Top Notes cover)

I’ll See You in My Dreams

Another shot of the man himself on stage tonight:

There’s no escaping the fact the weather tonight was horrendous but fans definitely think getting a soaking was still thoroughly worth it!

And another happy customer…

Extra services ARE running tonight but you might need to be patient if you’re heading home from Bruce in Sunderland

Sounds like this fans had quite a night at the SoL!

ChronicleLive reporter James Robinson is one of many people trying to get home from the gig.

And this is the sight in the street heading towards St Peter’s Metro right now…

If you’re heading home after Bruce, don’t walk into the centre of Sunderland to try and get a Metro, as both Sunderland and Park Lane stations are now closed.

He might have arrived on stage more than half an hour later than expected, but Bruce was on top form in Sundertland tonight.

CHECK OUT 25 PHOTOS OF BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN AT THE STADIUM OF LIGHT

What a night for all the fans who braved the rain, with Bruce ending the gig with the likes of Twist and Shout and See You in My Dreams

And we’d expect nothing less with the weather today!

With the gig at the Stadium of Light coming to an end now, here is a reminder of how the Metros are operating to get fans home

The rain might have done its best to dampen spirits but it didn’t succeed!

These lot look like they’re having a wicked night!

CHECK OUT OUR FULL FAN GALLERY

And it’s not over yet – but here’s another action shot from Bruce in Sunderland tonight

CHECK OUT 25 PHOTOS OF BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN AT THE STADIUM OF LIGHT

Don’t walk into the centre of Sunderland to try and avoid the queues as Sunderland central and Park Lane Metro station are both closing at 10pm.

Fans are being asked to use St Peters and Stadium of Light, where extra trains will be running from.

The rain definitely can’t stop a music icon like Bruce Springsteen!

Bruce is ensuring that fans’ dedication of waiting in the rain for hours is being rewarded with a stellar set at the Stadium of Light tonight.

Rain was not going to ruin the night for the thousands who headed to the Stadium of Light to see Bruce.

CHECK OUT OUR FULL FAN GALLERY

Love this shot of Bruce in Sunderland tonight!

The gig was set to finish around 10pm, but with a delay of over half an hour in getting started, the new finish time should be around 10.30pm.

There’s The Boss!!!

ChronicleLive’s Craig Connor captured this brilliant shot of the stage from his seat in the stands at the Stadium of Light tonight

The rain did not stop the fun for the droves of Bruce fans who headed to the Stadium of Light tonight, including these two…

Tyne & Wear Metro have just issued a fresh update for fans using the network after tonight’s gig

He’s expected to do loads of them tonight but we want to know what your favourite Bruce Springsteen song is.

Vote in our poll below

As drenched as they are, the crowd were in fine voice to welcome The Boss on stage at the Stadium of Light.

Here is footage of him walking out to start the gig tonight

Rather appropriately, given the appalling weather for the gig, Bruce kicked off his Sunderland set tonight with Waitin’ On A Sunny Day and fans online have pointed out, it’s the first time he’s performed that song with the E Street Band in SEVEN years!

After a delayed start to tonight’ gig, Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band are now on stage at the Stadium of Light, with, the rather apt choice of Waiting on a Sunny Day, the song to kick things off in Sunderland tonight

The designated pick up points are at Dame Dorothy Street (approx 0.5 mile walk) from the stadium.

All taxi collections after the event should be in the city centre.

Both Sunderland and Park Lane Metro stations are closed from 10pm tonight, so fans heading home after Bruce are being told to use St Peters and Stadium of Light stations, with extra trains scheduled.

Brace yourself for big queues though

And these drenched fans all have a great spot for tonight’s gig, which is now just minutes away

We expect this fan had to queue up for some time to get this prime spot right in front of the stage!

Here’s another look at the scenes inside the Stadium of Light right now, with Bruce’s arrival now 10 minutes away.

With many fans struggling to get into the stadium due to huge queues outside and facing a long wait for a Metro to Sunderland, the start time for Bruce’s gig was delayed until 7.30pm.

Here is the view from inside the ground now:

A promoter at the Stadium of LiGht has told ChronicleLive the half hour delay to Bruce being on stage is down to staff at the ground ‘managing the ingress’ of people coming in.

FULL STORY HERE

To give people a chance to get to and inside the stadium safely, the start time for tonight’s gig has been delayed to 7.30pm.

ChronicleLive photographer Simon Greener sent this photo from the stands:

Fans inside the stadium, many soaked through after queuing in the rain for hours are now facing a wait to see music legend Bruce, as the start time has been pushed back to 7.30pm.

The Boss will no longer be on at 7pm, with fans at the Stadium of Light being told that the gig will now start at 7.30pm

It’s just been announced that Bruce Springsteen’s gig has been delayed by half an hour.

New start time of 7.30pm at the Stadium of Light

Excitement is at fever pitch amongst the rain soaked crowd at the Stadium of Light now, with less than half an hour until Bruce is on stage

We’re a tough bunch here in the North East and fans are braving the far from summery conditions in their thousands for Bruce Springsteen in Sunderland.

The Boss is due on stage at the Stadium of Light in just 40 minutes time (7pm) as rain continues to lash down in Sunderland

Posts on social media have revealed that the queue to get into Monument station in the centre of Newcastle is all the way back to the Theatre Royal.

Responding to one disgruntled customer, Metro apologised for disruption and added: ‘We are trying to clear the platforms as soon as possible to allow customers downstairs.’

The rain isn’t stopping the fun for the many fans now inside the Stadium of Light for Bruce,