The Boss opened his Australian tour at Perth Arena last night with an energetic three-and-a-half-hour set, but he had barely begun to sing before he made a strong political statement.

“The E Street Band is glad to be here in Western Australia,” he told the crowd.

“But we’re a long way from home and our hearts and spirits are with the hundreds of thousands of women and men that marched yesterday in every city in America and in Melbourne – who rallied against hate and division, and in support of tolerance, inclusion, reproductive rights, civil rights, racial justice, LGBTQ rights, the environment, wage equality, gender equality, healthcare and immigrant rights.

“We stand with you. We are the new American resistance!”

One fan took it further, holding up a sign calling for Springsteen to be the next president.

Springsteen earlier told reporters recent political events in the United States, including Donald Trump’s inauguration, would have some influence on his set lists in Australia, and that was true for his first show.

Anyone expecting a greatest-hits concert would have been bitterly disappointed, but people should know by now not to expect that kind of performance from The Boss.

Springsteen was about 20 minutes late but no one seemed to mind as he and the band performed songs including “Lonesome Day”, “No Surrender”, “Land of Hope and Dreams”, “American Skin (41 Shots)”, “My Hometown”, “She’s The One” and “Badlands”.

The New Jersey native continues to resonate with people from all walks of life and many of his poignant lyrics from decades ago remain relevant today.

It is hard to believe Springsteen is 67 years old – he still moves like a man in his 20s, and his voice remains strong.

The lengthy encore included a request to sing “Blood Brothers”, which took Springsteen a moment to recall the lyrics, and “Dancing In The Dark”, for which three people were pulled on stage to dance with the band.

-AAP

Springsteen and the E Street Band will perform two more shows in Perth before travelling to Adelaide for a show at the Entertainment Centre on January 30. His tour then travels to Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Hanging Rock and Hope Estate, Auckland and Christchurch.