Former Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant has joined a growing wave of rock legends voicing support for Bruce Springsteen, who remains locked in an escalating feud with former US president Donald Trump.
During a recent Saving Grace performance at Tampere-talo in Finland, Plant addressed the crowd with a nod to the controversy. “Right now in England, which is where we come from—not quite the land of the ice and snow—Bruce Springsteen is touring right now in the UK,” he began. Without naming Trump directly, Plant encouraged fans to listen closely to what Springsteen is saying: “And he’s putting out some really serious stuff. So tune in to him. And let’s all hope that we can be…” Before finishing the sentence, Plant and his band launched into a rendition of Led Zeppelin’s Friends.
Plant’s comments come as Springsteen faces increasing hostility from Trump, who took issue with remarks made during The Boss’ recent UK shows. In Manchester, Springsteen told a sold-out crowd of 23,500 that America is currently “in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent, and treasonous administration.” The moment, part of a three-minute monologue, has since been released on Springsteen’s six-track EP Land of Hope and Dreams.
Trump responded furiously via Truth Social, branding Springsteen a “dried out ‘prune’ of a rocker” and “a pushy, obnoxious JERK.” He even suggested that Springsteen “ought to KEEP HIS MOUTH SHUT until he gets back into the Country,” ominously adding, “Then we’ll all see how it goes for him!”
But the attacks didn’t stop at insults. Trump announced a “major investigation” into whether Springsteen received payment for performing at Democratic Party rallies before the last election. He later shared a video of Springsteen getting hit by a golf ball on social media, mocking the singer in what appears to be a continuation of their personal war.
Springsteen has refused to back down, continuing to voice his views during his live shows. And he’s not standing alone.
Neil Young joined the chorus of support by publishing a scathing open letter to Trump. “Bruce and thousands of musicians think you are ruining America,” Young wrote. “You worry about that instead of the dyin’ kids in Gaza. That’s your problem. I am not scared of you. Neither are the rest of us.”
Eddie Vedder has also rallied to Springsteen’s side. During a Pearl Jam show, Vedder performed a powerful cover of Springsteen’s My City of Ruins. At a follow-up concert, he called out the climate of censorship and intimidation: “They didn’t debate about any of those issues. All that we heard were personal attacks and threats that nobody else should try to use their microphones or voice in public or they’ll be shut down.”
In the face of growing hostility, Springsteen’s allies are turning their microphones up, not down. And with voices like Plant, Young, and Vedder behind him, ‘The Boss’ isn’t likely to be silenced anytime soon.
