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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Entertainment
David Smith in Washington

‘So polarised’: Bruce Springsteen’s anti-Trump comments divide US fans

Bruce Springsteen performing on stage with guitar
‘You can still be in a Springsteen cover band and not 100% agree with everything he says’. Photograph: Andy Von Pip/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock

As the lead singer of a Bruce Springsteen cover band, Brad Hobicorn had been looking forward to performing at Riv’s Toms River Hub in New Jersey on Friday. Then came a text message from the bar’s owner, saying the gig was cancelled. Why? Because the real Bruce Springsteen had lambasted Donald Trump.

“He said to me his customer base is redder than red and he wishes Springsteen would just shut his mouth,” Hobicorn recalls by phone. “It was clear that this guy was getting caught up in that and didn’t want to lose business. The reality is we would have brought a huge crowd out there: new customers that are Springsteen fans that want to see a band locally.”

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