The Boss and the Picket Line: How did Bruce Springsteen support the miners’ strike?

Posted On February 28, 2025February 28, 2025

In 1985, Bruce Springsteen played at St James Park in Newcastle. Ten years after his debut shows in the UK to celebrate the release of Born To Run, The Boss has now just released Born In The USA, capping off a truly golden run of albums. But when he touched down in the northeast, he was acutely aware that his visit was set in a tense, historic moment.

Bruce Springsteen’s legacy is one of being a man of the people. His interest in telling the stories of everyday working lives, blue-collar communities and small towns made him a star. It powers every one of his albums, as his artistry is undeniably born out of his origins in New Jersey. Coming from a classic working-class family and striving his way into the music world without a leg up, the story of his success is inspiring, standing as a testament that talent will prevail.

But it was also a testament to the power of the stories he was singing about. Instead of writing huge aspirational hits about living the high life, the scenes, sights and characters that move in and out of Springsteen’s music are like any other person you might see in a hard-working town. By merely giving them a voice through his work, it was political as Springsteen’s music has always rallied behind the workers and those in need.

In 1985, he not only proved that his dedication to the people wasn’t simply talk or lyrical choices, but he also proved that it was international. Touching down in Newcastle, into an area torn apart by government cuts fought against by civil action, Springsteen showed his solidarity with the working man worldwide.

Because at the time of that show, the Boss’s visit was shrouded in a dark cloud. In 1984 and 1985, the UK government’s decision to close pits, putting thousands of miners out of work after deeming their industry “uneconomic”, sparked mass protest.

Lasting over 11 months, the miners’ strike stands as one of the most incredible displays of civil action the UK has ever seen. Organised by the National Union of Mineworkers, it became the most significant strike since the 1926 general strike. When adding up every miner who walked out of work and each individual day of work lost between them, the strike cost the industry over 26 million person-days, proving the working power of the industry and the workers that powered it. 

But it was bigger than just a mass walkout. Miners across the country, especially in the northeast and Yorkshire, refused to work, which led to mass coal shortages. The union aimed to cause a severe energy shortage, but of course, that impacted the communities taking a stand as they struggled for heat, food and power. It also led to major clashes between the strikes and the police sent in to try and get them back to work.

When Springsteen arrived to play the enormous stadium show, he was stepping into this context. With the strike finally over, the community he touched down in was still struggling greatly, many still facing hunger. So, as well as lifting spirits with the show, the Boss donated an incredible $20,000—the equivalent of over $59,000 today.

Given to the Northumberland and Durham Miners’ Support Group, the money was specifically pledged to help the working-class communities struggling after taking a vital stand. It had been an incredibly tough couple of years for them, but realistically, it was only the beginning as the north-east still today feels the impact of the Conservative government and Margaret Thatcher’s destruction of the area’s leading industry that led to mass unemployment.

As a man of the people through and through, The Boss’ move put his money where his mouth is, inspiring many with his incredible act of solidarity. Having family who worked in the pits in the area at the time, the story has always been especially moving for Sam Fender, who wrote on X, “That’s why he’s my hero, more than just a singer-songwriter. A true man of the people”.

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