Come Together – Born to Run
The Civic, Auckland, 6/6/2026
Reviewed by Jeremy Elwood | Photos by Rachel Matthews
This was my first foray into the Come Together experience, the rotating supergroup of NZ rock musicians who have been taking on classic albums since the beginning of the decade. I’ve held back almost entirely due to scheduling issues, but partially, I will admit, due to a personal hesitancy around the whole “tribute act” circus. Thankfully, the show they put on in Auckland last night was nothing of that sort, but instead just a group of immensely talented artists playing music they clearly respect and love.
This time around it was Bruce Springsteen’s 1975 breakthrough, Born to Run. Springsteen holds almost mythological status today, so it’s worth remembering that this was 9 years before Born in the USA officially put him into arena-filling orbit. Instead, built on strong songwriting and Spector-Esque production, Born to Run marked the emergence of a charismatic frontman with a thunderous band behind him – very similar, in many ways, to the Come Together version.
This tour features vocalists Milan Borich, Adam McGrath, Jennie Skulander and Jon Toogood backed by the Come Together Band, made up of Jol Mulholland (guitar), Matthais Jordan (piano and organ), Alistair Deverick (drums), Brett Adams (guitar), Mike Hall (bass), Nick Atkinson (saxophone and accordion) and Guy Harrison (trumpets, keyboards). My apologies if I’ve misnamed anyone, the onstage introductions were minimal.
The playing is, across the board, impeccable. Musical Director Jol Mulholland had a ludicrous task in attempting to take on the E Street Band, arguably the most cohesive rock and roll unit ever assembled, with any roster, regardless of how talented they are. But somehow, he and they succeed. The arrangements are airtight, and manage to pull off perhaps the hardest trick of the original band; to complement their singer(s) without totally overwhelming them.
Trying to separate out any individual performance is inherently difficult – the most prominent solos, of course, come from saxophonist Nick Atkinson, who does admirably whilst never threatening to have anything like the power or presence of the legendary “Big Man” Clarence Clemons. To me the standout was Matthais Jordan, whose incredible piano work provides the glue for so many of the standout tracks, starting with the unmistakable riff of album opener Thunder Road.
Devilskin’s Jennie Skulander takes the reins on this, her remarkable range running to a baritone which brings to mind Melissa Ethridge’s own cover of that same song. From here on, the singers swap in and out song-to-song. Milan Borich gets the title track, and Jon Toogood brings his unmistakable rockstar aura to the epic Jungleland. But when it comes to Becoming Bruce, tonight’s secret weapon is Adam McGrath, the Christchurch-based folk singer perhaps best known for fronting The Eastern.
McGrath brings a genuine jolt of Springsteen’s physical and vocal power, and summons his blue-collar evangelism. He opens the show solo, playing State Trooper as both a prayer and a call to arms and it’s immediately clear that he’s the real deal, a touring troubadour whose authenticity mirrors, but never mimics, the Boss himself.
The album pressing of Born to Run will only take up around 40 minutes of your time, so here it only fills the first half of the show. The second half is a mix of greatest hits and (I strongly suspect) personal favourites of the musicians, some of which land less perfectly than others. There is an unnecessarily jaunty take on Nebraska, and on a handful of numbers Skulander’s backing vocals are pushed so far offstage and back in the sound mix that her contributions are wasted – when McGrath ushers her out front during Better Days we finally hear what we’ve been missing, and it’s a highlight of the night. But these are minor gripes in a musical marathon – at 2 ½ hours, this show rivals Springsteen’s own legendarily long sets…although he doesn’t take an interval.
Bruce might be a tad preoccupied at home until at least the next US Presidential election, but this show is far more than just a fill-in until his next tour.
When the crowd are on their feet recalling their Glory Days, spellbound by a furious summoning of The Ghost of Tom Joad, or ending the night by belting out Springsteen’s often chronically misunderstood Born in the USA, I can see exactly why the Come Together juggernaut has been so successful.
