There's no retreat or surrender from Bruce Springsteen 鈥� or from President Donald Trump, for that matter.
The rock star released a digital EP on Wednesday with four songs recorded live in Manchester, England last week, along with two of his addresses to the audience that attacked Trump's 鈥渃orrupt, incompetent and treasonous administration.鈥�
The Boss pointedly opened his concert in Manchester Tuesday night, his third in the English city, with the song 鈥淣o Surrender.鈥�
A posted on Trump's social media account on Wednesday showed the Republican president taking a swing on the golf course and his 鈥渂all鈥� hitting Springsteen in the back as he stumbles to get onstage.
Springsteen, , began the latest skirmish in the culture war in England last week, where he opened a European tour. His same-state neighbor Trump 鈥� they both have homes in New Jersey 鈥� responded by calling the Boss a 鈥渄ried-out prune of a rocker.鈥�
Both men have had other rock stars leap to their defense. Trump supporter Kid Rock appeared twice on Fox News Channel last week. He said his fellow Michigander, Bob Seger, 鈥渟mokes鈥� Springsteen.
鈥淏ruce Springsteen is another one of the liberals who has mountains of money who so desperately wants to keep his good standing in the eyes of Hollywood and the elite,鈥� Kid Rock said. Springsteen 鈥減lays the working-class guy鈥� but his politics are 鈥渁ss-backward,鈥� he said.
On Fox's influential show 鈥淭he Five,鈥� former White House press secretary Dana Perino said she always found Springsteen overrated, and Greg Gutfeld denounced him with an off-color slur.
Neil Young has backed Springsteen, and Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder praised him during a concert in Pittsburgh over the weekend. Springsteen brought up issues, and in response 鈥渁ll that we heard were personal attacks and threats that nobody else should even try to use their microphones or use their voices in public or they will be shut down,鈥� Vedder said.
鈥淭he name-calling is so beneath us,鈥� said Vedder, before Pearl Jam performed Young's 鈥淩ockin' in the Free World.鈥�
For Springsteen, replaced 鈥淟and of Hope and Dreams鈥� atop his concert set list. The EP released digitally on Wednesday also contained a cover of Bob Dylan's 鈥淐himes of Freedom.鈥�
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David Bauder writes about the intersection of media and entertainment for the AP. Follow him at and .
David Bauder, The Associated Press
