Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney silenced by London curfew

NEW YORK (KABC) -- Concert organizers pulled the plug on Bruce Springsteen and Paul McCartney after the two defied London's sound curfew.

The Boss had already exceeded the 10:30 p.m. curfew by half an hour Saturday night at Hyde Park when he welcomed McCartney on stage. The rock stars sang the Beatles hits "I Saw Her Standing There" and "Twist and Shout." But the microphones were turned off before they could thank the crowd, forcing them to leave the stage in silence.

A statement from concert organizer Live Nation said it was unfortunate that Springsteen's three-hour-plus performance was stopped, but it said that the curfew had been laid down by the authorities "in the interest of the public's health and safety."

Springsteen is known for his marathon concert sets. A show last month in Spain went on for nearly four hours.

Large concerts in Hyde Park have increasingly caused friction between fans and area residents, many of whom gripe about the late-night noise and nuisance.

Facing increasing complaints, local officials have decided that as of next year, the number of concerts will be slashed from 13 to nine. Also in 2013, they plan to reduce crowd limits from 80,000 to 65,000.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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