The crowd tried booing, chanting and raucous applause but Bruce Springsteen resolutely refused to play Born in the USA to a pleading Glastonbury audience last night.

The 59-year-old American served up a lively performance, putting paid to critics who predicted he would turn the Saturday night headlining slot into a “dad rock” event, but fans hoping for a nostalgic show were left disappointed.

The first of the music veteran's smash hits, Born to Run, didn’t come until two hours into his set, and it was close to three hours before he brought out Glory Days and Dancing in the Dark, which closed the show.

By that time, festivalgoers looking for a sing-a-long had long abandoned the Pyramid Stage.

Danielle Folley, 30, of Gloucester, who gave up at midnight, after two hours in the thronging crowd, said: “He was really alive and really energetic but he didn’t play Born in The USA and everyone was quite gutted about it. I don’t know why he chose to do that.

“We were hoping to hear all the hits that we grew up with and we wanted to reminisce, so it was a shame.”

But fans of The Boss, who raced up and down the stage and spent much of his marathon set leaning into the audience, raved about his performance, defending his decision to ignore the cries of “Born in the USA” that echoed around the festival’s Somerset site.

“Everyone else thought it was shit, but I f***ing loved it!” enthused long-time fan Lou Sheherd, 25, of Leeds.

“He’s done something like 350 songs and 35 albums so there’s a lot of stuff to cover,” he said of Springsteen’s decision not to weave his biggest hits through the show.

Ian Parker, 27, of Sheffield, agreed: “I’m a big Bruce fan and it was the first time I’ve seen him and one of the best live shows I’ve ever seen. He played everything I wanted to hear.”

Today it emerged that festival organisers were facing a fine of £3,000 because Springsteen's long set had continued nine minutes past the festival's half past midnight curfew.

Michael Eavis, whose farm in southwest England has hosted Glastonbury most years since 1970, pledged to pay fine himself because he had enjoyed the veteran US rocker’s “spectacular” set so much.

Mr Eavis said today: “I gave him 10 minutes and he took nine. I’ll pay the fine - £3,000. Paul McCartney - 2004 headliner - paid me back. I’m going to pay the Bruce Springsteen one myself. It’s not a lot because it was fantastic. The last nine minutes were spectacular."

He said that this year's show - the 39th - had been the best ever, but he was already thinking about next year. “I’m already on the phone to try and get next year’s headliners and these are people who haven’t played here before”.

Glastonbury has enjoyed the best weather it has seen in years, avoiding the mudbath forecasters predicted could mar the festival. Thundery showers hit the site on Thursday, but all rain had cleared by Friday afternoon leaving revellers enjoying clear skies and temperatures in the mid-twenties.

Britpop luminaries Blur close the Pyramid stage tonight, with expectations high after rave reviews followed their comeback London show last week.

Next year is Glastonbury’s 40th anniversary. U2 and the Rolling Stones are among the acts never to have played who have been rumoured to be on Mr Eavis’s wish-list in recent years.

Editor's choice

• The 100 Best Films of the Decade
• 70 facts you didn't know about Marvel
• The 50 Biggest Movies Of 2010