Promoters pulled the plug on Bruce Springsteen and Paul McCartney as the Boss's Hyde Park gig on Saturday night went past its curfew.

Steve Van Zandt, one of the guitarists, vented his fury at a "police state" and London's mayor, Boris Johnson, criticised "an excessively efficacious decision", saying the band should have been allowed to "jam in the name of the Lord".

But Westminster council insisted the organisers had been responsible for throwing the switch on the finale, which had pushed its curfew too far.

McCartney joined Springsteen and the E Street Band to play Beatles classics I Saw Her Standing There and Twist and Shout. Springsteen said he had been waiting for this moment for 50 years. But the show closed to boos and whistles from the audience as the stars appeared ready to launch into another number.

Springsteen could be seen trying to talk to the crowd without any amplification.

Live Nation, promoters of the concert – part of the Hard Rock Calling festival – said on its website: "It was unfortunate that the three hour-plus performance by Bruce Springsteen was stopped right at the very end but the curfew is laid down by the authorities in the interest of the public's health and safety." A spokesman said a record 76,000 people had had "a fantastic time".

Johnson told LBC radio on Sunday: "It sounds to me like an excessively efficacious decision. You won't get that during the Olympics.

"If they'd have called me, my answer would have been for them to jam in the name of the Lord."

Leith Penny, Westminster council's strategic director for city management, said: "Concert organisers, not the council, ended last night's concert in Hyde Park to comply with their licence, which allows them to run the concert until 10.30pm. Licences are granted until certain times to protect residents in the area from noise late at night."

One of the great gigs ever in my opinion. But seriously, when did England become a police state? — Steven Van Zandt (@StevieVanZandt) July 15, 2012

But Van Zandt, who also starred in the US drama series The Sopranos, turned to Twitter in rage. In a series of tweets from StevieVanZandt, he said: "One of the great gigs ever in my opinion. But seriously, when did England become a police state?

"We break curfews in every country but only English cops needs to 'punish us' by not letting us leave until the entire crowd goes. Is there just too much fun in the world? We would have been off by 11 if we'd done one more. On a Saturday night! Who were we disturbing?" he asked.

"The cops got nothing more important to do? How about they go catch some criminals instead of fucking with 80,000 people having a good time? English cops may be the only individuals left on earth that wouldn't want to hear one more from Bruce Springsteen and Paul McCartney!

"I'm sorry but I have to be honest I'm pissed. Like I said, it didn't ruin the great night. But when I'm jamming with McCartney don't bug me!"

Van Zandt also compared the occasion to the last live Beatles performance in 1969 on the roof of their Apple record company offices in London's Savile Row. It was cut short by police. "Ha! @raindogs70 just reminded me how the Beatles' rooftop concert ended. Not much has changed in 43 years!"