Springsteen at Auckland - Show 1

After Brisbane's Stayin' Alive opener, Bruce Springsteen already showed there are few limits when it comes to choosing a local cover to greet his latest crowd.

Taking to the stage in his acoustic armourment of guitar and harmonica, Springsteen had plenty of people guessing for what was going to come next, and afterwards it felt like the obvious choice. A version of Royals in honour of New Zealand's recent global breakthrough star Lorde.

(And to think a bunch of us were hoping for a full E Street Band cover of New Zealand band OMC's super-hit How Bizarre.)

It was dark, heavy acoustic that Springsteen had clearly been working on for some time as he bashed out the intricate lyrics with a slow, intense anger. Even pounding the guitar t o create the beat of the song. 

After the Kiwi tribute it was straight down to business for the band smashing out My Love Will Not Let You Down, Badlands, and Out In The Street.

It was then the second surprise, and possible highlight, of the night for diehard E Street fans as Springsteen was swayed by Stevie Van Zandt to collect a sign from the front row for Loose Ends.  He first seemed to dismiss the request as being too obscure before giving in and running down from the stadium stage to pick it up.

What followed was a full band explosion for the Tracks number with the band sounding at their ultimate best, and revealing just how complex the song is instrumentally. 

Auckland, which hasn't hosted Springsteen since 2003, was then given a taste of Wrecking Ball and High Hopes before the drums kicked in for Atlantic City.

For the several hundred fans who had flown over from Australia the line about debts no honest man can pay ringing more true than ever.

After The River, came the announcement that night one in New Zealand was to have a full run of Born In The USA. 

Complete with all the well-known stand-out performances - Max Weinberg's USA drum solo, Nils Lofgren's Cover Me cyclone, and of course the "But I'm still the same guy!" banter with Van Zandt before Springsteen launched into I'm Goin' Down.

There was even a nod to people in Christchurch who failed in their campaign to get Springsteen to head their way with a dedication before My Hometown.

Land Of Hope And Dreams finished the main set before the encore hit full steam.

Straight into Born To Run and then picking up the request, Rosalita (Come Out Tonight) took the place of Dancing In The Dark's familiar end-of-show slot.

It was of course back to solo duties for a closing acoustic Thunder Road, before Springsteen promised to be back again Sunday night for another spectacular. 

What the hell he will open with for the final night of the Australasia tour - I've no idea.

Set list

1. Royals (solo acoustic, Lorde cover)

2. My Love Will Not Let You Down

3. Badlands

4. Out In The Street

5. Loose Ends (sign request)

6. Wrecking Ball

7. Death To My Hometown

8. High Hopes

9. Atlantic City

10. The River

11. Born In The USA

12. Cover Me

13. Darlington County

14. Working On The Highway

15. Downbound Train

16. I'm On Fire

17. No Surrender

18. Bobby Jean

19. I'm Goin' Down

20. Glory Days

21. Dancing In The Dark

22. My Hometown

23. The Rising

24. The Ghost Of Tom Joad

25. Land Of Hope And Dreams

26. Born To Run

27. Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)

28. Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out

29. Shout

30. Thunder Road (solo acoustic)

Show length: 3 hours, 3 minutes

Australasia tour so far: 12 shows, 336 songs, 118 different.

First time in a Springsteen lottery?...

You've got nearly 400 hungry hearts waiting to be first in line for the next Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band show and somewhere among them all is the person who will be let in first and have a split second to pick the best position in the crowd.

Previous shows started their lines days in advance with the established, tried and tested (and sometimes detested) roll call. Normally started or kept in line by a few New Jersey accents to add to its Springsteen-fan authenticity.

But for tonight, in the middle of fucking nowhere, to keep people lining up for days you're in a lottery waiting to see if the digit printed on your wristband will be first, last or anywhere in between.

For the first time on the 2014 tour of Australia, the line for a GA ticket has seemed reasonably stress free. 

Any need to get to the venue as early as possible and get a number, followed by roll call, after roll call, after roll call, has gone. Replaced by the knowledge that no matter how soon or late you join the line you could still be last in. Or first. Or second. Or Johnny (99).

So you invest a couple of hours, get what could be a middle range number in the hope it will be drawn, but safe in the knowledge that if your elbows don't rest on a barrier in six hours time, at least you had a lie in this morning.

But then comes the call.

You're told to line up in order. Soon - an hour if you're lucky - after, you hear the total number of people competing for the number one slot is 380-something. And with 329 you're hoping that if anyone else gets it other than you, they have a number higher than 250, and lower than 328.

In other words, number 330, the person behind you has - potentially - just become a total fucking bastard.

You smile at them, make a joke about how they're in for a great night if THEY get in first and you'd be OK because it's not that big a deal. But secretly you're planning on finding out which car they arrived in and letting down the tyres so at the end of the night they have more than just a bottle-necked car park to fight on the journey home.

It's when you start having these dark thoughts that you realise how stressful the Springsteen lottery has become. Despite being friendly, happy even, to people with a better number than you at dozens of roll calls on the tour, you know you would be so much happier if they were for once stuck at the back while you were front in line to strum that guitar during Born To Run and hold up an obscure sign request that blocked their view. Yeah! Fuck you Mr 6ft-4-long-haired-melonhead-in-a-cowboy-hat. Fuck you. And fuck your giant Outlaw Pete sign.

You of course try to calm yourself as the number is being drawn, and you tell yourself that the girl chosen to plunge her hand into the bucket of numbers really isn't a stupid dumbass who just wants to get on stage during Dancing In The Dark with no real appreciation for decades of great music.

She could be the greatest person alive, with a fantastic knowledge and appreciation of the Tracks boxset that you've always wanted in a woman. She could turn round and pull out your winning number, and in the victorious glow be so beautiful you ditch your real life plans and commitments to take her out, become the man of her dreams and live happily ever after with a great wedding day anecdote. Afterall, from behind she kinda looks like she's-...

Oh, there's the number. It's 350-something. You're back in a field getting sunburnt, the person several rows away is now a total bastard and the number-picker really is a Courteney Cox-wannabe dumbass. 

Meanwhile you've wasted at least 3 hours, risked the early stages of skin cancer and could really do with a drink but won't have one due to having to leave the line later to take a piss.

But it doesn't matter, right? Because at least you didn't line up for days on end in a roll call getting tense and the view will still be great, right? And of course you're here to enjoy the show and not take any of this ridiculous, immediate surge of pressure too seriously, right? 

And you're happy that another fan will get to be an active front row, centre-mic participant of the show who may have been waiting more than 30 years and hundreds of shows to be in that spot and may even have a great sign planned like Prove It All Night '78 or Incident... or maybe even Lost In The Flood, or....

- wait, is that Outlaw fuckin' Pete?!... 

Top 30 Springsteen songs to add to your playlist before the next Australia tour

Springsteen and the band are coming back and this time they're sure to be playing to more people who may not have seen them before.

In Australia in particular this means plenty of fans could be hearing tracks performed live for the first time - whether they have previously heard of them or not.

And fans who have never been to an E Street Band show you'll be happy to know that Springsteen has more than just Born In The USA, I'm On Fire, Dancing In The Dark, and Hungry Heart in his song list. Unlike most Australian radio stations which seem to only have them.

In a bid to prepare for the upcoming Australian tour, I've put together a track list of studio and live recordings for fellow fans to listen to as a warm up.

The list is what I consider to be some of the best tracks you could want to hear on the tour after seeing the band several times including all ten dates of the Wrecking Ball tour in Australia.

Some are live and some are studio recordings - all are songs that sound great from the stage. 

The order is part preference, part what I predict we can expect on the next run of shows in February and part the list of songs worth adding to your playlist if you don't have them already.

1. High Hopes - High Hopes (2013/2014)
A great crowd pumping tune that is the title track of the new album. It's gonna get played.

2. Because The Night - Live 1975-1985
One of the best live songs with a brilliant guitar solo, usually by Nils Lofgren, but at Hanging Rock 2, Bruce took on solo duties himself.

High Hopes in Sydney, March 2013.

3. Badlands - Live 1975-1985
No live show would be complete without shouting along to this classic. It gets the entire pit jumping and this live version is a blast.

4. Prove It All Night - Live In New York City
A stand out live track. Australia got this song several times, and twice with the acclaimed '78 intro. The best example of a studio song taking on new life in it's live format.

5. Thunder Road - Live Hammersmith Odeon, London 1975
A haunting rendition of this Born To Run opener with the crowd joining in. Just as it will be again.

6. Rosalita - Live 1975-1985
Often brought out to close the concerts, you don't want to embarrass yourself by not knowing those fastly-spoken lyrics, or why her momma don't like me.

7. Spirit In The Night - Live 1975-1985
When he asks you one question, you better have the answer. This song can make or break a concert for some fans it's that popular.

Bruce blasting the solo on Prove It All Night '78

8. Atlantic City - Live In New York City
A blistering performance of this track which when it comes out with a full band on stage will blow you away.

9. Murder Incorporated - Live In New York City
Again, like Atlantic, this live version is incredible, fierce and pounding. Not played every night, so you'll appreciate it when it does arrive.

10. Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out - Live 1975-1985
Recently used to tell the story of the band and remember Clarence Clemons and Danny Federici. This is a classic rendition with the energy to keep everybody going.

11. Jungleland - Born To Run
You need to know this song, the passion it invokes and the heart-wrenching tribute it has come to be when performed by Clarence's nephew and rising star Jake Clemons.

12. We Take Care Of Our Own - Wrecking Ball
Fast becoming the motto of #BruceBuds and E Street Fans who line up for hours and days to get a front row spot in the pit. It's worth your time to build the comradery that comes with being part of something huge.

13. Wrecking Ball - Wrecking Ball
The live version takes this song to another level, so you want to get a good grounding in it beforehand.

14. The River - The River
All about the lyrics. You'll want to know them when the time comes to go down to the river. It's a show-stopping moment.

15. Youngstown - Live In New York City
Up there with Atlantic City and Murder Incorporated, but also with  Tom Morello on board this version is as close as you'll get to a recording of their Ghost Of Tom Joad version. Hopefully we'll see it again.

16. Hard To Be A Saint In The City - Live 1975-1985
With Steve Van Zandt back there has to be a good chance of hearing the live duelling guitars on this tour.

17. Lost In The Flood - Live In New York City
A haunting song - this was my live request at three shows in March 2013. It never got picked up. Until of course the next night when I didn't bring it and Bruce knocked it out the park. One of my favourites, hoping to hear it again.

18. Ghost Of Tom Joad - Ghost Of Tom Joad
This song was played every night of the Wrecking Ball tour in Australia, of course this was because Tom Morello was on board and brought with him the incredible electric version. Before that one gets a studio release in January's High Hopes, make sure you give the original plenty of airplay - so you can be blown away when it appears on the tour next year.

19. Incident on 57th Street - The Wild, The Innocent and The E Street Shuffle
This one always takes me by surprise. Every show I've heard it I've always forgotten about it and been amazed just how well every other person around knows it. It's a great one that will probably sneak up on you in the setlist so get to know it first.

20. The E Street Shuffle/Having A Party - Live Hammersmith Odeon, London 1975
This another song that Tom Morello injected a brilliant electric buzz into. At one point during the song he pulled out the plug of his guitar and jabbed the plug into his free hand to create the sound of the Shuffle. Another one to look out for as he returns with the E Street Band.

21. Out In The Street - Live In New York City
Last time round this song was interchangeable with Hungry Heart. Bruce would use either one of these on a night to leave the stage with the crowd singing along and carry the beat along with him as he surfed the audience back to the stage. Hungry Heart is among half a dozen that get the occasional radio airplay, this one unjustly doesn't.

22. Death To My Hometown - Wrecking Ball
A great recent addition that adds the full sounds of the band. The live version brings out more of the guitars too. And with Stevie, Tom, Nils and Bruce all on the tour it could get a great work out.

23. City Of Ruins - The Rising
Used recently to introduce the band in an extended roll call while also urging the crowd into an eery silence for the 'ghosts of E Street', this song was powerful on release and has taken an even stronger presence in the line-up.

24. Radio Nowhere - Magic
Just a solid rock tune. Easy to join in, easy to enjoy. Play it loud.

25. Johnny 99 - Live 1975-1985
Another one that always took me by surprise and Bruce seems to really enjoy himself playing it. This live version is a great warm-up.

26. She's The One - Live Hammersmith Odeon, London 1975
An underrated tune that also gets a frequent playing on stage. For good reason too - the crowd participation is like that of Badlands in that it helps construct a whole new version of the song. So like Badlands, get to know your part.

27. Pay Me My Money Down - The Seeger Sessions, Live In Dublin
A Seeger Sessions blow out that brings the whole band into play, in particular the horns section. On first listen this rollicking folk tune may not appeal to everyone, but when the band get into it, it's impossible not to enjoy. Just ask the Brucettes from the first night in Melbourne who got pulled up on stage in their matching tops - I'm pretty sure they've never stopped playing.

Pay Me My Money Down, Melbourne 2013.

28. Backstreets - Born To Run
One of my all-time favourites alongside Lost In The Flood, and like that great tune it wasn't played every night. But when it was it brought the arena to a standstill. Prepare yourself in advance to give it the respect it deserves.

29. American Land - The Seeger Sessions
Another Seeger Sessions joyride that you might not think of, but gets thrown out when the band are in full swing and just don't want to go home. Good luck in learning the lyrics, it ain't easy to keep up but gets stuck in your head after a couple of plays.

30. American Skin (41 Shots) - Live In New York City
This silent-inducing, powerful live performance of this song is another show-stopping lesser-known track. With it getting a release on High Hopes we could hear it again soon.

Do you agree? What else should I add to the list? Let me know below...

High Hopes for a new Bruce Springsteen album

The rumours are, once again, true and a new album is indeed set to be released before Springsteen and the band return to Australia next February.

As teased last week the album High Hopes was announced today with a full tracklist.

Pre-order sites such as Amazon are already listing details that include a bonus DVD of the band performing the Born In The USA album live in London earlier this year.

For fans of this blog and those who saw the Wrecking Ball tour in Australia this year have good reason to be excited about the new album.

First of all, the excellent High Hopes is present – a brilliant highlight of the Australian-leg of the tour.

Then there’s the frequent addition of Tom Morello, Steve Van Zandt’s stand-in for the 10 down under dates in 2013. This of course includes the incredible Ghost Of Tom Joad that has been crying out for a CD release.

Along with this we also Just Like Fire Would – a cover of The Saints' song performed in Brisbane on the first date of the tour in Australia this year.

Amongst the other songs in the tracklist are the American Skin (41 Shots) already a highlight on Live In New York City release, and Dream Baby Dream, Suicide’s song Springsteen used in a video to thank fans who made it to the Wrecking Ball shows.

The lack of an album full of entirely new songs may disappoint some fans. But with the tracks in High Hopes the album feels like another ‘thank you’ to those who have followed him across the planet in the past few years (and decades). 

Meanwhile if you listen and look close enough you can already pick up on rumours already circulating of two albums being released within 12 months of each other. 

Track list: 

1. High Hopes (Tim Scott McConnell) - featuring Tom Morello

2. Harry's Place - featuring Tom Morello

3. American Skin (41 Shots) - featuring Tom Morello

4. Just Like Fire Would (Chris J. Bailey) - featuring Tom Morello

5. Down In The Hole

6. Heaven's Wall -featuring Tom Morello

7. Frankie Fell In Love

8. This Is Your Sword

9. Hunter Of Invisible Game -featuring Tom Morello

10. The Ghost of Tom Joad - duet with Tom Morello

11. The Wall

12. Dream Baby Dream (Martin Rev and Alan Vega) - featuring Tom Morello

Album due out January 14.

Springsteen 2014: First extra date added for Australia tour

A second date at Perth Arena for Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band has been added to meet the demand of the rockstar's WA fans.

 

 

Frontier Touring announced this morning the second concert, on Saturday, February 8, was added "due to overwhelming response to this week's pre-sale" which sent ticket website Ticketek into meltdown on Wednesday.

The show will be the day after Springsteen's first ever concert in Perth on Friday, February 7.

Both shows will go on sale to the general public at 9am on Monday.

After Perth, the tour will head to stops in Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Hunter Valley and Brisbane. 

So in short... 9am Monday is going to be mental in Perth.

• In case you missed it: Springsteen fan's road to Perth Arena

Bruce Springsteen back to Australia in 2014. And this time he's coming to Perth...

Fans of Bruce Springsteen who missed out on the rocker’s Australian tour could be in luck with reports The Boss is returning down under in February next year with another tour starting at Perth Arena.

Rumours have been circulating fan forums since the end of the Springsteen’s Wrecking Ball tour in Australia in March that he would return within a year after a series of 10-sell out shows.

On Wednesday night fan sites waiting for an announcement went into meltdown after a release from Triple M radio station said Springsteen would play Perth Arena on February 7 next year before heading around the country for another tour.

The webpage was quickly taken down moments later, but a search on Google still showed results that the radio station and Frontier Touring had details of the 2014 concerts.

Facebook group Bruce Springsteen Perth, previously a campaign group to bring The Boss to WA, even managed to collect screen grabs of the website listing dates for Perth, Adelaide – which also missed out on this year’s tour, Melbourne, Sydney, The Hunter Valley and Brisbane.

Frontier pre-sale tickets are reported to go on sale Wednesday, August 21.

The Triple M web leak also suggests that the reformed Hunter & Collectors will support Springsteen for the Melbourne show, listed for AAMI Park.

 Stay tuned for updates, and follow Bruce Springsteen Perth for more.

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