#BruceBooks: The Light In Darkness

There are two types of Bruce Springsteen fans who have been rocked by a live E Street Band show. Those who caught the band on the Darkness 78/79 tour, and those who wish they could have.

 

So legendary are those 115 concerts from May 1978 to January 1979, and so pivotal was the period in Springsteen's music career that books, album re-releases, outtakes and documentaries have all delved into the Darkness-era in recent years.

Photographer and Springsteen-book author Lawrence Kirsh's limited edition book The Light In Darkness is one that puts the fans and the incredible impact of Springsteen's fourth album centre stage.

Recalling details of how they ended up in the audience for one - or several - shows, every stop of the tour is covered through the personal memories of a fan.

With more than 100 stories, common themes run throughout - how they discovered Springsteen, how many didn't appreciate Darkness upon first listen only to later find it an influential favourite, and how seeing the band live changed their life.

These tales are joined by more than 200 fantastic photographs from the shows that provide a glimpse into everything about  the experience of the tour - from the style and intensity to the expressions of everyone in the band. 

Something that could be taken for granted today with the abundance of Springsteen fans' blogs, such as this one, that seek to do the same thing through recaps of a show and photos from a phone snapped from the pit.

In a world dominated by comprehensive online resources easily detailing Springsteen's concerts and shows in minute, visual detail, one of the most impressive things about this book is how it does the same with great images and props from the era.

So when fans recall hearing the '78 version of Prove It All Night or how they felt when Springsteen broke the established conventions and left the stage to join them during Spirit In The Night, anyone who has been to an E Street Show can relate and picture themselves right there at the show more than three decades earlier.

Admittingly while after 50 pages in some of the stories can become tiresome as they repeat the similar tales of discovering Springsteen and seeing their first show. But the impact of the album and the tour itself is never lost. And as the structure uses short stories to follow every concert venue, the book is perfect for casual readers wanting to dip into the legendary shows from time to time, rather than take in the entire tour at once.

Although focussing on the fans, the chronological visit to the tour also creates a picture of how Springsteen and the band developed surrounding the release of Darkness and the troubles they overcame. 

What has been frequently touched on in other biographies about Springsteen's legal battle and the direction he took afterwards are given a new and unique perspective through the eyes of dozens of concert goers instead of a single writer.

It is the details surrounding what has become accepted as a crucial time in E Street history that stands The Light In Darkness out amongst the increasingly heavy shelves of Springsteen books currently out there.

Not only a worthy companion to documentary The Promise: The Making of Darkness On The Edge Of Town, but also an excellent answer to those who constantly question fans lining up for hours outside venues for the best pit position for every concert they can get to.

Part of what makes this book such a fun addition to the expanding collections is how fans share their exclusive part in some of the final shows that the band would play in smaller venues. Offering experiences that many concert-goers today dream of.

As Kirsh said “The book will give readers at least a small perspective of what we experienced in 1978.”

“The connection and bond made between performer and audience during this tour set the stage for all future albums and tours to come.”

Like the album that inspired the stories within, this book is one fans will no doubt return to again and again.

The Light In Darkness is a limited edition book only available from www.thelightindarkness.com 

But be quick, when I contacted author Lawrence Kirsch for photos to use in this review he informed me there were only 120 copies left. Those 120 remaining books also come with half-price shipping and the author's signature upon request.

All photos from the book:The Light In Darkness ©theLightinDarkness.com

Dream Baby Dream - Bruce Springsteen thanks Wrecking Ball tour fans

As fans in Australia and New Zealand eagerly await the return of The E Street Band next year, Bruce Springsteen has penned a thank you letter to the crowds who joined them on the Wrecking Ball tour over the past year and a half.

He also recorded a version of electro-punk duo Suicide's song Dream Baby Dream with video highlights from the tour. 

 

Anyone who lined up for the GA pit on the 10-date Australian tour in March might recognise some familiar faces in the video.

Apart from the excitement that the video and letter brings as Springsteen writes about the increased passion of the band from the extensive tour, it also clearly signals the end of the Wrecking Ball tour. 

Meaning next year's tour starting in Perth on February 5, are hopefully the start of a new global tour on the back of a new album of material. Something we all know is coming soon after Springsteen previously said he recorded material in Sydney during the tour in March.

Check out the letter at brucespringsteen.net

How to see Bruce Springsteen in Perth for $10...

OK, so yes it's a competition and it's all about the luck of the draw.
Literally. Because it's a prize draw.

But not just any prize draw - it's a draw for a pair of tickets to every event at Perth Arena. for a year, starting from November 10.

That means you get to choose one of Bruce Springsteen's three confirmed shows for just $10.

And not to mention you also get Leonard Cohen - November 13, Muse - November 30, Fleetwood Mac - November 22/23, Alicia Keys - December 5, Bon Jovi - December 12... all before Springsteen's February shows. (Check out Perth Arena for more events)

The Golden Ticket draw is all about charity and raising cash for hospital Radio Lollipop and helping them move to Perth's new children's hospital.

Unfortunately you don't get tickets to every single show if there is more than one of the same act, but the rules say you can choose which show you go to. 

In Springsteen terms, where the tickets are not only sold out but at least $150 to 200 for the best seats, anyone still looking to go should buy a couple of Golden Tickets before considering buying tickets from re-sellers.

 

All the details are here - Golden Ticket -  but make sure you get your tickets by October 31.

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

Springsteen is coming back to Australia.. (But you knew that already right?)

Bruce Springsteen is OFFICIALLY coming back to Australia.

This can mean only one thing.... POWER SLIDE!!!!!

Tickets to the 2014 Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band tour go on sale Monday, August 26 at the local times listed below:

Feb. 7 – Perth, AU – Perth Arena – on sale Aug. 26 at 9 am -ticketek.com.au
Feb. 11 – Adelaide, AU – Entertainment Center – on sale Aug. 26 at 9 am -  ticketek.com.au
Feb. 15 – Melbourne, AU – AAMI Park – on sale Aug. 26 at 9 am – ticketek.com.au
Feb. 19 – Sydney, AU – Allphones Arena – on sale Aug. 26 at 10 am -  ticketek.com.au
Feb. 22 – Hunter Valley, AU – Hope Estate – on sale Aug. 26 at 10 am – ticketmaster.com.au
Feb. 26 – Brisbane, AU – Entertainment Centre – on sale Aug. 26 at 12pm – ticketek.com.au
Mar. 1 – Auckland, NZ – Mt. Smart Stadium – on sale Aug. 26 at 9 am – ticketmaster.co.nz

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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Springsteen & I - Movie Review

Finally, after months and months of anticipation, the fan-made documentary Springsteen & I made it to Australian shores.

(And finally, after a few days to collect my thoughts on the movie, I’ve got round to writing my review.)

I didn't make the movie, but I did make the poster... (above the 'E' in the third 'THE'...)

As a movie fan, and occasional entertainment reviewer, Springsteen & I is an excellent documentary.

Letting fans tell stories in their own words, with their own experiences captured on video, not only brought out a unique glimpse of Springsteen and the influence of his music, it also made for a more personal approach that would have been missing in a collection of interviews.

It showed Springsteen fans at their best, their funniest, and in terms of the emotional guy driving in the car, at their most unintentionally hilarious and moving at the same time.

Instant highlights are no doubt the story of the Manchester couple where the husband – a Karl Pilkington-alike Brit - gives his thoughts about being dragged around Europe by his Bruce-loving wife, and the Philly Elvis who for a brief moment threatened to steal the show from Bruce.

Together with snippets of classic footage of Springsteen – the Growin’ Up footage a personal favourite as it was the acoustic version of this on Tracks which first hooked me to the music of Springsteen - the film is a gripping insight into the world of a Springsteen fan.

However, as entertaining and unique a film project as it is, for those Springsteen fans that have sweated in the sun with a number on the back of their hand and waited days for a front row position at an E Street Band concert, it merely scratches the surface of life as a Bruce Bud.

There’s barely a mention of people who have spent decades following him around to more than a hundred concerts, and no details of the effort, exhaustion and subsequent reward of a dozen roll calls to get that great spot to strum the guitar during Born To Run.

And there’s no insight either into the comradery and kinship that forms while waiting to see a Springsteen show and the bonds forged by strangers who strike up a conversation based on how they had a mutual understanding of why they’ve given up their time for an experience that ‘other people don’t get because they just haven’t seen him live’.

I have no doubt that all of these points could have been addressed through fan submissions to the film makers. And also that there are countless stories that Springsteen fans thought would have deserved more to be included than the female truck driver in America or the woman in the woods who struggled to stay in shot and at times raised a few Blair Witch Project flashbacks.

For the Springsteen fans looking for their story to be told, or their experiences to be played out on screen whether through their own submission or by that of a seasoned blood brother, the movie may be below what was expected.

But at the same time there is some merit from not going too deep into the world of the proud Springsteen fan.

If there’s one thing the movie does well it’s that it shows the influence of the man and his work for people who aren’t able to hit every show on country’s tour.

The couple dancing in the kitchen to Radio Nowhere who have never been able to make a show was another poignant entry. And I bet every Bruce Bud who has seen anything from one to 100 shows would have been up for buying them a ticket to the next concert they stand in line for.

Meanwhile, in true Springsteen fan style, the movie and its selection of entries – which no doubt would have relied heavily on the visual and sound quality of submissions – shares many qualities of a live E Street Band show.

It will no doubt convert newcomers into picking up a classic album or considering getting a ticket for the next tour.

And in the style of Springsteenradio.com, E Street Radio and the countless Facebook groups, blogs and websites for Bruce bootlegs, just like the incredible versions of live songs we get, the stories that didn’t get told in the movie, will be out there and will be shared by Springsteen fans.

Springsteen & I offers a brief glimpse into the world of Springsteen fans.

But as many Bruce Buds will tell you, it’s no substitute for standing your ground front of the line waiting for the real thing.

What did you make of the movie? Let me know below....

#BruceBooks - Rocking The Wall

Just finished the latest Springsteen book in my rapidly growing collection and it’s one that every fan should give a read.

Erik Kirschbaum’s Rocking The Wall has great insights and recollections into the concert in East Germany 16 months before the collapse of the Berlin wall in 1989 and explores the impact Springsteen had on the fall of Communism in the region.

It’s not a long read and doesn’t rerun the life of an icon like the many Bruce biographies flooding the bookshelves at the moment, but it is a well-researched and presented chapter in the influence Springsteen has had in people’s lives.

Well timed with the release of Springsteen & I documentary (not out here for another week) Kirschbaum talks to people who were among the 300,000 fans in East Berlin and looks at the rising desire for change in the country’s youth.

For someone who was seven-years-old when the Wall was torn down it’s an interesting history lesson but what I really got out of it was the incredible lengths people went to get in to see the show, and how eager Springsteen was to perform there.

It also makes me think of last year’s Hyde Park concert where Springsteen was cut off during the band’s final moments.

In 1988 a concert in a country dominated by rules and regulations was supposed to entertain a maximum of 160,000 people. But when nearly double that amount turned up, the ticket booth was smashed and fences were torn down and the usually strict authorities let the overcrowded, totally unsafe show go ahead regardless. 

The book details how the concert went ahead because the country’s rulers thought it might entertain the youth of the nation, and keep order. Instead it did the very thing they were trying to avoid - hundreds of thousands of empowered young people motivated for change. 

In comparison to the Hyde Park concert 24 years later, just after Springsteen was joined on stage by English music legend Sir Paul McCartney, the power was cut on a concert of 50-80,000 people because he was running a few minutes over.

The result was tens of thousands of people spilling across the London streets trying to make it out of a city centre park with no clue what was happening and little directions on how to get out without disrupting nearby residents and businesses. 

The very thing those who pulled the power were trying to avoid.

Two different situations but with similar lessons…

(Never underestimate Springsteen or his fans).

Where to see Springsteen & I in Perth

Springsteen fans in Perth were justified in thinking they would miss out in the global release of documentary Springsteen & I when it get's its global release in a few months.

After they missed the Australian tour of the E Street Band coming to their entertainment venues, it seemed that no Perth screens were on the list of Palace Cinemas that have confirmed they are showing the movie.

But cinema chain Hoyts confirmed they will be showing the movie at their Carousel multiplex in August.

The highly-anticipated documentary made of contributions and clips of fan footage and interviews with people around the world whose dedication to everything Springsteen knows no bounds will be at the cinema on August 4, 5 and 7.

@mrcorey Yes we are! On the 4th, 5th & 7th August at Hoyts Carousel :)
— HoytsAustralia (@HoytsAustralia) June 6, 2013

With the number of Springsteen fans who travelled to all the dates across the country in March this year impressing Bruce so much, expect there to be a few people in Perth eager to catch this movie.

UPDATE:

If you haven't see already, the SpringsteenandI.com site have also listed Event Cinemas in Innaloo as a place to catch the documentary.

They have four dates Sun, Aug 4 to Wed, Aug 7.

The website for the movie really is excellent in giving people the locations and ticket information.

Of course I'm also a big fan of the site because I'm one of the 350 plus people who made it to the interactive poster. www.springsteenandi.com/poster