The Springsteen fan's road to Perth Arena

Springsteen fever has officially landed in Perth with the Australia tour about to start this week.

A few people have said they enjoyed an article I wrote last year when the 2014 tour was first announced - and before the extra dates were added - so here it is again. 

(More than six months on, let me know how accurate it is Springsteen fans...)

News that Bruce Springsteen is to return to Australia next year has no doubt sent many E Street Band fans into meltdown over the past 48 hours.
Perth and Adelaide, which missed out on the E Street Band in 1985, 2003 and 2013, as well as 1997's solo tour, will be the first two cities on next year's tour (February 7 and 11 respectively).
Bruce Springsteen made special mention of Perth fans during this year's tour told the crowd, thanking them for flying over.

Coming back so soon after an incredible ten-show tour in March and after a series of ground-breaking shows in Europe really is mind-blowing.
Not just because the shows are so good they can change the way you look and feel about music, but because from now until February there will be several times where die-hard fans will put themselves through an insane amount of psychological and physical torture to be at a show.
Insights into the dedication of Springsteen fans were recently touched on in the documentary Springsteen & I, made entirely from fan's own video submissions.
But in terms of what die-hard fans across the world will be doing over the next six months, it barely scratched the surface.
As of right now Springsteen fans are booking weeks off work, cancelling holiday plans and failing to find an acceptable excuse to bail on their girlfriend's sister's Margaret River wedding so they can revel in the E Street experience. Again.
Military-style operations are being formed across different time-zones that will see phones, tablets and computers at battle stations when the ticket pre-sale starts in every state.
The same thing will be repeated a few days later as tickets are released to the general public and every few seconds internet booking sites will be the cause of some of the most abusive, offensive language ever spoken by thousands of people at the same time when they all see, "Sorry, those tickets are no longer available" in bright red annoying letters.
Several hours of war games will end with the occasional sweet victory of a solo GA ticket, only to vanish when another tour date is added to a venue. And you do it all again. And again.
Only when enough tickets are secured and the concert diary is suitably full will fans move on to the next stage of planning and preparation.
Credit card limits will be extended, promises will be broken and more than one fan will end up with debts that no honest man can pay.
"Bruce buds" made last time round will reconnect and reunite with meet-ups and build plans to share accommodation, journeys and even strategies for waiting outside concert venues for days on end in order to secure the very best place in the crowd.
All this will happen months before the first show as every wedding, birthday party or Bar mitzvah invite is met with "as long as it's not in February, I CAN'T DO FEBRUARY!"
Probably followed by a conversation that starts with an excited explanation of what they're up to and ends with a pitying smugness that the person not crazy enough to give up weeks of their life to stand in line will never get it.
Flights, hotels, friend's sofa beds and cardboard boxes are being booked out and journeys between each show are plotted out to the finest of detail.
Meanwhile at the back of every fan's mind is the constant thought about how the world will fall apart if anything gets in the way.
For normal people, the announcement of a concert might be a welcome surprise and something to look forward to.
But for the next six months the sign-making, roll-call-taking Springsteen fan hooked on seeing show after show after show, will self-inflict a ridiculous amount of pressure to not miss a single second of the tour. No matter how impossible that will be.
And these will be the people you see sleeping outside Perth Arena days before the first concert.
Brace yourself Perth... Springsteen is coming.


First published on WAtoday.com.au 

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Did you fall for the Bruce Springsteen USB wristband backlash-scam?

Last week I wrote a blog entry asking whether paying $45 - plus whatever postage fees - for a live recording of a Bruce Springsteen show on a USB wristband was too much.
I was set to publish it but moments before I did I saw on Twitter there was an update to the concert download saga that has excited many fans and simply infuriated others.

Now it seems that the live recordings will be available in a "variety of formats" and not just in the $45(AUS) wristbands. 

Some of these are reported to be higher quality, and cheaper. The two biggest issues that seemed to irk fans who have been begging for official downloads for years, but wanted them in the same way Pearl Jam fans have theirs - highly accessible and highly affordable.

For me, regardless of the price – which really shouldn’t be that shocking when considering the credit card-limit-breaking cost of actually getting to see a show or two - the whole concept is genius and has been a long time coming.

If I had the opportunity to get live recordings of some of last year’s concerts I would have happily added another $50 on to the price of the ticket. (Mainly because at the time I thought it would be the last time they would tour Down Under).

Every Springsteen fan knows there are some songs that just sound better live, and the man’s career has been built on the ‘you-have-to-see-him-live’ ethos.

Ultimately I would love a live album at the end of every tour, and I for one was genuinely surprised one wasn’t released at the end of the Wrecking Ball tour instead of the album High Hopes.

But until then, the opportunity to get a 2 to 3 hour show recorded professionally is a fantastic alternative.

I know many fans just hit up YouTube and search for individual videos of tracks from the setlist to hear a concert they missed, or relive a concert they experienced. With enough patience it is surprisingly easy how you can create yourself a complete bootlegged live album from the multitude of recordings that come online after every concert any big act performs.

But after you've checked to see if you can spot yourself in the video, the novelty of these recordings quickly wears off. When you've heard how great Prove It All Night and Ghost of Tom Joad sounds at the front of the stage, listening to it from a poorly recorded bootleg just isn't enough.

I first encountered the post-concert live recording option at one of the best small gigs I’ve been lucky to review.

In November 2007 Joseph Arthur and his band The Lonely Astronauts finished their UK tour at The Talking Heads in Southampton. About halfway through the gig he noticed some sort of feedback, buzzing sound and delayed his next song by five minutes as they worked to get rid of it.

Arthur the crowd of a few hundred fans crammed into the small venue that they were recording the performance and that if they wanted a copy CDs would be burned at the merchandise stand afterwards.

The show was incredible, so naturally people swarmed to the merchandise stand afterwards as two computer disc drives were spitting out white CDs for the assistants to put in cardboard sleeves with the gig’s date and venue stamped on the side.

The gig’s 21 tracks went across two CDs and cost £10.

The quality was clear enough to sound decent and recorded with professional gear, while still being raw enough that it clearly was a finely produced live album. Turn it up loud enough and you still the static buzz of the room, while the applause and cheers after each song are sometimes deafening.

However, as a unique recording of some excellent performed tracks from a brilliant singer-songwriter, it was a fantastic buy and one of my all-time favourite live albums.

The following year I considered buying a live concert performance for a second time. After waiting in the rain outside Wembley Arena before Matchbox Twenty took to the stage I was drying off at the merchandise stand when I spotted a USB wristband with the option to download the show afterwards.

Apparently Rob Thomas and his band were pioneers of bringing the concept into a mass-merchandise market.

I don’t remember the price tag of the 2008 wristband, but I’m pretty sure it was at least £25. (Checking on Springsteen's online store to pre-order the wristband it shows £25 is how much UK fans will have to part with for their E Street wristbands.)

The show itself was excellent, partly because I was standing front row at Wembley Arena and also partly because the band were a favourite of mine some years earlier.

This wasn’t enough however for me to part with my cash for the souvenir. At the end of the day I just couldn’t justify it. 

The following year I left London's Hyde Park wishing Springsteen had the same offer going for the 2009 Hard Rock Calling concert - which would later be released on DVD. I would have happily paid a lot of money to know I could hear it again a few days later.

Today however, after seeing the incredible performances on the last tour, and not being able to make two of the upcoming 11 Australian shows, I gave in to pre-ordering a number of wristbands within hours of hearing about the announcement.

The main reason is that I’m just not satisfied by the quality of the unofficial bootlegs I’ve listened to online. And as much as I enjoy requesting rare live offerings on Springsteenradio.com – which is a lot, and I urge everyone to sign up immediately – the reality is there is no better act to see, hear and be a part of live, than the E Street Band.

Some initial reactions to the announcement of the wristbands included calls it was scam by Springsteen – including one genuinely funny parody singer – but in reality it was more likely a miscalculation from his PR team who thought fans would welcome professional live recordings they have longed-for without going into enough detail about what would be available.

Then again, the amount of angry chatter between fans that greeted the original announcement leaded to much more press coverage than it would have done if people were happy about it.

So if there really was any sort of "scam" involved in the release of these live recordings, it could have been with the backlash that greeted it, and the petition set up that attracted thousands of signatures.

There's nothing like a protest to generate more publicity for a product, when you already have the desired outcome of the protestors waiting to be released. In this case, the cheaper downloads without the need for a wristband.

Which according to Backstreets.com will come in two options for audio formats: "MP3 (320 kbps) or FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec). Pricing will match Pearl Jam's at $9.99 for MP3 or $14.99 for FLAC."

So, did I fall for the Bruce Springsteen USB wristband backlash-scam?

No. 

(But after rushing online and pre-ordering several wristbands at $45 each, and another t-shirt, I probably should have.)

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How will High Hopes shape Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band’s new tour?

There’s plenty of reviews out there analysing Springsteen’s latest album with average to positive ratings, along with excited and disappointed fans that it’s not an album full of new material.

After a few listens now I think it’s a great album that will a few years down the line sit nicely alongside Wrecking Ball in a much stronger, more welcome, position than how Working On A Dream sits next to Magic.

The big question is how it will influence and sit with the library of material in the upcoming tour.

Will it be the backbone of shows like Wrecking Ball on the last tour? Or will the fans reactions lead it to fade away like the aforementioned Working On A Dream during that album’s tour – where by the final shows, songs from the album were mostly dropped from setlists?

In the meantime, here’s some thoughts on the new album and how the tracks might work on the upcoming tour.

  

High Hopes

This song has been on my work commute play list everyday since it’s single release now. It gets an extra imaginary fist pump as I cycle through the city on a Monday morning. For me it was a highlight of the Wrecking Ball tour in Australia so I wasn’t surprised to see it get a studio release. I was only glad that they gave it the same bursting energy in the studio as they do on the stage.

I’ve never heard the previous or original version of this song so I can’t compare, but I’m fine with that. This is a great opener and will no doubt open at least one show in Australia in February.

Harry’s Place

With an intro that feels like it should be set to a montage of people living in Manhattan during the 1980s, this is a great ‘throwback’ tune. Complete with Clarence Clemon’s saxophone within the first few seconds. One of the calmer songs vocally, it’s the guitars, sax, organs and keyboards that duel on the streets in the song. A good one for the album but I’m not sure how well this will transfer to the live show. Unless Springsteen et al have an invigorating live version coming – like they did with the track Wrecking Ball – I’d be happy if it wasn’t a regular on upcoming setlists.

American Skin (41 Shots)

Already a proven live hit, this will hopefully emerge on tour a few times in all its haunting glory. Personally I don’t think the studio version adds anything to the previous live recording, but I do feel it’s one of those underrated tunes overdue a decent reception. This tour’s Land of Hope and Dreams.

Just Like Fire Would

The more I hear this tune, the more I like it. I confess to not having any idea what it was when they played it in Brisbane last year, and I don’t think it was their best performance of the tour either.

But with the added tribute of being an Aussie band’s original song, and an excellent recording from the E Street Band I’m hoping we get to see this a lot on the next tour.

The performance on Jimmy Fallon shows how much they enjoy playing it. It’s the one song on this album I can’t get out of my head for the rest of the day.

Down In The Hole

Another song that is growing on me. And another one where the music really shines along with the subtleness of the lyrics. It reminds me of a cross between I’m On Fire, Empty Sky and the original Ghost of Tom Joad. I can’t wait to see how this one is done live and hope we get to see it a few times.

Heaven’s Wall

I’m not decided on this song. The opening 25 seconds of ‘raise your hand, raise your hand, raise your hand…’ kind of grates me a bit.

Saying that, the Jimmy Fallon performance showed the band can throw it out together pretty well with an appreciative audience. Of course the guitar solos that jump in around two minutes are brilliant, and really take the track to another level. Tom Morello and Nils Lofgren could have a lot of fun with this song, even if it is sandwiched in a setlist between a few better, more memorable show stoppers.

Frankie Fell In Love

I really want to like this song. Really I do. It’s got a good beat, fits on the album well and is easy to listen to as it is to pass by.

But… I hate the lyric about the church mouse snoring. And with it being at the start of the song I just can’t get passed it. When I first heard it I stopped the song and listened to the intro again I couldn’t get my head around it. Now I listen to the whole song trying to picture what a church mouse would look like wheezing annoyingly in his sleep and it drives me insane. Just like the ‘giddy-up’ bit in Pony Boy. Or the chorus of Bobby Jean that I could happily live without ever hearing again. Seriously, why Bruce? Why?

This Is Your Sword

I don’t mind this folk, Seeger Sessions-style song, although I’m not sure how it fit on a live show. What I would like to hear however is a stripped back, acoustic version without the rest of the band, as I feel the lyrics could stand up well with a darker, intense solo performance. Saying that, if you’re with Bruce fans in a pub on St Patrick’s Day, this would be an easy one to belt out and would suit the surroundings nicely. This could easily be placed as one of those filler tracks on the tour which come round occasionally and are easily forgotten.

The Hunter of the Invisible Game

This track could easily fall into everything I just said about This Is Your Sword, except I like it a whole lot better. It’s a subtle tune that gets inside and urges the listener to slow down and reflect. Reminds me of Nothing Man from The Rising. Not sure how we’ll see on stage, but could offer Bruce a chance to recover from any crowd surfing carnage, or could simmer the audience down before busting into one of his powerful songs. Which probably explains it’s position on the album.

The Ghost of Tom Joad

After the acoustic original, this version is another track that started life as an unforgettable live song. Every Australian show had the Morello-infused version and every time it was an incredible experience. When I listen to the studio recording I’m right back there hearing the live version, waiting for that bit where Morello just lets fly on his guitar.

This is a highlight of the album, and will no doubt be a highlight of the tour again.

Until then play it loud. Very loud.

The Wall

This album’s If I Fall Behind, or to a lesser extent Brothers Under The Bridge. A slow, pensive track that Springsteen can pull off so well in a setlist full of powerful rock tracks. Could slide in nicely on during a concert, and one that would allow Jake Clemons to come down and provide an always welcome reminder that there’s Clemons air playing on the night.

Dream Baby Dream

Another cover and one of those seemingly simple songs that somehow stops you in your tracks and just hits you. The video thank you to Wrecking Ball tour fans shows how much of an emotionally charged song this can be. If played live, the way it builds up slowly will have everyone reaching for that bit of energy left inside ready to go through an entire show all over again. Could even be the new tour’s My City of Ruins.

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Top 5 most exciting things about Bruce Springsteen's return to Australia in 2014

It’s been a while since I made a Springsteen list, so as fans across the country, and the world, finalise their travel plans, snap up last minute tickets and absorb all the High Hopes they can, here’s five great – and probably obvious - things to get excited about the E Street Band’s upcoming return to Australia.

1. Stevie’s back!

He missed the last tour to film the second season of Lilyhammer and now everyone’s favourite TV mobster is back to make up for his absence.

Not only a fantastic guitarist, Van Zandt is obviously a perfect partner for Springsteen up there on the stage. He’s both a joker and rabble rouser with the crowd and his charismatic presence was sorely missed – even if it did lead to Australian audiences watching a whole new magic appear with Tom Morello standing in.

In Hyde Park in 2009 I remember watching Bruce yell out: ‘Stevie what time is it?’.

To which he replied: ‘It’s curfew-breaking-Boss time!’.

Three years later I was back there in Hyde Park when the organisers were forced to pull the plug before the band could sign-off in the traditional E Street Band manner.

And it was the next show in Dublin where the pair of blood brothers showed everyone how much fun they had playing together as they took to the stage wheeling out a pretend power switch, flipped it to ‘ON’, and burst straight into Twist & Shout, the previous show’s interrupted finale.

One of the most exciting things about any Springsteen show is that you can never really know what to fully expect on the night, and Van Zandt is a big part of that.

2. Tom’s coming too

The success of Tom Morello as Steve Van Zandt’s stand in last year cannot be underestimated. You have to look no further that the tracklist on new album High Hopes to see how much of an influence he had on Springsteen and the band.

Not only for this incredible adaption of Ghost of Tom Joad, but also the power he brought to tracks High Hopes, E Street Shuffle, and Death To My Hometown were great moments in the 2013 tour.

Not to mention the way Springsteen played up to his replacement musician’s new appointment by telling everyone ‘Tommy’s shakin’ in his boots right now’… when he went to play a request for Red Headed Woman, which seemed like it hadn’t been part of the rehearsals.

Even if he only came out for Tom Joad, it would still be a highlight, but the fact that this tour will have four incredible guitarists – Morello joining Springsteen himself, Van Zandt and the formidable Nils Lofgren – we are in for some amazing performances.

3. Perth Arena

There was a public outcry when Perth was missed off the destinations last time round.

And quite rightly so. For just over a year the West Australian venue has put on some brilliant concerts and was built for shows like the E Street Band.

When it was announced he wasn’t coming in 2013 there were radio debates on lobbying the state government to fund his trip over, while many were left wondering what was the point in the new venue if it couldn’t attract the best live show in the world.

It resulted in no less than a rumoured 5,000 fans from Perth boarding flights out of WA and boosting concerts across the country. The plane home from Melbourne to Perth after the final show at Hanging Rock was full of merchandise-wearing fans who had seen Springsteen himself acknowledge their efforts for coming over with a thank you to his Perth fans.

Bon Jovi on stage at Perth Arena in December 2013.

Meanwhile hundreds of people joined Facebook campaign Bring Bruce Springsteen to Perth, which has since become an online community of ‘Perthsteens’.

The reason why it will be a highlight this time round isn’t just because he’s playing three shows there, it’s because on a good night the Arena is a spectacular venue.

Having seen several shows there in all parts of the venue, there doesn’t seem to be one seat that doesn’t have a great view of the stage, so even if you couldn’t get a standing ticket, you’ve nothing to worry about.

The location makes it easy to get to. There’s no Olympic Park to walk miles navigating like Sydney, or some weird swamp to avoid like Brisbane. As far as it stacks up against Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Allphones Arena and Rod Laver Arena that all featured on the last tour, I would say it easily the best despite not being the biggest.

(Food and beer is a bit pricey though, even for Perth prices.)

4. High Hopes

Sure the album has divided some fans and critics, particularly those who wanted a new album of original material to live the next steps of their lives to, but the new album does bring with it some exciting prospects for the next tour.

Obviously the title track and the Morello-infused Ghost of Tom Joad should get a decent blaring, but the addition of the brilliant American Skin (41 Shots) gives plenty of er…. hope… that we’ll see it performed on this tour. And having the live version out there for years we all know how haunting and powerful that can sound.

5. Eddie Vedder’s in town

The Pearl Jam singer will be touring Australia with the band for Big Day Out, and then he’s embarking on a solo tour too.

Looking at the dates of both his and Springsteen’s shows there are a couple of opportunities where they are both in the same place with time for Vedder to join his friend for a song or two.

It wouldn’t be the first time, and just recently Springsteen was photographed watching Vedder perform.

On paper at least, Vedder finished up the Big Day Out festivals in Perth on February 2. He’s then due to play Perth’s Riverside Theatre on February 7 and 8 – the nights of Springsteen’s second and third shows at Perth Arena.

That leaves the tantalising prospect that Vedder will be in town on February 5 as Springsteen kicks off the tour in Perth.

The two will also be in Melbourne at the same time as the E Street Band take over AAMI Stadium for the weekend February 15, 16. Vedder’s playing three dates in Melbourne starting on February 16, but before then he finishes his final show in Sydney on February 13.

Leaving the window of opportunity open for a guest appearance with Springsteen on Saturday, February 15.

Of course these are both long shots and probably form more of a wishlist than a guaranteed part of Springsteen’s 2014 tour. But the history these two have of supporting each other when they can is very exciting and it will be hard to believe they won’t catch up as they both tour Australia next month.

In the meantime, here’s Vedder joining the band for No Surrender in 2007… 

What have I missed?.... let me know below.

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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...