Springsteen at Perth Arena - Show 2

It’s impossible to say whether the early shows of a Springsteen tour will be long-remembered as the best of that run.

But there’s probably going to be a few fans who were at Perth Arena on Friday night who will boldly make that claim.

The excitement level of the faithful soared just a few tracks in when Springsteen went straight into taking a bunch of sign requests. A move that would shape the surviving set list for the rest of the night.

 

Bruce and Stevie (Photo: Twitter - @born_in_a_tent)

And this was after he started with a roaring Badlands and went straight into Out In The Street, so everyone was already pumped for three hours of high adrenaline E Street action.

Front and centre (Photo: Twitter - @born_in_a_tent)

It came pretty quickly with the requests for Sherry Darling and Two Hearts from The River album – both providing Stevie Van Zandt to join Springsteen in chief entertainer duties.

If there was any hesitating from some of the sold out crowd of show 1, the band were determined to blast it away for night 2.

A request for Light Of Day was met with a fantastic no-holds barred rendition –with the horns section and organist Charlie Giordano with a brilliant solo.

All fuelling Springsteen into an intimidating guitar solo that is arguably the highlight of the night. (I, for one, will support that argument).

The track, complete with a taste of Land Of A 1000 Dances, was the final nail in the coffin for any problems that may have been picked up on during show 1, where Springsteen was clearly frustrated with teleprompter issues.

The entire band was on exceptional form.

So confident was Springsteen that he even indulged in performing some of his favourites.

A request for Girls In Their Summer Clothes, which he had admitted at a media call on Wednesday was one of those he wish he could play more, was met with a solo acoustic version.

A decision that may not have been appreciated by everyone – it was fun watching Roy Bittan and Gary Tallent step away from their tools for a discussion which seemed to look like they had no idea what was going on, with a speculatory mix of ‘here he goes again!’.

Another bold move by Springsteen was Save My Love, released on 2010’s The Promise collection.

An underplayed track to say the least, you could see the concentration on some of the band’s faces as they worked hard to keep up.

Some in the audience may had questioned what the song was doing in the set list, but looking back to see such a rarity is always something to be remembered. 

When it came to really blowing the audience away for the second show on the Australasia tour however, it was the trio of successive Atlantic City, Youngstown and Murder Incorporated that did it.

The band on fine form, the crowd in good voice and Nils Lofgren on lead guitar charge for Youngstown. It was the most solid, focused part of the show that cemented the simple fact that every night in Perth is going to be special.

No more so than for than the fans who reached the stage on that night.

First of all little James who became beach buddies with Springsteen this week and who has held his own during the roll calls, became a hero to fans in the pit. (Alongside Wednesday night’s champions Vel Holland and screen dominating ‘Stevie’s Angels’).

Then the efforts of Rosie and Dal for Dancing In The Dark honours – along with Luke Reynolds and Ellie O’Keefe who went for a jive with Soozie Tyrell and Jake Clemons and stayed on stage for a guitar jamming session to close the song.

The pulling up of so many fans not only boosts the appeal of arena shows where the band are closer to the audience, but also backs up how Springsteen has become more accessible to his fans, both on and off the stage.

It looked like another acoustic solo would finish off the night as he farewelled the band and took on solo duties on I’ll Work For Your Love.

(But not before a hilarious band roll call where Springsteen missed out Lofgren, and then tried to correct his mistake by a ‘last and most certainly not least’, followed by ‘Did I mention we have Nils Lofgren!’… several times.)

But even then he wasn’t done. Out came the harmonica and it was another acoustic Thunder Road that took the show to its finale.

Set list:

1. Badlands

2. Out in the Street

3. Sherry Darling (sign request)

4. Two Hearts

5. High Hopes

6. Just Like Fire Would

7. Light of Day (sign request)

8. Death to My Hometown

9. Hungry Heart

10. Girls In Their Summer Clothes (solo acoustic, sign request)

11. Save My Love

12. Atlantic City

13. Youngstown

14. Murder Incorporated

15. Johnny 99

16. Pay Me My Money Down

17. Shackled and Drawn

18. Waitin' On a Sunny Day

19. The Ghost of Tom Joad

20. The Rising

Encore:

21. Heaven's Wall

22. Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)

23. Born to Run

24. Dancing in the Dark

25. Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out

26. Twist and Shout

27. I'll Work For Your Love (solo acoustic)

28. Thunder Road (solo acoustic)

Run time: 3 hours, 6 minutes

Tour so far: 55 songs in 2 shows, 41 different.

Springsteen at Perth Arena - Show 1

Out of all the songs he was going to open the Australia tour with, I never thought for a second that Bruce Springsteen would choose Frankie Fell In Love.

But in the first 30 seconds of him launching into the track, and with Stevie Van Zandt rocking the crowd the moment he came out, I was already won over despite my previous thoughts on the song. 

High Hopes had a solid airing for the first night of the tour.

Both the title track and Australian cover Just Like Fire Would were quickly thrown out, and later in the night we heard the Tom Morello-injected Ghost Of Tom Joad and American Skin (41 Shots).

Also a vast improvement from the studio recording was Raise Your Hand – which came a little earlier in the set when Everett ‘Reverend’ Bradley accidentally started to play it, forcing a joking Springsteen to stop and swap guitars.

What made this song, the opening of which I don’t mind skipping on my iPod, was the way in which Springsteen used all four lead guitarists (himself included) to thrash out the chorus with Soozie Tyrell in the middle taking centre stage on the violin and backing vocals.

Not the strongest track from the album, but a real highlight of the night.

For me however the opening night of the Australia tour belonged to Springsteen’s earlier work.

Both E Street Shuffle and Kitty’s Back gave the crowd an incredible taste of The Wild and The Innocent… while showcasing how incredibly tight the 18 musicians are as one band.

With Springsteen leading the charge as orchestra conductor and lead guitarist on Kitty’s Back.

Not one to back away from the solo work, Springsteen twice took over duties by dismissing the band for a great, moving version of For You on Roy Bittan’s piano.

And again taking the show to the end with an acoustic solo of Thunder Road.

Also worthy of a mention are “Stevie’s Angels” – formerly The Brucettes – who managed to get an invite to dance on stage for Ramrod. These are the same family of Springsteen fans whose matching shirts and smiles landed them a spot dancing with the band in Melbourne last year during Pay Me My Money Down. 

And of course Vel Holland who first joined the line outside the Arena on Friday and was already crying tears of joy before the concert because she was finally getting to see a Springsteen show. Pulled out to join him for Dancing In The Dark, Vel wasted no time in leaving her impression on the rock star.

Overall it was a fantastic opener for the tour, and just thinking about what songs could make the setlist for the next two shows in Perth is enough to build plenty of excitement.

More on Perth’s first Springsteen show: Springsteen rocks Perth Arena

Setlist:

1. Frankie Fell In Love

2. High Hopes

3. Just Like Fire Would

4. Badlands

5. Hungry Heart

6. E Street Shuffle

7. Kitty's Back

8. Wrecking Ball

9. Death To My Hometown

10. The River

11. Heaven's Wall

12. American Skin (41 Shots)

13. Because The Night'

14. She's The One

15. Working On The Highway

16. Darlington County

17. Shackled And Drawn

18. Waitin' On A Sunny Day

19. For You (request) piano, solo

20. Ghost Of Tom Joad

21. The Rising

22. Ramrod

23. Born To Run

24. Dancing In The Dark

25. Tenth Avenue Freeze Out

26. Shout

27. Thunder Road (solo acoustic)

                                                     

Inside a Bruce Springsteen soundcheck

A few hours before the first Perth Arena show a group of around 30 journalists, including myself, were lucky enough to get an early glimpse of what goes on backstage before a show.

Before going in we were told to stand at the back of the GA pit while Springsteen and the band performed. When he was ready, Springsteen would then call us forward to the stage and we could ask him some questions.

Dream Baby Dream

We were also warned that the whole media call would only begin when Springsteen was happy with the sound and that it could take a while.

So we spent what felt like hours waiting in a hallway of Perth Arena trying to listen out to the songs being rehearsed behind a closed door.

At one point I could make out Frankie Fell In Love, and a friend said she heard The River.

Finally let inside and ushered to the back of the GA pit, Springsteen shouted a welcome from the stage before launching the band into Dream Baby Dream.

The band, following every hand gesture from the lead man even more intently than you would probably notice on show night, were obviously not in the evening’s wardrobe selections yet.

Soozie Tyrell wearing thick glasses and Tom Morello in a big cowboy hat and shades both made a lasting impression.

At the end of the song Springsteen jokingly waved off our applause by saying they weren’t done yet.

“You’ve stumbled into a rehearsal”, he said, before turning to the band and explaining what he wanted to hear more of something before starting up the song again.

But it seemed someone started before others in the 18-member band were ready as something was so out of time he immediately stopped the band a few seconds in, and joked “that was the single version.”

Before running through the song again.

Afterwards he again turned to the band, and you could see how he was determined to perfect the song, that in the end would not get played on opening night.

He then turned to the assembled media and called them forward, sitting on the centre platform at the front of the stage.

There he answered several questions about how he feels about being more open to writers and the internet, the role of folk music “when it’s done well” and his approach to the setlists.

Saying that he still planned to “keep changing things up” and bringing out surprises for the tour.

When asked if there was any songs he wished were requested a bit more he talked about how he liked performing Girls In Their Summer Clothes but didn’t get to do it very often, and also Long Walk Home from Magic, of which he was pleased with the strength of his writing.

The diehard fan in me managed to string a sentence together enough to ask if he would be doing any full album shows on this tour.

He said although they had done some in Europe last year, it was unlikely while he had a new album out and wanted to keep each night different and fresh for both new and returning audiences.

When it came to his interview the answers he gave were never short or abrupt, they were long, detailed and genuine.

The personal commitment and enthusiasm his live performances are known for easily transferred over to a group of 30 people that although excited – and in my case totally bewildered and quietly overwhelmed – were all thinking of fast approaching deadlines and how they would file copy, footage and audio clips to their outlets on time.

As his publicity and crew were obviously eager to hurry things along by calling time on the press conference, Springsteen was happy to keep talking and allowed the questions to keep going.

If he didn’t have a show to do, I think he would have been happy to sit on that stage talking for hours.

But even if spending a lengthy time chatting with Springsteen was an option, I would take being in the pit of his live show for three hours over a conversation every time.

Read the article I scrawled together on the side of the road after the media call here:  Bruce Springsteen promises to keep surprises coming for Australia

Confessions of a Springsteen roll call addict

At 10pm Tuesday it had reached 100, at 8.30am Wednesday 112 people had committed themselves to the line.

And by 3pm today there will be dozens more fighting sun burn and trying to orchestrate the balance of staying hydrated without forcing any unwanted trips to the bathroom.

The procedures in the hours and days before a Springsteen show have become nothing short of a necessity or even an addiction for those that have previously turned up to a venue and had a number printed on their left hand.

During the 2013 Wrecking Ball tour the roll call system of getting a number as early as possible - then returning to the line at designated times to keep that place in line - quickly became a friendly contest between fans for the lowest number, a haven for weary travellers, a roadblock for school-running parents and even a bed for tramps and dreamers.

This time around before the doors have opened for the first of 11 shows in Australia the roll call system is once again alive and well.

Sunday night.

 

Pros and cons?

The pros of the roll call are obvious, it allows fans to line up without physically standing – or sleeping – in place for hours or days on end.

A win for fans and for venues worried about the surge of people who might want to turn a single night’s concert into a week-long festival complete with camping experience.

The breaks to disappear for a few hours, take a walk, get food, water and use the bathroom make all the difference. Especially when the line is at a place like Perth Arena, or Melbourne, rather than say Brisbane, where a choice of places to eat, drink and just gather some healthy shade are miles away.

Not only are people more energised and positive, but venue operators and road crews also appear to be happy with the set up at smaller Arena shows because it saves the need for a lottery system – something that can result in a person in line for 5 minutes getting to the front, while someone who spent hours waiting near the front doesn’t get the view they were hoping for.

Most of all the roll call system does one thing brilliantly, it builds excitement and enthusiasm for the forthcoming show through its form as a giant countdown until doors open.

Those final hours stood in line waiting to land a spot and debating whether or not to come up with a strategy inside the venue for the best position are agonisingly brilliant.

It also builds relationships between Springsteen fans in a way that social groups or fan clubs could never do. By the end of the day you’re not just sharing stories of why you like Springsteen, but even stepping aside to let the shorter person behind you move closer to the stage or reach out for the guitar during Born To Run.

Despite being a massive fan of the roll call system not others agree, and frequent discussions do raise what some would argue are a few disadvantages.

First of all is the question of when to start the system.

Start it too late and you could find disagreement between people already in line who have already committed to staying onsite for days on end regardless of any ordered line.

Start it too early and you’ll find people who travel from outside the area angry that their entire time in a new place is spent attending roll calls instead of seeing the sights.

(My memory of Melbourne is a 15-minute L-shaped path from the Flinders St backpackers to Rod Laver Arena I walked every 3 hours.)

You also have the legitimate criticism from people willing to line up for an entire day - but not much longer - that the line would probably be shorter if people were not given the freedom of leaving for a few hours after checking in, as less people would be inclined to queue for hours on end.

In short, it’s not a perfect system, but I’m a big fan of it and it my experience it has worked really well.

Although those who have been in a roll call for more than one show will recognise the signs of ‘roll call addiction’: 

• saying you don’t mind what number you get but secretly fighting for your lowest number yet.
• telling others you probably won’t line up for the next show and then you run to get a number.
• having a strategy worked out to stand in front of Nils or Stevie then just panicking and making a split-second decision depending on the height of everyone in front of you.
• knowing that it doesn’t matter if you make the first 200 because the rest of GA still get great spots anyway – and yet still not being satisfied with being anything above (Johnny) 99.

My Hometown

One other observation from this week is the mistake I made thinking it would be easier to attend several roll calls as I only lived a short bike ride from the venue.

In theory, a hometown roll call should be easy as you know where everything is and how to get there quickly.

In reality however, life itself just gets in the fucking way.

Even on holiday work issues can flare up, family hassles can arise and the kids can suddenly need a ride to school right at the time you should be answering the call to who owns the faded number you proudly got two nights ago.

Not to mention ‘roll call fatigue’ which can easily set in when you have to keep leaving the comforts of home to stand out in the sun currently burning the side of the building you’re trying not to stand near.

It’s fair to say roll call for more than 24 hours takes commitment, a clear schedule and a toll on your personal appearance. If you waiver or worry about any of these, you’re in for a stressful countdown for the show.

 

Alternatively while you’re away, the roll call becomes an adventure. Sure you would like to see the new place you would never have been to before but your desire to be that one place closer to the stage is just a little bit stronger.

And you get to talk about how far you’ve travelled before spotting the brilliant but mental people who have come from all corners of the planet and are typically roll call experts.

This morning I pulled out of number 28 spot due to some last minute commitments which I was already aware of. My decision to join in three days ago was to bag the best spot incase my diary did clear up and I wouldn’t regret not being in line earlier. Not to mention meeting up with all the familiar faces from last time round.

So for Friday’s show I’m just planning on coming down around midday in the day and seeing what numbers are available, and I’m sure I’ll get a good spot whatever it is.

Or maybe I’ll come by at 11am… or Thursday night... or fuck it, maybe I’ll just see what happens after the show on Wednesday.