Category: Bruuuuuuuuce!!

Is Bruce Springsteen going to release a new single called “High Hopes” on Tuesday?

Bruce Springsteen will release a new song entitled “High Hopes” on Tuesday, November 19th. At least, that’s according to Danish music magazine Wimp, who reported news of the song’s imminent release over the weekend. Wimp also shared the song’s supposed artwork, which certainly fits the style of other recent Springsteen releases.

Originally released by Scott McConnell’s band The Havalinas in 1990, “High Hopes” isn’t technically a new song, as Springsteen previously covered it for his 1996 EP Blood Brothers. However, in recent years, Springsteen has reworked some of his lesser known songs and released new versions, such was the case for “Land of Hope and Dreams” on his 2012 album, Wrecking Ball.

Whiles the arrival of a new Springsteen song is certainly surprising, it’s not entirely out of left field. Back in June, Springsteen told Rolling Stone that he had begun work on a new album, and spent time in a Sydney recording studio during their recent Australian tour. “We’ve never had a recording session during a tour in our lives, Springsteen explained. “We did a couple of things that I wanted to put down. So that was very exciting. And being with Tommy was exciting. The band – Steven, Nils, all those guys – continues to be a source of inspiration for me.”

Here’s the version of “High Hopes” from 1996:

Bruce Springsteen Confirms 2014 Tour Dates

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band have confirmed their plans to return to Australia and New Zealand for a string of concerts in February and March of 2014. “Our shows in Australia earlier this year were among the very best and most satisfying of our whole 128 show tour,” Springsteen manager Jon Landau said in a statement. “The crowds were tremendous, the fans as warm, friendly and welcoming as we could ever hope for, and the quality of the performances, as virtually every reviewer commented, were spectacularly high.”

Rumors about the tour have been circulating for weeks, and Landau said the plans have been in place for six months. “From the moment we finished the second show at Hanging Rock on March 31st, we have been working on a plan to return next year,” he said. “Among other things, we wanted to expand the number of places we play to include the Hunter Valley, Perth and Adelaide, with a trip to Auckland, as well. Those venues are in addition to the new dates in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne. In other words, this will be our most far reaching tour of Australasia ever – and Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band are planning to make it their finest.”

Tickets go on sale August 26th. The March 1st show in Auckland, New Zealand will mark the group’s first show in New Zealand in more than a decade.

Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band have been on the road since March 2012 in support of Wrecking Ball. The tour focused exclusively on overseas markets in 2013, and it’s unclear whether Springsteen and Co. will return to the road in North America in 2014. Springsteen recorded new material while in Australia earlier this year, but he has announced no plans to release a new album.

Here are the dates for the Australia/New Zealand 2014 tour:

2/7 Perth, AU – Perth Arena
2/11 Adelaide, AU – Entertainment Center
2/15 Melbourne, AU – AAMI Park
2/19 Sydney, AU – Allphones Arena
2/22 Hunter Valley, AU – Hope Estate
2/26 Brisbane, AU – Entertainment Centre
3/1 Auckland, NZ – Mt. Smart Stadium

Steve Van Zandt: Not Sure If Bruce Springsteen Tour Is Returning to America

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band’s Wrecking Ball world tour wraps up later this month with a pair of shows in Ireland, but a stray South American festival gig on the schedule in September has lead to rampant fan speculation that another American leg might be in the works. In a new interview with Rolling Stone, E Street Band guitarist Steve Van Zandt says he isn’t sure what’s going to happen.

“I really, really don’t know,” he says. “I know that Bruce is off in August. But what happens in October-November, I don’t know. I really don’t. I would tell you, but I don’t know. It’s possible we’ve passed the point where it’s even possible now. I’d always heard that the tour was ending in September. I’ve heard that for the last year and a half. Then you start hearing rumors on the street. Half the time they’re true, so I never know. Some things you hear turn out to be rumors, but in this case I don’t think we are [playing more shows]. But I honestly haven’t been told we’re not, so I don’t know. We probably would have heard by now if we were.”

The guitarist says that if he called the shots, they’d radically rework the way tours were scheduled. “I am of the old school,” he says. “I wish we would play every year for a certain amount of time, whether it’s June-July-August-September . . . Whatever it is. I wish we’d establish a pattern of doing that every single year, and then everybody could have a second life the other months of the year. I’m of the endless, infinite tour philosophy. I wish the touring schedule would never end – it would just change from year to year, wherever we were.”

Springsteen recently told Rolling Stone that he recorded new material with the E Street Band during downtime on their recent Australian tour. Van Zandt was filming the second season of show Lilyhammer at the time (Tom Morello took his place), and he doesn’t know what’s going to become of the new music. “Bruce is always cutting things, always writing things and always recording,” Van Zandt says. “I’ve been saying this for 40 years, certainly since Darkness on the Edge of Town, but he literally always has an album in his pocket. He usually has two of them. What shape that will take, who the group will be, when it will come out, I have no idea. But there’ll be new records forever.”

Bruce Springsteen to Hit Campaign Trail for Barack Obama

With a little over three weeks to go in the election and the polls dramatically tightening, Bruce Springsteen has decided to hit the campaign trail in support of President Barack Obama. Springsteen will campaign alongside Bill Clinton at a campaign rally in Parma, Ohio on Thusday, October 18th. That same day, he’ll appear at another event in Ames, Iowa.

“Bruce Springsteen’s values echo what the President and Vice President stand for: hard work, fairness, integrity,” said Jim Messina, Obama for America’s campaign manager, in a statement. “His appearances will help with our get out the vote effort in these critical swing states and we are thrilled with his ongoing support.”

Springsteen campaigned for Senator John Kerry in 2004 and for President Obama in 2008, but he recently claimed that he would sit out this election. “I did it twice because things were so dire,” he told the New Yorker’s David Remnick in July. “It seemed like if I was ever going to spend whatever small political capital I had, that was the moment to do so. But that capital diminishes the more often you do it. While I’m not saying never, and I still like to support the President, you know, it’s something I didn’t do for a long time, and I don’t have plans to be out there every time.”

Prior to the 2004 election, Springsteen stayed largely out of the political fray. “I wanted to remain an independent voice for the audience that came to my shows,” he told Rolling Stone in 2004. “I knew after we invaded Iraq that I was going to be involved in the election. I felt we had been misled. I felt they had been fundamentally dishonest and had frightened and manipulated the American people into war.”

In 2004, Springsteen joined forces with a series of A-list rock stars to stage a series of Vote for Change shows in the swing states. In the final days of the campaign he performed solo acoustic renditions of “The Promised Land” and “No Surrender” at swing state rallies with John Kerry. In 2008, he c0-headlined a New York fundraising concert with Billy Joel in the final weeks of the presidential campaign and appeared at a series of rallies with Obama.

It’s unclear if Springsteen will appear at any Obama rallies beyond these two. His Wrecking Ball tour resumes in Ottawa, Ontario the day after the second rally – though there’s a short break during the final three days of the campaign.

Storm delays Bruce Springsteen’s birthday concert

Bruce Springsteen celebrated a late, rainy birthday last night – with his band’s concert at MetLife Stadium lasting until nearly 2 a.m.

According to the Star-Ledger, the rocker didn’t take the stage until about 10:30 due to Saturday’s storm, more than two hours after the concert’s planned start time.

At one point, security vacated the stadium due to lightning.

But the rain delay didn’t dampen spirits, as Bruce’s mother and other relatives appeared onstage with a birthday cake to celebrate Springsteen’s 63rd birthday.

Bruce even handed out pieces of cake to some of his most loyal fans, according to the Star-Ledger.

And then it was onto “Twist and Shout,” brining a close to one of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band’s latest-ending concerts.

Bruce Springsteen in Toronto
August 24th, 2012

Start Time: 8:05 p.m.

Setlist
1. Working on the Highway
2. Hungry Heart
3. Sherry Darling
4. We Take Care of Our Own
5. Wrecking Ball
6. Death to My Hometown
7. My City of Ruins
8. Spirit in the Night
9. Thundercrack (sign request)
10. Jack of All Trades
11. Murder Incorperated
12. Prove It All Night
13. Candy’s Room
14. MONA into She’s The One
15. Darlington County
16. Shackled and Drawn
17. Waiting on a Sunny Day
18. Incident on 57th Street (Solo Piano)
19. The Rising
20. Badlands
21. Land of Hope and Dreams

22. We Are Alive
23. Thunder Road
24. Born To Run
25. Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)
26. Dancing In The Dark
27. Tenth Avenue Freeze Out
28. Twist And Shout
29. Glory Days

End Time: 11:45 p.m.

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN FALL TOUR SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED

October, November, and December dates are here! While there’s been chatter about Bruce and the E Street Band eyeing farther-flung locales like Australia, Japan, and South America, the just-released fall 2012 schedule focuses on North American stops missed in the spring.

After al fresco shows in August and September, the Wrecking Ball tour moves back inside for more U.S. and Canada shows from coast to coast, including the long-neglected Pacific Northwest and a raincheck in Kansas City:

October 19 – Ottawa, ON – Scotiabank Place
October 21 – Hamilton, ON – Copps Coliseum
October 23 – Charlottesville, VA – John Paul Jones Arena
October 25 – Hartford, CT – XL Center
October 27 – Pittsburgh, PA – CONSOL Energy Center
November 1 – State College, PA – Bryce Jordan Center
November 3 – Louisville, KY – KFC Yum! Center
November 11 – St. Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center
November 15 – Omaha, NE – CenturyLink Arena
November 17 – Kansas City, MO – Sprint Center
November 19 – Denver, CO – Pepsi Center
November 26 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena
November 28 – Portland, OR – The Rose Garden
November 30 – Oakland, CA – Oracle Arena
December 4 – Anaheim, CA – Honda Center
December 6 – Glendale, AZ – Jobing.com Arena

Bruce Springsteen Battled Depression, Suicidal Thoughts in Early 1980s

The new issue of the New Yorker has a whopping 15,000-word Bruce Springsteen feature by David Remnick. The piece shadows Springsteen from the earliest rehearsals for this year’s Wrecking Ball tour to his home in Colts Neck, New Jersey, all the way to the ongoing European leg of the tour. Over the months Remnick spoke to Springsteen at great length about his life, and also to most of the E Street Band, including new saxophonist Jake Clemons and former drummer Vini “Mad Dog” Lopez. The result is one of the most thorough profiles of Springsteen ever published.

Among the revelatory moments:

• Springsteen has been seeing a therapist ever since 1982. “He was feeling suicidal,” said Springsteen’s longtime friend and biographer, Dave Marsh. “The depression wasn’t shocking, per se. He was on a rocket ride, from nothing to something, and now you are getting your ass kissed day and night. You might start to have some inner conflicts about your real self-worth.”

• Springsteen’s manager, Jon Landau, recently underwent major brain surgery to remove a growth near his optic nerves. He recovered, but he lost vision in that eye. Springsteen was by often Landau’s side during this difficult time. “He knew I was going through something, and I thought I was going to die,” Landau said. “It wasn’t rational, but the fear was there . . . We shared a lot of deep talk.”

• Steve Van Zandt and Springsteen had an epic fight over lyrics to 1987’s “Ain’t Got You,” a rare personal song in which Springsteen addresses his own wealth. “I’m, like, ‘What the fuck is this?'” recalls Van Zandt. “And he’s, like, ‘Well, what do you mean, it’s the truth. It’s just who I am, it’s my life.’ And I’m like, ‘This is bullshit. People don’t need you talking about your life. Nobody gives a shit about your life. They need you for their lives. That’s your thing. Giving some logic and reason and sympathy and passion to this cold, fragmented, confusing world – that’s your gift. Explaining their lives to them. Their lives, not yours.’ And we fought and fought and fought and fought. He says ‘Fuck you,’ I say ‘Fuck you.’ I think something in what I said probably resonated.”

• New saxophonist Jake Clemons (nephew of the late Clarence Clemons) first talked to Springsteen about joining the band in January. “But you have to understand,” Springsteen told him. “When you blow that sax onstage with us, people won’t compare you to Clarence on the last tour. They’ll compare you to their memory of Clarence, to their idea of Clarence.” The pressure weighed on Jake. “I don’t know if anyone can perform in the shadow of a legend,” Jake said. “To me, Clarence is still on that stage, and I don’t want to step on his toes.”

• Patti Scialfa is sometimes frustrated with her role in the E Street Band. “I have to say that my place in the band is more figurative than it is musical,” she says. “Sometimes my frustration comes when I would like to bring something to the table that is more unique. But the band, in the context of the band, has no room for that.”

Bruce Springsteen Releases Dates For Fall Stadium Tour, New Video

Bruce Springsteen has released a video for “Death to My Hometown,” and announced dates for an eight-city stadium tour for August and September. The tour kicks off August 18th at Boston’s Gillette Stadium and wraps up after a three-night stand at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium on September 22nd. Tickets go on sale later this month.

The Wrecking Ball tour formally kicked off March 18th in Atlanta. “Generally speaking, in the first half of the tour we usually emphasize the new album,” E Street Band guitarist Steve Van Zandt recently told Rolling Stone. “The second half of the tour tends to loosen up a bit, get a little bit more spontaneous, a little bit crazier.” The group wraps up the first leg of the tour May 2nd in Newark before heading to Europe for most of the summer.

The new video for “Death to My Hometown” features live performances of the song (featuring Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello) taped at New York’s Apollo Theater, South By Southwest and the tour kick-off in Atlanta. It is the second video released from Wrecking Ball, following “We Take Care Of Our Own.”

Here are the tour dates for the next North American leg of the Wrecking Ball tour.

August 18 – Boston, MA – Gillette Stadium (on sale 4.28)

August 24 – Toronto, ON , Canada– Rogers Centre (on sale 4.20)

August 26 – Moncton, NB, Canada – Magnetic Hill (on sale 4.21)

August 29 – Vernon, NY – Vernon Downs Raceway (on sale 4.28)

September 2 – Philadelphia, PA – Citizens Bank Park (on sale 4.21)

September 7 – Chicago, IL – Wrigley Field (on sale 4.21)

September 14 – Washington, DC – Nationals Park (on sale 4.27)

September 19 – East Rutherford, NJ – MetLife Stadium (on sale 4.20)

September 21 – East Rutherford, NJ – MetLife Stadium (on sale 4.20)

September 22 – East Rutherford, NJ – MetLife Stadium (on sale 4.20)