Veteran rocker Bruce Springsteen takes you through what Australian fans can expect during his marathon concerts.
BRUCE Springsteen spent nearly eight hours on stage in Melbourne in just two concerts.
The rocker played for three hours and 24 minutes on Saturday, then three hours and 48 minutes on Sunday, missing an 11pm AAMI Park curfew on both nights.
Springsteen’s long time manager Jon Landau said the band “loved the return” to Melbourne, where the rocker first played at the Showgrounds in 1985 on the Born in the USA world tour.
“They loved AAMI Park. They loved the atmosphere. And most of all, they loved the audience. We all can’t wait for the next time,” Landau said.
Melbourne saw Springsteen play two of his most-loved albums in full, a Boss first for Australia although he has done it in the US and Europe.
Springsteen played 1984’s Born in the USA in full on Saturday and 1975’s Born to Run on Sundayy.
COUPLE TO MARRY AT SPRINGSTEEN SHOW
Bruce Springsteen and surpise guest Eddie Vedder rock out to AC/DC’s Highway to Hell at Melbourne’s AAMI Stadium. Picture Ian Currie.
The musician played the surprise ‘album show’ card to differentiate the Melbourne shows from the ones he played last year.
The Perth and Adelaide shows, where Springsteen was touring for the first time, got a ‘regular’ show.
LISTEN TO SPRINGSTEEN’S HIGH HOPES ALBUM
Boss fans in Sydney and Brisbane are now bracing for their own ‘album’ shows, perhaps of other Springsteen classic albums, to differentiate their 2013 and 2014 tours.
The Melbourne dates continued Springsteen’s increasingly varied setlists for this tour, with 47 different songs played over the two nights in Melbourne, including obscure cover Jole Blon requested by a fan holding a sign.
Tom Morello (right) posted this photo on Instagram with the caption “Vedder/Springsteen/Morello trifecta bask in afterglow of Melbourne #1. Ed slayed Highway To Hell/Darkness On The Edge Of Town”. Source: Instagram
Springsteen has played 107 different songs in the 11 shows (in Australia and South Africa) on the High Hopes tour so far.
Guitarist Stevie Van Zandt told News Corp that was an E Street band record.
“We’ve done entire world tours doing 140 (different) songs, which is more than most groups, but that’s after 60 shows. We’ve broken 100 (different) songs and that’s impressive, even for us.”
Fans can now download each concert as a permanent souvenir.
SPRINGSTEEN PLAYS 100th SONG IN MELBOURNE
“The audience knows we are creating a show just for them,” Van Zandt said. “People get a memento of their show which is always unique. No two shows are the same. You want the show you were at like an audio T-shirt. I think we’re still getting better. I know it sounds silly to say that after 40 years, but it’s better in many ways.”
The guitarist also said the increasingly lengthy shows were no surprise.
“We started off in the ‘70s doing four-hour shows, so this seems quite civilised. But you’ve got to be in shape to do this show. If you don’t respect the show you will be hurt!”
Van Zandt said playing with extra guitarist Tom Morello was a bonus for fans; Van Zandt missed the last Australian tour to film his SBS TV show Lilyhammer.
Bruce Springsteen thrilled Melbourne fans by performing the full Born in the USA and Born to Run albums. Picture Ian Currie. Source: News Limited
“Come one come all,” Van Zandt said. “There’s plenty of room up there. We’re having fun with it, makes it an even four guitars. Everyone does something different. I know it seems a bit of a redundancy going on but it’s actually not. I’m not there to express myself musically. My role is different. I’m the lifelong best friend. We’re coming up on 50 years. That’s its own thing. We work the audience, I’m out there with Bruce every now and then, helping him interact with the audience. Nils (Lofgren) and Tom split up big guitar solos. It seems we’ve added rather than replaced. We’re doing (Ghost of) Tom Joad pretty much every night which we wouldn’t probably do if Tom wasn’t there. Everyone gets their moment to do their thing. It’s more different ways of having fun.”
Eddie Vedder joined Springsteen on Saturday to perform AC/DC’s Highway to Hell and The Boss’s Darkness on the Edge of Town.
After his cameo, Vedder watched the show in the moshpit. The Pearl Jam singer said he was given an endless supply of free beer by fans who recognised him.
“I didn’t want to appear ungrateful,” a hung-over Vedder told the crowd at his Palais show on Sunday night.
Morello posted a photo of him with Springsteen and Vedder out on the town in Melbourne after Saturday’s show.
During his own show, Vedder also pointed out the journey of his first concert being a back row seat to see Springsteen in Chicago in 1977 to singing on stage with him nearly 30 years later.
He covered Springsteen’s Bobby Jean and Van Zandt’s I Am a Patriot at his first Melbourne show.
Springsteen’s next Australian show is Allphones Arena on Wednesday, Hunter Valley shows on Saturday and Sunday and the Brisbane Entertainment Centre on February 26.
He will then play to over 75,000 New Zealanders in Auckland.
Over 200,000 tickets have been sold for his 11 Australian shows on this tour.
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