Bruce Springsteen’s World Tour May Never End; Will He Ever Go Home Again?

Bruce Springsteen has a reputation for putting on long, live shows. The myth is that Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band’s shows can top four hours. Bruce Springsteen announced last week that the band’s shows in South America will end his “Wrecking Ball” tour. Then Bruce Springsteen announced that he’s taking the E Street Band down under for a set of shows in Australia and New Zealand in February. So when will his tour end? Will his tour end? Will Bruce ever get back to his home in New Jersey? Who’s watering his plants?

Bruce Springsteen says that the February down under shows are not part of the “Wrecking Ball” tour. If they’re not part of that tour, then what are they? Springsteen’s people won’t say anything, but Rolling Stone Magazine has been speculating.

Rolling Stone says the Australian and New Zealand dates might be a separate set of shows in support of a new album, which he hasn’t put out yet. In 2009, Springsteen started dates on his “Working on a Dream” tour only eight months after he finished his 2008 tour called the “Magic” shows. The new dates in Australia and New Zealand might be a repeat of this strategy. Bruce Springsteen gone on the road for a full-fledged tour that wasn’t linked to an album since 1999.

The Australian tour promoter said that Tom Morello, formerly of Rage Against The Machine, will be playing guitar with the E Street Band on this tour. Morello played with the E Street Band earlier this year when they played down under, but he was filling in for “Miami” “Little Steven” Steve Van Zandt, who was filming the internet series “Lilyhammer” at the time. Little Steven will be doing the Australian dates, meaning there will be four guitarists on stage.

Bruce Springsteen told Rolling Stone that Tom Morello laid down some tracks when the E Street Band recorded in Australia earlier this year. So there may be a new album with Morello on it. The album could conceivably drop sometime soon and the band would tour behind it.

Or the Australian dates might be a series of quick one-off shows. Jon Landau, Springsteen’s manager, said this tour was planned in March. The band hasn’t played Australia in years and it’s really nice there this time of year.

Or, maybe Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band have embarked on a never-ending tour, a la Bob Dylan, Springsteen’s early idol. Big artists can tour whenever they feel like. For whatever reason. A new record, the re-release of an old record. Maybe just to get out of the house.

Whatever it is, the shows are long and the tour is long. There will be a lot of dancing down under.

by Tony Sokol