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Steven Van Zandt has shared an exciting update about the future of Bruce Springsteen live shows.
The 73-year-old E Street Band guitarist, who has performed with the “Born to Run” musician since 1975, has candidly addressed his desire to keep playing live shows as he gets older so as not to waste any precious time. It seems he’s convinced Springsteen to do exactly this.
Springsteen’s latest tour with the E Street Band, which arrived after years of delay due to the pandemic, is the subject of a new Disney+ documentary being released this week.
After a year-and-a-half of relentless touring, the band will slow down again after completing a string of dates in Canada in November. Excitingly, a selection of new European dates have been announced for 2025, but many fans are wondering when exactly Springsteen will tour again once these have been completed.
Van Zandt, who admitted to being left shocked by Springsteen’s decision to drop a particular song from the setlist, suggests that the 2025 dates could be a promising sign for the future.
In fact, the guitarist has said that he might have finally convinced Springsteen to play every year for the rest of their lives.
Speaking to The Independent, Van Zandt said: “I told Bruce I’m afraid to stop. I don’t want to ever stop. Honestly, bad things happen when you stop working. I said, ‘Let’s play every summer.’ I’ve been trying to talk him into it for 20, 30 years.
“I said, ‘The other nine months do what you want but let’s play every summer forever.’ He says, ‘Yeah yeah yeah,’ but this is the first time ever we’re playing three summers in a row, and I’m excited about that. So maybe now is the start of forever.”
Van Zandt also reflected on the “challenge” of being a vital part of Springsteen’s famously lengthy shows, which usually last for more than three hours.
“I’m not gonna lie to you, it’s work and you have to be in shape for it,” he said, adding: “I’m in the gym every day. You gotta be. At this point, it ain’t no joke, man. Just standing up for three hours is a challenge.
“The great thing is having Bruce as a role model, a leader. All you gotta do is try and keep up with him. That’s the bottom line. He’s always been annoyingly in good shape. If you’re there to support him, you better be holding your own. But it’s great ‘cause, if you didn’t have that, who knows?”
Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band is available to stream on Disney+ from 25 October.
