This is not a dream, but it sure felt like one when I heard the news. I just couldn't believe it! After the wildly successful Wrecking Ball Australian tour just five months ago, there had been numerous rumors about promoter Michael Gudinski trying to bring Bruce and co back again whenever their next tour is.....perhaps in two to three years time if we're lucky. But who would've thought they'd actually come back down under in less than a year later? And getting to see Bruce three years in a row?! That's beyond mindblowing. And they're finally playing two Australian cities for the first time ever. And New Zealand in more than a decade.
This tour is not billed as part of the Wrecking Ball tour, but rather, a set of one-off shows specially for the fans down under, according to the press and Frontier Touring. Full album shows are fine by me. It's still early to tell, but I wouldn't be surprised if ultimately the Australasian tour happens to be the start of a new world tour in support of a brand new album. It's highly possible, given the fact that Bruce has already started work on it, with plenty of time between now and next Jan/Feb to release it. Besides, this practice has been done before during the 08/09 period (Working On The Dream tour started eight months after the Magic tour).
Tickets this time are priced slightly higher than previously, but there's no doubt these initial dates will sell out fast and more will soon be added. Next year marks fifty years of Bruce Springsteen as a live performer and it's so awesome that Australia is chosen to kick off what seems like another touring year, instead of always beginning in the States and Europe. I won't be able to go back to Sydney this time round, so I'll be hitting up the outdoor show at Melbourne, and maybe Perth Arena simply because the venue is so cool, and it's Springsteen's very first visit to Perth! Oh yeah, Steve Van Zandt will be joining the band after missing Oz this year, and Tom Morello will be back too!
OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE [link]
UPDATED (Aug 26)
Friday, February 7 – Perth Arena, Perth
Saturday, February 8 – Perth Arena, Perth
Tuesday, February 11 – Entertainment Centre, Adelaide
Saturday, February 15 – AAMI Park, Melbourne
Sunday, February 16 – AAMI Park, Melbourne
Wednesday, February 19 – Allphones Arena, Sydney
Saturday, February 22 – Hope Estate Winery, Hunter Valley
Wednesday, February 26 – Entertainment Centre, Brisbane
Saturday, March 1 – Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland
Frontier Pre-sale: Wednesday, 21 August – Thursday, 22 August
Melbourne: 12pm (AEST)
Sydney: 1pm (AEST)
Brisbane, Adelaide: 2pm (AEST)
Perth: 3pm (AEST)
Sydney: 1pm (AEST)
Brisbane, Adelaide: 2pm (AEST)
Perth: 3pm (AEST)
General public on sale: Monday, August 26
Melbourne: 9am (local)
Perth: 9am (local)
Sydney: 10am (Local)
Brisbane, Adelaide: 12pm (Local)
Perth: 9am (local)
Sydney: 10am (Local)
Brisbane, Adelaide: 12pm (Local)
