Whether big-time or small-time, to be in a band requires musicians to know a certain repertoire, and Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band is no exception. With several decades and countless original and cover songs under their belt, the Boss’ outfit has to be a well-oiled machine to maintain their rigorous performing schedule and massive productions.
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Sure, being an ultra-famous band like Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band allows you unique perks. Teleprompters on stage for lyric and chord cues definitely make life easier. But there’s one song that Springsteen expects his bandmates to know with or without a lead sheet in front of them.
The Song Bruce Springsteen Thinks Every E Street Band Member Should Know
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band haven’t just developed a reputation for rehearsing and executing an incredible, high-energy set. Indeed, fans love this iconic band for the songs they play, even if they didn’t rehearse. Springsteen fans often come to his concerts with signs requesting specific songs. Some of these songs are ones the band hasn’t played in years. If the Boss likes the sound of a request, he’ll let the band know. Then, they have around one minute of prep time before the downbeat.
“There is a secret,” Springsteen revealed during a 2016 appearance on the The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. “There’s a little man under the stage, and he has a teleprompter. So, if I decide we’re gonna play “Friday On My Mind.” We’re gonna play Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream.” Whatever we’re gonna play, within seconds, he’ll have the lyrics up in front of you.”
For most seasoned musicians, remembering lyrics is a much harder task than following along with most standard chord progressions. But with or without these teleprompter aids, Springsteen told Colbert the E Street Band members’ individual backgrounds help the ensemble maintain their reputation for being one of the most famous bands to regularly take requests.
“The entire band are bar band veterans,” the musician said. “So, they played hundreds of nights before we’d ever stood out in front of an audience after we had a record deal. So, there’s a common well which we all draw from.” However, Springsteen did have a caveat. “I mean, if we played “Wild Thing,” you’ll be fired from the E Street Band if you don’t know how to play that.”
The Bandleader Makes Sure To Keep His Crew Sharp
Years of experience playing rock ‘n’ roll music and teleprompters that update in real-time are substantial tools that Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band have at their disposal. But not even these resources guarantee the flawless execution of an unrehearsed song. Another way that Springsteen makes sure his band stays sharp on stage is to set firm boundaries with the group about alcohol and drug use before and during live performances.
“Drugs were not uncommon in the E Street Band,” Springsteen said in a 2024 interview with The Telegraph. “There was a boundary, however. I stayed out of your business. But if I was on stage, and I saw that you were not your complete self, there was going to be a problem. So, I made a bit of a boundary around that stage, where people had to be relatively sober.”
Springsteen’s long-time guitarist, Steven Van Zandt, shared similar sentiments in a 2012 interview with Rolling Stone. He called his bandleader the “opposite of a drug-created monster. He’s a living example of what happens when you never do drugs your whole life. Don’t do drugs, don’t drink, eat right, go to the gym, and you can rock and roll at 62, too.”
Photo by Tom Hill/WireImage
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