Steven Van Zandt may not be a particular fan of the limelight, but he’s been a source of information for fans since the E Street Band went on hiatus. Van Zandt is pumped to get back on the road with Bruce Springsteen in 2024.
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Of the shows they already performed, the 73-year-old has nothing but praise. However, he also highlighted how intense this particular tour has been.
“This has been the most intense tour maybe we’ve ever done,” Van Zandt told ABC Audio. While Van Zandt always enjoys interacting with fans, he believes that the band needed this break. “The enthusiasm level, I mean, we’ve always had the greatest audience in the world. It went to some new level this time, you know? And so, you know, I must say, it wasn’t a bad time for a break because the first six months were so intense.”
Springsteen and the E Street Band made headlines when the band’s tour went on hiatus. The original plan was for the tour to resume in November, but the band had to delay this due to Springsteen’s battle with peptic ulcer disease.
“Bruce Springsteen has continued to recover steadily from peptic ulcer disease over the past few weeks and will continue treatment through the rest of the year on doctor’s advice,” a statement by the singer’s reps read. “With this in mind, and out of an abundance of caution, all remaining 2023 tour dates for Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will be postponed until 2024.”
That being said, Van Zandt says that the band will be ready to rock and roll when the tour picks back up in March. That’s surely music to fans’ ears. He said, “We’ll be ready, man. We’ll be ready when we come back for sure.”
With Springsteen taking time to recover, Van Zandt has kept conversation around the band alive, giving updates on the singer’s health. This is despite his aversion to being at the front. Van Zandt told 60 Minutes, “I’m not crazy about the spotlight, I could have been, and maybe I should have been, okay? ‘Cause, again, I– you realize that has big advantages. But, naturally, I just wasn’t into it. I, you know, I’d rather be standing next to the guy. Let him be in the spotlight, let him take the heat. Cause I like to blend in actually, you know.”
(Featured Image by Matthew Baker/Getty Images)
