No tour premieres or huge rarities in Gijon last night, but in return the show is getting longer. At 26 songs, the Gijon show clocked in at around three hours. It opened with a full-band "Promised Land" and also included a full-band version of "My Hometown" as well as the return of "Thunder Road" and "Backstreets". Read more

   

Bruce may be 53 years old, but on this tour it's very hard to tell. Last night's show in Brussels featured 25 songs and what must qualify as the wildest set of encores on the tour so far with "Night", "Bobby Jean", "Ramrod", "Born to Run" and "Detroit Medley" played with Bruce hardly stopping for breath. Before that he had included "Something in the Night" in the set as well as the first "4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy) in Europe since 1975. Read more

   

Tonight in Ludwighshafen in Germany, he opened with an acoustic "This Hard Land", added "Spirit in the Night" after "Waitin' on a Sunny Day" and moved "The Promised Land" to the spot after "Mary's Place". Also, "Racing in the Street" was repeated from Rotterdam and "Glory Days" made its first appearance in Europe since 1993. Read more

   

The show opened with the first solo acoustic "Darkness on the Edge of Town" on the tour and proceeded with lots of changes compared to the first night in Rotterdam. "The Ties That Bind" and "Candy's Room" were back in the set, as was "Racing in the Street". Read more

   

Fans who were planning to go to the Manchester show can breathe again. Today it was decided by the Trafford Magistrates that the show will take place as planned despite neightbors' protests. Read the story on Manchester Online. Read more

   

"The kids need Patti more than the band," Bruce said at last night's European tour opening in Rotterdam. But the crowd quickly forgave her as the rest of the band launched into a 24-song set that opened with an acoustic "Born in the USA" and also included a solo piano version of "Incident on 57th Street" and the first "Detroit Medley" in Europe since The River Tour. Read more

   

The limited edition version of The Rising that came out in Australia can be now be bought in Europe too. At least, in Germany it is now readily available in record stores. The limited edition includes a DVD with live clips and the official "Lonesome Day" video. Read more

   

Stadium shows in Washington DC and Pittsburgh have been added to the tour itinerary for September 13 and August 6 respectively. The shows will take place at the FedEx Field in DC and PNC Park in Pittsburgh. Tickets for both shows go on sale on May 10. Meanwhile Little Steven has said that the tour will end on October 1, but this is still unconfirmed. Read more

   

The second annual Asbury Music Festival will be held on July 5 at Convention Hall and the Paramount Theatre in Asbury Park. The show festival will feature Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, Lucinda Williams, Jeffrey Gaines, Garland Jeffreys, Melissa Ferrick, Jill Sobule, Graham Parker and a "locals only" stage on the boardwalk, featuring local bands. Also inside the Convention Hall arcade, between Convention Hall and the Paramount, there will be merchants selling Asbury Park-themed merchandise and photographs. There will also be boardwalk games, like skeeball and pin ball, and old videos of Asbury Park, including videos of musical performances. More info on www.concertseast.com. Read more

   

Look for a hot new book release this August called "Days of Hope & Dreams: An Intimate Portrait of Bruce Springsteen" by Frank Stefanko. Frank is the photographer who took the cover shots for Darkness on the Edge of Town and The River. The mostly never-before-seen book photos were taken in the late 70's and early 80's. The book also includes a foreword written by Bruce, and memoirs of the time by Frank. Publishers are Pyramid Press/ Watson, Gubtill. Read more