Bruce Springsteen makes triumphant live return after recent health woes

Bruce Springsteen performed his first full concert in six months with The E Street Band last night (19th March) after being side-lined with health issues.

Last September, The Boss said he was “heartbroken” to postpone the final 16 dates of Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band’s North American tour on doctor’s orders.

Bruce told fans he was suffering from peptic ulcer disease, which causes ulcers to form in the stomach and/or small intestine.

Since then, Bruce has made a handful of brief live appearances including a two-song performance at Bon Jovi’s MusiCares Person of the Year induction in February.

Last night, The Boss returned to the stage at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona and treated the capacity audience to a 29-song, three-hour set.

Songs performing during the set included opener ‘Lonesome Day’, ‘Thunder Road’, ‘Born To Run’, ‘Glory Days’, ‘Dancing in the Dark’ and ‘Because the Night.’

Prior to his final song ‘I’ll See You in My Dreams’, Bruce addressed the tour delay caused by his health issues, saying: “Phoenix, I want to apologise if there was any discomfort because we had to move the show last time. . . . I hope we didn’t inconvenience you too much.”

Despite Bruce’s live return, Springsteen’s wife and band mate Patti Scialfa didn’t appear on stage at the Phoenix gig.

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band come to the UK and Ireland for eight huge shows, including two nights at London Wembley Stadium. Check out ticket availability for the UK dates at Absolute Radio Tickets.

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band’s setlist in Phoenix:

Lonesome Day

Night

No Surrender

Two Hearts

Darlington County

Ghosts

Prove It All Night

Darkness on the Edge of Town

Letter to You

The Promised Land

Spirit in the Night

Don’t Play That Song (You Lied) (Ben E. King cover)

Nightshift (Commodores cover)

Mary’s Place

Last Man Standing

Backstreets

Because the Night

She’s the One

Wrecking Ball

The Rising

Badlands

Thunder Road

Encore:

Born To Run

Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)

Glory Days

Dancing in the Dark

Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out

Twist and Shout (The Top Notes cover)

Encore 2:

I’ll See You in My Dreams

See Bruce Springsteen’s childhood home:

Def Leppard frontman Joe Elliott was born and raised at 61 Crookes Road in Sheffield. Ahead of Def Leppard’s homecoming gigs at The Leadmill and Bramall Lane in May 2023, Joe visited the property. He wrote: “The house I was born in, grew up in, met Sav & Tony Kenning for the very time in that upstairs room you can see above me …. Sigh …. Memories!!”