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The Bruce Springsteen 1992–1993 World Tour was a
concert tour A concert tour (or simply tour) is a series of concerts by an artist or group of artists in different cities, countries or locations. Often concert tours are named to differentiate different tours by the same artist and to associate a specific to ...
featuring
Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originato ...
and a new backing band, that took place from mid-1992 to mid-1993. It followed the simultaneous release of his albums '' Human Touch'' and '' Lucky Town'' earlier in 1992. It was his first of four non-
E Street Band The E Street Band is an American rock band, and has been musician Bruce Springsteen's primary backing band since 1972. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014. For the bulk of Springsteen's recording and performing caree ...
tours. Later, Springsteen had more non-E Street Band tours, the
Ghost of Tom Joad Tour The Ghost of Tom Joad Tour was a worldwide concert tour featuring Bruce Springsteen performing alone on stage in small halls and theatres, that ran off and on from late 1995 through the middle of 1997.Santelli, ''Greetings From E Street'', pp ...
, the Seeger Sessions Tour, and the Devils & Dust Tour. The tour was not as commercially or critically successful as past tours, due to poor reception of ''Human Touch'' and ''Lucky Town'' as well as changes from previous tours. According to Springsteen biographer
Dave Marsh Dave Marsh (born March 1, 1950) is an American music critic, and radio talk show host. He was an early editor of '' Creem'' magazine, has written for various publications such as '' Newsday'', ''The Village Voice'', and ''Rolling Stone'', and has ...
, die-hard fans have informally referred to the backing band as "the Other Band" (and the tour as "The Other Band Tour").


Itinerary

The tour was preceded by a June 5, 1992 U.S. "dress rehearsal" radio broadcast of the new band. Springsteen said, "I missed playing. I missed getting out. I missed the fans. I've been home a while. I've worked hard on the records." The tour's first leg was conducted in
arena An arena is a large enclosed platform, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectator ...
s in
Western Europe Western Europe is the western region of Europe. The region's countries and territories vary depending on context. The concept of "the West" appeared in Europe in juxtaposition to "the East" and originally applied to the ancient Mediterranean ...
, opening on June 15, 1992 at the
Globen Avicii Arena, originally known as Stockholm Globe Arena and previously as Ericsson Globe, but commonly referred to in Swedish simply as Globen (; "the Globe"), is an indoor arena located in Stockholm Globe City, Johanneshov district of Stockho ...
in
Stockholm Stockholm () is the capital and largest city of Sweden as well as the largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people live in the municipality, with 1.6 million in the urban area, and 2.4 million in the metropo ...
. Springsteen said, "It's nice to start the tour here. It's nice to be back among people who have always been hospitable." After 15 dates there, including five at London's
Wembley Arena Wembley Arena (originally the Empire Pool, now known as OVO Arena Wembley for sponsorship reasons) is an indoor arena next to Wembley Stadium in Wembley, London, England, used for music, comedy, family entertainment and sport. The 12,500- ...
, the tour came home to the United States. There, the second leg began in late July with a then-record 11 consecutive dates in
New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delawa ...
's
Meadowlands Arena Meadowlands Arena (formerly Brendan Byrne Arena, Continental Airlines Arena and Izod Center) is a closed indoor arena facility located in the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States. The arena is located on ...
. It continued in arenas through the U.S. and Canada, for a total of 61 shows through mid-December. Springsteen then took a three-month winter break, before starting up again in late March for the third leg, a longer stint in Western Europe that played 31 dates there, some in outdoor
stadium A stadium ( : stadiums or stadia) is a place or venue for (mostly) outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a tiered structure designed to allow spectators to stand o ...
s. The tour proper ended on June 1, 1993 in
Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...
's
Valle Hovin Valle Hovin is both a bandy and speed skating rink in cold weather, and an outdoor stadium for concerts in warm weather, in Oslo, Norway. Located in the residential area Valle-Hovin, in amongst trees and a park, one finds Valle Hovin. It is reac ...
.


The 1992–1993 Tour backing band

Springsteen had dissolved his long-time backing
E Street Band The E Street Band is an American rock band, and has been musician Bruce Springsteen's primary backing band since 1972. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014. For the bulk of Springsteen's recording and performing caree ...
in 1989, and had not used them on ''Human Touch'' and ''Lucky Town''. This tour was his first time out with another group. Looking for a somewhat different sound, he assembled an outfit that gave him both more
guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected string ...
-based arrangements and a more R&B-based feel with more backup singers; gone were the
organ Organ may refer to: Biology * Organ (biology), a part of an organism Musical instruments * Organ (music), a family of keyboard musical instruments characterized by sustained tone ** Electronic organ, an electronic keyboard instrument ** Hammond ...
and
saxophone The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of Single-reed instrument, single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed (mouthpi ...
key elements of the traditional E Street sound. Keyboardist Roy Bittan was the only E Street Band member retained. Most of the rest of the touring band were experienced
session musician Session musicians, studio musicians, or backing musicians are musicians hired to perform in recording sessions or live performances. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a recording artist on a ...
s who were not well known to the general music audience. Better-known ace session drummer
Jeff Porcaro Jeffrey Thomas Porcaro (; April 1, 1954 – August 5, 1992) was an American drummer, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known for his work with the rock band Toto but is one of the most recorded session musicians in history, working o ...
, who had played on ''Human Touch'', was supposedly offered $1 million to join the tour, but instead stayed with his band Toto. Springsteen's new wife and previous E Street backup singer
Patti Scialfa Vivienne Patricia Scialfa ( ; born July 29, 1953) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. Scialfa has been a member of the E Street Band since 1984 and has been married to Bruce Springsteen since 1991. In 2014, Scialfa was inducted into ...
was not a regular member of this band, but made guest appearances at many shows to duet with Springsteen on some combination of " Brilliant Disguise", "
Tougher Than The Rest "Tougher Than the Rest" is a song by Bruce Springsteen from his 1987 '' Tunnel of Love'' album. It was released as a single in some countries, following " Brilliant Disguise" and the title track, but was not released as a single in the United ...
", and " Human Touch".


The show

Shows typically began with several selections from the new albums—typically the self-described happy songs " Better Days", "Local Hero", and "Lucky Town"—and emphasized the new material throughout. Slots for older songs were mostly given to numbers from his massively-selling 1984 '' Born in the U.S.A.'' album. Highlights from the new material included Springsteen
crowd surfing Crowd surfing is the process in which a person is passed overhead from person to person (often during a concert), transferring the person from one part of the venue to another. The "crowd surfer" is passed above everyone's heads, with everyone's ...
during "Leap of Faith"; nature imagery motifs running through the show and culminating with frequent show closer "My Beautiful Reward"; a distortion-fest on " 57 Channels (And Nothin' On)", one of several numbers where the band's sound verged on heavy metal; and the emotional peak of " Living Proof" with its U2-styled
synthesizer A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis a ...
settings. The main set closer continued to be " Light of Day", a role that it had assumed in the Tunnel of Love Express Tour and here was elongated with an "I'm just a prisoner ... of rock and roll!" rap, while the band introductions song was " Glory Days" in the encores. Springsteen 1970s classics that were heavily identified with the E Street Band sound were finessed either by rearranging them (" Thunder Road" was recast on
acoustic guitar An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument in the string family. When a string is plucked its vibration is transmitted from the bridge, resonating throughout the top of the guitar. It is also transmitted to the side and back of the instrument, ...
) or avoiding them (gone were the epics "
Backstreets "Backstreets" is a song by Bruce Springsteen from the album ''Born to Run'', which was released in 1975. In the original vinyl release, it concludes side one of the record. Structure "Backstreets" begins with a minute-long instrumental introdu ...
", "
Jungleland "Jungleland" is the closing song on Bruce Springsteen's 1975 album ''Born to Run''. It contains one of E Street Band saxophonist Clarence Clemons' most recognizable solos. It also features short-time E Streeter Suki Lahav, who performs the delic ...
", and "
Racing in the Street "Racing in the Street" is a song by Bruce Springsteen from his 1978 album ''Darkness on the Edge of Town''. In the original vinyl format, it was the last song of side one of the album. The song has been called Springsteen's best song by several c ...
"). Springsteen's biggest hit single, 1984's " Dancing in the Dark", was stripped down to near-solo electric guitar and given a tired, weary reading, before being dropped from the
set list A set list, or setlist, is typically a handwritten or printed document created as an ordered list of songs, jokes, stories and other elements an artist intends to present during a specific performance. A setlist can be made of nearly any materi ...
s altogether.


Commercial and critical reaction

The tour played a large number of dates and sold many tickets. The eleven-show stint in the Meadowlands surpassed his 10-show run there in the first leg of the Born in the U.S.A. Tour, but ticket demand was much higher then; here, the shows were not actually sold out at start time. Ticket sales were strong along the Eastern Seaboard, but weaker in areas such as Cleveland and Detroit, a reflection of the two albums' lackluster sales performance and failure to generate much in the way of hit singles. Critical reception of the tour was varied. Lars Lindström reviewed the opening Stockholm show for ''Back Beat'' and said, "the musicians have not yet become a band – and they lack the moments of total togetherness both musically and physically. Only singer and percussionist Crystal Taliefero ..and singer Bobby King have the undisputed charisma." ''
USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
'' nationally visible music writer
Edna Gundersen Edna Gundersen is an American journalist who was a longtime music writer and critic for '' USA Today''. Gundersen grew up in El Paso, Texas. She attained a degree in journalism from the University of Texas at El Paso The University of Tex ...
thought very highly of the opening New Jersey show, saying that "For those doubting that such omestic bliss andinner contentment can co-exist with rebellious rock passion, Springsteen offers living proof: an emotionally resonating, downright rowdy 27-song rock 'n' roll shindig." She also said that the new band was "a cohesive force worthy of succeeding the crack E Street Band", and also called out Taliefero for praise. ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
''s
Jon Pareles Jon Pareles (born October 25, 1953) is an American journalist who is the chief popular music critic in the arts section of ''The New York Times''.Asbury Park Press The ''Asbury Park Press'' is a daily newspaper in Monmouth and Ocean counties of New Jersey and has the third largest circulation in the state. It has been owned by Gannett since 1997. Its reporting staff has been awarded numerous national ho ...
'' wrote that "The whole show seemed something of a monologue on what he's been up to: getting divorced, getting remarried, having children, changing bands, sorting out a rocky life, falling off the pop charts, realizing there are more important things in life than rock 'n' roll and realizing you need to rock 'n' roll anyway. Mirroring his real life, it was as directly autobiographical a show as he's ever performed." Fan response fell roughly into three categories: # Those who welcomed the new sound and thought highly of the shows # Those who were open to a new sound but did not think that this particular band hit the mark # Those who were aghast at the very notion of departing from the E Street sound. It is impossible to measure the relative proportion of these; among the Springsteen faithful, the most common verdict over time has been that they enjoyed the shows while they were there, but have not felt cause to revisit them (via bootleg or official recordings) since. However, Springsteen biographer
Dave Marsh Dave Marsh (born March 1, 1950) is an American music critic, and radio talk show host. He was an early editor of '' Creem'' magazine, has written for various publications such as '' Newsday'', ''The Village Voice'', and ''Rolling Stone'', and has ...
later wrote that the Springsteen hard-core fan base had rejected the tour because "its sound was somewhat blacker." Whatever the cause, certain new numbers such as "Big Muddy" and "If I Should Fall Behind" were completely ineffective in the United States, eliciting an exodus to the beer and bathroom lines and minimal applause afterward. Several specific developments did annoy fans. One was the general discovery that Springsteen was using a
Teleprompter A teleprompter, also known as an autocue, is a display device that prompts the person speaking with an electronic visual text of a speech or script. Using a teleprompter is similar to using cue cards. The screen is in front of, and usually be ...
to remember his words by. It soon became clear that he was dependent upon the device, as for on long lyrics such as "Thunder Road" he would check the screen a good eight or nine times. A similar discovery was made by those seated behind the stage, that drummer
Zachary Alford Zachary "Zack" Alford is a professional drummer, known for his work with the B-52's, Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie and Tomoyasu Hotei. Alford was brought in by Danny Kortchmar to drum on Billy Joel's ''River of Dreams'' album. Alford contribu ...
was using a red- LED
metronome A metronome, from ancient Greek μέτρον (''métron'', "measure") and νομός (nomós, "custom", "melody") is a device that produces an audible click or other sound at a regular interval that can be set by the user, typically in beats pe ...
to keep proper time. Finally was the unexpected outcome of the band's ''
MTV Unplugged ''MTV Unplugged'' is an American television series on MTV showcasing musical artists usually playing acoustic instruments. The show aired regularly from 1989 to 1999 and less frequently from 2000 to 2009, when it was usually billed as ''MTV Un ...
'' appearance, where Springsteen lost the confidence in the band and after one acoustic song, did the rest of the concert in normal electric mode, thus violating the show's fundamental premise. This did result in the ''
In Concert/MTV Plugged ''In Concert/MTV Plugged'' is a 1992 concert video and 1993 live album by Bruce Springsteen. It is part of MTV's ''Unplugged'' series, recorded on September 22, 1992 at the Warner Hollywood Studios in Los Angeles near the start of Springsteen ...
'' album release, which documents what the 1992–1993 Tour band sounded like. In the end, the fact that this was still a rock band, with a still conventional instrumental line-up, meant that it would be directly compared with the E Street Band and thus find it hard to establish a significant identity of its own. Over a decade later, Springsteen would solve this problem in his next non-E Street Band, non-solo tour, the Sessions Band Tour, where the makeup of the band and of their sound was utterly different from anything before and thus impossible to compare.


Broadcasts and recordings

As previously mentioned, a national radio rehearsal show and the abortive ''MTV Plugged'' show, the latter of which as ''
In Concert/MTV Plugged ''In Concert/MTV Plugged'' is a 1992 concert video and 1993 live album by Bruce Springsteen. It is part of MTV's ''Unplugged'' series, recorded on September 22, 1992 at the Warner Hollywood Studios in Los Angeles near the start of Springsteen ...
'' was released in audio on CD and in video on VHS and later DVD formats. Several shows have been released as part of the
Bruce Springsteen Archives ''Bruce Springsteen Archives'' is an ongoing collection of officially released live albums by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. Beginning in November 2014 with the release of the 2012 Apollo Theater concert, Springsteen sought out to rele ...
: * ''Brendan Byrne Arena, New Jersey June 24, 1993'', released January 5, 2018 * ''Meadowlands, July 25, 1992'', released May 3, 2019 * ''Boston December 13, 1992'', released May 7, 2021 * ‘’Berlin May 14, 1993’’, released April 1, 2022


Tour dates

Cancellations and rescheduled shows


Songs performed

Source:


Band members

* Bruce Springsteen – lead vocals, guitar & harmonica *
Shane Fontayne Michael Barakan (born 29 April 1954, in London, England), known as Shane Fontayne, is an English rock guitarist. Active since the 1970s, he was the guitarist for Bruce Springsteen during the 1992–1993 "Other Band" Tour, as Springsteen had di ...
– guitar *
Tommy Sims Tommy Sims is an American bassist, songwriter, record producer and bandleader. Music career From 1987 to 1989 Sims was the bassist for the Christian rock band White Heart, which he left to become a studio musician and producer. During 1992 ...
– bass *
Zachary Alford Zachary "Zack" Alford is a professional drummer, known for his work with the B-52's, Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie and Tomoyasu Hotei. Alford was brought in by Danny Kortchmar to drum on Billy Joel's ''River of Dreams'' album. Alford contribu ...
– drums * Roy Bittan – keyboards *
Crystal Taliefero Crystal Taliefero-Pratt (née Taliefero) is an American multi-instrumentalist and vocalist. Taliefero grew up with a musical family, performing rhythm and blues with her brother in the Chicago metropolitan area. During her college years she was ...
– guitar, percussion & background vocals, saxophone on "
Born to Run ''Born to Run'' is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, released on August 25, 1975, by Columbia Records. As his effort to break into the mainstream, the album was a commercial success, peaking at number three ...
" * Bobby King – background vocals *
Gia Ciambotti Gia Ciambotti (born September 13, 1962 in Hollywood, California) is an American singer. She first came to prominence in the late 1980s as a member of the band The Graces, with Charlotte Caffey and Meredith Brooks. The group released the album ''P ...
– background vocals * Carol Dennis – background vocals * Cleopatra Kennedy – background vocals * Angel Rogers – background vocals *
Patti Scialfa Vivienne Patricia Scialfa ( ; born July 29, 1953) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. Scialfa has been a member of the E Street Band since 1984 and has been married to Bruce Springsteen since 1991. In 2014, Scialfa was inducted into ...
– guest appearances for guitar & harmony vocals on " Brilliant Disguise", "
Tougher Than The Rest "Tougher Than the Rest" is a song by Bruce Springsteen from his 1987 '' Tunnel of Love'' album. It was released as a single in some countries, following " Brilliant Disguise" and the title track, but was not released as a single in the United ...
", and " Human Touch" * Jon Bon Jovi – lead vocals, guitar (Last show on April 3) * Richie Sambora – lead vocals, guitar (Last show on April 3)


Notes


Sources


Killing Floor's concert database
supplies the itinerary and set lists for the shows, but unfortunately does not support direct linking to individual dates.
Brucebase
the same, with ticket and promotional images as well. {{DEFAULTSORT:Bruce Springsteen And The 1992-1993 Band Tour Bruce Springsteen concert tours 1992 concert tours 1993 concert tours