December 2017 saw the release of Bob Clearmountain’s measuring stick mix of September 20th; September 2019 saw the rating scale-breaking release of the Pièce De Résistance, September 19th; and now in March 2024 the 1978 Passaic trilogy is complete. Having had those two shows on rotation for the last several years, it can be safely … Continue reading New from the Springsteen archive: September 21st, 1978 – Passaic, NJ – Capitol Theatre
For all of its blessings, with the Live Archive Series there is a small matter of concern, especially the longer it goes on. Although Bruce Springsteen’s live legacy will be remembered as one of surprises, excitement and unpredictability - as January’s release of July 24th, 2013 in Cardiff very nicely showcased - there have been … Continue reading New from the Springsteen archive: September 25th, 1996 – Akron, OH – E.J. Thomas Performing Arts Hall
Twenty-four hours before they played Leeds and Bruce Springsteen gave the First Direct Arena his blessing with an essential 2013 performance, he and the E Street Band rolled into Cardiff for their second show ever in Wales - following a fondly remembered outing in 2008. Now, thanks to the Archive Series, we’re one step closer … Continue reading New from the Springsteen archive: July 23rd, 2013 – Cardiff, UK – Millennium Stadium
Since the year 2014, late December has always treated Springsteen fans to a Live Archive Series bonus, and while the past year was without the amount of Archive Series releases we’ve been used to since First Friday began in July 2017 on account of the 2023 International Tour and the focus on bringing those shows … Continue reading New from the Springsteen archive: July 15th, 1999 – East Rutherford, NJ – Continental Airlines Arena
From August 2017 to December 2022, the Live Archive Series was a blessing for Springsteen fans. With the hot - and expensive - ticket, Springsteen on Broadway the only way to truly guarantee an evening with Bruce, the fifty+ shows released by Nugs served the fanbase very well as we waited on his return to … Continue reading New from the Springsteen archive: October 14th, 2009 – Philadelphia, PA – Wachovia Spectrum
When Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band finally announced their long awaited Reunion Tour in 1999, fans had been waiting eleven years. Having seen Bruce play ‘happy’ songs with different musicians, then play music of a very different tone on his own throughout the nineties - with a relatively awkward mini-reunion in-between for Greatest … Continue reading New from the Springsteen archive: July 18th, 1999 – East Rutherford, NJ – Continental Airlines Arena
Forty-eight hours before St. Louis, there was Nashville. As Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band came to the end of their Magic Tour - a tour that saw Bruce carry over and emphasise the sociopolitical themes he’d explored with his Seeger Sessions Band in 2006, and more importantly the loss of Danny Federici and … Continue reading New from the Springsteen archive: August 21st, 2008 – Nashville, TN – Sommet Center
In February, Bruce Springsteen’s Live Archive finally saw the release of show from the 1995 stage of his Ghost of Tom Joad Tour. A night in Pennsylvania featuring every song from the touring album played, December 9th in Upper Darby strongly followed Anaheim 2000 in January, further setting the tone for remarkable year to come. … Continue reading New from the Springsteen archive: November 26th, 1996 – Asbury Park, NJ – Paramount Theatre
When Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band’s Darkness on the Edge of Town Tour stopped in Atlanta at the end of September 1978, they’d already made great strides in shaping their live legacy. Thanks to radio broadcasts of shows in West Hollywood, Cleveland and Passaic (all previously released in the Live Archive Series) and … Continue reading New from the Springsteen archive: October 1st, 1978 – Atlanta, GA – Fox Theatre
Bruce Springsteen’s 2006 exploration of American folk, gospel and blues music remains a polarising one. Fans who loved it then still can’t get enough now; fans who weren’t enamoured at the time continue to resent it, with their disdain for this music arguably greater than their disdain for “Outlaw Pete.” As someone who became a … Continue reading New from the Springsteen archive: October 10th, 2006 – Rome, IT – Palalottomatica
Kieran's Thoughts, Previews & Reviews 