Bruce Springsteen explains why he felt 'capable of handling' fame at the height of his career
The 75-year-old rock legend first enjoyed success with his Born To Run record in the mid-1970s and then had a major resurgence with Born in the U.S.A. a decade later, and admitted that while he had "no particular interest" in staying at that level of fame, it was a "cool thing" at the time.
He told The Sunday Times: "Well, I was 35. I had previous experience [of fame] at 25, so I was capable of handling the moment. Ninety per cent I enjoyed the ride, 10 per cent of it was stressful, and my take on it now is that it was a cool thing to be at the height of the cultural conversation in the pop world for a while. I just didn't have any particular interest in staying there. That's a fool's game."
The Dancing in the Dark hitmaker also fronts the E Street Band but now lives in New Jersey with his wife and co-star Patti Scialfa - with whom he has Evan, 34, Jessica, 33, as well as 31-year-old Samuel - and inisisted that the kind of work he does now is more "important than the money" about more about "writing great" music.
He said: "Of course, and I was lucky enough to have Elvis, the Beatles and Bob Dylan, to follow in their footsteps — or not follow in their footsteps. From there I learnt how important it was not to lose focus on who I am or the work I'm doing. It's more important than the money, although it's great to get paid well. It's more important than the fame, although that can be fun too, and a nuisance on occasion. I simply wanted to write great songs, play great shows and have a conversation with a great audience. It is what I've dedicated my life to doing.'
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Sydney Morning Herald
7 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Oasis reunites, its songs still stomping and wounds still healing
The band's hits have proved profoundly durable, which was especially clear during the closing three-song run of this 23-song set list, drawn heavily from its debut and its second album, the muscularly sweet (What's the Story) Morning Glory? from 1995. First was Don't Look Back in Anger, with its John Lennon-esque flickers, which erupted midway through into a weepy vocal bloodletting before resolving to a tender conclusion, with Noel visibly reeling with feeling as much as he'll allow. Next came the unerringly beautiful Wonderwall, the band's most indelible hit; when Noel chimed in, his vocals felt like pleas up against his brother's sermon. Last was the Beatles homage Champagne Supernova, the least convincing of the three closers, but it still left a psychedelic haze in its wake. Most of the night's most forceful playing was in the show's second half – a baleful Slide Away, a riveting Live Forever, a take on Whatever that showed off the brothers' wound-you/heal-you dynamic well. Rock 'n' Roll Star, which concluded the main set, was a conflagration, stretched and bent into glorious shape. Loading Before Oasis even took the stage, at least one fan was wheeled out on a stretcher, pumping his fist in the air. But only late in the show did true rowdiness set in. During Rock 'n' Roll Star, one fan set off a flare off to the side of the floor, sending a roar of flames and then smoke up into the air. A few songs later, during Don't Look Back in Anger, another flare, this one almost at the centre of the stadium. The air afterward never lost its slight acridity. Oasis burned hot and fast; it was a creature of the perpetual present, until it began living in the past. That's how the 2000s went for the band, never recapturing the glories of its first albums. In 2009, the group split, seemingly for good. Both brothers went on to perform lesser music in lesser bands. This reunion appears built for sturdiness. In addition to the Gallaghers, one original band member remains: guitarist Paul Arthurs, known as Bonehead. Rounding out this iteration are Gem Archer on guitar and Andy Bell on bass – both veterans of the band's 2000s run – and Joey Waronker on drums. The brothers didn't speak much, but they took a few moments to poke fun at themselves via poking fun at the crowd. Before The Masterplan, Noel thanked all the fans in their 20s who'd never seen them live before but kept their music relevant. Earlier, Liam asked, 'was it worth the 40,000 pounds you paid for the ticket?' – a reference to a pricing scandal. And just before the end of the show, Liam came as close to mushy as he appears capable of: 'Nice one for putting up with us over the years.' Until this moment, apart from the two brothers raising arms in a lightly comic victory gesture at the top of the night, it was unclear whether Noel and Liam had exchanged one word, or even a glance, during the whole show. They were magnets with matching polarities, holding steady at a reasonable distance. Throughout the night, Bonehead had stood between them, a silent enforcer of order, performing invisible choreography of good sense. Loading But with the show over, the seemingly unthinkable had been achieved. Liam took a deep bow, then tossed his tambourine into the crowd. He turned to leave the stage and gave Noel the briefest of bro embraces. The crowd roared as loudly as it had for any of the hits, probably louder. At the beginning of the encore, a black Range Rover had pulled up and parked backstage, its nose pointed at the exit. While Noel and the rest of the band were still soaking it all in, and feedback from the guitars was wanly lingering, Liam meandered offstage, hopped into the SUV's back seat, and was ferried out of the building.
The Age
7 hours ago
- The Age
Oasis reunites, its songs still stomping and wounds still healing
The band's hits have proved profoundly durable, which was especially clear during the closing three-song run of this 23-song set list, drawn heavily from its debut and its second album, the muscularly sweet (What's the Story) Morning Glory? from 1995. First was Don't Look Back in Anger, with its John Lennon-esque flickers, which erupted midway through into a weepy vocal bloodletting before resolving to a tender conclusion, with Noel visibly reeling with feeling as much as he'll allow. Next came the unerringly beautiful Wonderwall, the band's most indelible hit; when Noel chimed in, his vocals felt like pleas up against his brother's sermon. Last was the Beatles homage Champagne Supernova, the least convincing of the three closers, but it still left a psychedelic haze in its wake. Most of the night's most forceful playing was in the show's second half – a baleful Slide Away, a riveting Live Forever, a take on Whatever that showed off the brothers' wound-you/heal-you dynamic well. Rock 'n' Roll Star, which concluded the main set, was a conflagration, stretched and bent into glorious shape. Loading Before Oasis even took the stage, at least one fan was wheeled out on a stretcher, pumping his fist in the air. But only late in the show did true rowdiness set in. During Rock 'n' Roll Star, one fan set off a flare off to the side of the floor, sending a roar of flames and then smoke up into the air. A few songs later, during Don't Look Back in Anger, another flare, this one almost at the centre of the stadium. The air afterward never lost its slight acridity. Oasis burned hot and fast; it was a creature of the perpetual present, until it began living in the past. That's how the 2000s went for the band, never recapturing the glories of its first albums. In 2009, the group split, seemingly for good. Both brothers went on to perform lesser music in lesser bands. This reunion appears built for sturdiness. In addition to the Gallaghers, one original band member remains: guitarist Paul Arthurs, known as Bonehead. Rounding out this iteration are Gem Archer on guitar and Andy Bell on bass – both veterans of the band's 2000s run – and Joey Waronker on drums. The brothers didn't speak much, but they took a few moments to poke fun at themselves via poking fun at the crowd. Before The Masterplan, Noel thanked all the fans in their 20s who'd never seen them live before but kept their music relevant. Earlier, Liam asked, 'was it worth the 40,000 pounds you paid for the ticket?' – a reference to a pricing scandal. And just before the end of the show, Liam came as close to mushy as he appears capable of: 'Nice one for putting up with us over the years.' Until this moment, apart from the two brothers raising arms in a lightly comic victory gesture at the top of the night, it was unclear whether Noel and Liam had exchanged one word, or even a glance, during the whole show. They were magnets with matching polarities, holding steady at a reasonable distance. Throughout the night, Bonehead had stood between them, a silent enforcer of order, performing invisible choreography of good sense. Loading But with the show over, the seemingly unthinkable had been achieved. Liam took a deep bow, then tossed his tambourine into the crowd. He turned to leave the stage and gave Noel the briefest of bro embraces. The crowd roared as loudly as it had for any of the hits, probably louder. At the beginning of the encore, a black Range Rover had pulled up and parked backstage, its nose pointed at the exit. While Noel and the rest of the band were still soaking it all in, and feedback from the guitars was wanly lingering, Liam meandered offstage, hopped into the SUV's back seat, and was ferried out of the building.
West Australian
8 hours ago
- West Australian
On The Beatles beat
There is so much for the casual Beatles fan in Liverpool. You can check out a string of museums dedicated to the band, check into the Hard Days Night Hotel and hit the cobbled, bar-fringed lanes of the Cavern Quarter, which is akin to an open-air theme park devoted to the Fab Four. Have your photograph taken with their larger-than-life statue on the promenade by the River Mersey, visit the suburban childhood homes of John Lennon and Paul McCartney, and hang out in the places that inspired their songs, including Penny Lane and Strawberry Field. But there are lesser-known spots with Beatles connections that will thrill and intrigue aficionados of the band. Here are five such places. The Liverpool venue most synonymous with The Beatles is The Cavern Club, where the band performed 292 times between 1961 and 1963. Revellers flock to the replica of this subterranean bar-club, which has live music most nights, including weekend performances by a resident Liverpudlian Beatles tribute band. They also play at International Beatleweek, the world's biggest Beatles festival, held in the city each August (20-25, 2025). Yet it's The Jacaranda — affectionately known as 'The Jac' — that hosted the first live performance by the real Beatles. This was in August 1960, when Lennon, McCartney and George Harrison played alongside original bassist Stuart Sutcliffe (a Scot who died of a brain haemorrhage in 1962) and drummer Pete Best (who was replaced by Ringo Starr, also in 1962). A blue plaque to mark the momentous first gig studs this venue in Ropewalks, another buzzing Liverpool nightlife district (about 15 minutes on foot from the Cavern Quarter). Also housing a bar, vinyl store and record label, The Jacaranda was opened in an old watchmakers' shop by the Beatles' first manager, Allan Williams, and it continues to be one of Liverpool's most vital musical hubs, with both grassroots and established bands playing gigs here. The Jac also has an offshoot venue — the Jacaranda Baltic — in the Baltic Triangle, a gritty-hip enclave south of the city centre. You'll find numerous links to the Beatles on and around this picturesque hilltop strip running between the city's Anglican and Catholic cathedrals. McCartney and Harrison attended grammar school here, while Lennon and Sutcliffe went to the arts college next door. In 1996, McCartney co-founded the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts in his old school (he recently popped in with his mate Bruce Springsteen, who was playing concerts in Liverpool). Countless talents have since graduated from LIPA in fields like dance, acting and music, including members of Liverpool bands The Wombats and Circa Waves, and Leanne Best, the niece of Pete Best (she played a key role in recent Liverpool-based TV crime drama This City Is Ours). Around the corner, on steeply sloping Rice Street, the unassuming Ye Cracke pub, founded in 1862, was a favourite haunt of Lennon and Sutcliffe when they were students, while back on Hope Street, they also frequented the more lavishly decorated Philharmonic Dining Rooms. McCartney played an impromptu gig at 'The Phil' in 2018 for an episode of James Corden's Carpool Karaoke. The pub wins acclaim for its pints, pies and heritage-listed interior melding marble, mosaic and mahogany, and sits across the street from its sister concert hall (another participating venue for International Beatleweek). Located where Ropewalks meets Chinatown, the Blue Angel is another obscure nugget on the Beatles trail. It was historically a jazz club, but along with the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan, the band were among the big 1960s pop acts to play here. This was another venture once owned by Allan Williams, who was replaced as the Beatles' manager by Brian Epstein in 1961. It was at the Blue Angel that Epstein spotted a young Liverpool woman, Cilla Black, singing, and he arranged auditions for her in London. The Blue Angel is often known as The Raz — it briefly changed its name to the Razzmatazz in the 1980s — before reverting back to its original name. It's a popular haunt with today's students, but nostalgia reigns here too, with reunions and anniversaries held, when tunes from yesteryear —including Fab Four tracks — have the dance floor bouncing. Labelled the Holy Grail of the Beatles trail, this much-mythologised venue is where the band spent hours practising, performing and honing their skills and tunes. Occupying the basement of the house owned by Mona Best, the Delhi-born mother of drummer Pete, it became a hotspot for Liverpool's rock'n'roll scene in the late 1950s and early 60s. Soft drinks and snacks were served here, as was coffee from an espresso machine — a rarity in Liverpool at the time. New music throbbed at the Casbah, both on record players and live, with the Beatles turning out several times here and being the last band to play before the club's closure in 1962. Still in the Best family, and furnished with Beatles memorabilia, the Casbah is in West Derby, a suburb in north Liverpool. Converted rooms and suites can now be booked by overnight guests, and tours and experiences can also be arranged at the old Casbah. Combined tickets also offer admission to the Liverpool Beatles Museum on Mathew Street in the Cavern Quarter. Boasting more than 1000 authentic Beatles items, it's run by Roag Best, Pete's half-brother, father of Leanne, son of Mona and Neil Aspinall, the Beatles' first tour manager and long-time associate of the band. Pete, meanwhile, is now 83 — the same age as Paul — and still plays in a band that 'captures the sound of the Beatles in their formative years'. It was in this quaint, leafy village-like suburb in the city's south, on July 6, 1957, that Lennon first met McCartney. Lennon was playing with his skiffle band, The Quarrymen, at the garden fete at Woolton's St Peter's Church. The pair quickly hit it off and McCartney was soon invited to join an outfit that would evolve into the Beatles. There's another good reason to roam around the churchyard of St Peter's — it contains the grave of one Eleanor Rigby, whose name provided the inspiration for the track on the 1966 album Revolver. Usually overlooked by Beatles fans is the grave of Lennon's uncle, George Toogood Smith, the husband of his Aunt Mimi. After the breakdown of his parents' marriage, Lennon moved in with the couple in south Liverpool and his uncle bought him his first musical instrument: a harmonica. Sadly, George died in 1955, so never got to see how his gift helped change the world.
