Bruce Springsteen Talks Anxiety Struggles in New Interview
Bruce Springsteen may have sold over 140 million records, but even he still struggles with anxiety before sold-out concerts.
The rocker revealed that despite performing for over 50 years, his nerves still get the best of him. “[It’s] what I call anticipatory anxiety. You’re about to test yourself physically, emotionally, and spiritually,” the 75-year-old claimed on the Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast on May 1.
“Every night, you’re going to call on all these parts of your personality, and you’re going to relive them and be as alive as you can be,” Springsteen continued. “I believe that’s what the audience pays for, how alive you can be on any given night, more than what song you’re singing or what song you don’t sing.”
He is well known for his energetic sets, which sometimes last over four hours. The “Dancing in the Dark” singer explained that once he gets going, his anxiety fades away.
“It’s how present you are. So there’s always some anticipation before I go out on stage, which disappears the minute I count in the band,” he added. The artist has an upcoming European tour from May to July. Last August, he laughed at the idea of slowing down after five decades with his E Street Band.
Official Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band 2023 tour artwork by Michelle Holme. pic.twitter.com/Tzgom424ee
— Bruce Springsteen (@springsteen) November 17, 2023
“We ain’t doing no farewell tour bulls**t. Jesus Christ. No farewell tour for the E Street Band,” he told the crowd during a concert in Philadelphia. “H*ll no. Farewell to what? Are thousands of people screaming your name? Yeah, I wanna quit that.”
He continued, “That’s it. That’s all it takes. I ain’t going anywhere.” Guitarist Steven Van Zandt shut down retirement rumors during a conversation with The Telegraph in 2024. He explained that the band does not plan on stopping anytime soon.
Released 25 years ago, the 66-song box set "Tracks" collected unheard recordings from 1972 to the mid-'90s — an "alternate route" to the one traced by Bruce's LPs.
— Bruce Springsteen (@springsteen) November 10, 2023
: Neal Preston pic.twitter.com/C0wCNnGeNC
“I don’t see the end anywhere in sight, to be honest, especially in Europe, where we’re bigger than we’ve ever been,” he stated. “I think we can play every summer forevermore, man.”
Springsteen announced Tracks II: The Last Albums in April. The collection of tracks will feature seven never-before-seen albums featuring music recorded from 1983 to 2018. The album is set to release on June 27. You can pre-save it here.
