Springsteen: “I don’t care what they say about me”
On the eve of the tour which will start on March 31 from Minneapolis, Bruce Springsteen spoke to the Star Tribune about the relationship between music, politics and public image, making it clear that he is not worried about the reactions to his positions. The choice to speak with the newspaper from the Minnesota city is not a coincidence: the tour starts from where the protests against Trump took place, culminating in two unarmed people being killed in the street by ICE, and to which “Streets of Minneapolis” was dedicated. The concert tour will end on May 27 in the capital, Washington
“My job is very simple: I do what I want to do, I say what I want to say and then people can say what they want about it. These are the rules of my game. That’s fine with me”, said Springsteen on the possibility that his political stance – always present in his songs and concerts – makes him divisive. “I don’t worry about losing some of my audience. I’ve always had an idea of where we stand culturally, and I’m still deeply attached to that idea of the band. The backlash is just part of it. I’ve been ready for this. For a long time.”
The Boss explains that with age the way you deal with criticism also changes: “When you’re young you’re much more fragile and you’re not entirely sure of what you’re doing, who you are and who you want to be. I’ve been doing this for 60 years and over time you develop quite a thick skin.”
An approach that is also reflected in the construction of the show: “The E Street Band is made for difficult times. It always has been. These are the moments when I think we can have real value and real importance to the community. These are moments that fill the band with a purpose, so I try to build the setlist around these ideas.”
Springsteen then distinguishes between his public persona and private life: “I’d like to be Bruce Springsteen 24 hours a day. I’m only for three hours, when I go on stage.” The rest of the time, he explains, “I’m a chauffeur. I still take my kids to breakfast, even though they’re in their thirties. You’re busy with your home life. I’ve been blessed with a wonderful marriage. In those three hours I always knew who I was. It’s the other 21 that I had to figure out, and they were really difficult.”
As for the band’s energy, six decades into their career, the commitment remains the same: “For me and the guys in the E Street Band it’s like when we were 16 or 23, the same commitment. You’re out there to work as hard as you can and give your best for that audience on that particular night. Some of the things that (drummer) Max Weinberg does for three hours a night are just incredible. The band still has all its strength and all its power. That’s something I’m grateful for.”
And on a physical level, a clarification with irony: “I don’t feel radically different. But I probably won’t jump off the piano at the Target Center, but I will do everything else.”
