| Tour byBruce Springsteen and theE Street Band | |
 | |
| Associated album | Wrecking Ball |
|---|---|
| Start date | March 18, 2012 |
| End date | September 21, 2013[1] |
| Legs | 5 |
| No. of shows | 134 |
| Box office | $340.6 million ($480.01 million in 2024 dollars)[2] |
| Bruce Springsteen and theE Street Band concert chronology | |
| |
TheWrecking Ball World Tour was aconcert tour byBruce Springsteen and theE Street Band to promote Springsteen's seventeenth studio album,Wrecking Ball, which was released on March 5, 2012.[3] It was the first tour for the E Street Band without founding memberClarence Clemons, who died on June 18, 2011. The worldwide tour in support of the album, which ended in September 2013, reached 26 countries, the most ever for one of Springsteen's tours. The tourresumed in January 2014 to promote Springsteen's new album,High Hopes, and went under that album's name.[4]
In an attempt to fill the void left by Clemons, Springsteen added a full horn section, which includedJake Clemons, Clarence's nephew. Three background singers and a percussionist were also added, giving the E Street Band its largest lineup ever at seventeen members.[5][6] As with previous tours, Springsteen's wife and band member,Patti Scialfa, did not appear at all the shows due to family commitments. GuitaristSteven Van Zandt was also unable to perform on the band'sAustralian leg due to the filming of his television show,Lilyhammer. Van Zandt was replaced byTom Morello for those dates.
The tour featured over 215 different songs[7] performed, including some songs either making their live debuts or returning after an extended absence.
The tour was named the second highest-grossing tour of 2012 and was the most attended tour of the year,[8] winning theBillboard Touring Award for Top Draw.[9] For the first half of 2013, the tour was named one of the top three grossing tours for the year.[10]
At the end of 2012, the tour placed second onPollstar's "Top 100 Worldwide Tours", grossing $210.2 million from 81 shows in Europe.[11] At the end of 2013, the tour placed fifth on Pollstar's "Top 100 Worldwide Tours", grossing $145.4 million from 46 shows in Europe.[12] Overall, the tour grossed $340.6 million from 124 shows. The tour was Springsteen and the E Street Band's highest grossing tour until the2023–2025 Tour.[13]
Private rehearsals started in late January 2012 at the Expo Theater inFort Monmouth, New Jersey, the same site where rehearsals were held for theTunnel of Love Express Tour and theRising Tour. Some rehearsals were held at theSun National Bank Center inTrenton to allow the band and crew to try a new stage design.[14]
It was announced on February 9, 2012, thatEddie Manion and Clarence Clemons's nephew, Jake Clemons, would share saxophone duties with Clemons handling most of the lead solos. Additional horns were provided byClark Gayton, Curt Ramm, and Barry Danielian. Everett Bradly provided percussion and backing vocals while Curtis King Jr. and Cindy Mizelle returned as background singers.[15] Michelle Moore joined the tour as a background singer featuring onRocky Ground for the rap (as on the album).
In advance of the album's release on March 5, 2012, the band kicked off a string of warm-up performances prior to the tour, including a performance of the album's first single, "We Take Care of Our Own", at the54th Grammy Awards.[16] During the final week of February, talk show hostJimmy Fallon dedicated an entire week of his show,Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, to Springsteen's music. Different artists covered Springsteen's songs each night of that week.[17]
The new touring lineup performed their first full show together on March 9, 2012, at theApollo Theater.[18] Springsteen then gave a keynote speech at theSXSW convention inAustin, Texas, on March 15, 2012, and was joined later in the evening by the E Street Band for a2+1⁄2-hour set before a crowd of a few thousand.[19]
On January 26, 2012, dates for the first U.S. leg of the Wrecking Ball world tour were announced to the public, with many going on sale during the first weekend of February.
Much like with the previous tour, many U.S. fans encountered problems, thought to be due to ticket scalpers, throughTicketmaster as the first dates of the tour went on sale. Shows were selling out within minutes and many tickets appeared, at much higher prices, on resale websites such as StubHub less than an hour after the onsale time. Ticketmaster said web traffic was 2.5 times the highest level of the past year during the online sales. U.S. RepresentativeBill Pascrell, who introduced the BOSS ACT in 2009 to increase transparency in the ticket industry, said he would reintroduce the bill in Congress.
The world tour began on March 18, 2012, inAtlanta.[20] The early shows established a routine of using "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out", performed as the show closer, as a tribute song to Clarence Clemons. Following the lyricthe Big Man joined the band, Springsteen paused the song so the band and audience could pay tribute to Clemons, following which the band resumed the remainder of the song. "My City of Ruins" was used as the band introduction song and frequently included a Springsteen rap about "ghosts", referring to Clemons andDanny Federici, the long-time E Street Band organist who died during theMagic Tour in April 2008. For cities that had more than one consecutive show,American Land was used as the show closer, with the entire band on the front line and finishing the show on the main center platform.
Per Springsteen's standard practice, the set list varied from night to night, sometimes significantly. The tour saw the revival of a number of long-absent aspects of Springsteen's concerts, such as the return (during some shows) of a lengthy instrumental introduction to "Prove It All Night" that fans had unsuccessfully requested during the "sign request" (also sometimes known as "Stump the Band") segments during the Magic andWorking on a Dream Tours. The instrumental introduction had been a noted point of 1978'sDarkness Tour show but had not been played since. Shows were longer than on recent tours, culminating inHelsinki on July 31, 2012, with the longest performance of Springsteen's career at 4 hours and 6 minutes.[21] Earlier the same night, prior to the show proper, Springsteen had performed a five-song acoustic set for early arrivals.[22]
During the encore of Springsteen's show in London at theHard Rock Calling festival, the city council pulled the plug on his performance because he ran a few minutes past the show's 10:30 pm curfew. Springsteen was performing "I Saw Her Standing There" and "Twist and Shout" withPaul McCartney when their microphones and instruments were shut off. Springsteen ended the set with a brief a cappella, unamplified version of "Goodnight Irene."[23] The incident resulted in the show being the lone concert on the tour at which "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out", with its Clarence Clemons tribute, was not performed. Following the performance,Steve Van Zandt took toTwitter and said, "English cops may be the only individuals left on earth that wouldn't want to hear one more from Bruce Springsteen and Paul McCartney!" and followed that up with "There's no grudges to be held. Just feel bad for our great fans. Hard Rock is cool. Live Nation is cool. It's some City Council stupid rule."[24][25] When Springsteen next performed three nights later in Ireland, he poked fun at the London incident. During "Dancing in the Dark" the big screens by the stage displayed only a battery switched "On." A fake policeman came out to the stage to stop them playing "Twist and Shout" but Springsteen refused. While playingAmerican Land, the fake policeman pulled the plug, but Van Zandt plugged it back in.[26]
The tour returned to the United States in August 2012 and focused on baseball and football stadiums. The tour's third (and final) show atMetLife Stadium on September 22, 2012, was delayed for two hours due to a strong thunderstorm. The show finally got underway around 10:30 pm, prompting fans to sing "Happy Birthday" to Springsteen at midnight to celebrate his 63rd birthday.[27] At the end of the show, Springsteen was presented with a guitar-shaped birthday cake onstage.[28]
On October 29, 2012, the New Jersey area was hit hard byHurricane Sandy. Springsteen's show inRochester, New York, the following day was forced to be postponed until October 31, 2012. That night, Springsteen dedicated his performance to those affected by the storm and those helping to recover. Springsteen and the E Street Band performed "Land of Hope and Dreams" during a one-hour televised telethon calledHurricane Sandy: Coming Together on November 2, 2012. Springsteen also joinedBilly Joel,Steven Tyler andJimmy Fallon for a performance of "Under the Boardwalk". He later participated in the12-12-12: The Concert for Sandy Relief at Madison Square Garden, a benefit concert for Sandy victims.[29]
Due to filming of his television show,Lilyhammer,Steven Van Zandt was forced to miss the Australian leg of the tour in 2013.Tom Morello replaced Van Zandt for those dates.[30] Van Zandt made his return in late April 2013 when he opened the first of the band's two shows inOslo, Norway, by singingFrank Sinatra's "My Kind of Town" in character as Frank "the fixer" Tagliano fromLilyhammer. As with 2009'sWorking on a Dream Tour, some shows featured full-album performances ofBorn to Run,Darkness on the Edge of Town, andBorn in the U.S.A. The European leg ended in late July 2013.
The final leg of the tour took place in September 2013 with Springsteen's first-ever show inSantiago, Chile, on September 12. The tour subsequently featured dates inArgentina and Brazil, with the final show at theRock in Rio festival on September 21. The show, which was held atCidade do Rock, was broadcast live on cable in Brazil and over the Internet viaYouTube. In the concerts in Brazil, Springsteen performed a cover of "Sociedade Alternativa" byRaul Seixas in addition to his usual setlist.
The tour was a commercial success and was named the second highest-grossing tour of 2012, finishing behindMadonna,[8] and was the most attended tour of the year, winning theBillboard Touring Award for Top Draw.[9] It was also named the 21st highest-grossing tour worldwide as of December 2012. In July 2013, the tour was named one of the top three grossing tours for the first half of 2013, along with tours byBon Jovi, who had grossed the highest so far, and theRolling Stones.[10]
Springsteen was named the #1 musical act byRolling Stone magazine in their August 2013 issue.[31]
During the tour, Springsteen felt inspired to start working on his eighteenth studio album, which eventually becameHigh Hopes. The album was recorded in 2013 during breaks in the Wrecking Ball Tour and was released in January 2014. Springsteen cited Morello, who helped re-introduce some previously recorded songs and cover songs to the recording sessions and live shows, as a huge inspiration on the album.
A number of the festival dates performed on the tour had excerpts from the performance broadcast on television. Additionally, 45 minutes of the 2012Hyde Park show in London was released as a bonus feature on theSpringsteen & I DVD release.
Coinciding with theBorn in the U.S.A. album's 30th anniversary,Born in the U.S.A. Live: London 2013, a live DVD of the full performance of the album recorded at the 2013Hard Rock Calling festival, was released throughAmazon.com as part of a deluxe edition of theHigh Hopes album.
Several shows were released as part of theBruce Springsteen Archives:
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| Date | City | Country | Venue | Attendance | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North America[32][33] | |||||
| March 18, 2012 | Atlanta | United States | Philips Arena | 14,959 / 17,700 | $1,382,345 |
| March 19, 2012 | Greensboro | Greensboro Coliseum | 12,919 / 15,400 | $1,169,147 | |
| March 23, 2012 | Tampa | Tampa Bay Times Forum | 16,615 / 18,987 | $1,463,180 | |
| March 26, 2012 | Boston | TD Garden | 16,779 / 16,779 | $1,577,847 | |
| March 28, 2012 | Philadelphia | Wells Fargo Center | 38,034 / 38,034 | $3,647,374 | |
| March 29, 2012 | |||||
| April 1, 2012 | Washington, D.C. | Verizon Center | 17,699 / 17,699 | $1,692,142 | |
| April 3, 2012 | East Rutherford | Izod Center | 38,068 / 38,068 | $3,663,374 | |
| April 4, 2012 | |||||
| April 6, 2012 | New York City | Madison Square Garden | 38,828 / 38,828 | $3,524,874 | |
| April 9, 2012 | |||||
| April 12, 2012 | Auburn Hills | The Palace of Auburn Hills | 15,607 / 15,607 | $1,272,044 | |
| April 13, 2012 | Buffalo | First Niagara Center | 18,344 / 18,344 | $1,508,680 | |
| April 16, 2012 | Albany | Times Union Center | 14,962 / 14,962 | $1,401,386 | |
| April 17, 2012 | Cleveland | Quicken Loans Arena | 18,624 / 18,624 | $1,565,518 | |
| April 24, 2012 | San Jose | HP Pavilion | 15,716 / 17,170 | $1,515,818 | |
| April 26, 2012 | Los Angeles | Los Angeles Sports Arena | 32,758 / 32,758 | $3,051,752 | |
| April 27, 2012 | |||||
| April 29, 2012[a] | New Orleans | Fair Grounds Race Course | — | — | |
| May 2, 2012 | Newark | Prudential Center | 16,934 / 16,934 | $1,516,758 | |
| Europe[33][34] | |||||
| May 13, 2012 | Seville | Spain | Estadio Olímpico | 22,045 / 30,785 | $1,798,678 |
| May 15, 2012 | Las Palmas | Estadio Gran Canaria | 23,908 / 30,000 | $1,861,267 | |
| May 17, 2012 | Barcelona | Estadi Olímpic | 79,430 / 86,000 | $6,692,818 | |
| May 18, 2012 | |||||
| May 25, 2012 | Frankfurt | Germany | Commerzbank-Arena | 40,219 / 40,219 | $3,759,361 |
| May 27, 2012 | Cologne | RheinEnergieStadion | 40,417 / 40,417 | $3,786,222 | |
| May 28, 2012[b] | Landgraaf | Netherlands | Megaland Landgraaf | — | — |
| May 30, 2012 | Berlin | Germany | Olympiastadion | 55,491 / 55,491 | $4,514,798 |
| June 2, 2012 | San Sebastián | Spain | Estadio Anoeta | 45,442 / 45,442 | $4,068,870 |
| June 3, 2012[c] | Lisbon | Portugal | Parque Bela Vista | — | — |
| June 7, 2012 | Milan | Italy | Stadio San Siro | 57,149 / 57,149 | $3,855,255 |
| June 10, 2012 | Florence | Stadio Artemio Franchi | 42,658 / 42,658 | $2,840,374 | |
| June 11, 2012 | Trieste | Stadio Nereo Rocco | 28,109 / 28,109 | $2,232,817 | |
| June 17, 2012 | Madrid | Spain | Estadio Santiago Bernabéu | 54,639 / 54,639 | $4,971,750 |
| June 19, 2012 | Montpellier | France | Park&Suites Arena | 13,289 / 13,289 | $1,301,350 |
| June 21, 2012 | Sunderland | England | Stadium of Light | 41,564 / 52,900 | $3,693,333 |
| June 22, 2012 | Manchester | City of Manchester Stadium | 52,546 / 52,546 | $4,601,284 | |
| June 24, 2012[d] | Isle of Wight | Seaclose Park | — | — | |
| July 4, 2012 | Paris | France | Bercy Arena | 33,224 / 33,224 | $3,259,155 |
| July 5, 2012 | |||||
| July 7, 2012[e] | Roskilde | Denmark | Roskilde Festival | — | — |
| July 9, 2012 | Zürich | Switzerland | Stadion Letzigrund | 41,560 / 41,560 | $5,193,564 |
| July 11, 2012 | Prague | Czech Republic | Synot Tip Arena | 22,200 / 22,200 | $1,639,087 |
| July 12, 2012 | Vienna | Austria | Ernst Happel Stadion | 50,293 / 50,293 | $4,502,648 |
| July 14, 2012[f] | London | England | Hyde Park | — | — |
| July 17, 2012 | Dublin | Ireland | RDS Stadium | 76,000 / 76,000 | $7,610,327 |
| July 18, 2012 | |||||
| July 21, 2012 | Oslo | Norway | Stadion Valle Hovin | 39,984 / 39,984 | $4,874,294 |
| July 23, 2012 | Bergen | Koengen Park | 44,068 / 44,068 | $5,353,738 | |
| July 24, 2012 | |||||
| July 27, 2012 | Gothenburg | Sweden | Ullevi Stadion | 131,606 / 131,606 | $11,968,672 |
| July 28, 2012 | |||||
| July 31, 2012 | Helsinki | Finland | Olympic Stadium | 43,534 / 43,534 | $3,988,494 |
| North America[35] | |||||
| August 14, 2012 | Boston | United States | Fenway Park | 59,644 / 59,644 | $5,646,102 |
| August 15, 2012 | |||||
| August 18, 2012 | Foxborough | Gillette Stadium | 49,621 / 50,000 | $4,548,896 | |
| August 24, 2012 | Toronto | Canada | Rogers Centre | 38,986 / 40,000 | $3,672,176 |
| August 26, 2012 | Moncton | Magnetic Park | 30,200 / 30,200 | $3,400,901 | |
| August 29, 2012 | Vernon | United States | Vernon Downs Raceway | 15,595 / 20,000 | $1,475,410 |
| September 2, 2012 | Philadelphia | Citizens Bank Park | 73,296 / 78,200 | $6,644,578 | |
| September 3, 2012 | |||||
| September 7, 2012 | Chicago | Wrigley Field | 84,218 / 84,218 | $7,090,141 | |
| September 8, 2012 | |||||
| September 14, 2012 | Washington, D.C. | Nationals Park | 36,525 / 36,525 | $3,305,920 | |
| September 19, 2012 | East Rutherford | MetLife Stadium | 152,290 / 159,000 | $14,409,760 | |
| September 21, 2012 | |||||
| September 22, 2012 | |||||
| October 19, 2012 | Ottawa | Canada | Scotiabank Place | 16,271 / 16,271 | $1,678,662 |
| October 21, 2012 | Hamilton | Copps Coliseum | 16,115 / 18,238 | $1,764,732 | |
| October 23, 2012 | Charlottesville | United States | John Paul Jones Arena | 9,931 / 13,000 | $921,996 |
| October 25, 2012 | Hartford | XL Center | 14,042 / 15,800 | $1,329,751 | |
| October 27, 2012 | Pittsburgh | Consol Energy Center | 17,956 / 17,956 | $1,692,278 | |
| October 31, 2012[g] | Rochester | Blue Cross Arena | 10,405 / 12,323 | $1,008,272 | |
| November 1, 2012 | University Park | Bryce Jordan Center | 12,078 / 15,458 | $1,220,555 | |
| November 3, 2012 | Louisville | KFC Yum! Center | 16,699 / 20,491 | $1,394,816 | |
| November 11, 2012 | St. Paul | Xcel Energy Center | 28,228 / 28,228 | $2,708,266 | |
| November 12, 2012 | |||||
| November 15, 2012 | Omaha | CenturyLink Center Omaha | 10,269 / 10,269 | $947,630 | |
| November 17, 2012 | Kansas City | Sprint Center | 13,875 / 13,875 | $1,094,111 | |
| November 19, 2012 | Denver | Pepsi Center | 14,027 / 17,260 | $1,284,576 | |
| November 26, 2012 | Vancouver | Canada | Rogers Arena | 17,009 / 17,009 | $1,824,330 |
| November 28, 2012 | Portland | United States | Rose Garden Arena | 13,790 / 14,798 | $1,260,800 |
| November 30, 2012 | Oakland | Oracle Arena | 16,268 / 17,400 | $1,499,818 | |
| December 4, 2012 | Anaheim | Honda Center | 13,743 / 13,800 | $1,279,194 | |
| December 6, 2012 | Glendale | Jobing.com Arena | 12,660 / 12,660 | $1,197,272 | |
| December 10, 2012 | Mexico City | Mexico | Palacio de los Deportes | 7,690 / 12,000 | $366,479 |
| December 12, 2012[h] | New York City | United States | Madison Square Garden | — | — |
| Oceania[37] | |||||
| March 14, 2013 | Brisbane | Australia | Entertainment Centre | 24,493 / 24,493 | $4,289,920 |
| March 16, 2013 | |||||
| March 18, 2013 | Sydney | Allphones Arena | 47,796 / 48,000 | $7,966,677 | |
| March 20, 2013 | |||||
| March 22, 2013 | |||||
| March 24, 2013 | Melbourne | Rod Laver Arena | 46,740 / 46,740 | $7,662,705 | |
| March 26, 2013 | |||||
| March 27, 2013 | |||||
| March 30, 2013 | Macedon | Hanging Rock | 34,142 / 34,142 | $5,395,624 | |
| March 31, 2013 | |||||
| Europe[38][39] | |||||
| April 29, 2013 | Bærum | Norway | Telenor Arena | 43,918 / 43,918 | $5,836,045 |
| April 30, 2013 | |||||
| May 3, 2013 | Stockholm | Sweden | Friends Arena | 169,325 / 169,325 | $17,932,099 |
| May 4, 2013 | |||||
| May 7, 2013 | Turku | Finland | HK Arena | 18,558 / 18,558 | $2,382,847 |
| May 8, 2013 | |||||
| May 11, 2013 | Stockholm | Sweden | Friends Arena | [i] | [i] |
| May 14, 2013 | Copenhagen | Denmark | Parken Stadion | 49,017 / 49,017 | $5,102,138 |
| May 16, 2013 | Herning | Jyske Bank Boxen | 14,938 / 14,938 | $1,828,163 | |
| May 23, 2013 | Naples | Italy | Piazza del Plebiscito | 11,647 / 15,000 | $951,459 |
| May 26, 2013 | Munich | Germany | Olympiastadion | 41,579 / 41,579 | $3,958,563 |
| May 28, 2013 | Hanover | AWD-Arena | 36,859 / 37,000 | $3,876,987 | |
| May 31, 2013 | Padua | Italy | Stadio Euganeo | 36,208 / 40,000 | $3,102,414 |
| June 3, 2013 | Milan | Stadio San Siro | 56,670 / 56,670 | $4,209,027 | |
| June 15, 2013 | London | England | Wembley Stadium | 70,425 / 70,425 | $6,479,237 |
| June 18, 2013 | Glasgow | Scotland | Hampden Park | 44,000 / 46,988 | $4,182,184 |
| June 20, 2013 | Coventry | England | Ricoh Arena | 37,262 / 37,262 | $3,480,677 |
| June 22, 2013 | Nijmegen | Netherlands | Goffertpark | 64,900 / 64,900 | $6,309,898 |
| June 26, 2013 | Gijón | Spain | El Molinón Stadium | 30,571 / 30,571 | $2,624,674 |
| June 29, 2013 | Paris | France | Stade de France | 61,867 / 61,867 | $5,785,660 |
| June 30, 2013[j] | London | England | Olympic Park | — | — |
| July 3, 2013 | Geneva | Switzerland | Stade de Genève | 22,391 / 40,000 | $3,115,860 |
| July 5, 2013 | Mönchengladbach | Germany | Borussia-Park | 34,050 / 37,800 | $3,809,644 |
| July 7, 2013 | Leipzig | Red Bull Arena | 46,346 / 46,346 | $4,297,021 | |
| July 11, 2013 | Rome | Italy | Ippodromo delle Capannelle | 27,024 / 37,000 | $2,261,922 |
| July 13, 2013[k] | Werchter | Belgium | Werchter Grounds | 60,000 / 60,000 | — |
| July 16, 2013 | Limerick | Ireland | Thomond Park | 28,091 / 28,091 | $3,226,410 |
| July 18, 2013 | Cork | Páirc Uí Chaoimh | 37,328 / 37,328 | $4,263,690 | |
| July 20, 2013 | Belfast | Northern Ireland | King's Hall | 28,211 / 28,211 | $3,131,421 |
| July 23, 2013 | Cardiff | Wales | Millennium Stadium | 27,722 / 29,000 | $2,507,945 |
| July 24, 2013 | Leeds | England | Leeds Arena | 11,367 / 11,367 | $1,134,415 |
| July 27, 2013 | Kilkenny | Ireland | Nowlan Park | 54,292 / 54,292 | $6,223,768 |
| July 28, 2013 | |||||
| South America[39] | |||||
| September 12, 2013 | Santiago | Chile | Movistar Arena | 5,256 / 10,100 | $481,791 |
| September 14, 2013 | Buenos Aires | Argentina | Estadio G.E.B.A. | 7,095 / 12,000 | $729,946 |
| September 18, 2013 | São Paulo | Brazil | Espaço das Américas | 5,359 / 7,500 | $670,466 |
| September 21, 2013[l] | Rio de Janeiro | Parque dos Atletas | — | — | |
| Total | 3,378,629 / 3,456,384 (97.8%) | $340,599,114 | |||
and
with
The E Street Choir:
