Scheduled: 19:45 Local Start Time ??:?? / End Time ??:??
World premiere (and only tour performance) of a previously undocumented Springsteen composition introduced as "Gonna Be A Long Walk Home", which Bruce implies is still a 'work-in-progress'. The song will be released on the 2007 Magic album as "Long Walk Home". "John Henry" is dropped from the set for the first and only time on the tour. Patti Scialfa is not present. Horn section is Baron-Manion-Ramm-Gayton.
- On Stage
- Setlist
- Performances
- Cancelled
- Gallery
- Media
- Recording
- Storyteller
- Eyewitness
- News/Memorabilia
incl. Rehearsals.
- 2006-11-12 Wembley Arena, London, England
- 2006-11-11 Wembley Arena, London, England
- 2002-10-27 Wembley Arena, London, England
- 1992-07-13 Wembley Arena, London, England
- 1992-07-12 Wembley Arena, London, England
- 1992-07-10 Wembley Arena, London, England
- 1992-07-09 Wembley Arena, London, England
- 1992-07-06 Wembley Arena, London, England
- 1981-06-05 Wembley Arena, London, England
- 1981-06-04 Wembley Arena, London, England
- 1981-06-02 Wembley Arena, London, England
- 1981-06-01 Wembley Arena, London, England
- 1981-05-30 Wembley Arena, London, England
- 1981-05-29 Wembley Arena, London, England
© All credits to the original photographer. We do not monetize a photo in any way, but if you want your photo to be removed, let us know, and we will remove it.
Official concert recording available for purchase in multiple formats, including CD and high definition audio, from Springsteen's official live download site at nugs.net/bruce (previously live.brucespringsteen.net).
- Running Time: 2:24:32
Audience tape. Available on the excellent CD 'Wembley Sessions First Night' (Crystal Cat). Some 30 minutes of video circulates, including "Long Walk Home".
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Intro to “Growin´ Up”
“Thank you….I wanna thank everybody for coming out, it´s great to be back….at the, uh, Wembley Arena….it´s a good little place….that was fun, we did Hammersmith Odeon last time, that was (crowd cheers) yeah, everybody was there (chuckles) but they´d changed it to Hammersmith Apollo, why´d they do that? I don´t know, why´d they do that? I don´t understand it, anyway, this is for, uh, an old song for young fans out there….”
Intro to “Devils&Dust”
“Marty Rifkin on the steel….´Pops´ Baron on the trombone….Clark Gayton, an international man of mystery….Eddie ´Thin Man´ Manion….well, some, uh, some semblance of sanity has returned to the United States (crowd cheers) but damn, it was close, it was more than close ….that Abraham Lincoln, uh, the great Abraham Lincoln-quote: ´You can fool some of the people all the time, fool all the people some of the time, but you can´t fool all the people all the time´….the problem is you fool enough of the people enough of the time, you make a big, tragic, fucking mess….(?)….”
Intro to “How Can A Poor Man Stand Such Times And Live?”
“This is for the mothercity of American music, New Orleans….”
Intro to “Long Time Comin”
“I´m gonna send this one out to Patti tonight, she sends her love….she´s home, uh, tending the homefires, uh….we have three teenagers and, uh, if the homefires are not tended, they burn the fucking house down….we have a division of duties for the moment….I got the easy part (chuckles)….”
Intro to “Gonna Be A Long Walk Home”
“Thank you….thank you….yes, the, uh, the ass-seat-separation was a success, let´s hear it…. a very tricky surgical procedure here in London on occasion, I´m glad to see it was accomplished….alright….(tunes his guitar)….oh, I went out to see Lucinda Williams last night and, uh…..she was fabulous, of course….beautiful songwriter and, uh, she was brave ´cause she played all new songs….and, uh (?) between my whoring and drinking, when I come home after that, I sit up in the hotelroom occasionally and I, I try to write so, uh (chuckles) this is, uh….this is sort of, it´s kind of a work-in-progress….I was saying earlier, you know, we had some, returned to some level of sanity in the States but there was so much destruction done, uh, just to basic principles of democracy that not only is it broken, it needs to be fixed now (chuckles) you know, so….this is a song called, uh, ´Gonna Be A Long Walk Home´….”
Intro to “When The Saints Go Marching In”
“Thank you….thank you….I wanna thank everybody for coming out to the show tonight….. we thank you dearly….and I wanna thank all our longtime fans here in London and the UK…. thanks for coming out, taking a chance on our, our experiment here….I wanna thank the Sessions Band….it´s been so much fun…..oh, we´ve had a lot of fun on this tour, a lot of fun, this is a song that, uh, I guess sort of explains what we´re, uh, what we´re trying to do up here so I´ll send this one out to you…..”
Intro to “This Little Light Of Mine”
“We want you to rise from your seats now and join us, please, we wanna thank everybody for coming out tonight….we wanna send you home with a little light in your soul and love in your heart….”
Compiled by : Johanna Pirttijärvi. |
Andrew H. | I couldn't originally get a ticket for this show, but managed to pick up a standing ticket a week before the gig and get in the pit, about ten rows of people back, on the night. Best bit of luck this year! I can't honestly say that the Seeger Sessions material has the same lasting appeal as previous albums. Nor did the idea of another new band fill me with enthusiasm at first. But there is something about the material and this band live that is very special - I suspect that's the whole point of Bruce's 2006. The best way to describe this gig is to say that I was captivated from the first note to the last. The combination of Bruce quite clearly having a great time and a talented band, each taking their time in the spotlight, is truly inspiring. The highlights were many. Excellent re-working of Blinded, early raucous sing-a-long to Old Dan Tucker, string of stirringly played SS songs and best of all in the main set, a great re-working of Growin' Up and Devils and Dust, which works so much better with a band. The gig then upped another gear with Pay Me as Bruce coaxed the audience into standing and singing to a level not often seen in the UK - Bruce was clearly thrilled. As if to defy anyone to think things couldn't get any better, Bruce then debuted an interesting new song - looking forward to it being recorded/released (please!!). The last four songs choice now works perfectly - Saints (poignant, beautiful), Little Light (uplifting), American Land (just a great song) - and then, finally, a bonus Froggie (great fun). Most of all, however, I shall remember this night for two things - first, the sheer joy of it all, both the band and the audience and second, the performances of the Bruce and the band - a mixture of raw enthusiasm and utter professionalism - and, if there's just one specific comment to finish on, it has to be the sheer effort expended by Art Baron playing the tuba. So, what next? Solo, E Street or more Seeger Sessions or perhaps some combination of the latter. For me, it just doesn't matter. Whilst Bruce is as committed as this, anything he does will be just fine. |
Mikey G. | Just got back from a 400 mile round trip to see Bruce and the "Sessionaires" at Wembley Arena. What a show! Since the earlier Euro tour the band have really tightened up and seem to be playing with much more confidence and Bruce just seems to be having the most fun he's had in his life! Good audience participation and great sound (I was ten rows from the back of the Arena but the sound was crisp, no echo at all, so congrats to all concerned! The highlights; versions of Atlantic City and Growing Up, Poor Man, it's just a great song, but best of all, a world premiere of what Bruce described as a work-in-progress: "A Long Walk Home" It's great that he has been writing songs whilst on tour. Lets hope it's 3 albums in 3 years to make up for all those lean times! Roll on Sheffield! |
Paul Watson | A great show with fantastic energy; Bruce and the band all seemed to be having a great time. The setlist was pretty typical of the tour, but with a few unusual features: Firstly, there was no real encore — after "Pay Me" the band sort of made to leave the stage but never did, and the set continued through to the "American Land" after which there was a break for bows and applause before the band returned to their positions for a closer of "Froggie". But the traditional leave stage/applause/return to stage ritual was not performed. Secondly, between "Pay Me" and "You Can Look" we were treated to a brand new song. Bruce described it as 'a work in progress' and made some strong comments about the need for healing and recovery in the US after 'damage to democracy' that had happened in recent years. The song was called "Long Walk Home" — the lyrics were not overtly political, even though the intro was, but it was clearly a melancholy sort of song. All in all, a great show — very different from, yet easily equal to, the E-Street Band tours of recent year. Much fun. |
Tony Turner | Great as always the revamped versions of Atlantic City etc were good but will never beat the real version with the e street band. I thought devils and dust was excellent as were pay me my money down, how can a poor man stand such times and live. 24 songs sung on this occasion crowd were on their feet from Jacobs ladder onwards Bruce made reference to a comment he made at Crystal Palace The Rising Tour about getting our English arses off the seats to dance he said his achieved hes goal. He also said sorry Patti's not here my kids are Teenagers and if we left them alone with a fire they would burn the F##king house down. Great night. |
© All credits to the original photographer. We do not monetize a photo in any way, but if you want your photo to be removed, let us know, and we will remove it.
Gonna Be A Long Walk Home |
How should we view the Seeger Sessions tour in the context of Bruce Springsteen's storied performance history? Incredibly, 14 years have already passed since the arrival of the album We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions and the tour that followed. That's roughly the same amount of time as between Bruce's early 1970 Steel Mill audition for Bill Graham in San Francisco and the release of Born in the U.S.A. (Join me in an unspoken but no less mortified "Yikes!")
Springsteen's foray into traditional music is named in homage to legendary folk-music activist Pete Seeger, with whom he had a fond relationship. Bruce was on tour in South Africa when Seeger passed in 2014 at the age of 94. "I lost a great friend and hero last night," Bruce told the crowd. "We're humbled to be here tonight in the land of Mandela, a great freedom fighter. We are here tonight in his grace, because he made it possible for us to be here. Pete, back home, was a very courageous freedom fighter also."
We Shall Overcome surveys the kind of American folk standards popularized by Seeger. The project's musical approach is often full-on hootenanny, with Bruce backed by a large, loose ensemble of musicians playing with instinct, spontaneity, and just the right amount of reverence. The Sessions Band tour followed a similar blueprint, expanding song selections to include additional folk and roots classics, as well as Springsteen originals re-arranged in kindred styles.
Whether you love folk music or merely appreciate its importance and influence, Bruce's live performances of that music with this band were undeniably infectious and entertaining. Part of that was down to the man himself seeming as happy as he had ever been on stage, energized by painting with a completely different palette, performing with new companions and a few friendly faces.
The Seeger Sessions album and tour happened in the midst of a fruitful period for Bruce, who released and toured behind Devils & Dust the year before, and would issue and tour in support of Magic a year later and beyond, followed quickly by the same game plan for Working on a Dream. It was an impressive flurry of activity, and because Seeger Sessions was a one-off, perhaps it hasn't received a deserved reappreciation.
We know it remains near and dear to Bruce. Earlier this year he blessed the YouTube release of the entire New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival performance from April 2006, the first show of the Seeger Sessions tour and one Springsteen cites in this autobiography as among his most meaningful shows ever.
Jazz Fest was also released in the Archive series, providing a fine document of the tour's early stages. The official Live in Dublin culls highlights from three shows at the end of the tour. To those bookends we add London 11/11/06, which offers the first complete performance from the end of the Seeger run and includes a number of setlist variations to New Orleans and Dublin.
We commence with a show-opening throwback to Bruce's first single, "Blinded By the Light." When Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J. was released in early 1973, more than a few critics characterized it as folk rock, making its inclusion here all the more fitting. That being said, while I'm no musicologist, the style in which it is performed here suggests File Under Klezmer.
The first half of the London show offers a satisfying mix of high-spirited songs from the album ("Old Man Tucker," "Jesse James," "Mrs. McGrath"), some of its weightier material ("Eyes on the Prize," "Erie Canal," "O Mary Don't You Weep") and Seegerized, story-rich Springsteen originals.
To wit: "Atlantic City" is transformed into a murder ballad rave-up; "Growin' Up" is appealingly re-arranged with country flourishes and a bit of Dylan influence, too; and "Open All Night" gets something of a juke-joint makeover. The new arrangements cast all three in fresh light that expands our appreciation for each song. "Devils & Dust (which does not appear on the New Orleans or Dublin releases) hues closer to the original arrangement, but it draws upon the chorus of voices in the Sessions band, led by Curtis King and Soozie Tyrell, yielding a beautiful and poignant result.
Late in the show, Springsteen thanks the crowd for "taking a chance on [our] experiment here," his characterization of the entire Seeger Sessions project. On this night he took that spirit one step further by debuting a brand new song.
The night before his first London show, Springsteen went to see Lucinda Williams play at Shepherd's Bush Empire, joining her on stage for two songs. Inspired by her performance of unreleased material, the next night Bruce pulls out one of his own work-in-progress originals, introduced as "Gonna Be a Long Walk Home."
"She was brave because she played all these new songs," Springsteen tells the Wembley audience. "Between my whoring and drinking, when I come home after that, I sit up in the hotel room occasionally and I try to write."
The premiere of "Long Walk Home," a one-off on the 2006 tour, features a number of lyric variations and extra lines compared to the version eventually released on Magic a year later. The final verse of this unique performance includes a sober couplet on the state of America that feels even more relevant today: "Now the water's rising 'round the corner, there's a fire burning out of control / There's a hurricane on Main Street and I've got murder in my soul."
That kind of risk-taking and the enthusiasm for reinterpreting one's own work are hallmarks of the Seeger Sessions tour, as is the pure, unbridled joy of the performances. London 11/11/06 captures those qualities marvelously.
By Erik Flannigan via Nugs.net. |
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