The band Bruce Springsteen used as inspiration when forming The E Street Band
When Bruce Springsteen sells out arenas worldwide, people aren’t just paying to see him; they’re paying for the full shebang. In this instance, the whole shebang means Bruce Springsteen and, as he describes them, the heart-stopping, pants-dropping, house-rocking, earth-quaking, booty-shaking, Viagra-taking, love-making, legendary… E Street Band.
Viagra and all, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band are a package deal. Seeing them perform live is unlike seeing any other band play, as despite working together for decades, Bruce still looks upon them as a fan, and the band do the same with Springsteen. As an audience member, it’s less like you are watching a gig and more like you are watching a high-budget band practice between friends. Springsteen is renowned for being one of the best live performers on the planet, and the E Street Band are a crucial component in putting that live show together.
Springsteen had several influences when it came to igniting his spark in music. He has referred to the likes of Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, The Beatles and Chuck Berry as some of the people responsible for his pursuit of a music career; however, when deciding to start a band with Steve Van Zandt, Springsteen confirmed that The Rolling Stones was the band they aspired to be like.
“Mainly, we planned to be just like the Rolling Stones,” he said in an interview. “They were the band we liked the best at the time. But you grow up, and when you finally put that suit of clothes on, sometimes they don’t fit, or they fit differently, and you’re a different person, and what you’re gonna do is different, I guess.”
He continued, “But in general, I do enjoy the success we’ve had and the fact that we have an audience, and I’ve enjoyed the financial success that I’ve had. It’s helped me do things I’ve wanted to do.”
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band might have been formed with Rolling Stones in mind, but they represent something much different now. As a much bigger outfit and a band that revels in playing three-hour sets and improvising a lot of it, the band has become their own beast. Springsteen acknowledges this when he states that the “suit of clothes” sometimes fits differently.
You tend to find that great musicians might have influences, but the end product is an altered version of those influences, where those they state as inspiration become a mere whisper in what they end up shouting. This can be seen clearly in Springsteen, as the Beatles and Bob Dylan’s inspiration can be seen throughout his songwriting, which touches upon human emotion and mirrors the world around him. However, despite those influences being present, he is very much his own musician.
The same applies to The E Street band, as the exciting stage presence of the band is reminiscent of Jagger and co, but they have also developed into their very own band, who are a beast unto themselves and have a uniqueness that keeps stacking stadiums with fans.
