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Backstage: Springsteen, Maroon 5 and more

A round-up of the latest live music news…

American rock icon Bruce Springsteen has announced a 33-date US tour for 2023 after selling one million tickets to next year’s European concerts.

The Born To Run star and The E Steet Band begin their run in early February in Tampa, Florida, and end in mid-April at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

Concert dates include Madison Square Garden in New York City, the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, two at the new USB Arena in Belmont Park, and one at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.

Springsteen said: “After six years, I’m looking forward to seeing our great and loyal fans next year,” said Springsteen. “And I’m looking forward to once again sharing the stage with the legendary E Street Band. See you out there, next year — and beyond.”

Springsteen tour dates

Tickets for the arena shows go on sale over the next two weeks, with the first on sale beginning on July 20. The tour will be using Ticketmaster’s Verified Fan platform for tickets sold via Ticketmaster. Fans can register for Ticketmaster Verified Fan starting now through Sunday, July 17 for the chance to buy tickets.

Springsteen recently announced an initial 28 shows in Europe between April and July 2023. The planned European stops are Barcelona, Dublin, Paris, Ferrara, Rome, Amsterdam, Landgraaf, Zurich, Düsseldorf, Gothenburg, Oslo, Copenhagen, Hamburg, Vienna, Munich and Monza. Additional cities and shows in the UK and Belgium will be announced at a later date.

Meanwhile, Maroon 5 has announced a tour of Asia soon after cancelling some scheduled North American dates.

Adam Levine and his band are set to kick off the Asian leg of their tour at the Singapore National Stadium on November 28 before heading to South Korea and Japan. The band will then perform at the Mall Of Asia arena in the Philippines before closing out their world tour in Thailand on December 10, having first begun their journey in August last year.

The announcement comes after the band called off a series of shows across North America due to risings costs.

“Very regrettably, we have decided to cancel our upcoming North American tour,” the band wrote on a since-deleted social media post. “A combination of unexpected issues and exponentially increased costs have impeded our ability to confidently present the first-class show that you deserve.

“This is an incredibly difficult decision for us. We never want to disappoint our fans and we know some of you have waited patiently throughout the pandemic for rescheduled shows. Although current events and the ups and downs of the global economy are outside of our control, we sincerely and genuinely apologize for the situation and we thank you for your continued support.”

Shawn Mendes and Carlos Santana have also postponed gigs in recent days, both citing health concerns.

Canadian singer Mendes began his Wonder: The World Tour earlier this month but has announced a three-week break which will affect 12 concerts. He said he has decided to prioritise his mental health after struggling with the pressures of touring.

Legendary guitarist Santana has postponed six shows on his Miraculous Supernatural 2022 Tour after collapsing on stage during a concert in Michigan last week.

Keshi has announced an upcoming tour of Asia taking place this November and December.

The American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist will play Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Seoul, Tokyo, Manila and Taipei.

The tour will kick off at Very Festival in Bangkok, Thailand on November 26 before closing in Taiwan’s Zepp New Taiwan in December.

Image: Jose Antonio Gallego Vázquez on Unsplash