The BBC has announced plans to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Bruce Springsteen’s first ever show in the UK, including a brand new documentary, When Bruce Springsteen Came To Britain.
The new film will hit our screens in May, with a specific date yet to be released, and will feature interviews from Springsteen himself, as well as friends such as Sting, Peter Gabriel and E Street Band member (and Tony Sopranos right hand man) Stevie Van Zandt.
As well as the documentary, BBC Two and BBC iPlayer will host a new episode of Bruce Springsteen at the BBC, featuring a compilation of performances from across TV shows including Top of the Pops.
The one-hour long documentary will tell the story of a 26-year-old Bruce Springsteen arriving in the UK for the first time in November 1975 for a sold out performance at the Hammersmith Odeon.
The Born To Run singer was being billed as the new Bob Dylan by his record company, but as Springsteen reveals in the film, it didn’t go completely to plan.
In the new interview, Springsteen reveals the “PTSD” he suffered from his first show on British soil, saying: “After the show I went to a party that was supposed to celebrate my triumph, but I felt I’d been terrible and so I was embarrassed to even go in.
“I went in for a few minutes, couldn’t stand myself being there, went out, ran back to the hotel, sat in my lonely room under a big black cloud, ate whatever I had and went to bed… I had PTSD from the first Hammersmith show!”
The American musician made up for the self-proclaimed disaster just a week later with a second concert at the same venue.
The film will feature archival footage from the 1970s to the 2020s and will be brought up to date by covering Springsteen’s triumphant 2024 UK tour.
Rachel Davies, Commissioning Editor of BBC Music Television, shared her excitement of the announcement, saying: “Bruce Springsteen is not only a global music icon, but he’s an honorary Brit here in the UK – he’s become one of our own!
“We know BBC viewers will love watching this film, which lifts the lid on his early visits to the UK with a world exclusive new interview, as well as some great insight from those that have been hugely impacted by him and his music.”
Springsteen’s success in the UK cannot be contested, as he has had 11 number one studio albums, being the only artist to ever achieve this feat over five consecutive decades.
The film has been produced by Wise Owl Films, know for their work on When X Came To Britain (Nirvana, Bob Marley, Blondie etc) and The Hacienda: The Club That Shook Britain.
Mark Robinson of Wise Owl Films said: “This documentary chronicles a truly special relationship between an iconic American artist and the UK – and one who seems to inspire an unrivalled loyalty and passion from his fans.”
Springsteen fans are full of excitement currently, as it was just announced last week that he will be releasing seven completed, unheard albums as part of a box set titled Tracks II:The Lost Albums.
Keep an eye on the BBC to keep up to date with their night of celebrating ‘The Boss’, as they will soon be announcing the specific date when you can catch the new film.
Springsteen will return to the UK this summer, doing three dates in May at Coop Live Arena in Manchester followed by two massive shows at Anfield Stadium in Liverpool in June. Find tickets for these dates here.
