Gudinski Explains Springsteen’s WA 'Snub'

Last week Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band announced their much-anticipated Australian dates, an announcement that was greeted with much excitement on the east coast, but less so in Perth who realised that The Boss wouldn't be making the trek west.

The tour has ignited the long running 'Why does Perth always miss out?' dialogue, but tour promoter and head of the Mushroom Group Michael Gudinski has told theMusic.com.au that he 'begged' to get the tour out west.

“It concerns me we've had people on our site going nuts thinking that someone picks on Perth, but it's got nothing to do with that,” he said. “It's a limited run, he's not doing New Zealand. I got on my knees for Perth to be honest with you, and I'm well aware of it, but just to even get the dates on the east coast [was a success].”

He continued, “It's the best that could be done. I think a lot of people don't understand; they get all territorial whether it's Perth, Adelaide or New Zealand, it's the same thing. When people go to play in Italy or France or Spain or Holland, they only play one of two cities, and I think it's difficult 'cause it's very expensive to get to Perth and if South Africa [dates] had been on, we might have had a go at it.”

As it stands, Springsteen will finish the tour with a show at Victoria's Hanging Rock, where Leonard Cohen won a Helpmann Award for Best International Contemporary Concert.

“Hanging Rock is an iconic site, and Easter's a great time for people to come and look,' Gudinski said. “I've seen [Bruce's] show twice, its three and a half hours. I mean I've lived for live music my whole life, and this guy is just relentless – it's exhausting watching let alone what he goes through. A great live band. I don't have to sell you on Bruce!”

The support slots for the Hanging Rock show are yet to be announced, but we can now take an educated guess.

“I'll give you a couple of hints. There'll be the obvious Australian that should play with Bruce, there'll be the young hottest band that I've worked on in the country, and if you know what I've been doing lately you'll work that one out. But we can't announce it until next week 'cause I've gotta get it all signed off but it's been a mission of mine for years. I've done everything from the Foo Fighters to Frank Sinatra, and if there was one act left that I've ever wanted to work with, it's The Boss.”

Reporting by Kitt Di Camillo