Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will mark a first in their 40 year career playing 3 shows in South Africa; on January 28 and 29 they are scheduled to play Cape Town, and February 1 Johannesburg. The announcement of dates came via Bruce Springsteen's website yesterday.
This will also serve as a full-circle moment for long-time guitarist Steven Van Zandt who in 1985 wrote the protest song “Sun City”, against the gambling resort of the same name in the nominally independent homeland of Bophuthatswana, which paid huge sums to less politically conscious acts to perform there, Rueters reports.. The song featured a who’s-who in the music industry including U2, Keith Richards, Pete Townshend, and Run D.M.C. to name a few. They recorded it under the name “Artists United Against Apartheid”. Apartheid ended with the election of Nelson Mandela to president in 1994.
These dates were announced as part of the "Wrecking Ball" tour that has seen Springsteen and co. travel around the world over the last 18 months, including Europe and Latin America. The tour will continue to the southern hemisphere in New Zealand and Australia after the South Africa dates. Tickets for the Johannesburg show go on sale Wednesday October 30 on Computicket and bigconcerts.co.za, and Friday November 1 for the two Cape Town dates.