Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band have reportedly increased security measures on their current “Land of Hope and Dreams” tour following a rise in death threats connected to the politically charged trek.
Speaking with the Daily Mail, longtime E Street Band guitarist Steven Van Zandt revealed that the atmosphere surrounding the tour has been noticeably different from previous outings.
“This tour has been a little bit different because of the high security,” Van Zandt admitted. “It’s a very specific political theme to this tour and there’s been a lot of threats, death threats. Usually there’s always some, but this time it’s been increasing.”
According to Van Zandt, Springsteen’s camp has responded by significantly strengthening security around the shows in an effort to protect both fans and crew members.
“It’s not like we’re saying something that’s not true or we’re saying something that’s so really particularly controversial, but it’s specifically political,” he continued. “So the FBI and others have been really watching things and been overly concerned about it, as they should be. We want the fans to be safe and feel safe. So we really go the extra mile with extra security for that reason alone.”
The “Land of Hope and Dreams” tour began on April 1 in Minneapolis and is currently scheduled to wrap up on May 30 in Philadelphia.
From the start, Springsteen made it clear that the tour would heavily focus on current political and social issues in the United States. Ahead of the opening show, the 76-year-old rocker told the Minnesota Star Tribune that the run was “going to be political and very topical about what’s going on in the country.”
Over the years, Springsteen has remained one of the most outspoken political voices in rock music, frequently criticizing President Donald Trump and his administration. The two have publicly traded insults on multiple occasions, with Springsteen previously calling Trump “corrupt, incompetent and treasonous,” while Trump referred to the legendary musician as a “dried out prune.”
Earlier this year, Springsteen also released the protest track “Streets of Minneapolis,” which he said “was in response to the state terror being visited on the city of Minneapolis,” referring to ICE enforcement activity.
In the song, Springsteen describes ICE as “King Trump’s private army.” He also stated that the track was “dedicated to the people of Minneapolis, our innocent immigrant neighbors and in memory of Alex Pretti and Renee Good.”
