AUSTRALIA MUSIC2.JPG

Bruce Springsteen is joined by Nils Lofgren, left, and Tom Morello (filling in for Steve Van Zandt) at the first of 10 shows in Australia at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre today.

(Photo by Dan Peled/European Pressphoto Agency)

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band are back in action, playing a 25-song, three-hour-and-11 minute show at the Entertainment Centre in Brisbane, Australia on today.

Not surprisingly, it was mostly a standard set list, something we saw at the beginning of the Wrecking Ball tour, last year, but there was quite the surprise in the No. 2 slot, Bruce playing "Just Like Fire Would" a song by a punk band from Brisbane called The Saints.

"Murder Incorporated" was played, giving Tom Morello, filling in for Steve Van Zandt (in Norway filming "Lilyhammer"), a chance to shine on the guitar. Also, "The Ghost of Tom Joad" was played, another Morello staple when he's visiting E Street.

Before the show, Springsteen met with the media (who also got to watch the sound check) at the arena as he kicks off 10 shows in Australia, the first time he's played there in 10 years.

"We hope to be great. We want to come out every night and show you a great time and we hope you missed us and we missed you," he told the Brisbane Times.

Springsteen was asked what Morello would bring to the shows.

2 trchristie HINDASH.JPG

CONNECT WITH US

On mobile or desktop:

• Like Star-Ledger Entertainment on Facebook



• Follow @NJentertainment on Twitter

• Follow Stan Goldstein on Twitter



And check out our redesigned mobile site by visiting NJ.com from any mobile browser.

"He's just very different you know," he said. "We rehearsed yesterday and the day before and Tom sat in with us in the States on three or four songs and when I knew Steve was gonna be in Norway (Tom) came to mind as being the right guy.

"When we step out we build this great house and Tom builds another sonic extension on to that. A good part of the night he sits in because we play as an ensemble but then there's a great moment when he builds his part of the building.

"He's great, I love him, I love his music and love his bands. This is going to be a lot of fun. This is the first night we're going to do it, so it will be very exciting."

Show began at 8 p.m. local time (14 hours ahead of New Jersey, and wow, Bruce really started a show right on time, something we never see here in the U.S.)

Set list

1. .We Take Care of Our Own

2. Just Like Fire Would (The Saints cover)

3. Wrecking Ball

4. Badlands

5. Death to My Hometown

6. Hungry Heart

7. My City of Ruins

8 Spirit in the Night

9. The E Street Shuffle

10. Jack of All Trades

11. Murder Incorporated

12. Johnny 99

13. Because the Night

14. She's the One

15. Shackled and Drawn

16, Waitin' on a Sunny Day

17. Apollo Medley

18. The Rising

19. The Ghost of Tom Joad

20. Thunder Road

Encores:

21. We Are Alive

22. Born to Run

23. Glory Days

24. Dancing in the Dark

25. Tenth Avenue Freeze-out

Show over at 11:11 p.m.

Next show: Saturday, again in Brisbane.

Here's a video of Bruce and the E Street Band performing "Just Like Fire Would"

RELATED COVERAGE:

• Bruce Springsteen, E Street Band resume tour in Australia on Thursday