The first trailer for the Bill Teck-directed documentary showcases many of Steve Van Zandt’s musical peers who praise the guitarist in the film, featuring interviews with Paul McCartney, Eddie Vedder, Bill Wyman, Bono and, of course, Bruce Springsteen — premieres at Tribeca Film Festival before heading to HBO in June, The Stevie Van Zandt story is a rock ‘n’ roll epic like no other. One gets the sense that this single film could easily have been expanded into, say, a documentary series with eight hour-long episodes.
“He is a great performer, great songwriter, great producer,” Springsteen says in the trailer. “We were so close, I just wanted him near me. He just became my rock n’ roll brother, instantly.”
“Featuring a wealth of never-before-seen footage, the film traces Van Zandt’s career as a producer, musician, songwriter, activist, actor, and more, from the clubs of Asbury Park, N.J. to arenas and stadiums, to the Bada Bing Club and the Underground Garage,” the film’s synopsis states. In addition to some great concert performances, some behind-the-scenes recording studio footage, and some vintage interview footage with Van Zandt, Teck includes a few major “finds” that hardcore Van Zandt fans will love seeing, such as previously presumed-lost footage from Van Zandt’s wedding (where Springsteen was the best man, Little Richard officiated, and Percy Sledge sang “When a Man Loves a Woman”); a similarly unearthed clip of Van Zandt with Nelson Mandela; and excerpts from “Men Without Women,” a low-budget, black-and-white film Van Zandt made to accompany his 1982 album of that name, but never released widely.
And there was a point, when I was watching it, when I thought to myself, “Geez, we’re now about an hour and 45 minutes into it and we’re still only in the mid-’90s. There is still so much more to get through.” After all, the film had not yet explored “The Sopranos” and “Lilyhammer” … Van Zandt rejoining the E Street Band, and resurrecting his own Disciples of Soul band … his Underground Garage radio show and network … his TeachRock educational initiative.
Bruce Springsteen‘s behind-the-scenes tour preparation process will serve as the center of the forthcoming documentary Road Diary: Premiering on Hulu and Disney+ this October, the feature will follow the musician and his band as they get ready to embark on their first tour in six years, a run that started in February 2023 and will extend through November 2024.
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band’s tour was marred by illness and complications from its start. Within two weeks of kicking off, guitarist Steven Van Zandt and violinist/singer Soozie Tyrell tested positive for Covid, causing them to miss a number of shows and raising concerns about the size of their touring party. Their saxophonist Jake Clemons and half of the E Street’s backup singers missed subsequent dates, too.
It is about 2 ½ hours long.
In March 2023, once everyone seemed to be in the clear, a number of dates were suddenly postponed due to “illness.” A few months later, in September, the band’s remaining scheduled tour dates for the year were postponed as Springsteen underwent and recovered from treatment for peptic ulcer disease. The tour resumed in March 2024.
The Fat Angel Sings 