Two treats for Springsteen fans

Springsteen Sessions, Byre Theatre, St Andrews, February 16; The Sound Of Springsteen, Gardyne Theatre, Dundee, February 21

“There’s a kind of working class, humble, underdog quality about many of Bruce Springsteen’s lyrics,’ says Pete Clark, keyboard player with the Glasgow-based covers group Springsteen Sessions.

“His New Jersey background, his difficult relationship with his father… all that has a resonance with the audiences who come to see us.

“It’s probably no coincidence the most receptive audiences we have are in areas of the country that are urban, and have perhaps struggled economically of late, like Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle and Belfast.”

While St Andrews doesn’t quite fit into that category, the music of “The Boss” and the popularity of any covers group following in his footsteps means that gigs go down well anywhere.

Yet it’s no easy gig – Springsteen’s sets are infamously epic and energetic, and any band has to work hard to mimic them. “We work on that side of the show very much, and we play a full two and a half hours in most venues,” says Clark.

“Many venues will insist on an interval, so we split the show in two – but that’s for the audience, not the band, we should point out. We’re professionals, and match fit!”

A seven-piece whose members are involved with other groups including Thrum and The Gracious Losers, Springsteen Sessions (their “Bruce” is Doug Robertson) also comprises a civil servant, school music teachers, a retired teacher, a charity worker and a truck driver, and they have their own Facebook fan club named The Springsteen Sessionaires.

The Sound Of Springsteen, meanwhile, are a brand-new eight-piece from the south of England.

“The main thing we all agreed on is that we’re not trying to ‘be’ Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band,” says their “Boss”, Sam Confrey.

“If you wanted a job that you’d never succeed in, then that’s the one! Our priority is getting the songs as accurate a recreation of what people know.

“We don’t want to be a cheesy tribute but a band that Springsteen fans want to come and see. We want to appeal to the man in the street who knows the hits, as well as the lady in the front row at our first show who’s seen him 116 times.

“The catalogue of music Bruce has afforded us is incredible,” he continues.

“No matter who you are, you feel like he’s on your side – his music speaks of working-class roots.

“He’s written timeless classics like Born To Run, Jungleland and Born In The USA but it’s amazing how songs that we hadn’t really played before have become favourites to play like American Skin and Human Touch.

“No matter how big a Bruce fan you are, there’s always something new.” byretheatre.com

Springsteen Sessions, above, are one of two upcoming tributes to The Boss and his music.