Steven Van Zandt is set to miss shows with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band as they tour Europe, after undergoing emergency surgery.
The Sopranos star and guitarist shared an update with fans on social media explaining his absence on stage during the Land of Hope and Dreams Tour.
“Got a sharp pain in my stomach, thought it was food poisoning, turned out to be appendicitis,” he wrote.
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“Got lucky with an exceptional hospital in San Sebastian. Operation was a complete success and I’m hoping to get back on stage for at least one of the shows in Milan.
“Thank you all for all the good vibes. See you soon.”
The performer, also known as “little Steve”, is hoping to have recovered for next Monday’s first show in Milan but they’re also playing San Siro Stadium on July 3.
It seems Van Zandt missed an eventful show in San Sebastian on Tuesday, with the gig paused for 35 minutes due to thunderstorms.
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The Boss, as Springsteen is known by fans, eventually returned to the stage and played through the rest of the setlist, which included five songs played for the first time on the tour.
The tracks debuted included: Growin’ Up from the album Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ (1973), Prove It All Night from Darkness on the Edge of Town (1978), as well as Darlington County, Working on the Highway and I’m on Fire from Born in the USA (1984)
Before being retitled to the Land of Hope and Dreams Tour, for this European leg of the tour, the band had been touring as Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band since 2023 on a seemingly endless world tour.
Van Zandt told 9honey Celebrity last year the crowds at the band’s concerts continue to surprise him, even after 50 years of performing alongside Springsteen.
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“The intensity of this particular show just raised the entire audience another notch that we didn’t think was possible,” he said while promoting the band’s tour documentary Road Diary.
“I didn’t think it could be any more enthusiastic and the audience is actually surprising me this tour.”
After decades in the biz, packing out stadiums with 90,000 screaming fans still leaves the musician pinching himself a little.
“I’m not surprised that people are still coming [but] I do feel lucky still,” he said.
Van Zandt, who labels himself “second banana” to The Boss, said his role as music director to Springsteen’s band leader is to anticipate the 75-year-old singer’s needs before he does.
It’s not known who will fill in that key role while Van Zandt recovers from appendicitis.
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