A long way from Asbury Park, NJ

IT SPEAKS volumes for Bruce Springsteen’s popularity that his three shows in Ireland this week — Limerick tonight, Cork on Thursday and Belfast on Friday — are all sold out.

Springsteen will also play two dates in Nowlan Park, Kilkenny on Jul 27 and 28.

Springsteen is ostensibly still touring on the back of his Wrecking Ball album from last year. However, given that Wrecking Ball topped the charts in 16 countries, and Springsteen’s concert ticket sales in 2012 alone topped $230m, it can be safely assumed that the album has more than paid than its way. His only reasons for continuing to perform, it seems, are because he can, and because he wants to.