When Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band launched into their Australian tour finale Wednesday in Brisbane, they treated fans to a soulful and jubilant rendition of The Bee Gees' disco classic, "Stayin' Alive." Now the Boss and his group's interpretation of the chart-topping 1978 hit has gotten a big thumbs-up from the man who wrote it, Bee Gees frontman Barry Gibb.
In a message posted on his Twitter feed Thursday, Gibb wrote, "Dear Bruce Springsteen, just been blown away by your Stayin' Alive. You brought it back to life. Thank you!"
Throughout his Australian outing, Bruce had been featuring songs by a variety of artists that hailed from Down Under, including AC/DC's "Highway to Hell," INXS' "Don't Change," The Easybeats' "Friday on My Mind," and The Saints' "Just Like Fire Would." Springsteen's studio rendition of the last tune, of course, appears on his new album, High Hopes.
The Boss and the E Street Band wrap up the current overseas leg of their 2014 tour with a pair of shows, on Saturday and Sunday, in Auckland, New Zealand. They launch a U.S. trek on April 8 in Cincinnati. Springsteen announced earlier in the week that Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello will continue to accompany the group on all of its upcoming shows.