Steven Van Zandt Recovering After Emergency Appendix Surgery

Steven Van Zandt will miss a handful of shows on Bruce Springsteen’s current tour after requiring emergency appendix surgery.

The guitarist, 74, told fans he wouldn’t be there when the E Street Band continues its European tour in Spain tonight (Jun. 24) but added that he expected to be back on stage within a week.

The medical issue took place in the Spanish city of San Sebastian, where the group will perform at the Reale Arena.

“Got a sharp pain in my stomach… thought it was food poisoning, turned out to be appendicitis,” Van Zandt wrote on social media.

“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.”

Springsteen and the E Streeet Band are set to play in Gelsenkirchen, Germany on Jun. 27, before two appearances in Milan, Italy, on Jun. 30 and Jul. 3. Those dates conclude the band’s current schedule.

Why Bruce Springsteen Renamed His European Tour

In May, Springsteen gave the tour a new title, Land of Hope and Dreams, and soon afterward he rush-released a four-track EP with the same name, in response to criticisms of comments he’d made at the opening show.

“The mighty E Street Band is here tonight to call upon the righteous power of art, of music, of rock and roll in dangerous times,” he’d said in Manchester, U.K., on May 14.

He’d continued: “[T]he America I’ve written about, that has been a beacon of hope and liberty for 250 years, is currently in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent and treasonous administration."

“Tonight, we ask all who believe in democracy and the best of our American experience to rise with us, raise your voices against authoritarianism and let freedom ring.”