Bruce Springsteen starts Australian tour on warning note

Bruce Springsteen has kicked off his Australian tour with a warning about his political influence over national economics.

Springsteen and his E Street Band opened their Wrecking Ball Tour on Thursday to enthusiastic reviews in Brisbane, the hometown of Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Treasurer Wayne Swan.

Swan revealed in a speech last year that The Boss had long been his political inspiration.

Swan says the US-born working-class hero’s music railing against inequality echoed his own battle against Australian billionaire mining tycoons who oppose his tax reforms.

When told at a press conference Thursday that Swan had cited his musical idol as an influence on his government’s economic policies, Springsteen urged caution.

Springsteen joked: “I’m not sure how good I am with my money.”