The Skyscraper Tour was a North American, European, Japanese, and Australian concert tour by hard rock singer David Lee Roth . It was his second ever solo concert tour, and is the only tour to have featured the line-up of Roth, Steve Vai , Matt Bissonette , Gregg Bissonette , and Brett Tuggle.
History
With the success of the Skyscraper album and "Just Like Paradise " single, an even more extensive tour than its predecessor (the Eat 'Em and Smile Tour ) was embarked upon – this time visiting outside of just the United States and Canada, and including dates in Europe, Japan, and Australia. Like the prior tour, the setlist featured Van Halen classics ("Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love", "Hot for Teacher", "Jump", etc.), solo hits ("Goin' Crazy", "Yankee Rose ", the aforementioned "Just Like Paradise", etc.), and cover tunes ("Just a Gigolo /I Ain't Got Nobody ", "California Girls ", "You Really Got Me ", etc.).
Some of the concert highlights included Roth lowering himself onto the stage via rope (a la a mountain climber) for the song "Skyscraper,"[ 1] the entire band playing a steel drum solo together, the singer climbing up a ladder and singing the song "Panama" from a boxing ring located at the other end of the venue,[ 2] and riding a surfboard back to the stage during "California Girls."[ 3] The stage set can be viewed in the performance footage included in the "Just Like Paradise" music video.[ 4]
The tour included a performance at the Monsters of Rock festival in England, which also included performances by Iron Maiden , Kiss , Megadeth , and Guns N' Roses , among others. This would be the last Roth solo tour to feature Vai in its line-up. The opening acts on the North American leg of the tour included Faster Pussycat and Poison at various points. Guns N' Roses was originally supposed to open the first month of the U.S. leg of the tour, but cancelled and was replaced by Faster Pussycat .[ 5] On the European tour, Poison was announced as opener but cancelled. Among the replacements were Great White and Dutch AOR band Zinatra .
Set list
"The Bottom Line"
"Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love" (Van Halen song)
"Just Like Paradise"
"Knucklebones"
"Goin' Crazy!"
"Hot for Teacher" (Van Halen song)
"Easy Street" (Edgar Winter cover)
"Skyscraper"
"Hot Dog and a Shake"
"Just a Gigolo / I Ain't Got Nobody" (Louis Prima cover)
"Yankee Rose"
"Panama" (Van Halen song)
"California Girls" (The Beach Boys cover)
"You Really Got Me" (The Kinks cover)
"Jump" (Van Halen song)[ 6]
Tour dates
Date
City
Venue
North American Leg
March 4, 1988
Lakeland, Florida
Lakeland Civic Center
March 5, 1988
March 6, 1988
Hollywood, Florida
Hollywood Sportatorium
March 9, 1988
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Five Seasons Center
March 11, 1988
Madison, Wisconsin
Dane County Coliseum
March 12, 1988
Peoria, Illinois
Peoria Civic Center
March 13, 1988
Battle Creek, Michigan
Kellogg Arena
March 15, 1988
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Allen County War Memorial Coliseum
March 16, 1988
Saginaw, Michigan
Wendler Arena
March 18, 1988
Niagara Falls, New York
Niagara Falls Civic Center
March 19, 1988
Toledo, Ohio
Toledo Sports Arena
March 20, 1988
Columbus, Ohio
Ohio Center
March 22, 1988
Dayton, Ohio
Hara Arena
March 24, 1988
Johnstown, Pennsylvania
Cambria County War Memorial Arena
March 25, 1988
Hampton, Virginia
Hampton Coliseum
March 26, 1988
Salisbury, Maryland
Wicomico Civic Center
March 28, 1988
Glens Falls, New York
Glens Falls Civic Center
March 29, 1988
Portland, Maine
Cumberland County Civic Center
March 30, 1988
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence Civic Center
April 1, 1988
Utica, New York
Utica Memorial Auditorium
April 2, 1988
Rochester, New York
Rochester War Memorial
April 3, 1988
Binghamton, New York
Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena
April 5, 1988
Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie Civic Center
April 7, 1988
East Rutherford, New Jersey
Brendan Byrne Arena
April 8, 1988
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford Civic Center
April 9, 1988
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond Coliseum
April 11, 1988
Hershey, Pennsylvania
Hersheypark Arena
April 13, 1988
Toronto
Maple Leaf Gardens
April 14, 1988
Richfield, Ohio
Richfield Coliseum
April 15, 1988
Washington, D.C.
Capital Centre
April 17, 1988
Philadelphia
Spectrum
April 18, 1988
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Stabler Arena
April 19, 1988
Syracuse, New York
Onondaga County War Memorial
April 21, 1988
Uniondale, New York
Nassau Coliseum
April 22, 1988
Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester Centrum
April 23, 1988
Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester Centrum
April 26, 1988
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Met Center
April 27, 1988
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
MECCA Arena
April 29, 1988
Kansas City, Missouri
Kemper Arena
April 30, 1988
St Louis, Missouri
The Arena
May 1, 1988
Cincinnati
Cincinnati Gardens
May 3, 1988
Memphis, Tennessee
Mid-South Coliseum
May 4, 1988
Nashville, Tennessee
Municipal Auditorium
May 5, 1988
Atlanta
The Omni
May 7, 1988
Dallas, Texas
Reunion Arena
May 9, 1988
Houston, Texas
Summit
May 10, 1988
Austin, Texas
Frank Erwin Center
May 12, 1988
El Paso, Texas
El Paso County Coliseum
May 13, 1988
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Tingley Coliseum
May 14, 1988
Denver, Colorado
McNichols Arena
May 15, 1988
Casper, Wyoming
Casper Events Center
May 17, 1988
Billings, Montana
MetraPark Arena
May 18, 1988
Spokane, Washington
Spokane Coliseum
May 20, 1988
Seattle, Washington
Seattle Center Coliseum
May 21, 1988
Vancouver, British Columbia
PNE Coliseum
May 22, 1988
Portland, Oregon
Memorial Coliseum
May 24, 1988
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Palace
May 25, 1988
Reno, Nevada
Lawlor Events Center
May 27, 1988
Oakland, California
Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena
May 28, 1988
June 10, 1988
Los Angeles
Forum
June 11, 1988
Laguna Hills, California
Irvine Meadows
June 14, 1988
Sacramento, California
Cal Expo Amphitheater
June 16, 1988
Fresno, California
Selland Arena
June 17, 1988
San Diego
San Diego Sports Arena
June 18, 1988
Phoenix, Arizona
Veterans Memorial Coliseum
June 20, 1988
Odessa, Texas
Ector County Coliseum
June 21, 1988
San Antonio, Texas
Convention Center
June 22, 1988
Lake Charles, Louisiana
Civic Center
June 24, 1988
Shreveport, Louisiana
Hirsch Memorial Coliseum
June 25, 1988
Jackson, Mississippi
Mississippi Coliseum
June 26, 1988
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham–Jefferson Civic Center
June 28, 1988
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte Coliseum
June 29, 1988
Greensboro, North Carolina
Greensboro Coliseum
July 1, 1988
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville Coliseum
July 2, 1988
Albany, Georgia
Albany Civic Center
July 3, 1988
Biloxi, Mississippi
Mississippi Coast Coliseum
July 6, 1988
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah Civic Center
July 8, 1988
Columbia, South Carolina
Carolina Coliseum
July 9, 1988
Roanoke, Virginia
Roanoke Civic Center
July 10, 1988
Huntington, West Virginia
Huntington Civic Center
July 12, 1988
Philadelphia
Spectrum
July 13, 1988
New York City
Madison Square Garden
July 15, 1988
New Haven, Connecticut
Veterans Memorial Coliseum
July 16, 1988
Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield Civic Center
July 17, 1988
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh Civic Arena
July 20, 1988
Knoxville, Tennessee
Knoxville Civic Coliseum
July 22, 1988
Huntsville, Alabama
Von Braun Civic Center
July 23, 1988
Little Rock, Arkansas
Barton Coliseum
July 24, 1988
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
The Myriad
July 26, 1988
Wichita, Kansas
Kansas Coliseum
July 27, 1988
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha Civic Auditorium
July 29, 1988
Lexington, Kentucky
Rupp Arena
July 30, 1988
Indianapolis, Indiana
Market Square Arena
August 1, 1988
Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
Blossom Music Center
August 3, 1988
Vaughan, Ontario
Kingswood Music Theatre
August 4, 1988
Columbia, Maryland
Merriweather Post Pavilion
August 6, 1988
Ionia, Michigan
Ionia Free Fair
August 7, 1988
East Troy, Wisconsin
Alpine Valley Music Theater
August 9, 1988
Montreal
Montreal Forum
August 10, 1988
Ottawa
Ottawa Civic Centre
August 11, 1988
Manchester, New Hampshire
Riverfront Park
August 13, 1988
Charlevoix, Michigan
Castle Farms
August 14, 1988
Auburn Hills, Michigan
The Palace of Auburn Hills
European/Japanese/Australian Leg
August 20, 1988
Leicestershire , England
Castle Donington
August 24, 1988
Helsinki , Finland
Icehall
August 27, 1988
Schweinfurt , Germany
Mainwiesen
August 28, 1988
Bochum , Germany
Ruhrstadion
August 30, 1988
London, England
Hammersmith Odeon
August 31, 1988
September 2, 1988
Paris, France
Le Zénith [ 7]
September 3, 1988
September 4, 1988
Tilburg , Netherlands
Gemeentelijk Sportpark Stadion
September 20, 1988
Sapporo, Japan
Makomanai Ice Arena
September 22, 1988
Sendai, Japan
Sendai Gym
September 23, 1988
Yokohama, Japan
Yokohama Bunka Gym
September 24, 1988
September 26, 1988
Nagoya, Japan
Nagoya Rainbow Hall
September 27, 1988
Osaka, Japan
Osaka Castle Hall
September 28, 1988
September 30, 1988
Tokyo, Japan
Yoyogi National Gymnasium
October 1, 1988
October 3, 1988
Budokan
October 4, 1988
October 12, 1988
Melbourne
National Tennis Centre
October 15, 1988
Adelaide, Australia
Thebarton Theatre
October 17, 1988
Canberra, Australia
Bruce Stadium
October 18, 1988
Sydney
Sydney Entertainment Centre
October 22, 1988
Brisbane , Australia
Brisbane Entertainment Centre
November 14, 1988
Birmingham , England
National Exhibition Centre
November 15, 1988
London, England
Wembley Arena
November 17, 1988
Edinburgh , Scotland
Playhouse Theatre
November 18, 1988
Edinburgh , Scotland
Playhouse Theatre
November 21, 1988
Toulouse , France
Le Gymnase
November 22, 1988
Barcelona , Spain
Palacio Municipal De Deportes
November 24, 1988
Madrid , Spain
Sports City of Real Madrid Pavilion
November 26, 1988
San Sebastian, Spain
Velódromo de Anoeta
November 28, 1988
Milan , Italy
Palatrussardi
November 29, 1988
Turin , Italy
Palasport
December 2, 1988
Stockholm , Sweden
Isstadion
December 3, 1988
Gothenburg , Sweden
Scandinavium
December 5, 1988
Oslo , Norway
Skedsmohallen
December 7, 1988
Lund , Sweden
Olympen
December 8, 1988
Copenhagen , Denmark
K.B. Hallen
December 10, 1988
Brussels , Belgium
Forest National
December 13, 1988
Rotterdam , Holland
Rotterdam Ahoy
[ 8]
References
^ "Skyscraper, Toronto 1988" . YouTube.com. Retrieved October 25, 2015 .
^ "Panama, Toronto 1988" . YouTube.com. Retrieved October 25, 2015 .
^ "California Girls, Toronto 1988" . YouTube.com. Retrieved October 25, 2015 .
^ "Just Like Paradise Music Video" . YouTube.com. Retrieved October 26, 2015 .
^ "G n' R 1988 Setlist Almanac" . gnrontour.com. Retrieved October 28, 2015 .
^ "David Lee Roth Setlist at Kingswood Music Theatre, Vaughan, ON, Canada , August 3, 1988" . Setlist.fm. Retrieved October 25, 2015 .
^ "David Lee Roth HUGE 46x62 1988 Paris France Concert Tour Poster 100% Real RARE" . www.collectors.com . Retrieved January 15, 2020 .
^ "David Lee Roth – Skyscraper Tour Dates – 1988" . Jamtothis.com. Retrieved October 25, 2015 .
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