Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em World Tour

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Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em World Tour
Tour by MC Hammer
Associated albumPlease Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em
Start dateJune 15, 1990
End dateAugust 3, 1991
Legs4
No. of shows144
Supporting actsEn Vogue and Vanilla Ice
Box officeUS$32 million
MC Hammer concert chronology

Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em World Tour is the first world tour by American recording artist MC Hammer to promote his album Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em.[1] It was sponsored by Pepsi-Cola and promoted by MTV. Beginning in Louisville, Kentucky, on June 15, 1990, it visited North America, Europe, Asia and Oceania, concluded in Paso Robles, California, on August 3, 1991. With a total of 144 shows, it grossed over $32 million.[2]

The tour was a box office success. Pollstar ranked Hammer at seventh on the Top 10 highest-grossing act to tour U.S. of 1990. Also, it received generally positive reviews by the critics while some praising Hammer's energetic stage performance. Several acts were selected as opening acts of the tour. The first shows in United States were opened After 7, Michel'le, and Oaktown's 3.5.7 and later by En Vogue and fellow rapper Vanilla Ice. The European leg was supported by Snap! and the last leg by the group B Angie B.

Background[edit]

By June 1990, Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em become the first rap album to top the pop charts and by August it become the best-selling rap album of all time, surpassing License to Ill by Beastie Boys.[3] Initial plans to tour the tour stated that it would visit North America, Europe, Japan and Australia. However, more shows were added due the high demand of tickets. Hammer led a 30-member troupe that included a live band, 10 backup singers, 15 dancers and some of the flashiest fashions this side of Mardi Gras. On the first concerts, the show consisted on five acts, four opening acts: Troop, After 7, Michel'le and Oaktown's 3.5.7 and the main act MC Hammer.[4] The main artist performance was 80 to 90 minutes, with eight dancers and 10 backup singers. Fellow rapper Vanilla Ice also was selected as opening act until the end of November 1990, when he dropped out to do his own tour as a headliner.[5]

During the tour, Hammer traveled by private Boeing 727 jet, the touring group included fifteen dancers, a dozen background singers, eight security, seven musicians, three valets and two DJs.[6] According to some media outlets, rap fans had never seen anything of the magnitude of the Hammer Don't Hurt ’Em stadium gigs, which recalled Parliament-Funkadelic’s army-size traveling heyday in the 1970s.[7] The first North America leg received several sponsors, including MTV, Pepsi, and Kentucky Fried Chicken.[8] The European and Asia legs were sponsored by Pepsi.

Reception[edit]

Critical reception[edit]

The tour received generally positive reviews by the critics praising Hammer's performance and charisma on stage. Rolling Stone claimed that the tour was "the most elaborate live show ever mounted by a rap entertainer".[6] David Surkamp gave a positive review of the St. Louis concert and wrote "M.C. Hammer Delivers Knockout Performance".[9] Reggie Matthews gave a positive review to the concert at San Diego Sports Arena, stating "Thanks to Hammer, rap is no longer pomp, stroll, strut and attitude. It now features the latest dance crazes and synchronized choreography".[10] Patricia Smith attended the Rosemont Horizon show and wrote "he and his energetic posse had loosened a few ceiling fixtures, interfered with air traffic control at nearby O'Hare Airport and assured every single gasping audience member that they'd gotten more than their money's worth".[11] In Canada, Rod Campbell attended the concert in Edmonton and wrote a positive review titled "M.C. Hammer nails crowd; Rap's first superstar dazzles with dynamic show".[12]

On a less positive note, John Lannert from Sun Sentinel reviewed the concert of June 30, 1990, at Miami Arena stating "Hammer did not rap enough or dance enough, and was weighed down throughout the concert by an overblown stage-side production that condemned the show to a sputtering, momentum-killing pace".[13] Parry Gettleman from the Orlando Sentinel gave a positive review to the opening act After 7 stating "showed a vocal mix and elegant style recalling the Temptations and the Spinners", however criticized the main act performance, stating "It's a shame Hammer sometimes confused performing and cheerleading, because when he stuck to the former, 'Hammer time' was enjoyable."[14] Steve Morse gave a mixed review to the concert at Worcester on a review titled "Hammer Time' Misses a Beat".[15]

Commercial reception[edit]

The tour was a commercial success with several shows reported sold out while other cities added more shows due the high demand. Initially, the summer leg in North America was planned to be around 50 to 60 shows, however, more shows were added.[16] Ticket prices for the North America leg were between $17 and $30. The Miami arena concert was reported "packed" with 15,000 fans.[13] The concert of July 1, 1990, in Tampa, was reported with 10,000 fans.[17] The concert at the Wings Stadium in Kalamazoo had attendance of 8,100 and over 10,000 in Atlanta at The Omni.[18] In Canada, over 6,000 fans were reported at the Montreal concert.[19] On December 20, 1990, around 1,000 fans asked for refunds after learning that the opening acts En Vogue and Vanilla Ice did not show up.[20] Also, media reported that just 3,000 of the 25,000 tickets were sold of the Tacoma Dome concert on July 26, 1991.[21]

By January 1991, Hammer was ranked seventh at Pollstar Top 10 highest-grossing act to tour U.S. for grossing US$26.3 million of 138 shows in 132 cities.[22] In Japan, 55,000 tickets were sold for the first concert at the Tokyo Dome. Due to the high demand another show was added.[23] The concert in Auckland, New Zealand, was reported sold out. Several shows were added at the Wembley Arena in London due the high demand.[24] According to Billboard, by the end of the tour, it grossed over US$32 million in 144 shows around the world.[25]

Tour dates[edit]

Date City Country Venue
June 15, 1990[26] Louisville United States Louisville Gardens
June 21, 1990 Knoxville Thompson-Boling Arena
June 24, 1990 Antioch Starwood Amphitheatre
June 28, 1990 Tallahassee Leon County Civic Center
June 30, 1990 Miami Miami Arena
July 1, 1990 Tampa USF Sun Dome
July 4, 1990 Grove City Capital Music Center
July 6, 1990 St. Louis St. Louis Arena
July 7, 1990 Kansas City  Kemper Arena  
July 8, 1990 Kalamazoo Wings Stadium
July 12, 1990 Greenville Greenvilla Memorial Auditorium
July 13, 1990 Augusta Augusta Civic Center
July 18, 1990 Huntsville Von Braun Center
July 19, 1990 Chattanooga UTU Arena
July 21, 1990 Hampton Hampton Coliseum
July 22, 1990[27] Baltimore Baltimore Arena
July 26, 1990 Pittsburgh Civic Arena
July 27, 1990 Philadelphia Spectrum
July 29, 1990 Landover Capital Centre
August 1, 1990 Alburquerque Tingley Coliseum
August 2, 1990 Phoenix Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum
August 3, 1990 Las Vegas Thomas & Mack Center
August 4, 1990 San Diego San Diego Sports Arena
August 5, 1990 Sacramento ARCO Arena
August 7, 1990 Salt Lake CIty Salt Palace
August 8, 1990[28] Denver McNichols Sports Arena
August 10, 1990 Oklahoma City Myriad Convention Center
August 11, 1990 Houston The Summit
August 12, 1990 Baton Rouge Riverside Centroplex
August 13, 1990 Pensacola Pensacola Civic Center
August 15, 1990 Cincinnati Riverfront Coliseum
August 16, 1990 Saginaw Wendler Arena
August 17, 1990[29] Rosemont Rosemont Horizon
August 18, 1990 Detroit Joe Louis Arena
August 20, 1990 Rockford MetroCentre
August 24, 1990[30] Orlando Orlando Arena
August 31, 1990 Dallas Reunion Arena
September 2, 1990 Atlanta The Omni
September 6, 1990 Los Angeles Universal Amphitheatre  
September 9, 1990 Fresno Selland Arena
September 13, 1990 Inglewood Great Western Forum
September 14, 1990 Los Angeles Hard Rock Café
September 15, 1990 Philadelphia Veterans Stadium
September 18, 1990 Omaha Omaha Civic Auditorium
September 19, 1990 Cedar Rapids Five Seasons Center
September 20, 1990 Peoria Peoria Civic Center
September 21, 1990 Noblesville Deer Creek Music Center
September 23, 1990[31] Bloomington Met Center
September 26, 1990 Bethlehem Stabler Arena
September 27, 1990[15] Worcester Centrum
September 28, 1990 East Rutherford Brendan Byrne Arena
September 30, 1990 Norfolk Scope Arena
October 4, 1990 Roanoke Roanoke Civic Center
October 5, 1990 Columbia Carolina Coliseum
October 7, 1990 Fairfax Patriot Center
October 10, 1990 Syracuse Onondaga War Memorial Auditorium
October 13, 1990 Buffalo Buffalo Memorial Auditorium
October 14, 1990 Albany Knickerbocker Arena
October 16, 1990 Toronto Canada SkyDome
October 17, 1990 Montreal Forum de Montreal
October 19, 1990 Richfield United States Richfield Coliseum
October 20, 1990 Carbondale SIU Arena
October 21, 1990 Arbun Hills The Palace of Auburn Hills
October 22, 1990 Madison Dean County Memorial Coliseum
October 25, 1990 Kansas City Kemper Arean
October 26, 1990[32] Champaign Assembly Hall
October 28, 1990 MIlwaukee Bradley Center
October 30, 1990 Kalamazoo Wings Stadium
November 2, 1990 Fort Wayne Allen Country War Memorial Coliseum
November 3, 1990 Columbia Hearnes Center
November 4, 1990[33] Chicago UIC Pavilion
November 6, 1990 Miami Miami Arena
November 8, 1990 Tampa USF Sun Dome
November 9, 1990 Macon Macon Coliseum
November 10, 1990 Murfreesboro Charles M. Murphy Athletic Center
November 11, 1990 Chapel Hill Dean E. Smith Student Activities Center
November 13, 1990 Knoxville Thompson-Boling Arena
November 15, 1990 Memphis Mid-South Coliseum
November 20, 1990 Lafayette Cajundome
November 21, 1990 Houston The Summit
November 22, 1990[34] New Orleans Lakefront Arena
November 24, 1990 Little Rock Barton Coliseum
November 30, 1990 Denver McNichols Sports Arena
December 2, 1990[35] Tucson Tucson Convention Center
December 3, 1990 Tempe ASU Activity Center
December 5, 1990 Sacramento ARCO Arena
December 6, 1990 Fresno Selland Arena
December 7, 1990 Long Beach Long Beach Arena
December 9, 1990 Reno Lawlor Events Center
December 13, 1990 Portland Portland Memorial Coliseum
December 15, 1990 Vancouver Canada Pacific Coliseum
December 17, 1990 Portland United States Portland Memorial Coliseum
December 20, 1990 Boise BSU Pavilion
December 21, 1990[36] Tacoma Tacoma Dome
Oceania and Asia
February 26, 1991 Auckland New Zealand Mount Smart Stadium
March 19, 1991 Melbourne Australia Rod Laver Arena
March 26, 1991 Tokyo Japan Tokyo Dome
March 27, 1991
March 29, 1991 Manila Philliphiness Araneta Coliseum
Europe[37]
April 6, 1991 Rotterdam Netherlands Ahoy
April 8, 1991 Munich Germany Olympiahalle
April 9, 1991 Zurich Switzerland Hallenstadion
April 11, 1991 Madrid Spain Palacio de Deportes de la Comunidad de Madrid
April 12, 1991 Barcelona Palau Sant Jordi
April 16, 1991 Frankfurt Germany Festhalle
April 17, 1991 Düsseldorf Philipshalle
April 20, 1991 Paris France Le Zenith
April 21, 1991 Brussels Belgium Forest National
April 24, 1991 Berlin Germany Deutschlandhalle
April 27, 1991 Stockholm Sweden Globe Arena
April 28, 1991 Oslo Norway Oslo Spektrum
May 2, 1991 Birmingham England NEC Arena
May 4, 1991 London Wembley Arena
May 5, 1991
May 6, 1991[38]
May 8, 1991 Manchester G-MEX Centre
May 10, 1991 London Wembley Arena
May 11, 1991
May 12, 1991[a]
May 17, 1991[39] Whitley Bay Whitley Bay Ice Rink
May 18, 1991 Glasgow Scotland SECC Glasgow Hall 4
North America
June 21, 1991 Knoxville United States Thompson-Boling Arena
July 5, 1991 Salem L.B Day Amphitheatre
July 26, 1991[36] Tacoma Tacoma Dome
July 27, 1991[b][40] Penticton Canada Kings Park
July 28, 1991 Calgary Olympic Saddledome
July 29, 1991 Edmonton Northlands Coliseum
August 3, 1991 Paso Robles United States California Mid-State Fairgrounds

Box office data[edit]

City Country Attendance Box office
Bloomington United States 12,390 / 14,478 (86%) $255,963[41]
Knoxville 9,210 / 12,006 (77%) $161,153[42]
Tallahassee 9,648 / 10,006 (96%) $154,275[42]
Atlanta 14,894 / 17,154 (87%) $292,017[43]
Richfield 17,472 / 19,746 (88%) $343,286[44]
Philadelphia 24,875 / 66,943 (37%) $371,775[45]
Worcester 10,800 / 10,800 (100%) $225,630[46]
Fairfax 8,743 / 10,000 (87%) $186,997[47]
Toronto Canada 11,053 / 14,000 (79%) $260,128[48]
Vancouver 12,469 / 15,162 (82%) $301,858[49]
Arbun Hills United States 17,928 / 17,928 (100%) $392,881[50]
Madison 10,250 / 10,250 (100%) $199,246[48]
Columbia 10,366 / 10,366 (100%) $195,673[51]
Houston 14,081 / 15,000 (94%) $266,583[52]
Carbondales 8,087 / 10,800 (75%) $148,325[51]
London United Kingdom 11,500 / 11,500 (100%) $295,463[53]
Calgary Canada 7,062 / 12,197 (58%) $176,670[54]
Paso Robles United States 21,489 / 30,446 (71%) $472,820[55]
Total 226,323 / 308,782 (73%) $4,700,923

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ The concert of May 12, 1991, in London was part of All-Star Tribute "The Simple Truth Concert"
  2. ^ The concert of July 27, 1991, was part of Penticton's Peach Festival

References[edit]

  1. ^ Lhamon, W. T. (1998). Raising Cain: Blackface Performance from Jim Crow to Hip Hop. Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0-674-74711-1.
  2. ^ Company, Johnson Publishing (1991-03-25). Jet. Johnson Publishing Company.
  3. ^ "Hammer Proves He's Got the Touch". Chicago Tribune. August 17, 1990. pp. 7O41. ProQuest 417763429.
  4. ^ "Rapmaster M.C. Hammer Ready To Rock 'n' Roll in Oklahoma City". The Oklahoman. Retrieved 2023-08-24.
  5. ^ "M.C. Hammer". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 2023-08-24.
  6. ^ a b Ressner, Jeffrey (1990-09-06). "Hammer Time". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2023-08-24.
  7. ^ Murphy, Keith (2019-06-14). "The 20 greatest hip-hop tours of all time". Andscape. Retrieved 2023-08-24.
  8. ^ Roedy, Bill (2011-04-12). What Makes Business Rock: Building the Worlds Largest Global Networks. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-1-118-08293-5.
  9. ^ "M.C. Hammer Delivers Knockout Performance". St. Louis Post. July 8, 1990. pp. D2. ISSN 1930-9600. 404158548 – via Proquest.
  10. ^ Mattews, Reggie (August 6, 1990). "MC Hammer's rap is action-packed". The San Diego Union. pp. D-5. ProQuest 422673436.
  11. ^ Smith, Patricia (August 19, 1990). "Whew! For pure energy, Hammer is untouchable". Chicago Sun - Times. ProQuest 257644315.
  12. ^ Campbell, Rod (July 31, 1991). "M.C. Hammer nails crowd; Rap's first superstar dazzles with dynamic show". Edmonton Journal. pp. B10. ProQuest 251811080.
  13. ^ a b Lannert, John (July 2, 1990). "M.C. HAMMER DROPS ON CROWD WITH A THUD". Sun Sentinel. ProQuest 389119621.
  14. ^ Gentleman, Parry (August 25, 1990). "M.C. 'HAMMER TIME' TICKED BY SLOWLY SHOW DRAGGED WHEN RAP SINGER RESORTED TO CHEERLEADING". Orlando Sentinel. ProQuest 277691409.
  15. ^ a b Morse, Steve (September 28, 1990). "'Hammer Time' Misses a Beat". Boston Globe. ProQuest 403342111.
  16. ^ "Rap Musician M.C. Hammer Forms Own Record Label". Jet. 1990-07-09.
  17. ^ Carey, Jean (July 3, 1990). "M.C. Hammer drummed in hit after hit Sunday Series: CONCERT REVIEW". St. Petersburg Times. pp. B.6. ProQuest 262761202.
  18. ^ "M.C. Hammer is a smash hit with hot Wings Stadium crowd". The Grand Rapids Press. July 9, 1990. ProQuest 284366778.
  19. ^ Lepage, Mark (October 18, 1990). "M.C. Hammer fails to live up to the hype". The Gazette. ProQuest 432026305.
  20. ^ "CONCERT PROMOTERS, IDAHO SETTLE DISPUTE OVER M.C. HAMMER EVENT". Deseret News. 1991-08-18. Retrieved 2023-08-24.
  21. ^ "PRIMED FOR HAMMER AT 8 P.M., FANS FINALLY SEE M.C. AT 10:30". The Seattle Times. July 29, 1991. pp. E1. ProQuest 384522215.
  22. ^ Harrington, Richard (January 7, 1991). "New Kids on top of the block // Teen heartthrobs highest-grossing act to tour U.S". Austin American Statesman.
  23. ^ "What's Next for M.C. Hammer?". Jet. February 18, 1991. ProQuest 199995632.
  24. ^ Halligan, Benjamin; Fairclough, Kirsty; Edgar, Robert; Spelman, Nicola (2015-11-19). The Arena Concert: Music, Media and Mass Entertainment. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. ISBN 978-1-62892-556-2.
  25. ^ Reibman, Greg (November 9, 1991). "Haymon's Self -Made- Success Story Built Largest R &B Concert Promo Firm" (PDF). Billboard. p. 30.
  26. ^ Holden, Stephen (June 20, 1990). "The Pop Life". The New York Times. pp. C.14. ProQuest 427694300.
  27. ^ "M.C. Hammer". Afro - American Red Star. July 28, 1990. ProQuest 369624657.
  28. ^ "M.C. Hammer Performance a Lot More Than 'Rap Light'". The Denver Post. August 10, 1990. ProQuest 410364199.
  29. ^ "M.C. Hammer a Rapper with Plenty of Appeal". Chicago Tribune. August 19, 1990. ProQuest 417762885.
  30. ^ "M.C. HAMMER TO LEAD RAP REDUX AT ARENA". Orlando Sentinel. July 20, 1990. ProQuest 277693862.
  31. ^ "M.C. Hammer pounds away". Star Tribune. pp. September 24, 1990. ProQuest 418177034.
  32. ^ "M.C. Hammer to play at ISU". Pantagraph. September 21, 1990. ProQuest 251836710.
  33. ^ "The Hammer raps". Chicago Sun-Times. November 5, 1990. ProQuest 257627458.
  34. ^ "Parents and Kids Give Thanks for M.C. Hammer at Kiefer". Times - Picayune. November 23, 1990. ProQuest 414597429.
  35. ^ "M.C. Hammer to do 2 December shows". Arizona Daily Star. October 23, 1990. ProQuest 389518360.
  36. ^ a b "M.C. HAMMER NAILS DOWN A SUMMER CONCERT AT THE TACOMA DOME". Seattle Post. June 12, 1991. ProQuest 386353456.
  37. ^ "Search for setlists: artist:(MC Hammer) date:[1991-01-01 TO 1991-12-31] (page 3)". setlist.fm. Retrieved 2023-08-22.
  38. ^ "MC HAMMER - TOUR DATES 1991 Full page UK magazine ad". eBay. Retrieved 2023-08-24.
  39. ^ "Prints of American singer MC Hammer performs in concert at the Whitley Bay Ice Rink, Tyne and Wear". Media Storehouse Photo Prints. Retrieved 2023-08-24.
  40. ^ "Hammer ready to rap". The Globe and Mail. July 27, 1991. ProQuest 385456375.
  41. ^ "Boxscore - Top Concert Grosses - Week Oct. 6, 1990" (PDF). Billboard. October 6, 1990.
  42. ^ a b "Boxscore - Top 10 Concert Grosses Week July 14, 1990" (PDF). Billboard.
  43. ^ "Boxscore - Top 10 Concert Grosses Week Ending September 22, 1990" (PDF). Billboard.
  44. ^ "BOXSCORE - Top 10 Concert Grosses" (PDF). Billboard. November 24, 1990.
  45. ^ "Boxscore - Top 10 Concert Grosse Week ending September 29, 1990" (PDF). Billboard. p. 48.
  46. ^ "Boxscore - Top 10 Concert Grosses Week October 13, 1990" (PDF). Billboard.
  47. ^ "Boxscore - Top Concert Grosses" (PDF). Billboard. October 27, 1990.
  48. ^ a b "BOXSCORE BOSSES CONCERT" (PDF). Billboard. November 3, 1990.
  49. ^ "BOXSCORE - Top 10 Concert grosses" (PDF). Billboard. January 26, 1991. p. 41.
  50. ^ "Boxscore - Top 10 Concert Grosses Week November 11, 1990" (PDF). Billboard.
  51. ^ a b "Boxscore - Top Concert Grosses" (PDF). Billboard. November 17, 1990.
  52. ^ "BOXSCORE" (PDF). Billboard. December 15, 1990.
  53. ^ "Boxcore" (PDF). Billboard.
  54. ^ "Boxscore- Top 10 Concert Grosses Week Ending August 10, 1991" (PDF). Billboard.
  55. ^ "Boxscore - Top 10 Concert Grosses Week ending August 31, 1991" (PDF). Billboard.
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