Steel Wheels/Urban Jungle Tour
Tour by The Rolling Stones | |
Associated album | Steel Wheels |
---|---|
Start date | 31 August 1989 |
End date | 25 August 1990 |
Legs | 3 |
No. of shows | 115 |
Box office | US $175 million ($240.88 in 2023 dollars)[1] |
The Rolling Stones concert chronology |
The Rolling Stones' Steel Wheels Tour was a concert tour which was launched in North America in August 1989 to promote the band's album Steel Wheels; it continued to Japan in February 1990, with ten shows at the Tokyo Dome. The European leg of the tour, which featured a different stage and logo, was called the Urban Jungle Tour; it ran from May to August 1990. These would be the last live concerts for the band with original member Bill Wyman on bass guitar. This tour would also be the longest the band had ever done up to that point, playing over twice as many shows as their standard tour length from the 1960s and 1970s.
The tour was an enormous financial success, cementing The Rolling Stones' return to full commercial power after a seven-year hiatus in touring marked by well-publicized acrimony among band members.
History
A Steel Wheels pre-tour 'surprise show' took place on 12 August 1989 at Toad's Place in New Haven, Connecticut with a local act, Sons of Bob, opening the show for an audience of only 700 people who had purchased tickets for $3.01 apiece.[2] The official Steel Wheels Tour kicked off later that month at the now-demolished Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia. During the opening show in Philadelphia, the power went out during "Shattered", and caused a slight delay in the show. Jagger came out and spoke to the crowd during the delay. The Stones returned to Vancouver, B.C. in Canada and played two sold out concerts at B.C. Place Stadium. Fan reaction for tickets was unprecedented. One local radio station 99.3 The Fox even had a man (Andrew Korn) sit in front of the station in a bath tub filled with brown sugar and water for free tickets to the concert. Total attendance was 6.2 million.[citation needed]
The stage was designed by Mark Fisher with participation of Charlie Watts and Mick Jagger. Lighting design was by Patrick Woodroffe.
Canadian promoter Michael Cohl made his name buying the concert, sponsorship, merchandising, radio, television, and film rights to the Steel Wheels Tour. It became the most financially successful rock tour in history up to that time. Rival promoter Bill Graham, who also bid on the tour, later wrote that "Losing the Stones was like watching my favourite lover become a whore."
Performances from the tour were documented on the album Flashpoint, and the video Live at the Max, both released in 1991.
Opening acts for the tour included Living Colour, Dan Reed Network, Guns N' Roses and Gun.
In August 1990, an extra concert in Prague, Czechoslovakia, was added. Czechoslovakia had overthrown the Communist regime nine months earlier, and The Rolling Stones' concert was perceived as a symbolic end of the revolution. Czechoslovakia's new president Václav Havel, who was lifelong fan of the band, helped to arrange the event, and met the band at the Prague Castle before the show. The expenses were partially covered by Havel and by the Czechoslovak Ministry of industry. The attendance was over 100,000.[3][4] The band chose to donate all the revenues from this gig (over 4 million Czechoslovak korunas) to the Committee of Good Will, a charity run by Havel's wife Olga Havlová.[5]
Personnel
The Rolling Stones
- Mick Jagger – lead vocals, guitar, harmonica, percussion
- Keith Richards – guitar, vocals
- Ronnie Wood – guitar
- Bill Wyman – bass guitar
- Charlie Watts – drums
Additional musicians
- Matt Clifford – keyboards, backing vocals, percussion, French horn
- Bobby Keys – saxophone
- Chuck Leavell – keyboards, backing vocals and musical director
- Bernard Fowler – backing vocals, percussion
- Lisa Fischer – backing vocals on the North American & Japanese tours only
- Cindy Mizelle – backing vocals on the North American & Japanese tours only
- Lorelei McBroom – backing vocals on the European tour only
- Sophia Jones – backing vocals on the European tour only
- The Uptown Horns:
- Arno Hecht – saxophone
- Bob Funk – trombone
- Crispin Cioe – saxophone
- Paul Litteral – trumpet
Tour set lists
For the opening night of the Steel Wheels Tour the setlist was as follows (all songs composed by Jagger/Richards unless otherwise noted):
- "Start Me Up"
- "Bitch"
- "Shattered"
- "Sad Sad Sad"
- "Undercover of the Night"
- "Harlem Shuffle" (Relf/Nelson)
- "Tumbling Dice"
- "Miss You"
- "Ruby Tuesday"
- "Play With Fire" (Nanker Phelge)
- "Dead Flowers"
- "One Hit (to the Body)" (Jagger/Richards/Wood)
- "Mixed Emotions"
- "Honky Tonk Women"
- "Rock and a Hard Place"
- "Midnight Rambler"
- "You Can't Always Get What You Want"
- "Little Red Rooster" (Dixon)
- "Before They Make Me Run"
- "Happy"
- "Paint It Black"
- "2000 Light Years from Home"
- "Sympathy for the Devil"
- "Gimme Shelter"
- "It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It)"
- "Brown Sugar"
- "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction"
- "Jumpin' Jack Flash" (encore)
For the final night of the Urban Jungle Tour (the last Rolling Stones concert with Bill Wyman) the band played:
- "Start Me Up"
- "Sad Sad Sad"
- "Harlem Shuffle"
- "Tumbling Dice"
- "Miss You"
- "Ruby Tuesday"
- "Angie"
- "Rock and a Hard Place"
- "Mixed Emotions"
- "Honky Tonk Women"
- "Midnight Rambler"
- "You Can't Always Get What You Want"
- "Before They Make Me Run"
- "Happy"
- "Paint It Black"
- "2000 Light Years from Home"
- "Sympathy for the Devil"
- "Street Fighting Man"
- "Gimme Shelter"
- "It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It)"
- "Brown Sugar"
- "Jumpin' Jack Flash"
- "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" (encore)
Other songs played on the tour:
- "Almost Hear You Sigh" (Jagger/Richards/Jordan)
- "Blinded By Love"
- "Boogie Chillen" (Hooker)
- "Can't Be Seen"
- "Factory Girl"
- "I Just Want to Make Love to You" (Dixon)
- "Salt of the Earth"
- "Terrifying"
- "Indian Girl"
Tour dates
Date | City | Country | Venue | Tickets sold / Available | Revenue | Opening Act |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
North America | ||||||
12 August 1989 | New Haven | United States | Toad's Place | N/A | N/A | N/A |
31 August 1989 | Philadelphia | Veterans Stadium | 110,556 / 110,556 | $3,181,143 | Living Color | |
1 September 1989 | ||||||
3 September 1989 | Toronto | Canada | CNE Stadium | 121,897 / 121,897 | $3,368,752 | |
4 September 1989 | ||||||
6 September 1989 | Pittsburgh | United States | Three Rivers Stadium | 62,939 / 62,939 | $1,790,526 | |
8 September 1989 | East Troy | Alpine Valley | 105,995 / 105,995 | $2,941,882 | ||
9 September 1989 | ||||||
11 September 1989 | ||||||
14 September 1989 | Cincinnati | Riverfront Stadium | 53,555 / 53,555 | $1,522,536 | ||
16 September 1989 | Raleigh | Carter–Finley Stadium | 52,881 / 52,881 | $1,506,393 | ||
17 September 1989 | St. Louis | Busch Stadium | 53,705 / 53,705 | $1,528,397 | ||
19 September 1989 | Louisville | Cardinal Stadium | 39,301 / 39,301 | $1,120,075 | ||
21 September 1989 | Syracuse | Carrier Dome | 73,828 / 73,828 | $2,082,325 | ||
22 September 1989 | ||||||
24 September 1989 | Washington, D.C. | Robert F. Kennedy Stadium | 105,267 / 105,267 | $2,988,142 | ||
25 September 1989 | ||||||
27 September 1989 | Cleveland | Municipal Stadium | 61,527 / 61,527 | $1,753,520 | ||
29 September 1989 | Foxborough | Sullivan Stadium | 163,308 / 163,308 | $4,648,338 | ||
1 October 1989 | ||||||
3 October 1989 | ||||||
5 October 1989 | Birmingham | Legion Field | 63,523 / 63,523 | $1,804,348 | ||
7 October 1989 | Ames | Cyclone Field | 55,857 / 55,857 | $1,589,273 | ||
8 October 1989 | Kansas City | Arrowhead Stadium | 55,306 / 55,306 | $1,576,075 | ||
10 October 1989 | New York City | Shea Stadium | 124,524 / 124,524 | $3,735,610 | ||
11 October 1989 | ||||||
18 October 1989 | Los Angeles | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | 360,069 / 360,069 | $9,166,937 | Guns N'Roses Living Colour | |
19 October 1989 | ||||||
21 October 1989 | ||||||
22 October 1989 | ||||||
25 October 1989 | New York City | Shea Stadium | 263,213 / 263,213 | $7,871,842 | Living Colour | |
26 October 1989 | ||||||
28 October 1989 | ||||||
29 October 1989 | ||||||
1 November 1989 | Vancouver | Canada | BC Place Stadium | 110,591 / 110,591 | $3,065,058 | |
2 November 1989 | ||||||
4 November 1989 | Oakland | United States | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum | 117,603 / 117,603 | $3,347,518 | |
5 November 1989 | ||||||
8 November 1989 | Houston | Astrodome | 52,278 / 52,278 | $1,486,623 | ||
10 November 1989 | Dallas | Cotton Bowl | 119,856 / 119,856 | $3,410,856 | ||
11 November 1989 | ||||||
13 November 1989 | New Orleans | Louisiana Superdome | 59,339 / 59,339 | $1,682,220 | ||
15 November 1989 | Miami | Orange Bowl | 107,175 / 110,000 | $3,054,488 | ||
16 November 1989 | ||||||
18 November 1989 | Tampa | Tampa Stadium | 63,415 / 63,415 | $1,802,884 | ||
21 November 1989 | Atlanta | Grant Field | 49,311 / 49,311 | $1,401,082 | ||
25 November 1989 | Jacksonville | Gator Bowl | 62,637 / 62,637 | $1,779,205 | ||
26 November 1989 | Clemson | Memorial Stadium | 63,784 / 63,784 | $1,817,844 | ||
29 November 1989 | Minneapolis | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome | 104,780 / 104,780 | $2,976,592 | ||
30 November 1989 | ||||||
3 December 1989 | Toronto | Canada | SkyDome | 117,446 / 117,446 | $3,282,757 | |
4 December 1989 | ||||||
6 December 1989 | Indianapolis | United States | Hoosier Dome | 89,078 / 89,078 | $2,533,955 | |
7 December 1989 | ||||||
9 December 1989 | Pontiac | Silverdome | 100,234 / 100,234 | $2,956,834 | ||
10 December 1989 | ||||||
13 December 1989 | Montreal | Canada | Olympic Stadium | 123,962 / 123,962 | $3,490,126 | |
14 December 1989 | ||||||
17 December 1989 | Atlantic City | United States | Convention Center | N/A | N/A | N/A |
19 December 1989 | ||||||
20 December 1989 | ||||||
Asia | ||||||
14 February 1990 | Tokyo | Japan | Tokyo Dome | N/A | N/A | N/A |
16 February 1990 | ||||||
17 February 1990 | ||||||
19 February 1990 | ||||||
20 February 1990 | ||||||
21 February 1990 | ||||||
23 February 1990 | ||||||
24 February 1990 | ||||||
26 February 1990 | ||||||
27 February 1990 | ||||||
Europe | ||||||
18 May 1990 | Rotterdam | Netherlands | De Kuip | N/A | N/A | Gun |
19 May 1990 | ||||||
21 May 1990 | ||||||
23 May 1990 | Hanover | Germany | Niedersachsenstadion | |||
24 May 1990 | ||||||
26 May 1990 | Frankfurt | Waldstadion | ||||
27 May 1990 | ||||||
30 May 1990 | Cologne | Müngersdorfer Stadion | Die Toten Hosen | |||
31 May 1990 | ||||||
2 June 1990 | Munich | Olympiastadion | Gun | |||
3 June 1990 | ||||||
6 June 1990 | Berlin | Olympiastadion | ||||
10 June 1990 | Lisbon | Portugal | Estádio José Alvalade | |||
13 June 1990 | Barcelona | Spain | Estadi Olímpic de Montjuïc | |||
14 June 1990 | ||||||
16 June 1990 | Madrid | Estadio Vicente Calderón | ||||
17 June 1990 | ||||||
20 June 1990 | Marseille | France | Stade Vélodrome | |||
22 June 1990 | Paris | Parc des Princes | ||||
23 June 1990 | ||||||
25 June 1990 | ||||||
27 June 1990 | Basel | Switzerland | St. Jakob Stadium | |||
4 July 1990 | London | England | Wembley Stadium | |||
6 July 1990 | ||||||
7 July 1990 | ||||||
9 July 1990 | Glasgow | Scotland | Hampden Park | |||
16 July 1990 | Cardiff | Wales | Cardiff Arms Park | |||
18 July 1990 | Newcastle | England | St James' Park | |||
20 July 1990 | Manchester | Maine Road | ||||
21 July 1990 | ||||||
25 July 1990 | Rome | Italy | Stadio Flaminio | |||
26 July 1990 | ||||||
28 July 1990 | Turin | Stadio Delle Alpi | ||||
31 July 1990 | Vienna | Austria | Praterstadion | |||
3 August 1990 | Gothenburg | Sweden | Eriksberg Docks Concert Grounds | |||
4 August 1990 | ||||||
6 August 1990 | Oslo | Norway | Valle Hovin Stadium | |||
7 August 1990 | ||||||
9 August 1990 | Copenhagen | Denmark | Idrætsparken | |||
13 August 1990 | Berlin | Germany | Radrennbahn Weißensee | |||
14 August 1990 | ||||||
16 August 1990 | Gelsenkirchen | Parkstadion | ||||
18 August 1990 | Prague | Czechoslovakia | Strahov Stadium | |||
24 August 1990 | London | England | Wembley Stadium | |||
25 August 1990 |
See also
References
- ^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved 29 February 2024.
- ^ Rolling Stones Steel Wheels North American Tour 1989 (Paperback)
- ^ Lipčík, Roman (4 October 1990). "The Rolling Stones' Czech Invasion". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 24 June 2017.
- ^ Gregor, Marek (19 August 2010). "Jak se kameny valily Prahou" [How the stones rolled through Prague]. Reflex (in Czech). Prague. Retrieved 24 June 2017.
- ^ Bednářová, Otka (February 1992). "Annual Report of the Olga Havel Foundation 1991" (Press release). Prague: Committee of Good Will – Olga Havel Foundation. Retrieved 24 June 2017.