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 (US$408,125,318 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. [2] 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. [2]
The tour was a 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. [3]
The Rolling Stones began pre-tour preparations in July 1989 at the Wykeham Rise School, a former boarding school for girls in Litchfield, Connecticut. A 25-member entourage, as well as a security force larger than the surrounding towns, was hired to support the band. [4]
The group performed a pre-tour 'surprise show' that 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. [5] Toad's owner, Mike Spoerndle, had promoted the event as a private birthday party for Jim Koplik, the club's promoter. [6] 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 (song)", 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.[ citation needed ]
The stage was designed by Mark Fisher with the 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. [3] 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.
The original two dates 13 & 14 July 1990 at Wembley Stadium had to be rescheduled for 24 & 25 August 1990 due to Keith Richards cutting a finger the previous week. [7]
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, a lifelong fan of the band, helped to arrange the event, and met the band at the Prague Castle before the show. Performance expenses were partially covered by Havel and by the Czechoslovak Ministry of Industry. The attendance was over 100,000. [8] [9] The band chose to donate all revenues from the gig (over 4 million Czechoslovak korunas) to the Committee of Good Will, a charity run by Havel's wife Olga Havlová. [10]
Released in 1991, Flashpoint, is a 17-song live album of material recorded during the Steel Wheels/Urban Jungle Tour.
In July 2020, Eagle Rock Entertainment released a recording and DVD set of the final date of the North American tour titled Steel Wheels Live . [11] The performance, recorded at the Atlantic City Convention Center, features guest appearances by John Lee Hooker, Eric Clapton, Axl Rose and Izzy Stradlin. [12]
Source [13]
For the opening night of the Steel Wheels Tour the setlist was as follows (all songs composed by Jagger/Richards unless otherwise noted):
For the final night of the Urban Jungle Tour (the last Rolling Stones concert with Bill Wyman) the band played:
Other songs played on the tour:
Date | City | Country | Venue | Tickets sold / available | Revenue | Opening act(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
12 August 1989 [nb 1] | New Haven | United States | Toad's Place [nb 2] | N/A | N/A | N/A |
31 August 1989 | Philadelphia | Veterans Stadium | 110,556 / 110,556 | $3,181,143 | Living Colour | |
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 |
Date | City | Country | Venue | Tickets sold / available | Revenue | Opening act(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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 | ||||||
18 May 1990 | Rotterdam | Netherlands | De Kuip | N/A | N/A | Gun |
19 May 1990 | ||||||
21 May 1990 | ||||||
23 May 1990 | Hanover | West 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 | West 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 | |||
4 August 1990 | ||||||
6 August 1990 | Oslo | Norway | Valle Hovin | |||
7 August 1990 | ||||||
9 August 1990 | Copenhagen | Denmark | Københavns Idrætspark | |||
13 August 1990 | East Berlin | East Germany | Radrennbahn Weissensee | Living Colour | ||
14 August 1990 | ||||||
16 August 1990 | Gelsenkirchen | West Germany | Parkstadion | |||
18 August 1990 | Prague | Czechoslovakia | Strahov Stadium | Dan Reed Network Vladimír Mišík & Etc... | ||
24 August 1990 | London | England | Wembley Stadium | |||
25 August 1990 |
Steel Wheels is the nineteenth studio album by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, released on 29 August 1989 in the US and on 11 September in the UK. It was the final album of new material that the band recorded for Columbia Records.
Flashpoint is a live album by the English rock band The Rolling Stones, their first since 1982's Still Life. Compiled from performances on the Steel Wheels/Urban Jungle Tour by Chris Kimsey with the assistance of Chris Potter, it was released in 1991. Steel Wheels Live (2020) includes a complete 1989 concert along with a selection of live rarities.
A Bigger Bang was a worldwide concert tour by the Rolling Stones which took place between August 2005 and August 2007, in support of their album A Bigger Bang. At the time, it was the highest grossing tour of all time, earning $558,255,524, before being surpassed by U2's 2009–11 U2 360 Tour, and eventually Taylor Swift's 2023–24 Eras Tour. The tour was chronicled on the video release The Biggest Bang, compiling full performances, several recordings from shows and documentaries. Notable concerts on the tour included a two-night stand in the autumn of 2006 at the Beacon Theatre filmed by Martin Scorsese for Shine a Light, and their half-time performance at Super Bowl XL.
"Mixed Emotions" is a song by English rock band the Rolling Stones from their 1989 album, Steel Wheels. Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards while on vacation on Montserrat, "Mixed Emotions" was a collaborative effort between Jagger and Richards after a period of tension and estrangement. Richards brought his own music to the sessions along with most of the song's lyrics, the rest being filled in by Jagger in the studio. Released on 21 August 1989 in the United Kingdom, the song reached No. 1 in Canada and No. 5 in the United States while becoming a top-10 hit in Finland, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Norway.
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The Rolling Stones' US Tour 1978 was a concert tour of the United States that took place during June and July 1978, immediately following the release of the group's 1978 album Some Girls. Like the 1972 and 1975 U.S. tours, Bill Graham was the tour promoter. One opening act was Peter Tosh, who was sometimes joined by Mick Jagger for their duet "Don't Look Back". The Outlaws backed up Peter Tosh. Another act opening was Etta James, famous for her song "At Last".
The Rolling Stones Australian Tour 1973 was a concert tour of countries bordering the Pacific Ocean in January and February 1973 by The Rolling Stones. The tour is sometimes called The Rolling Stones Pacific Tour 1973 and Winter Tour 1973, but concert posters and tickets of the shows state The Rolling Stones Australian Tour 1973.
The American Tour 1981 was a concert tour by British band the Rolling Stones, promoting their album Tattoo You (1981). The tour visited stadiums and arenas in the United States, and it became the largest grossing tour of 1981 with $50 million in ticket sales. Roughly 2,5 million concert goers attended the concerts, setting various ticket sales records. The 5 December show in New Orleans set an indoor concert attendance record which stood for 33 years.
"Salt of the Earth" is the final song from English rock band the Rolling Stones album Beggars Banquet (1968). Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, the song includes an opening lead vocal by Richards. It is the second official track by the group to feature him on lead vocal.
The Voodoo Lounge Tour was a worldwide concert tour by the Rolling Stones to promote their 1994 album Voodoo Lounge. This was their first tour without bassist Bill Wyman, and their first with touring bassist Darryl Jones, as an additional musician. The tour grossed $320 million, replacing The Division Bell Tour by Pink Floyd as the highest grossing of any artist at that time. This was subsequently overtaken by a few other tours, but it remains the Rolling Stones' third highest grossing tour behind their 2005–07 A Bigger Bang Tour and their 2017–21 No Filter Tour.
"Play with Fire" is a song by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, originally released as B-side to the song "The Last Time". It was later included on the American release of their 1965 album Out of Our Heads.
"Almost Hear You Sigh" is a song by English rock band the Rolling Stones from their 1989 album, Steel Wheels, written by Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Steve Jordan. The song was originally a contender for inclusion on Richards' first solo album, Talk Is Cheap, but he decided to play it for Jagger and Chris Kimsey the next year during recording sessions in Montserrat for the Steel Wheels album. With the exception of some lyrical alteration by Jagger, the composition was left in its original form. The single, which was released in January 1990 and was the third single released from Steel Wheels, reached No. 50 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and No. 31 on the UK Singles Chart.
"Rock and a Hard Place" is a song by English rock band the Rolling Stones from their 1989 album, Steel Wheels. It was released as the second single from the album and remains the band's most recent top-40 hit in the United States as of 2024, peaking at number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
"Slipping Away" is a song recorded by the English rock band the Rolling Stones. Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, it is a ballad sung by Richards. It was included as the last track of the band's 1989 studio album Steel Wheels. The Stones have since performed "Slipping Away" during the 1995 leg of the Voodoo Lounge Tour, the 2002-2003 Licks Tour throughout the 2005-2007 A Bigger Bang Tour, on the 14 On Fire tour with former guitarist Mick Taylor guesting, and on the No Filter Tour.
Rolling Stones: Live at the Max, or simply Stones at the Max, is a concert film by the Rolling Stones released in 1991. It was specially filmed in IMAX during the Urban Jungle Tour in Europe in 1990. It was the first concert movie shot in the IMAX format.
14 On Fire was a concert tour by the Rolling Stones, which started on 21 February 2014 in Abu Dhabi. It was a follow-up to the 50 & Counting tour which celebrated the 50th anniversary of the band. The tour was very much similar to 50 & Counting just as the "Urban Jungle" portion of the Stones' Steel Wheels/Urban Jungle Tour in 1990 was similar to the "Steel Wheels" portion in 1989. 14 On Fire had the same stage design, setlist structure, and clothing/merchandise as 50 & Counting. Also, Mick Taylor was a guest throughout this tour as in 50 & Counting.
"Terrifying" is a song by the English rock band the Rolling Stones from their 1989 album Steel Wheels.
Steel Wheels Live is a live album by the English rock band the Rolling Stones. It was broadcast live and recorded on 19 December 1989 on the Steel Wheels/Urban Jungle Tour, promoting Steel Wheels album, and was released in 2020. Flashpoint was another live album from the same tour.
Sixty was a concert tour by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, celebrating the 60th anniversary of the band’s formation. The tour, announced on 14 March 2022, began on 1 June 2022 in Madrid, Spain, and concluded on 3 August 2022 in Berlin, Germany. It was the first European tour without drummer Charlie Watts following his death in August 2021, and the first time that the Stones performed their 1966 song "Out of Time" live.