The Van Halen Encyclopedia - Entries

Thursday

Feb032011

1984 Tour

According to legend, when the band was shopping for an opening band for this tour, one requirement was that the lead singer couldn't have blonde hair, dyed or natural. It was rumored that Twisted Sister's lead vocalist Dee Snider offered to change his hair color to anything but blonde if his band got the slot. They never got the opportunity.

Van Halen also claimed that rather than have the tour sponsored by a corporation, they would be the first band to sponsor a company for a tour. Western Exterminator, based in Los Angeles, CA, got the nod and the band used their mallet-bearing mascot in a top hat and tuxedo everywhere they could, including on the stage backdrop, backstage passes, and a full line of tour clothing and accessories.

The "Grid System" was once again in effect with some slight modifications. The guards behind the barricades were now fitted with headsets that connected them to more guards in the pits. Using a secret code like, "Red right, red T-shirt, out of sight, six feet back," Dave would alert one of the pit crew, who would then radio the appropriate barricade guard. The guard would then enter the floor and slap a pass on the selected woman.

The band unveiled several new aspects to their live show on this tour. Eddie was playing keyboards for I'll Wait and Jump, with the latter featuring a guitar solo entirely on keys. David Lee Roth took his turn in the solo spotlight too, doing a kung fu-style sword dance. The dance, known as "Dave's Tai Chi Solo," was developed by Roth and kung fu master Paulie Zink and performed against a rousing synthesizer backdrop from Eddie. That same instrumental piece also appeared in the 1984 movie scored by Eddie, The Wild Life.

Another new aspect to the show was featured in Eddie's unaccompanied guitar solo. His guitar had been outfitted with a clear, plexiglass tray table that allowed him to lay the guitar flat, perpendicular to his body. He would then hammer out chords with both hands on the neck. The technique first began taking shape in 1982, but didn't surface until this tour. He patented the tray table, thinking that slide players might get use out of it, though it has never been marketed. The technique later resurfaced on the For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge album for the song Judgement Day.

Mike's solo was mostly for show and, at one point, featured the bassist hurling his bass down onto the stage from the rigging, then rushing down and stomping on it repeatedly before picking it up and taking off again.

Autograph got the nod to fill the opening act slot without even having a record deal or an album out. Apparently, a demo tape of theirs made it to David Lee Roth, who gave the young band a shot at opening the tour. They were signed during their stint.

On stage, Eddie had three sets of Marshall cabinets with eight in each set. Two sets were for backup. Each cabinet housed four Celestion speakers. In all, twelve Marshall tops and eight H&H V800 power amps were used. He was also sporting a new effects system co-designed by Flagg Systems. Three identical pedal boards were in use: one in front of his microphone; one on Alex's drum riser; and one in a quick-change booth. Rudy Leiren manned a switcher at the main booth so he could add effects if need be.

Mike's live rig consisted of his tried-and-true Yamaha Broadbass 2000, outfitted with Schecter pickups and a neck he had narrowed for better access to the high frets, his custom Jack Daniels bass and a beat up Kramer bass. His amplifiers were made by SVT.

The band's PA system on this tour was monstrous. Built by Audio Analysts, it consisted of 60 S-4 cabinets with 1,000-watts and ten JBL speakers in each (two 18-inch, four 10-inch, two horns, and two high frequency units). The monitor system (consisting of two 15-inch wedges, two horns and a high frequency unit) was buried under grates all over the stage in strategic areas, adding another 16,000-watts. The band's onstage volume reached a staggering 134 dB.

The band's road crew on this tour was one of the most numerous in existence at the time. Consisting of approximately 75 members and 175,000 tons of equipment (including 1.5 million watts of light) loaded onto nine trucks and five busses. The massive white and black-striped stage featured a giant catwalk system and an outdoor roof, which was used as a secondary grid to hang all 55 of the setup's lighting points. During the final encore each night a massive light setup spelling out "1984" would swing down onto the stage behind the band, as they sang Happy Trails a cappella.

A live album was considered for recording during this tour but never materialized.

Typical set list:

1/18/84: Jacksonville Coliseum, Jacksonville, FL. Opening act: Autograph. Attendance: 11,628.

1/20/84: Sportatorium, Hollywood, FL. Attendance: 11,508.

1/21/84: Sportatorium, Hollywood, FL. Attendance: 11,508. Audio recording exists.

1/22/84: Lakeland Civic Center, Lakeland, FL. Attendance: 10,000.

1/24/84: Barton Coliseum, Little Rock, AR. Opening act: Autograph.

1/25/84: Mid-South Coliseum, Memphis, TN. Attendance. 10,020. During You Really Got Me, a lighting operator falls from the tresses, hanging upside-down in his chair over the stage.

1/26/84: Jackson Coliseum, Jackson, MS. Attendance: 10,000.

1/28/84: Gulfcoast Coliseum, Biloxi, MS. Attendance: 14,517.

1/29/84: Birmingham Jefferson Civic Center, Birmingham, AL. Opening act: Autograph. Attendance: 15,842. Audio recording exists.

1/31/84: Savannah Civic Center, Savannah, GA

2/01/84: Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, NC

2/03/84: Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, NC. Audio recording exists.

2/04/84: Roanoke Civic Center, Roanoke, VA. Opening act: Autograph. Audio recording exists.

2/05/84: Charleston Civic Center, Charleston, WV. Opening act: Autograph. Attendance: 10,195.

2/07/84: Hara Arena, Dayton, OH. Opening act: Autograph. Attendance: 7,900.

2/09/84: Freedom Hall, Louisville, KY. Opening act: Autograph. Attendance: 18,500.

2/10/84: Knoxville Civic Center Coliseum, Knoxville, TN. Attendance: 10,000. Audio recording exists.

2/11/84: Nashville Municipal Auditorium, Nashville, TN. Opening act: Autograph. Attendance: 9,900.

2/12/84: Richmond Coliseum, Richmond, VA. Attendance: 12,500.

2/14/84: Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, NC. Opening act: Autograph. Attendance: 12,468. Audio recording exists.

2/15/84: Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, VA. Attendance: 13,800.

2/17/84: Carolina Coliseum, Columbia, SC. Attendance: 10,354.

2/18/84: Reynolds Coliseum, Raleigh, NC. Attendance: 9,109.

2/19/84: Atlanta-Richmond County Civic Center, Augusta, GA. Attendance: 8,508. Audio recording exists.

2/22/84: The Omni, Atlanta, GA. Attendance: 13,642.

2/23/84: The Omni, Atlanta, GA. Attendance: 13,642.

3/07/84: Pittsburgh Civic Arena, Pittsburgh, PA. Attendance: Autograph. Attendance: 14,559. Audio recording exists.

3/08/84: Cincinnati Gardens, Cincinnati, OH

3/09/84: Cincinnati Gardens, Cincinnati, OH. Opening act: Autograph.

3/11/84: St. Paul Civic Center, St. Paul, MN. Opening act: Autograph. Attendance: 15,957.

3/13/84: Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont, IL. Opening act: Autograph. Audio recording exists.

3/14/84: Richfield Coliseum, Cleveland, OH. Opening act: Autograph.

3/16/84: The Centrum, Worchester, MA. Opening act: Autograph. Attendance: 11,170. Audio recording exists.

3/17/84: Providence Civic Center, Providence, RI. Opening act: Autograph. Attendance: 10,970.

3/18/84: Providence Civic Center, Providence, RI. Opening act: Autograph. Attendance: 10,970. Audio recording exists.

3/19/84: The Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA

3/20/84: The Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA. Attendance: 15,655. Audio recording exists.

3/21/84: The Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA. Attendance: 15,655. Audio recording exists.

3/22/84: Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, Buffalo, NY. Opening act: Autograph. Audio recording exists.

3/24/84: Veteran's Memorial Coliseum, New Haven, CT. Opening act: Autograph. Attendance: 9,956. Audio recording exists.

3/25/84: Capital Centre, Largo, MD. Warner Brothers films this show.

3/26/84: Capital Centre, Largo, MD. Opening act: Autograph. Warner Brothers films this show.

3/29/84: Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, CT. Opening act: Autograph. Attendance: 14,287.

3/30/84: Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY. Opening act: Autograph. Audio recording exists.

3/31/84: Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY. Opening acts: Loudness and Autograph. Audio recording exists. Autograph landed a record deal after playing these two gigs at Madison Square Garden. Thousands of balloons adorned with the Van Halen logo were dropped from the ceiling during both performances.

4/01/84: Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ. Attendance: 18,157.

4/02/84: Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ. Attendance: 18,157. Audio recording exists.

4/03/84: Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ. Attendance: 18,157. Audio recording exists.

4/05/84: Cobo Hall, Detroit, MI. Opening act: Autograph. Attendance: 11,879. Audio recording exists.

4/06/84: Cobo Hall, Detroit, MI. Attendance: 11,879. Audio recording exists.

4/14/84: Uniondale, NY

4/17/84: Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, ON. Opening act: The Velcros. Attendance: 16,072. Audio recording exists.

4/19/84: Montreal Forum, Montreal, QE. Opening act: The Velcros. Audio and video recordings exist.

4/21/84: Le Colisee de Quebec, Quebec City, QE. Opening act: The Velcros. Attendance: 12,373. Summertime Blues is added to the set list for this show. Audio recording exists.

4/25/84: The Arena, Winnipeg, MB. Opening act: The Velcros. Attendance: 13,878. Audio recording exists.

4/27/84: The Olympic Saddledome, Calgary, AB. Opening act: The Velcros. Andy Taylor cancelled as the opener and was replaced by the Velcros. Attendance: 15,500. Audio recording exists.

4/28/84: Northlands Coliseum, Edmonton, AB: Opening act: The Velcros. Attendance: 16,327.

4/30/84: Seattle Coliseum, Seattle, WA. Opening act: The Velcros. Attendance: 14,150.

5/01/84: Dive Coliseum, Vancouver, BC. Opening act: The Velcros. Attendance: 14,463.

5/02/84: Portland Coliseum, Portland, OR. Opening act: The Velcros. Attendance: 11,115.

5/04/84: BSU Pavilion, Boise, ID. Opening act: The Velcros. Attendance: 8,393.

5/05/84: The Mini Dome, Pocatello, ID. Opening act: The Velcros. Attendance: 11,626.

5/07/84: Lawlor Events Center, Reno, NV. Opening act: The Velcros. Attendance: 10,293. Audio recording exists.

5/09/84: The Cow Palace, San Francisco, CA. Opening act: The Velcros. Attendance: 14,500. Audio recording exists.

5/10/84: The Cow Palace, San Francisco, CA. Opening act: The Velcros. Attendance: 14,500. Audio recording exists.

5/11/84: The Cow Palace, San Francisco, CA. Opening act: The Velcros. Attendance: 14,500. Audio recording exists.

5/13/84: Great Western Forum, Inglewood, CA. Opening act: The Velcros. Audio recording exists.

5/14/84: Great Western Forum, Inglewood, CA. Opening act: The Velcros. Audio recording exists.

5/15/84: Thomas and Mack Center, Las Vegas, NV. Opening act: The Velcros. Attendance: 14,523.

5/17/84: Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Phoenix, AZ. Opening act: The Velcros.

5/19/84: Veterans Memororial Coliseum, Phoenix, AZ. Opening act: The Velcros. Audio recording exists.

5/20/84: San Diego Sports Arena, San Diego, CA. Opening act: The Velcros. Audio recording exists.

5/21/84: San Diego Sports Arena, San Diego, CA. Opening act: The Velcros. Audio recording exists.

5/22/84: San Diego Sports Arena, San Diego, CA. Opening act: The Velcros.

6/02/84: McNichols Arena, Denver, CO. Opening act: The Velcros. Attendance: 15,303. Audio recording exists.

6/03/84: McNichols Arena, Denver, CO. Opening act: The Velcros. Attendance: 15,303.

6/05/84: Salt Palace, Salt Lake City, UT. Opening act: The Velcros.

6/07/84: Tingley Auditorium, Albequerque, NM. Opening act: The Velcros. Attendance: 10,548.

6/08/84: Tingley Auditorium, Albequerque, NM. Opening act: The Velcros. Attendance: 10,548.

6/10/84: Frank C. Erwin, Jr. Special Events Center, Austin, TX. Opening act: The Velcros. Attendance: 14,872.

6/11/84: Hemisfair Arena, San Antonio, TX. Opening act: The Velcros.

6/13/84: The Centraplex, Baton Rouge, LA. Opening act: The Velcros. Attendance: 11,721.

6/15/84: The Myriad, Oklahoma City, OK. Opening act: The Velcros. Attendance: 12,805.

6/16/84: The Myriad, Oklahoma City, OK. Opening act: The Velcros. Attendance: 12,805.

6/17/84: Kansas Coliseum, Witchita, KS. Opening act: The Velcros. Attendance: 12,148.

6/20/84: Kemper Arena, Kansas City, MO. Opening act: The Velcros.

6/21/84: Kemper Arena, Kansas City, MO. Opening act: The Velcros.

6/23/84: Omaha Civic Auditorium, Omaha, NE. Opening act: The Velcros.

6/24/84: Omaha Civic Auditorium, Omaha, NE. Opening act: The Velcros.

6/26/84: Checkerdome, St. Louis, MO. Opening act: The Velcros.

6/27/84: Checkerdome, St. Louis, MO. Opening act: The Velcros.

6/29/84: Peoria Civic Center, Peoria, IL. Opening act: The Velcros. Audio recording exists.

6/30/84: Allen County Memorial Coliseum, Ft. Wayne, IN. Opening act: The Velcros.

7/01/84: Rockford Metro Centre, Rockford, IL. Opening act: The Velcros.

7/03/84: Dane County Memorial Coliseum, Madison, WI. Opening act: The Velcros. Attendance: 10,000. Audio recording exists.

7/05/84: Market Square Arena, Indianapolis, IN. Opening act: The Velcros. Audio recording exists.

7/06/84: Market Square Arena, Indianapolis, IN. Opening act: The Velcros. Audio recording exists.

7/07/84: Roberts Stadium, Evansville, IN. Opening act: The Velcros. Audio recording exists.

7/10/84: Frank C. Erwin, Jr. Special Events Center, Austin, TX. Opening act: The Velcros. Audio recording exists.

7/11/84: The Summit, Houston, TX. Opening act: The Velcros. Attendance: 14,130.

7/12/84: The Summit, Houston, TX. Opening act: The Velcros. Attendance: 14,130.

7/13/84: The Summit, Houston, TX. Opening act: The Velcros.

7/14/84: Reunion Arena, Dallas, TX. Opening act: The Velcros. Attendance: 16,505.

7/15/84: Reunion Arena, Dallas, TX. Opening act: The Velcros. Attendance: 16,505.

7/16/84: Reunion Arena, Dallas, TX. Opening act: The Velcros. Attendance: 16,505. Audio recording exists.

8/18/84: Donington Park Castle, Donington, Leicestershire UK. Attendance: 80,000. Audio and video recordings exist. This show was the first Monsters of Rock show out of five the band played to wrap up the 1984 Tour. This was also Van Halen's first U.K. appearance since 1981. The bill for this day included Motley Crue, Y&T, Accept, Gary Moore, Ozzy Osborne and AC/DC. This show was filmed and the performance of Hot for Teacher was used by European MTV.

8/25/84: Rasunda Stadium, Stockholm, Sweden. Audio recording exists.

8/31/84: Schuetzenwiese, Winterthur, Switzerland. Audio recording exists.

9/01/84: Wildparkstadion, Karlsruhe, Germany. Audio recording exists.

9/02/84: Zeppelinfeld, Nuremburg, Germany. Audio recording exists.