The plan was to first visit New Zealand and Australia, places the band has never played, before returning to their usual stomping grounds in the U.S. and Europe.
The stage was a much more streamlined design than in previous tours. It consisted of a few risers, scaled down rigs (less aesthetics, more functionality), and a circus-like motif. This set up remained essentially the same throughout the tour, with the exception of the lighting system, which became more sophisticated after the initial overseas dates.
Alex's drum kit was probably the most noticeable thing on the stage. Bright yellow, the kit featured Sanskrit writing that spelled out "Van Halen" and "VHIII." The idea to use Sanskrit came from the band's art director Stine Schyberg. The kit consisted of a Ludwig 4-ply 16-by-24-inch bass drum, Ludwig 4-ply toms at 8-by-10-inches, 8-by-12-inches, 16-by-16-inches, and 16-by-18-inches, Ludwig Super Sensitive 6.5-by-14-inch chrome snare, Ludwig 3.5 -by-13-inch piccolo, 13.5-inch and 12.5-inch congas, a cow bell, Paiste 2002 crashes at 16-inches, 18-inches, 18-inches (heavy), 20-inches, 20-inches (medium), Formula 602 heavy bell, 22-inch Signature Series dark ride with heavy bell, hi-hat consisting of a 15-inch Paiste 2002 top and a Paiste 2002 14-inch Sound Edge bottom, Yamaha 820 bassdrum pedals with a Roland electric kickdrum trigger, and 16-inch Calato Regal Tip Alex Van Halen Series double-butt sticks.
Eddie used three main guitars, with a few extras thrown in on special occasions. All three guitars were Peavey Wolfgangs. The primary guitar, which was used throughout most of the show, was a stock Wolfgang with tobacco sunburst finish. The guitar he used for Year to the Day and his solo was a Wolfgang Special with a Fernandes Sustainer in the neck pickup position. The third guitar was a crème Wolfgang Special with a TransTrem used for Fire in the Hole. Ed chose to use 35 to 45-foot George L chords on this tour instead of a wireless system. An attachment added to the bottom of the guitar bodies stretched the chord out away from the body to avoid becoming tangled. This tour also gave Eddie the chance to test his new 5150 II prototype amp head. He used three 5150 cabinets on stage, two in his trademark red, black, and white striped pattern, and one yellow.
Effects were kept to a minimum. His rack consisted of a Lexicon PCM 70 for Cathedral, two Roland SDE3000 Digital Delays, and an Eventide H3000 Harmonizer. His pedalboard included a 3-channel custom George Hardware bypass unit, an MXR M101 Phaser, an MXR M119 Flanger, and a wah pedal.
Taking a note from his brother, Eddie used Sanskrit on his amps to spell out "Peavey."
Mike's setup included four main bass guitars. All were Peavey, two were 4-string (one tobacco sunburst and one gold) and two were 5-string (one metallic black and one sunburst). Unlike Eddie, Mike chose to stick with a Shure wireless. His amp setup included two Ampeg SVT 300 power amps and an Ampeg SVT II Pro Pre/Power amp (for backup) with four bass cabinets (two per power amp). His effects rack, controlled by a custom-built Bob Bradshaw footswitch, consisted of two Roland DC30 analog chorus echoes, a Furman Powerswitch, a Klark Teknik Graphic EQ, an Ampeg SVP Preamp, two Boss SE70 Super Effects Processors, an SDE 3000 Digital Delay, an MXR Flanger, and an Electro Harmonix Micro Synthesizer.
The tour started out well down under and included an unusual feature the rest of the tour didn't. At some shows, during Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love, Gary would jump into the audience. When MTV filmed the 4/20/98 Sydney show, Gary continued this practice and even executed a half-faked fall down a flight of stairs (it started out as real slip and Gary decided to go with the flow).
After the Australian tour the band did a short mini-tour of the U.S. before heading to Europe. The eight show mini-tour was a huge success. The shows were often packed with fans wanting to get the first look at the new lineup live and decide for themselves what kind of a show Mach III could provide.
The European tour was cut short when a piece of the ceiling at the Docks in Hamburg, Germany fell on Alex's arm during the soundcheck. Thankful to have only injured his arm, Alex wore a soft cast. The band was forced to cancel the remaining dates on the European tour. The venue where the incident occurred was condemned the next day.
The set list for this tour changed frequently and was probably the most varied the band had played since their club days. Dirty Water Dog was performed in Australia and Japan, but was left out of the U.S. set list.
When averaged the typical set list for the main North American tour looked like this:
4/10/98: Queens Wharf, Wellington, NZ. Opening act: Destiny. Audio and video recordings exist.
4/11/98: North Shore Events Center, Auckland, NZ. Opening act: Destiny.
4/14/98: Silverdome, Launceston, AUS. Opening act: Davo. Footage of this concert, including backstage footage, was shown on Australian television's Today Tonight. Video recording exists.
4/17/98: Melbourne Park, Melbourne, AUS. Opening act: Liquid. Sammy Hagar flyers and posters are posted all over Melbourne to advertise an upcoming Sammy Hagar concert. Posters, produced by the venue hosting Hagar, read "Sammy Hagar - Ex Van Halen." Audio and video recordings exist.
4/18/98: AIS Arena, Canberra, AUS. Opening act: Liquid.
4/20/98: Sydney Entertainment Centre, Sydney, AUS. Opening act: Gumption. MTV films this concert for an episode of Live from the 10 Spot. Muchmusic also broadcasts this concert and includes four more songs than the MTV broadcast. Audio and video recordings exist.
4/23/98: Newcastle Entertainment Centre, Newcastle, AUS. Opening act: The Poor.
4/24/98: Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, AUS
4/27/98: Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide, AUS. Video recording exists.
4/29/98: Perth Entertainment Centre, Perth, AUS. Opening act: Hurricane Mary.
5/13/98: Woodlands Pavilion, Houston, TX. Opening act: Kenny Wayne Shepherd. Audio recording exists.
5/14/98: Starplex Amphitheater, Dallas, TX. Opening act: Kenny Wayne Shepherd. Audio recording exists.
5/16/98: Rosemont Horizon, Chicago, IL. Opening act: Kenny Wayne Shepherd. Eddie uses a Wolfgang guitar with a Chicago Bulls logo on the body to close this show. Audio and video recordings exist.
5/17/98: Gund Arena, Cleveland, OH. Opening act: Kenny Wayne Shepherd. Audio recording exists.
5/19/98: Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, MI. Opening act: Creed. Audio recording exists.
5/21/98: Fleet Center, Boston, MA. Opening act: Kenny Wayne Shepherd. Three songs from this show are broadcast on Real Rock TV. Audio and video recordings exist.
5/22/98: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY. Opening act: Creed. MTV's Mattrock producer Austin Reading proposes on stage to his girlfriend. The band obliges as a favor to Austin and Matt Pinfield who had just interviewed the band weeks earlier at the 5150 Studio for a special all-Van Halen episode of Mattrock. Audio and video recordings exist.
5/24/98: CoreStates Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA. Opening act: Fuel. Van Halen Day is declared in honor of the band's 22nd performance here. Audio and video recordings exist.
5/27/98: Helsinki Ice Hall, Helsinki, Finland. Opening act: Slumber.
5/29/98: Rock Im Park, Nurnberg, GER. The bill for this show also included Clawfinger, J.B.O., Therapy?, Bad Religion, Rammstein, and Ozzy Osbourne. Audio and video recordings exist.
5/31/98: Rock Am Ring, Nurburgring, GER. The bill for this show also included J.B.O., Deftones, Clawfinger, Therapy?, Bad Religion, Rammstein, and Ozzy Osbourne. Audio recording exists.
6/02/98: Huxley's Neue Welt, Berlin, GER. Opening act: Doro.
6/03/98: Docks, Hamburg, GER. This was the first show canceled due to Alex's injury. The remaining dates on the European tour were also canceled.
6/05/98: Karlshamn Rock Festival, Karlshamn, SE. Canceled.
6/06/98: Esbjerg Rock Festival, Esbjerg, DN. Canceled.
6/07/98: Tioren, Copenhagen, DN. Canceled
6/09/98: Wembley Arena, London, UK. Canceled.
6/10/98: NEC Arena, Birmingham, UK. Canceled.
6/12/98: Hallenstadion, Zurich, SW. Canceled.
6/13/98: Monsters of Rock Festival, Milan, Italy. Canceled.
6/14/98: Sportpark Boshoven, Bospop Festival, Weert, NL. Canceled.
6/16/98: Brabanthal, Leuven, BE. Canceled.
6/17/98: Le Zenith, Paris, FR. Canceled.
7/01/98: Desert Sky Pavilion, Phoenix, AZ. Opening act: Monster Magnet.
7/03/98: Del Mar Fair, San Diego, CA. Opening act: Monster Magnet. Audio recording exists.
7/04/98: Blockbuster Pavilion, Devore, CA. Opening act: Monster Magnet and Johnny Lang. Audio recording exists.
7/05/98: Shoreline Amphitheater, Mountainview, CA. Opening act: Monster Magnet. Audio recording exists.
7/07/98: Concord Pavilion, Concord, CA. Opening act: Monster Magnet. Video recording exists.
7/08/98: Arco Arena, Sacramento, CA. Opening act: Monster Magnet.
7/10/98: Rose Garden, Portland, OR. Opening act: Monster Magnet.
7/11/98: The Gorge, George, WA. Opening act: Monster Magnet. Audio recording
7/14/98: The Canyons, Park City, UT. Opening act: Kenny Wayne Shepherd.
7/16/98: Fiddler's Green, Denver, CO. Opening act: Kenny Wayne Shepherd.
7/18/98: Sandstone Amphitheater, Bonner Springs, KS. Opening act: Kenny Wayne Shepherd.
7/19/98: Riverport Amphitheater, St. Louis, MO. Opening act: Kenny Wayne Shepherd. Audio recording exists.
7/21/98: Riverbend, Cincinnati, OH. Opening act: Kenny Wayne Shepherd. Three people were stabbed outside this concert during the band's encore. By the time the encore was over the police and fire departments joined helicopters in evacuating the victims and seeking the suspects, who weren't caught (at least not on this night). Audio recording exists.
7/22/98: Deer Creek Music Center, Indianapolis, IN. Opening act: Kenny Wayne Shepherd.
7/24/98: Starlake Amphitheater, Pittsburgh, PA. Opening act: Kenny Wayne Shepherd. This show was broadcasted on the Album Network. Audio recording exists.
7/25/98: Polaris Amphitheater, Columbus, OH. Opening act: Kenny Wayne Shepherd. Video recording exists.
7/26/98: Hershey Park Stadium, Hershey, PA. Opening act: Kenny Wayne Shepherd.
7/28/98: Montage Mountain, Scranton, PA. Opening act: Kenny Wayne Shepherd.
7/30/98: Blockbuster Pavilion, Charlotte, NC. Opening act: Kenny Wayne Shepherd.
7/31/98: Coca-Cola Lakewood Amphitheater, Atlanta, GA. Opening act: Kenny Wayne Shepherd. Video recording exists.
8/02/98: Starwood, Nashville, TN. Opening act: Kenny Wayne Shepherd. Audio recording exists.
8/04/98: California Mid State Fair, Paso Robles, CA. Gary receives a bloody cut on the top of his head reportedly due to an encounter with a mic stand.
8/12/98: Molson Centre, Montreal, QC. Canceled.
8/13/98: Great Woods, Mansfield, MA. Opening act: Kenny Wayne Shepherd. This show was stopped after four songs. Gary experienced some problems with his voice and left the stage. After about fifteen minutes Eddie and Alex asked the crowd if they could come back the next night. Audio recording exists.
8/14/98: Great Woods, Mansfield, MA. Opening act: Kenny Wayne Shepherd. This show was added to make up for the 8/13/98 show. The full version of Jamie's Cryin' is played for the first time since the 1984 tour. Audio recording exists.
8/15/98: Jones Beach, Wantagh, NY. Opening act: Kenny Wayne Shepherd. Video recording exists.
8/16/98: PNC Bank Arts Center, Holmdel, NJ. Opening act: Kenny Wayne Shepherd. Video recording exists.
8/18/98: Walnut Creek Amphitheater, Raleigh, NC. Opening act: Kenny Wayne Shepherd.
8/19/98: Virginia Beach Amphitheater, Virginia Beach, VA. Opening act: Kenny Wayne Shepherd.
8/21/98: Nissan Pavilion, Bristow, VA. Opening act: Kenny Wayne Shepherd. Video recording exists.
8/22/98: Trump Marina & Casino, Atlantic City, NJ. Opening act: Kenny Wayne Shepherd. Audio recording exists.
8/23/98: SPAC, Saratoga Springs, NY. Opening act: Kenny Wayne Shepherd.
8/25/98: Darien Lake, Buffalo, NY. Opening act: Kenny Wayne Shepherd.
8/26/98: Molson Amphitheatre, Toronto, ON. Opening act: Kenny Wayne Shepherd. Audio and video recordings exist.
8/28/98: Classic Amphitheater, Richmond, VA. Opening act: Kenny Wayne Shepherd. Video recording exists.
8/29/98: Hartford Meadows, Hartford, CT. Opening act: Kenny Wayne Shepherd. Video recording exists.
8/31/98: New York State Fair, Syracuse, NY. Opening act: Kenny Wayne Shepherd.
9/02/98: Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids, MI. Opening act: Kenny Wayne Shepherd.
9/03/98: Pine Knob, Clarkston, MI. Opening act: Kenny Wayne Shepherd.
9/05/98: Alpine Valley Music Theater, East Troy, WI. Opening act: Kenny Wayne Shepherd. Kenny Wayne Shepherd, his band, and roadies run out on stage during Alex's solo and begin dancing.
9/06/98: Float-Rite Park, Somerset, WI. Canceled.
9/15/98: House of Blues, Myrtle Beach, SC. Audio recording exists.
9/16/98: House of Blues, Orlando, FL
9/17/98: Sunrise Theater, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
9/20/98: Roberto Clemente Stadium, San Juan, Puerto Rico. Canceled due to Hurricane Georges.
9/25/98: Pedreira Paulo Liminsk, Curitiba, Brazil
9/26/98: Pacaembu Stadium, Sao Paulo, Brazil
9/27/98: Metropolitan, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. These three South American dates were canceled just days after being scheduled due to a problem with a Brazilian promoter.
10/02/98: The Joint, Las Vegas, NV. Ed used his red, white, and black striped Wolfgang Special at this show. Gary dedicated Josephina to the memory or Matt Fourman, a long-time Van Halen fan. Audio recording exists.
10/03/98: The Joint, Las Vegas, NV. Audio recording exists.
10/13/98: Sullivan Arena, Anchorage, AK
10/16/98: Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu, HI
10/20/98: Sun Plaza, Hiroshima, JAP. Audio recording exists.
10/21/98: Kokusai Center, Fukuoka, JAP
10/23/98: Castle Hall, Osaka, JAP. Audio recording exists.
10/24/98: Rainbow Hall, Nagoya, JAP. Audio recording exists.
10/26/98: Sangyo Bunka Center, Iwate, JAP
10/28/98: Budokan, Tokyo, JAP. Audio recording exists.
10/29/98: Budokan, Tokyo, JAP
10/30/98: Budokan, Tokyo, JAP. You Really Got Me is added to the set list for this show. Audio recording exists.
11/01/98: NK Hall, Tokyo Bay, JAP
11/02/98: Yokohama Arena, Yokohama, JAP. Audio recording exists.
12/11/98: Roberto Clemente Stadium, San Juan, Puerto Rico. Make-up for canceled 9/20/98 show. This show was canceled due to Gary Cherone's strep throat.
]]>This tour featured the band opening for Bon Jovi on the European leg of their tour. The reasoning behind this move was that the band needed to broaden their European fan base. Bon Jovi was huge in Europe. A plethora of other bands also shared the bill on Van Halen's European dates, including Thunder, Ugly Kid Joe, Crown of Thorns, Slash's Snakepit, Die Doofen, The Pretenders, Skin, Otto, H-Blockx and Little Steven.
The band added a new element to their stage show on this tour: the Jumbotron. Initially Alex's idea, this was the band's first time touring with a video production. The Jumbotron was a giant screen, similar to a television set, located above Alex. This was only the second time the setup had been used in arenas. Barbara Streisand was the first to use it in this manner. A six-man video team using four operating cameras and three point-of-view (POV) cameras, two of which were located on Alex's drum kit, filmed the band, the crowd, and more, projecting the images onto the giant screen. The MTV-banned Amsterdam video was also shown on the Jumbotron and at the end of each show, the Balance album cover twins would appear, saying their goodbyes to the audience.
Mike added a nod to J.S. Bach's "Toccata and Fugue" in D minor (recognized by many as the macabre organ piece from the Phantom of the Opera) to his bass solo on this tour. His bass setup included five Music Man 4-string basses; two in metallic gold, two transparent red, and one sunburst. Each was outfitted with a 2TEK bridge designed by Anthony and Linn Ellsworth and were otherwise stock with the exception of an added thumb rest and the removal of the three-position pickup selector switches (the pickups were hardwired for series-only operation). All the basses were strung with Ernie Ball Hybrid Slinky strings, gauged .045 to .105. Rig-wise, Michael used three racks of gear. The first housed Samson UR-4 and UR-5D wireless receivers. His main rack consisted of two Ampeg SVT-Pro preamps, a Bradshaw switching system, a Custom Audio Electronis 3+ Tube Preamp (for the bass solo), two Roland SDE-3000 digital delays (set to 579 and 279 milliseconds), two Boss SE-70 multi-effects units (for distorted flange), and an Ampeg SVT-3000 power amp (used as a spare). The third rack housed three Ampeg SVT-300 300-watt mono tube amps; two power a pair of Ampeg SVT810Es each, and the third was a spare. He also kept some standby units from previous tours including an ADA flanger, an Electro-Harmonix Bass Micro-Synth, a Colorsound fuzz, and a Roland DC-30 chorus/echo unit.
Prior to the start of the tour, Mike teamed up with Peavey and tried out a CyberBass, a bass-to-MIDI controller that connects to a rackmount sound module. The CyberBass was a precursor to a similar concoction known as a MidiBass. He considered using it during his bass solo, but didn't for unknown reasons.
Alex drank a homemade garlic and carrot drink each night before taking the stage, that had a tendency to leave a rather garlicky-smell all around him and his drum kit. This practice made Alex the butt of many jokes. His solo featured a segment where he played against a recording of himself, showering the crowd with a rather Latinesque treat.
Eddie brought "Franky" out on the tour during the first leg, but ended up not using it for unknown reasons. Eddie also played one of his Ernie Ball Music Man guitars from time to time, which had black electrical tape covering the Music Man logo, probably due to the fact that he was now endorsing his new Peavey Wolfgang line. Early in the tour, Eddie began to experience intense pain in his hip, which was later diagnosed as Avascular Necrosis. It was common to see him standing relatively still for most of these shows, even sitting on a red, white and blacked striped stool on more than one occasion. By tour's end however, he was much more active, either getting used to the pain or doing a hell of a job masking it. His solo featured several Roth-era song teasers including the verse section to Mean Street and the intro to Runnin' with the Devil, as well as a nod to the 5-note communication sequence from the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The final leg of the tour featured the guitarist following in Alex's footsteps: he also played against a recording of himself.
The band grossed a staggering $32.7 million in support of Balance. Other top grossing acts for the year included the Eagles with $56.6 million, the Grateful Dead, R.E.M. and Page & Plant.
Typical set list:
3/11/95: Pensacola Civic Center, Pensacola, FL. Opening act: Collective Soul. MTV films "Spring Break Rocks." Audio and video recordings exist.
3/12/95: Jacksonville Coliseum, Jacksonville, FL. Opening act: Collective Soul. Audio and video recordings exist.
3/14/95: The Thunderdome, St. Petersburg, FL. Opening act: Collective Soul. Several members of the World Wrestling Federation join the band backstage.
3/17/95: Miami Arena, Miami, FL. Opening act: Collective Soul. Audio recording exists.
3/18/95: Orlando Arena, Orlando, FL. This show was canceled.
3/20/95: Orlando Arena, Orlando, FL. Opening act: Collective Soul. Audio recording exists.
3/22/95: UNO Lakefront Arena, New Orleans, LA. Opening act: Collective Soul.
3/24/95: Reunion Arena, Dallas, TX. Opening act: Collective Soul. Outfitted with a large pair of earphones, Wolfgang Van Halen takes the stage to thunderous applause. He and Eddie kick an inflatable beach ball back and forth. Audio and video recordings exist.
3/25/95: San Antonio Convention Center Arena, San Antonio, TX. Opening act: Collective Soul. Audio recording exists.
3/26/95: The Summit, Houston, TX. Opening act: Collective Soul. Audio recording exists.
3/28/95: El Paso Special Events Center, El Paso, TX. Opening act: Collective Soul.
3/29/95: Tingley Coliseum, Albuquerque, NM. Opening act: Collective Soul. Audio recording exists.
3/31/95: Thomas & Mack Arena, Las Vegas, NV. Opening act: Collective Soul. Audio recording exists.
4/01/95: America West Arena, Phoenix, AZ. Opening act: Collective Soul. Audio recording exists.
4/02/95: San Diego Sports Arena, San Diego, CA. Opening act: Collective Soul. Audio and video recordings exist.
4/04/95: Great Western Forum, Inglewood, CA. Opening act: Collective Soul. Audio recording exists.
4/05/95: Great Western Forum, Inglewood, CA. Opening act: Collective Soul. MTV films this concert and attaches the segment to news of Eddie's gun incident. Eddie also experiences major technical difficulties with his sound during the Cathedral portion of his unaccompanied solo and slams his guitar on the stage in disgust. Audio recording exists.
4/07/95: Oakland Coliseum, Oakland, CA. Canceled due to Sammy being sick.
4/08/95: San Jose Arena, San Jose, CA. Canceled due to Sammy being sick.
4/09/95: Arco Arena, Sacramento, CA. Canceled due to Sammy being sick.
4/14/95: Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont, IL. Opening act: Collective Soul. Audio recording exists.
4/15/95: Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, MI. Opening act: Collective Soul. Audio recording exists.
4/16/95: Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, MI. Opening act: Collective Soul. Audio recording exists.
4/18/95: Allen County Memorial Coliseum, Ft. Wayne, IN. Opening act: Collective Soul. MTV films an episode of Road Rules. (The cast spends the day as Van Halen roadies.) Video recording exists.
4/19/95: Rupp Arena, Lexington, KY. Opening act: Collective Soul. Audio recording exists.
4/21/95: Erwin J. Nutter Center, Dayton, OH. Opening act: Collective Soul.
4/22/95: Gund Arena, Cleveland, OH. Opening act: Collective Soul. Audio recording exists.
4/23/95: Charleston Civic Center, Charleston, WV. Opening act: Collective Soul.
4/25/95: Meadowlands Arena, East Rutherford, NJ. Opening act: Collective Soul. Audio recording exists.
4/26/95: Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY. Opening act: Collective Soul. Audio recording exists.
4/28/95: The Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA. Opening act: Collective Soul. Audio and video recording exists.
4/29/95: Worcester Centrum, Worcester, MA. Opening act: Collective Soul. Audio recording exists.
4/30/95: Providence Civic Center, Providence, RI. Opening act: Collective Soul. Audio recording exists.
5/02/95: Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, Buffalo, NY. Opening act: Collective Soul.
5/03/95: Rochester War Memorial, Rochester, NY. Opening act: Collective Soul.
5/05/95: Colisee de Quebec, Quebec, QC. Opening act: Collective Soul. Audio and video recording exists.
5/06/95: Montreal Forum, Montreal, QC. Opening act: Collective Soul. Audio and video recording exists.
5/07/95: Knickerbocker Arena, Albany, NY. Opening act: Collective Soul. Audio recording exists.
5/13/95: Oakland Coliseum, Oakland, CA. Opening act: Shaw and Blades. Make-up for canceled 4/07/95 show. Audio and video recordings exist.
5/14/95: San Jose Arena, San Jose, CA. Opening act: Slash's Snakepit. Make-up for canceled 4/08/95 show. Audio and video recordings exist.
5/15/95: Arco Arena, Sacramento, CA. Opening act: Slash's Snakepit. Make-up for canceled 4/09/95 show. Audio recording exists.
5/24/95: Le Zenith, Paris, France. Opening act: Bad Moon Rising. Attendance: 20,000. Audio recording exists.
5/26/95: Weserstadion, Bremen, GER. This is the first show that Van Halen opened for Bon Jovi. The band would continue to open for Bon Jovi until 6/30/95. Ugly Kid Joe joined Van Halen as openers for this show.
5/27/95: Weserstadion, Bremen, GER. Die Doofen joins Ugly Kid Joe and Van Halen to open this show.
5/28/95: Goffertpark, Nijmegen, Netherlands. Little Steven joins Ugly Kid Joe and Van Halen to open this show. Audio recording exists.
5/30/95: Georg-Melcher Stadion, Essen, GER
6/01/95: Sportforum, Chemnitz, GER. Ugly Kid Joe opens with Van Halen.
6/03/95: Olympiahalle (Rock Im Park), Munich, GER. Other openers at this show included Hootie & the Blowfish, H-Blockx, Ugly Kid Joe, Slash's Snakepit, The Pretenders, and Otto. Audio recording exists.
6/04/95: Nurburgring (Rock Am Ring), Nurburg, GER. Other openers at this show included Hootie & the Blowfish, H-Blockx, Ugly Kid Joe, Slash's Snakepit, The Pretenders, Otto, and Little Steven. Audio recording exists.
6/06/95: Waldbuhne, Berlin, GER. Audio recording exists.
6/07/95: Waldbuhne, Berlin, GER
6/10/95: St. Jakob-Fussballstadion, Basle, Switzerland. Other openers at this show included Allison and Thunder. Audio recording exists.
6/11/95: Osterreich-Ring, Zeltweg, Austria
6/13/95: Estadio Olympico, Barcelona, Spain. The Pretenders join Ugly Kid Joe and Van Halen as openers. Audio recording exists.
6/14/95: Palacio De Los Deportes, Madrid, Spain. Van Halen headlined this show. The opening acts were Lizard and The Pretenders. Audio recording exists.
6/15/95: Stadion Avalade, Lisbon, Portugal. Crown of Thorns joined Ugly Kid Joe and Van Halen in opening this show.
6/17/95: Festivalsite Werchter, Werchter, Belgium. Little Steven joined Ugly Kid Joe and Van Halen in opening this show. Audio recording exists.
6/18/95: Flugplatz Lahr, Lahr, GER. Little Steven joined Ugly Kid Joe and Van Halen in opening this show. Audio recording exists.
6/20/95: Omnisports De Bercy, Paris, France
6/21/95: Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff, Wales. Crown of Thorns and Thunder join Van Halen in opening this show. Video recording exists.
6/23/95: Wembley Stadium, London, England. Thunder joins Ugly Kid Joe and Van Halen in opening this show.
6/24/95: Wembley Stadium, London, England. Crown of Thorns and Thunder join Van Halen in opening this show. Audio recording exists.
6/25/95: Wembley Stadium, London, England. Crown of Thorns joins Van Halen in opening this show.
6/27/95: Gateshead Int. Stadium, Newcastle, England. Crown of Thorns and Thunder join Van Halen in opening this show.
6/28/95: Don Valley Stadium, Sheffield, England. Crown of Thorns and Thunder join Van Halen in opening this show. Richie Sambora performs Rock and Roll with Van Halen. This was the last show Van Halen opened for Bon Jovi. Audio recording exists.
6/30/95: Roskilde Festival, Roskilde, Denmark. The bill for this show included Cathedral (5:30pm), Van Halen (7:30pm), The Cure (10:00pm), and D.A.D. (1:00am). Audio recording exists.
7/15/95: Garden States Art Center, Holmdel, NJ. Opening act: Our Lady Peace. Audio recording exists.
7/16/95: Garden State Art Center, Holmdel, NJ. Opening act: Our Lady Peace. Audio recording exists.
7/18/95: Blossom Music Center, Cleveland, OH. Opening acts: Our Lady Peace and Skid Row.
7/19/95: Deer Creek Amphitheatre, Indianapolis, IN. Opening acts: Our Lady Peace and Skid Row. Audio and video recordings exist.
7/21/95: Sandstone Amphitheater, Bonner Springs, MO. Opening act: Our Lady Peace.
7/22/95: Riverport Amphitheater, Maryland Heights, MO. Opening act: Our Lady Peace.
7/23/95: Riverport Amphitheater, Maryland Heights, MO. Opening act: Our Lady Peace.
7/25/95: Tupelo Colesium, Tupelo, MS. Opening act: Our Lady Peace.
7/26/95: Starwood Amphitheatre, Nashville, TN. Opening act: Our Lady Peace. Audio recording exists.
7/28/95: World Music Theater, Tinley Park, IL. Opening acts: Our Lady Peace and Skid Row. Sammy Hagar forgets the words to Eagles Fly. Audio recording exists.
7/29/95: Alpine Valley Music Theater, East Troy, WI. Opening acts: Our Lady Peace and Skid Row. Audio recording exists.
7/30/95: Target Centre, Minneapolis, MN. Opening act: Our Lady Peace. The Monks of Gyuto Tantric University, who provided the chanting at the beginning of The Seventh Seal, opened the show. (They had put on a performance of their own the night before.) The monks were taken by surprise once the band kicked into the song. Some of the unsuspecting holy men were so disoriented, they scrambled for cover, forgetting the plans made earlier at soundcheck. Led by Kevin Dugan, the group was to exit the stage via stage right in single file, with tour manager Scotty Ross bringing up the rear. One monk jumped into the pits and another sat down on Alex's drum riser, apparently totally unsure of where he was supposed to go. Audio and video recordings exist.
8/01/95: Pine Knob Music Theatre, Clarkston, MI. Opening act: Our Lady Peace. Foxey Lady is added to the set list for this show. Audio recording exists.
8/02/95: Pine Knob Music Theatre, Clarkston, MI. Opening act: Our Lady Peace. White Room and Foxey Lady are added to the set list for this show. Audio recording exists.
8/04/95: Nissan Pavilion, Stone Ridge, VA. Opening act: Our Lady Peace.
8/05/95: Blockbuster-Sony Music Entertainment Center, Camden, NJ. Opening acts: Our Lady Peace and Skid Row.
8/06/95: Old Orchard Beach, Portland, ME. Opening act: Our Lady Peace. Audio recording exists.
8/08/95: Great Woods Center for the Performing Arts, Mansfield, MA. Opening acts: Our Lady Peace and Skid Row.
8/09/95: Great Woods Center for the Performing Arts, Mansfield, MA. Opening acts: Our Lady Peace and Skid Row. Audio recording exists.
8/11/95: Starlake Civic Center, Burgettstown, PA. Opening act: Our Lady Peace. Video recording exists.
8/12/95: The Polaris Amphitheater, Columbus, OH. Opening act: Our Lady Peace. Outside Woman Blues is added to the set list for this show. Audio recording exists.
8/13/95: Riverbend Music Center, Cincinnati, OH. Opening act: Our Lady Peace.
8/14/95: Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY. Opening act: Our Lady Peace.
8/15/95: Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY. Opening act: Our Lady Peace.
8/18/95: Molson Amphitheatre, Toronto, ON. Opening act: Our Lady Peace. Video recording exists.
8/19/95: Molson Amphitheatre, Toronto, ON. Opening act: Our Lady Peace. The Pay-per-view special is filmed. Audio and video recordings exist.
8/20/95: Frank Clair Stadium, Ottawa, ON. Opening act: Our Lady Peace.
8/22/95: Jones Beach Theater, Wantaugh, NY. Opening act: Our Lady Peace. Audio and video recordings exist.
8/23/95: Jones Beach Theater, Wantaugh, NY. Opening act: Our Lady Peace. Audio and video recordings exist.
8/25/95: Jones Beach Theater, Wantaugh, NY. Opening act: Our Lady Peace. Leslie West joins band to perform Mississippi Queen. Audio and video recordings exist.
8/26/95: The Meadows, Hartford, CT. Opening act: Our Lady Peace.
8/27/95: Montage Mountain Performing Arts Center, Scranton, PA. Opening act: Our Lady Peace. Audio recording exists.
8/29/95: Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD. Opening act: Our Lady Peace. Audio recording exists.
8/30/95: Classic Amphitheatre, Richmond, VA. Opening act: Our Lady Peace.
9/01/95: Hardee's Walnut Creek Amphitheatre, Raleigh, NC. Opening act: Brother Cane.
9/02/95: Blockbuster Pavillion, Charlotte, NC. Opening act: Brother Cane.
9/03/95: Lakewood Amphitheatre, Atlanta, GA. Opening act: Brother Cane.
9/11/95: Northlands Coliseum, Edmonton, AB. Opening act: Our Lady Peace.
9/13/95: Pacific Coliseum, Vancouver, BC. Opening act: Our Lady Peace. Audio recording exists.
9/15/95: Portland Civic Stadium, Portland, OR. Opening act: Brother Cane.
9/16/95: Gorge Amphitheatre, George, WA. Opening act: Brother Cane.
9/17/95: BSU Pavilion, Boise, ID. Opening act: Brother Cane.
9/19/95: The Delta Center, Salt Lake City, UT. Opening act: Brother Cane. Audio recording exists.
9/20/95: Fiddler's Green, Englewood, CO. Opening act: Brother Cane. Foul weather was afoot at this show. The band performed during a snowstorm, even getting involved in a playful snowball fight with the audience. The young boy featured on the Balance cover was brought on stage partway through the show and introduced to the crowd.
9/22/95: Kansas Coliseum, Witchita, KS. Opening act: Brother Cane.
9/23/95: Hilton Coliseum, Ames, IA. Opening act: Brother Cane. Audio recording exists.
9/24/95: Mark of the Quad Cities, Moline, IL. Opening act: Brother Cane.
9/26/95: Pyramid Arena, Memphis, TN. Opening act: Brother Cane.
9/27/95: Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center, Birmingham, AL. Opening act: Brother Cane.
9/29/95: Woodlands Pavilion, Houston, TX. Opening acts: Brother Cane and Skid Row.
9/30/95: South Park Meadows, Austin, TX. Opening acts: Brother Cane and Skid Row.
10/01/95: Coca-Cola Starplex, Dallas, TX. Opening acts: Brother Cane and Skid Row.
10/03/95: The Myriad, Oklahoma City, OK. Opening act: Skid Row.
10/04/95: The Myriad, Oklahoma City, OK. Opening act: Skid Row.
10/06/95: Blockbuster Desert Sky Pavilion, Phoenix, AZ. Opening acts: Brother Cane and Skid Row. Peavey presents Michael Anthony with a gold-speckled bass in hopes of an endorsement deal. Audio recording exists.
10/07/95: Glen Helen Blockbuster Pavilion, Devore, CA. Opening acts: Brother Cane and Skid Row. Eddie's guitar tech Matt Bruck and his band Zen Boy play outside as the crowd files into the Pavilion. Sammy dedicates Eagles Fly to his mother, who is watching the show from the stage. Mike performs with the Peavey bass received the night before for the very first time. Audio recording exists.
10/08/95: Selland Arena, Fresno, CA. Opening act: Brother Cane.
10/11/95: Lawlor Events Center, Reno, NV
10/13/95: Cal Expo Amphitheatre, Sacramento, CA. Opening act: Skid Row.
10/14/95: Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View, CA. Opening acts: Brother Cane and Skid Row.
10/15/95: Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre, Irvine, CA. Opening acts: Brother Cane and Skid Row. Audio recording exists.
10/25/95: Yoyogi Olympic Pool, Tokyo, JAP. Audio recording exists.
10/26/95: Yoyogi Olympic Pool, Tokyo, JAP
10/27/95: Yoyogi Olympic Pool, Tokyo, JAP
10/29/95: Kokusai Center, Fukuoaka, JAP
10/30/95: Castle Hall, Osaka, JAP. Audio recording exists.
11/01/95: Budokan Hall, Budokan, JAP. Audio recording exists.
11/02/95: Budokan Hall, Budokan, JAP
11/04/95: Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu, HI
11/05/95: Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu, HI
]]>This marked Van Halen's first U.K. appearance with Sammy Hagar as lead singer. Prior to this tour, the last show performed here was at the Monsters of Rock gig at Castle Donington on 08/18/84.
Before an outdoor show in Boston, a Junebug managed to lodge itself in one of Eddie's ears, nearly damaging his eardrum. While staying at the Four Seasons Hotel, the guitarist awoke several times throughout the night experiencing excruciating pain. Not knowing just what may be in his ear, Eddie sprayed saline solution into the ear canal, and after whacking himself in the head several times, the one-inch insect fell out into the sink.
Eddie's live rig consisted of three Peavey 4-by-12 cabinets: one dry and two with effects. Each effected cabinet was paired with an SDE-3000 digital delay, with the delay time on one set to one-half the delay time on the other to created a layered echo. An Evantide H3000 fed both effected cabinets along with a Lexicon PCM-70 digital reverb, which was used during his unaccompanied solo for Cathedral. All remaining effects were handled with effects pedals patched in via a Bob Bradshaw footswitching system. The Bradshaw unit featured four presets: one was a SDE-3000/H3000 combination, a second added a BOSS OC-2 octave divider, the third featured an MXR Phase 90 phaser, and the fourth added a Dunlop Crybaby Wah-Wah, which was always kept in the ON position. On stages that required extra-long cable runs, Eddie added a BOSS SD-1 Super Overdrive pedal to boost the signal to the wah (which occurred at approximately 10 shows throughout the tour). A Rockman noise gate was used with Ed's Sony wireless unit which sent a clean signal to his Peavey 5150 head. The signal was fed through a Palmer speaker simulator and an H&H power amp before hitting the speaker cabinets. The entire rig was capped off with Furman power conditioners keeping control of the AC voltage.
Mike added the Star Spangled Banner to his bass solo, now named Ultra Bass. As in past tours, he used an Electro Harmonix Micro-Bass Synthesizer and an Evantide Harmonizer. He used three Music Man Stingray basses as his workhorses, using a 5-string for Runaround and Spanked.
Alex's live Ludwig kit consisted of one 14-inch-by-8-inch snare drum, one 10-inch-by-8-inch tom, one 12-inch-by-8-inch tom, two floor toms measuring 16-inch-by-16-inch and 18-inch-by-16-inch respectively and two 22-inch-by-20-inch bass drums. Cymbal-wise, he used Paiste: one 15-inch Sound-edge hi-hat, five 20-inch crash cymbals, one 22-inch ride cymbal, and one 20-inch china cymbal. His sticks of choice were the Alex Van Halen signature model Calato/Regal tips.
The band designated the U.S. leg of their tour as the National Hunger Relief tour for USA Harvest, the largest all-volunteer food distribution organization in the United States. Fans were asked to donate canned goods, which were collected at the doors of each show and distributed to local missions and shelters in those cities.
Extreme was considered at one time for the opening act slot.
3/30/93: Olympiahalle, Munchen, GER. Opening act: Little Angels. Audio recording exists.
4/01/93: Palaghaccio, Rome, Italy. Opening act: Little Angels. Won't Get Fooled Again is added to the set list for this show. Audio recording exists.
4/02/93: Palatrussardi, Milan, Italy. Opening act: Little Angels. We Gotta Get Out of This Place added to the set list for this show. Audio recording exists.
4/04/93: Festhalle, Frankfurt, GER. Opening act: Little Angels. Audio and video recordings exist.
4/05/93: Frankenhalle, Nurnburg, GER. Opening act: Little Angels.
4/07/93: Alsterdorfer Sporthalle, Hamburg, GER. Opening act: Little Angels. Video recording exists.
4/09/93: Globe Arena Stockholm, Sweden. Opening act: Little Angels. Audio and video recordings exists.
4/10/93: Spektrum, Oslo, Norway. Opening act: Little Angels. Norwegian Wood and Waitin' for the Bus added to the set list for this show. Audio recording exists.
4/11/93: The Forum, Copenhagen, Denmark. Opening act: Little Angels. Audio recording exists. Born on the Bayou and Crossroads added to the set list for this show.
4/13/93: S.P. Ahoy, Rotterdam, Netherlands. Opening act: Little Angels. Audio and video recordings exist.
4/14/93: Flanders Expo, Gent, Belgium. Opening act: Little Angels. Audio and video recordings exist.
4/16/93: Hallenstadion, Zurich, Switzerland. Opening act: Little Angels. Audio recording exists.
4/17/93: Hans-Martin-Schleyerhalle, Stuttgart, GER. Opening act: Little Angels. Audio recording exists.
4/19/93: Grugahalle, Essen, GER. Opening act: Little Angels. Audio and video recordings exist.
4/21/93: Le Zenith, Paris, France. Opening act: Little Angels. Audio recording exists.
4/22/93: Le Zenith, Paris, France. Opening act: Little Angels.
4/25/93: Birmingham N.E.C. Arena, Birmingham, UK. Opening act: Little Angels. Amnesty Is Granted and All Right Now added to the set list for this show. Audio recording exists.
4/27/93: Sheffield Arena, Sheffield, UK. Opening act: Little Angels. Tony Jepson joins Van Halen for the encore.
4/29/93: Wembley Arena, London, UK. Opening act: Little Angels. Van Halen sets the record for the most seats sold on the day of a concert. The band performs All Right Now with Little Angels. Audio recording exists.
6/25/93: Pine Knob Music Theatre, Clarkston, MI. Opening act: Vince Neil.
6/26/93: Pine Knob Music Theatre, Clarkston, MI. Opening act: Vince Neil.
6/28/93: Riverbend Music Center, Cincinnati, OH. Opening act: Vince Neil.
6/29/93: Blossom Music Center, Cuyahoga Falls, OH. Opening act: Vince Neil.
7/01/93: Molson Park, Barrie, Ontario, Canada. This was the Canada Day Festival. The bill included the Jayhawks, Alannah Myles, Kim Mitchell and Vince Neil. During the encore, Eddie played an Ernie Ball Music Man guitar painted with the Canadian flag. Audio and video recordings exist.
7/03/93: Darien Lake Performing Arts Center, Darien, NY. Opening act: Vince Neil. Audio recording exists.
7/04/93: Cayuga County Fairgrounds, Weedsport, NY. Opening act: Vince Neil. Audio recording exists.
7/06/93: Orange County Speedway, Middletown, NY. Opening act: Vince Neil. Audio recording exists.
7/07/93: Thames Music Center, Groton, CT. Opening act: Vince Neil. Audio recording exists.
7/09/93: Great Woods Center, Mansfield, MA. Opening act: Vince Neil. Eddie meets Dr. Jim Schumacher, a neurosurgeon at Boston's Massachusetts General Hospital, who offered Eddie brain surgery lessons in exchange for guitar lessons. Audio recording exists.
7/10/93: Great Woods Center, Mansfield, MA. Opening act: Vince Neil. Audio recording exists.
7/11/93: Jones Beach Amphitheater, Wantaugh, NY. Opening act: Vince Neil. Audio and video recordings exist.
7/13/93: Jones Beach Amphitheater, Wantaugh, NY. Opening act: Vince Neil. Audio recording exists.
7/14/93: Jones Beach Amphitheater, Wantaugh, NY. Opening act: Vince Neil. Amnesty Is Granted is added to the set list for this show. Audio recording exists.
7/16/93: Starlake Amphitheater, Burgettstown, PA. Opening act: Vince Neil. Video recording exists.
7/17/93: Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD. Opening act: Vince Neil. Audio recording exists.
7/18/93: Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD. Opening act: Vince Neil. Audio recording exists.
7/19/93: Starlake Amphitheater, Burgettstown, PA. Opening act: Vince Neil. Audio recording exists.
7/20/93: Blockbuster Pavilion, Charlotte, NC. Opening act: Vince Neil. Audio recording exists.
7/21/93: Hardee's Walnut Creek Amphitheater, Raleigh, NC. Opening act: Vince Neil. Audio recording exists.
7/23/93: Lakewood Amphitheatre, Atlanta, GA. Opening act: Vince Neil. Audio recording exists.
7/24/93: Starwood Amphitheatre, Antioch, TN. Opening act: Vince Neil. Audio recording exists.
7/25/93: Deer Creek Music Center, Noblesville, IN. Opening act: Vince Neil. Audio and video recordings exist.
7/27/93: Sandstone Amphitheatre, Bonner Springs, MO. Opening act: Vince Neil.
7/28/93: Riverport Amphitheatre, Maryland Heights, MO. Opening act: Vince Neil.
7/30/93: World Music Theater, Tinley Park, IL. Opening act: Vince Neil. Mike breaks a string during his solo and throws his bass to the ground and lights it on fire. The Love is added to the set list. Audio recording exists.
7/31/93: Alpine Valley Music Theatre, East Troy, WI. Opening act: Vince Neil. Audio recording exists.
8/02/93: Buckeye Lake, Columbus, OH. Opening act: Vince Neil.
8/05/93: Starplex Amphitheater, Dallas, TX. Opening act: Vince Neil.
8/06/93: C.W. Mitchell Pavilion, Woodlands, TX. Opening act: Vince Neil. Eddie causes a traffic jam after the show while trying to wave down passing motorists. Eddie and Alex's limo broke down on the way out of the venue, so the guitarist stood roadside with his thumb out trying to stop passing motorists so he could borrow a cellular phone. The brothers were eventually rescued from a throng of after-show autograph seekers when Sammy's limo arrived on the scene.
8/07/93: C.W. Mitchell Pavilion, Woodlands, TX. Opening act: Vince Neil.
8/10/93: Fiddler's Green Amphitheater, Englewood, CO. Opening act: Vince Neil.
8/12/93: State Fairgrounds, Oklahoma City, OK. Opening act: Vince Neil.
8/14/93: Blockbuster Desert Sky Pavilion, Phoenix, AZ. Opening act: Vince Neil. Audio recording exists.
8/16/93: Park West Amphitheater, Park City, UT. Opening act: Vince Neil.
8/18/93: Portland Meadows, Portland, OR. Opening act: Vince Neil.
8/20/93: Shoreline Amphitheater, Mountain View, CA. Opening act: Vince Neil. Audio and video recordings exist.
8/21/93: Shoreline Amphitheater, Mountain View, CA. Opening act: Vince Neil. Amnesty Is Granted is added to the set list for this show. Audio recording exists.
8/22/93: Cal Expo Amphitheatre, Sacramento, CA. Opening act: Vince Neil. Young Man's Blues is added to the set list for this show. Audio recording exists.
8/24/93: Cal Expo Amphitheatre, Sacramento, CA. Opening act: Vince Neil. This show took place during the California State Fair. Audio recording exists.
8/27/93: Pacific Amphitheater, Costa Mesa, CA. Opening act: Vince Neil. Audio recording exists.
8/28/93: Pacific Amphitheater, Costa Mesa, CA. Opening act: Vince Neil. Towards the end of Finish What Ya Started, all of the band members' wives took to the stage dressed in Playboy Bunny outfits. Amnesty Is Granted and Young Man's Blues added to the set list for this show. Audio recording exists.
8/29/93: Pacific Amphitheater, Costa Mesa, CA. This show was cancelled.
Eddie's live rig consisted of three Peavey 5150 cabinets, each housing four 12-inch speakers at 75-watts. One cabinet amplified a dry signal and the other two ran stereo effects. The speakers in the dry cabinet differed from the two effected cabinets in that they featured a lower efficiency coil form, which promoted a natural breakup and a more desirable tone. This cabinet fed a Palmer Speaker Simulator with a line level out to a Bradshaw switching system that controlled an Eventide H-3000 Harmonizer, two Roland SDE-3000s, a Lexicon PCM-70, an MXR Phase 90, a Boss SD-1, a Cry Baby Wah Wah, and a Boss OC-2.
The effected speakers featured a higher efficiency coil form and a cleaner tone. Four 5150 heads sat in guitar tech Matt Bruck's pit: two for backup, one to Eddie's rig and the fourth was used as a direct feed to Alex (powering a pair of 2-by-12 cabinets on each side of his kit). He used a Sony wireless.
Mike's setup consisted of mostly Music Man basses and a standard Ampeg SVT 2 bass head (used as a preamp) in conjunction with three custom Ampeg 300-watt power amps. He also had Ampeg design a custom cabinet that housed two different speaker configurations, one for the high end bass sound and one for the low end. The high end was handled by eight 10-inch speakers and a horn. The low frequencies were handled by four 12-inch speakers. Added to the mix was a Rane crossover and four 12-inch port enclosures running at 80 or 90 cycles down for a "sub bass feel." The cabinets were interestingly striped with Eddie's trademark red, white, and black design.
Mike's effects included an ADA flanger, an Electro-Harmonix Micro-Synth, a Digitech harmonizer, a Roland delay, a ColorSound Fuzz Bender, and an old, analog Roland DC-30 chorus, all run through a Bradshaw switcher. He used Samson and Vega wireless systems.
Newly appointed bass tech Craig DeFalco handled effects activation during Mike's bass solo. DeFalco came on board to replace his roommate, Kevin Dugan (who had been with the band since 1980), who took a self-imposed hiatus. Dugan, who remained in regular contact with Mike (doing some pre-production on various projects among other things) returned to his hometown of Cleveland, OH, and started his own production company. Dugan returned to the road crew after the Right Here, Right Now Tour.
Alex's live Ludwig Super Classic Chrome setup consisted of one 6½-inch-by-14-inch snare drum, one 20-inch-by-22-inch bass drum, one 8-inch-by-10-inch mounted tomtom, a second mounted tomtom measuring 8-inch-by-12-inch, and two floor toms measuring 16-inch-by-16-inch and 16-inch-by-18-inch respectively. Cymbal-wise, he used one 20-inch power crash, 15-inch high hats, one 20-inch full crash, one 22-inch prototype large-bell ride, one 20-inch china and a 40-inch gong (all from the Paiste Signature Series). He also used some Simmons pads and an LP cowbell. His entire rig was held together with a custom Voelker drum rack and PureCussion RIMS. Add to that a Yamaha chain-drive double pedal (with felt beaters), Ludwig Silver-Dot Rocker heads (batter side), Ludwig Heavy Clear Rockers (bottom side), Remo Muff'ls (batter and front bass drum heads), a Simmons TMI trigger-to-MIDI interface, and a Peavey V3 synthesizer module. His sticks were Calato/Regal Tip "Alex Van Halen" sticks and his microphones were May EA/AKG internal microphones.
Typical set list:
8/16/91: Lakewood Amphitheater, Atlanta, GA. Opening act: Alice In Chains. MTV films "We're with the Band: Backstage with Van Halen." 45 U.S. Sailors from the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga attend soundcheck. Audio and video recordings exist.
8/17/91: Starwood Amphitheater, Antioch, TN. Opening act: Alice in Chains.
8/20/91: Starlake Amphitheater, Burgettstown, PA. Opening act: Alice in Chains. Audio recording exists.
8/21/91: Blossom Music Center, Cuyahoga Falls, OH. Opening act: Alice in Chains. Audio recording exists.
8/24/91: Deer Creek Music Center, Noblesville, IN. Opening act: Alice in Chains. Audio recording exists.
8/25/91: Riverport Amphitheater, Maryland Heights, MO. Opening act: Alice in Chains. Audio recording exists.
8/26/91: Sandstone Amphitheater, Bonner Springs, MO. Opening act: Alice in Chains. Audio and video recordings exist.
8/29/91: New Pine Knob Music Center, Clarkston, MI. Opening act: Alice in Chains. Audio recording exists.
8/31/91: Marcus Amphitheater, Milwaukee, WI. Opening act: Alice in Chains. Audio recording exists.
9/01/91: World Music Theater, Tinley Park, IL. Opening act: Alice in Chains. Audio recording exists.
9/05/91: Universal Amphitheater, Universal City, CA. Opening act: Alice in Chains.
9/06/91: Fiddler's Green Amphitheater, Englewood, CO. Opening act: Alice in Chains.
9/08/91: Blockbuster Desert Sky Arena, Phoenix, AZ. Opening act: Alice in Chains.
9/09/91: Cal Expo Amphitheatre, Sacramento, CA. Opening act: Alice in Chains. Video recording exists. The Top of the World (live) video is filmed.
9/10/91: Pacific Amphitheater, Costa Mesa, CA. Opening act: Alice in Chains. Audio recording exists.
9/11/91: Pacific Amphitheater, Costa Mesa, CA. Opening act: Alice in Chains. Audio recording exists.
9/13/91: Shoreline Amphitheater, Mountainview, CA. Opening act: Alice in Chains. Audio recording exists.
9/14/91: Shorline Amphitheater, Mountainview, CA. Opening act: Alice in Chains. Audio and video recordings exist.
9/15/91: Cal Expo, Sacramento, CA. Opening act: Alice in Chains.
9/23/91: Knickerbocker Arena, Albany, NY. Opening act: Alice in Chains.
10/08/91: Cumberland County Civic Center, Portland, ME. Opening act: Alice in Chains. Audio recording exists.
10/09/91: Providence Civic Center, Providence, RI. Opening act: Alice in Chains. Time's a Waste is added to the set list for this show. Audio recording exists.
10/11/91: Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, VA. Opening act: Alice in Chains.
10/12/91: Walnut Creek Amphitheater, Raleigh, NC. Opening act: Alice in Chains. Audio recording exists.
10/15/91: The Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA. Opening act: Alice in Chains. Audio and video recordings exists.
10/16/91: The Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA. Opening act: Alice in Chains. A Jamie's Cryin' jam is added to the set list for this show. Audio recording exists.
10/17/91: Capital Center, Columbia, MD. Opening act: Alice in Chains. Audio recording exists.
10/20/91: Buffalo War Memorial, Buffalo, NY. Opening act: Alice in Chains. Audio and video recordings exist.
10/23/91: Knickerbocker Arena, Albany, NY. Opening act: Alice in Chains. Audio and video recordings exist.
10/24/91: Meadowlands Arena, East Rutherford, NJ. Opening act: Alice in Chains. Audio recording exists.
10/25/91: Meadowlands Arena, East Rutherford, NJ. Opening act: Alice in Chains. Audio recording exists.
10/27/91: Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY. Opening act: Alice in Chains. Eddie briefly plays a black and white EBMM belonging to Matt Bruck, painted like the Asian Ying/Yang symbol. Video recording exists.
10/29/91: Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, CT. Opening act: Alice in Chains. Audio recording exists.
10/30/91: The Centrum, Worchester, MA. Opening act: Alice in Chains. Audio recording exists.
10/31/91: The Centrum, Worchester, MA. Opening act: Alice in Chains. Audio recording exists.
11/03/91: Montreal Forum, Montreal, QE. Opening act: Alice in Chains. Audio recording exists.
11/04/91: The Skydome, Toronto, ON. Opening act: Alice in Chains. Audio recording exists.
11/07/91: The Arena, Winnipeg, MB. Opening act: Alice in Chains. Audio recording exists.
11/09/91: Northlands Coliseum, Edmonton, AB. Opening act: Alice in Chains.
11/10/91: Saskatchewan Place, Saskatoon, SK. Opening act: Alice in Chains.
11/11/91: Olympic Saddledome, Calgary, AB. Opening act: Alice in Chains.
11/13/91: B.C. Place Stadium, Vancouver, BC. Opening act: Alice in Chains. For unknown reasons, Alice in Chains bassist Mike Starr stands in for Michael Anthony for one song. Starr told a friend after the show, "It was the most terrifying gig I'd ever done!"
11/14/91: Tacoma Dome, Tacoma WA. Cancelled due to Sammy being sick.
11/15/91: Cal-Expo Amphitheater, Sacramento, CA. Opening act: Alice in Chains.
12/02/91: The Pyramid, Memphis, TN. Opening act: THC.
12/03/91: Hirsch Memorial Coliseum, Shreveport, LA. Opening act: Alice in Chains. Audio recording exists.
12/04/91: West End Market Place (Dallas Alley), Dallas, TX. This became known as the "Dallas Free Show." After having lost his voice at a previous Texxas Jam, Sammy promised to return to the Dallas area and make up for the concert. An undetermined mass of thousands gathered in the streets for the free concert announced at approximately 12:30 A.M. the day of the show. Several national news shows covered the event and a video was released for Top of the World made up of clips from the show and the soundtrack from the Top of the World (live) video shot on 9/09/91. Set list: • Poundcake • Judgement Day • There's Only One Way to Rock • Runaround • Why Can't This Be Love? • Panama • A Apolitical Blues • Finish What Ya Started • I Can't Drive 55 • Best of Both Worlds • Top of the World. Audio and video recordings exist.
12/06/91: Gulf Coast Coliseum, Biloxi, MS. Opening act: Alice in Chains. Audio recording exists.
12/07/91: The Centraplex, Baton Rouge, LA. Opening act: Alice in Chains. Audio recording exists.
12/09/91: Tallahassee Civic Center, Tallahassee, FL. Opening act: Alice in Chains. Born on the Bayou and We Gotta Get Out of This Place added to the set list for this show. Audio and video recordings exist.
12/10/91: Jacksonville Coliseum, Jacksonvile, FL. Opening act: Alice in Chains. Audio recording exists.
12/12/91: Suncoast Dome, St. Petersburg, FL. Opening act: Alice in Chains. Attendance: 21,000. A Apolitical Blues is added to the set list for this show. Video recording exists.
12/13/91: Miami Arena, Miami, FL. Opening act: Alice in Chains. Outside Woman Blues and a Dick in the Dirt jam added to the set list for this show. Audio and video recordings exist.
12/14/91: Orlando Arena, Orlando, FL. Opening act: Alice in Chains.
1/22/92: Tacoma Dome, Tacoma, WA. Opening act: Alice in Chains. Makeup for cancelled 11/14/91 show. Audio and video recordings exist.
1/23/92: Portland Memorial Coliseum, Portland, OR. Opening act: Alice in Chains.
1/28/92: Reunion Arena, Dallas, TX. Opening act: Baby Animals. Born on the Bayou and We Gotta Get Out of This Place added to the set list for this show. Audio and video recordings exist.
1/29/92: Frank C. Irwin, Jr. Special Events Center, Austin, TX. Opening act: Baby Animals.
1/31/92: The Summit, Houston, TX. Opening act: Baby Animals. Born on the Bayou is added to the set list for this show. Audio and video recordings exist.
2/02/92: The Myriad, Oklahoma City, OK. Opening act: Baby Animals.
2/03/92: Kansas Coliseum, Witchita, KS. Opening act: Baby Animals.
2/05/92: S.I.U. Arena, Carbondale, IL. Opening act: Baby Animals. We Gotta Get Out of This Place added to the set list for this show. Audio recording exists.
2/07/92: Riverfront Coliseum, Cincinnati, OH. Opening act: Baby Animals. Outside Woman Blues and We Gotta Get Out of This Place added to the set list for this show. Audio recording exists.
2/08/92: Freedom Hall, Louisville, KY. Opening act: Baby Animals. What They Gonna Say Now is added to the set list for this show. Audio recording exists.
2/09/92: Roberts Stadium, Evansville, IN. Opening act: Baby Animals. Audio recording exists.
2/12/92: UTC Arena, Chattanooga, TN. Opening act: Baby Animals.
2/14/92: Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center, Birmingham, AL. Opening act: Baby Animals. Born on the Bayou is added to the set list for this show. Video recording exists.
2/15/92: Von Braun Civic Center, Huntsville, AL. Opening act: Baby Animals. Make It Last is added to the set list for this show. Audio and video recordings exist.
2/16/92: Thompson Boling Arena, Knoxville, TN. Opening act: Baby Animals. Make It Last is added to the set list for this show. Audio and video recordings exist.
2/19/92: Wings Stadium, Kalamazoo, MI. Opening act: Baby Animals.
2/21/92: Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, MI. Opening act: Baby Animals.
2/22/92: Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, MI. Opening act: Baby Animals.
2/24/92: Ft. Wayne Coliseum, Ft. Wayne, IN. Opening act: Baby Animals.
2/26/92: Roanoke Civic Center Coliseum, Roanoke, VA. Opening act: Baby Animals.
2/28/92: Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, NC. Opening act: Baby Animals. Audio recording exists.
2/29/92: Carolina Coliseum, Columbia, SC. Opening act: Baby Animals. Audio recording exists.
3/02/92: Wings Stadium, Kalamazoo, MI. Opening act: Baby Animals. Born on the Bayou is added to the set list for this show. Audio recording exists.
3/03/92: Allen County Memorial Coliseum, Ft. Wayne, IN. Opening act: Baby Animals. Baby Animals joins Van Halen on stage to perform Rock and Roll. Audio recording exists.
4/03/92: Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, MI. Opening act: Hardline. Suzy Q and Rock Candy added to the set list for this show. Audio recording exists.
4/04/92: Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, MI. Opening act: Hardline. Audio recording exists.
4/06/92: Bramlage Coliseum, Manhattan, KS. Opening act: Hardline.
4/07/92: Omaha Civic Auditorium, Omaha, NE. Opening act: Baby Animals.
4/08/92: Barton Coliseum, Little Rock, AR. Opening act: Baby Animals.
4/10/92: Five Seasons Center, Cedar Rapids, IA. Opening act: Baby Animals. Video recording exists.
4/11/92: Peoria Civic Center, Peoria, IL. Opening act: Baby Animals. Audio recording exists.
4/12/92: Hearns Center, Columbia, MO. Opening act: Baby Animals.
4/15/92: St. Louis Arena, St. Louis, MO. Opening act: Baby Animals. Rock Candy, Mississippi Queen, and Crossroads added to the set list for this show. Audio and video recordings exist.
4/17/92: Target Center, Minneapolis, MN. Opening act: Baby Animals. Audio recording exists.
4/18/92: Hilton Coliseum, Ames, IA. Opening act: Baby Animals. Crossroads is added to the set list for this show. Audio and video recordings exist.
4/19/92: Omaha Civic Auditorium, Omaha, NE. Opening act: Baby Animals. We Gotta Get Out of This Place is added to the set list for this show. Audio and video recordings exist.
4/22/92: Rushmore Plaza Civic Center, Rapid City, SD. Opening act: Baby Animals.
4/23/92: Metrapark Arena, Billings, MT. Opening act: Baby Animals.
4/25/92: McNichols Arena, Denver, CO. Opening act: Baby Animals.
4/27/92: Tingley Coliseum, Albuquerque, NM. Opening act: Baby Animals.
4/28/92: El Paso Special Events Center, El Paso, TX. Opening act: Baby Animals.
5/01/92: Great Western Forum, Inglewood, CA. Cancelled due to Portland Trailblazers/Los Angeles Lakers playoff series.
5/02/92: Arco Arena, Sacramento, CA. Re-scheduled for 5/10/92.
5/02/92: Great Western Forum, Inglewood, CA. Opening act: Baby Animals. Makeup for cancelled 5/01/92 show.
5/03/92: Great Western Forum, Inglewood, CA. Opening act: Baby Animals.
5/06/92: Thomas and Mack Arena, Las Vegas, NV. Opening act: Baby Animals.
5/08/92: Cow Palace, San Francisco, CA. Opening act: Baby Animals. Audio and video recordings exist.
5/09/92: Lawlor Events Center, Reno, NV. Opening act: Baby Animals. Mississippi Queen is added to the set list for this show. Audio recording exists.
5/10/92: Arco Arena, Sacramento, CA. Opening act: Baby Animals. Make-up for re-scheduled 5/02/92 show. Audio recording exists.
5/12/92: Great Western Forum, Inglewood, CA. Opening act: Baby Animals. Waitin' for the Bus and Mississippi Queen added to the set list for this show. Audio recording exists.
5/14/92: Selland Arena, Fresno, CA. Opening act: Baby Animals. Audio recording exists.
5/15/92: Selland Arena, Fresno, CA. Opening act: Baby Animals. Audio recording exists.
5/16/92: Great Western Forum, Inglewood, CA. Opening act: Baby Animals. Audio recording exists.
5/17/92: McHale Center (University of Arizona), Tuscon, AZ. Opening act: Baby Animals. This show was originally booked at the Tucson Convention Center, but the band's stage was too wide to fit inside the venue, so the show was moved to the McHale center.
5/23/92: Palacio de los Deportes, Mexico City, Mexico. Opening act: Baby Animals.
5/24/92: Palacio de los Deportes, Mexico City, Mexico. Opening act: Baby Animals.
5/29/92: Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu, HI. Opening act: Baby Animals.
5/30/92: Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu, HI. Opening act: Baby Animals.
5/31/92: Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu, HI. Opening act: Baby Animals. Audio recording exists.
]]>An additional promotion consisted of 100 autographed guitars, specially designed for the tour, which were given away in various markets throughout the United States. Each guitar, signed by all four members of the band, was painted with a Godzilla-like creature in sunglasses destroying a stadium.
With 250,000-watts of power, supplied by two sound systems weighing 440,000 pounds, suspended over a huge 168-by-60-foot stage, weighing 971 tons and transported by 51 48-foot trucks and two 50-person crews in six busses, this nearly 10-hour Monsters of Rock extravaganza was no small affair. Two jumbo lighting systems weighing 100,000 pounds and generating 850,000-watts were augmented by 20 automated lights supplying one million candle-power units per bulb. All of this was held in place by 15 automated truss structures weighing 24 tons and powered by two generators weighing 52,000 pounds.
Each show kicked off with Kingdom Come, followed by Metallica, Dokken, the Scorpions (who also played with Van Halen during the 2nd Annual Us Festival on 05/29/83), and Van Halen.
Reportedly, Van Halen added a contract rider calling for a fluffer to be present backstage for each gig on this tour.
Metallica's James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett flew back and forth between gigs and the studio as they put the finishing touches on their new album, And Justice for All.
Mike's live solo added a new touch to showmanship. Prior to the tour starting, he had a bass made that was outfitted with the mechanism from a shotgun that opens the barrels (allowing the loading of the shells). During the solo, he would run around and flick the switch, "breaking" the bass over his head while the soundman blasted samples of cracking trees through the PA. Another nifty bass was painted up to look just like a bottle of Tabasco sauce. The paint job was done by Jim O'Connor, who also painted Mike's backup Jack Daniel's bass and Eddie's Steinberger faceplates.
Eddie's live rig had his signal going from his guitar to a Sony wireless, then into a 100-watt Marshall amplifier fed through a Rane mixer. From there it went through two Roland SDE 3000s, a Lexicon PCM-70, a pair of Eventide Harmonizers, and a Rocktron Exciter/Imager and compressor. Next, the guitar signal went to an H&H V800 power amp and out to a bank of Marshall cabinets, outfitted with 30-watt Celestion speakers wired at 16 ohms.
Alex's drum kit was designed to his specifications by Ludwig. It included two bass drums: one 24-inch-by-32-inch and a second at 26-inch-by-32-inch. A single felt strip was stretched across each of the heads as padding (or muffling). His pedals of choice were the now obsolete Ghost bass drum pedals outfitted with wood beaters, which required him to glue leather pads at the point of impact on the bass heads. This technique was required because Alex had a tendency to split the beaters almost immediately without the pads. His snare measured 14-inch-by-6½-inch and he used five power tom-toms measuring 13, 14, 15, 18, and 20-inches respectively. Ludwig Rockers heads were used on all of his drums. His cymbal setup consisted of one 24-inch Paiste crash cymbal, seven 20-inch cymbals, and a 15-inch hi-hat. All of the kit's hardware was Ludwig and the joints and tension mountings were welded, due to the fact that the other band members had a tendency to jump on his kit during the show. During his solo, the kit was raised into the air above the stage, spinning and shooting off fireworks.
Although the Monsters of Rock tour lost money, the tour was the second highest grossing event of 1988, earning $26.7 million. The top-grossing act of the year was Pink Floyd with $27.6 million. Other big money makers included Aerosmith with $21.2 million, AC/DC with $20.1 million and George Michael with $17.7 million.
Typical set list:
On 9/30/88 the band embarked on a regular headlining tour in support of the OU812 album. Typical Set List:
5/27/88: Alpine Valley Music Theater, East Troy, WI. Sammy Hagar slips on a stage ramp, fracturing his tailbone. He sits on ice between songs and the wound requires 10 stitches. Van Halen earns the distinction of performing the top grossing concert of 1988 by earning $2.89 million during their 3-day stint at Alpine Valley Music Theater. Source of Infection was included in the set list for this show. Audio recording exists.
5/28/88: Alpine Valley Music Theater, East Troy, WI. Audio recording exists.
5/29/88: Alpine Valley Music Theater, East Troy, WI
6/04/88: Orange Bowl, Miami, FL. Attendance: 27,000. Audio and video recordings exist.
6/05/88: Hall of Fame Bowl, Tampa, FL. Superstition is added to the set list for this show. Attendance: 35,000. Audio recording exists.
6/10/88: RFK Stadium, Washington DC. Attendance: 40,000.
6/11/88: JFK Stadium, Philadelphia, PA. This gig was also the site of MTV's Monsters of Rock contest, where one person was to jam with the band on stage for one song. The winner didn't know how to play an instrument, so she danced with Sammy to You Really Got Me. Superstition is added to the set list for this show. Audio recording exists.
6/12/88: Sullivan Stadium, Foxboro, MA. Initially the Board of Selectmen in Foxboro voted to deny the Monsters of Rock Tour a permit to play in Foxboro (a motion they had carried out before when they denied a permit to the Jacksons on 1984's Victory tour). Van Halen counter-attacked, threatening a lawsuit, and the board gave in, allowing the tour to play at Sullivan Stadium. Attendance: 33,000. Audio recording exists.
6/15/88: Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, PA. Superstition is added to the set list for this show. Attendance: 30,000. Audio recording exists.
6/16/88: Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, MI. Attendance: 50,000.
6/17/88: Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, MI. Attendance: 35,000. Audio recording exists.
6/18/88: Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, MI. Audio recording exists.
6/19/88: Rich Stadium, Buffalo, NY. Audio and video recordings exist.
6/22/88: The Rubber Bowl, Akron, OH. Superstition is added to the set list for this show. Audio and video recordings exist.
6/23/88: The Rubber Bowl, Akron, OH
6/24/88: Oxford Speedway, Oxford, ME. This show was most likely cancelled or never officially scheduled.
6/25/88: Oxford Speedway, Oxford, ME. A severe thunderstorm created havoc at this show. A close thunder clap scared The Scorpions off the stage for while. According to Sammy Hagar, fans in the audience were struck by lightning. The storm cleared up for Van Halen's performance, but it grew very cold. The band, dressed in jackets and all performing through chords, played a shortened set dropping Why Can't This Be Love? and Summer Nights as well as the solo spots, with the exception of Eddie who played a quick version of Eruption. Audio recording exists.
6/26/88: Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ. Audio and video recordings exist.
6/27/88: Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ. Cancelled due to poor ticket sales.
7/02/88: Rice Stadium, Houston, TX
7/03/88: Cotton Bowl, Dallas, TX. This Texxas Jam was one of the shortest Van Halen headliner shows on record. Their performance clocked in at just a little more than an hour due to the fact that Sammy was suffering from a cold. To make it up to the fans, he promised the crowd that Van Halen would return to Dallas and put on a free show, which they did on 12/04/91. Superstition was added to the shortened set list for this show. Audio and video recordings exist.
7/06/88: The Hoosier Dome, Indianapolis, IN
7/08/88: Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, Memphis, TN
7/09/88: Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, Memphis, TN. Audio recording exists.
7/10/88: Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO. Audio recording exists.
7/13/88: The Metrodome, Minneapolis, MN. A Apolitical Blues is added to the set list for this show. Audio recording exists.
7/16/88: Candlestick Park, San Francisco, CA. Audio and video recordings exist.
7/17/88: Candlestick Park, San Francisco, CA
7/20/88: Joseph A. Albi Stadium, Spokane, WA. Audio recording exists.
7/23/88: Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA
7/24/88: Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA. According to reports, the audience at one of these Los Angeles shows tried to rush the stage and over 200 police officers were used to control the crowd. Audio recording exists.
7/27/88: The Kingdome, Seattle, WA. My Generation is added to the set list for this show. Audio recording exists.
7/30/88: Mile High Stadium, Denver, CO
9/30/88: Rupp Arena, Lexington, KY. Opening act: Private Life.
10/01/88: Riverfront Coliseum, Cincinnati, OH. Opening act: Private Life.
10/03/88: The Omni, Atlanta, GA. Opening act: Private Life.
10/04/88: Starwood Amphitheater, Nashville, TN. Opening act: Private Life.
10/06/88: Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, NC. Opening act: Private Life.
10/07/88: Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, NC. Opening act: Private Life. Audio recording exists.
10/08/88: Thompson-Boling Assembly Center and Arena, Knoxville, TN. Opening act: Private Life. Audio recording exists.
10/11/88: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY. Opening act: Private Life. Van Halen receives the Gold Ticket award for playing to over 100,000 fans. Audio recording exists.
10/12/88: Nassau Veterans Memorial, Coliseum, Nassau, NY. Opening act: Private Life.
10/14/88: Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, CT. Opening act: Private Life.
10/15/88: The Carrier Dome, Syracuse, NY. Opening act: Private Life. A Girl Gone Bad jam was added to the set list for this show. Audio recording exists.
10/17/88: Providence Civic Center, Providence, RI. Opening act: Private Life.
10/18/88: Worcester Centrum, Worcester, MA. Opening act: Private Life.
10/20/88: Richmond Coliseum, Richmond, VA. Opening act: Private Life. Alex incorporates Los Endos into his unaccompanied solo. My Generation is added to the set list for this show.
10/21/88: Scope Arena, Norfolk, VA. Opening act: Private Life.
10/22/88: The Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA. Opening act: Private Life. A Girl Gone Bad jam is added to the set list for this show. Audio recording exists.
10/25/88: Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont, IL. Opening act: Private Life.
10/26/88: Allen County Memorial Coliseum, Ft. Wayne, IN. Opening act: Private Life. Originally scheduled for 10/27/88.
10/27/88: Allen County Memorial Coliseum, Ft. Wayne, IN. Opening act: Private Life. Rescheduled for 10/26/88.
10/28/88: Bradley Center, Milwaukee, WI. Opening act: Private Life. Audio recording exists.
10/30/88: Notre Dame Acc., South Bend, IN. Opening act: Private Life.
10/31/88: Five Seasons Center, Cedar Rapids, IA. Opening act: Private Life.
11/01/88: Hilton Coliseum, Ames, IA. Opening act: Private Life.
11/03/88: The Myriad, Oklahoma City, OK. Opening act: Private Life.
11/04/88: Kansas Coliseum, Witchita, KS. Opening act: Private Life.
11/05/88: Devanny Sports Center, Lincoln, NE. Opening act: Private Life.
11/07/88: Peoria Civic Center, Peoria, IL. Opening act: Private Life. Warner Brothers records this show for a possible live album. Standin' at the Same Old Crossroads and My Generation are added to the set list for this show. Audio recording exists.
11/08/88: St. Louis Arena, St. Louis, MO. Opening act: Private Life.
11/09/88: St. Louis Arena, St. Louis, MO. Opening act: Private Life.
11/11/88: New Orleans, LA. Opening act: Private Life.
11/13/88: Frank C. Irwin, Jr. Special Events Center, Austin, TX. Opening act: Private Life.
11/15/88: El Paso Special Events Center, El Paso, TX. Opening act: Private Life.
11/16/88: Tucson, AZ. Opening act: Private Life.
11/17/88: Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Phoenix, AZ. Opening act: Private Life.
11/19/88: San Diego Sports Arena, San Diego, CA. Opening act: Private Life. Audio recording exists.
11/21/88: Arco Arena, Sacramento, CA. Opening act: Private Life. Audio recording exists.
11/22/88: Lawlor Events Center, Reno, NV. Opening act: Private Life.
11/24/88: Portland Memorial Coliseum, Portland, OR. Opening act: Private Life.
11/26/88: Salt Palace, Salt Lake City, UT. Opening act: Private Life.
1/19/89: Tokyo, Japan. Opening act: Private Life. Video recording exists.
1/23/89: Kyoto, Japan. Opening act: Private Life.
1/24/89: Osaka, Japan. Opening act: Private Life.
1/25/89: Castle Hall, Osaka, Japan. Opening act: Private Life. Audio recording exists.
1/27/89: Hiroshima, Japan. Opening act: Private Life.
1/29/89: Pulse Plaza, Kyoto, Japan. Opening act: Private Life. Audio recording exists.
1/30/89: Nagoya, Japan. Opening act: Private Life.
2/01/89: The Super Dome, Tokyo, Japan. Opening act: Private Life. This show was broadcast on Japanese television. Audio and video recordings exist.
2/02/89: The Super Dome, Tokyo, Japan. Opening act: Private Life. A Apolitical Blues is added to the set list for this show. Audio recording exists.
2/26/89: Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu, HI. Opening act: Private Life.
]]>The opening band, Bachman Turner Overdrive, was attempting a comeback and Van Halen gave them the shot at opening the entire tour. Labeled as "1/2 a Ton of Rock and Roll," BTO was one of the few acts to survive the opening act slot. James Brown, fresh from a jail stint and riding the success of Living in America, was initially offered the opening slot, but both bands' management were unable to come to a suitable monetary agreement. Reportedly, Brown's camp was asking $25,000 per show and Van Halen's management passed on the idea.
The tri-level stage consisted of over 1,000 lights, 20,000-watts of sound, 55 audio cabinets, and a 50-man road crew. According to legend, the stage was outfitted with a specially constructed truss that was to hoist Hagar out over the audience.
Sammy added guitar to several songs while on stage, including You Really Got Me, Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love, Why Cant This Be Love?, Love Walks In, There's Only One Way to Rock, and I Can't Drive 55. His live setup included Dean, Kramer, and Jackson guitars and a "mongrel" amp setup featuring Randall 4-by-12 cabinets with Electro-Voice speakers.
Eddie's stage rig consisted of his main 5150 Kramer guitar outfitted with Seymour Duncan pickups, and a Steinberger GL-2T for Get Up and Good Enough; all connected to a prototype Sony wireless transmitter. Amplifier-wise, he used one Marshall head powered by four H&H 800-watt power amps.
For the keyboard songs, Eddie used a Kurzweil MIDIed to four Obenheimer OB-8s; one for Why Can't This Be Love?, a second for Love Walks In, a third for Dreams, and a fourth for backup.
His solo consisted of a short piece by Debussy, his own version of Fur Elise, and his standards of Spanish Fly, Eruption, Mean Street (intro), and an early version of 316.
Mike's live rig consisted of a Mesa Boogie Bass 400 amplifier with a Mesa Boogie cabinet housing a 15-inch Mesa Boogie E-V speaker wound especially for the bassist. He also used Flagg Systems cabinets loaded with Gauss drivers. Effects-wise, Mike used an Electro-Harmonix Micro Bass synthesizer during his solo, along with a pair of Lexicon's, MXR and ADA flangers, a pair of Colorado Sound Tone Benders, and a Roland DC-30 Chorus Echo unit. His Aria, Schecter, and Jack Daniels basses were all outfitted with Roto Sound Round Wound strings, changed religiously after every three shows. For the keyboard-based tracks in the set, he used an Apostrophe five string bass with a low B string. He also used the same Schaeffer-Vega wireless unit he'd been using on every tour since 1978.
Alex's kit featured Ludwig shells housing Simmons electronic drums with two bass drums, three rack toms mounted in front, and two lower toms on his right. It also included two acoustic toms measuring 13-inch and 14-inch respectively along with an acoustic 20-inch Ludwig floor tom. His snare drum was a rosewood Tama measuring 6½-inch deep. He used Paiste 2002 series cymbals including a 20-inch China, three 20-inch crashes, a 24-inch ride, a 15-inch Sound Edge hi-hat, and a 40-inch gong. All the hardware was made by Ludwig, to which he added Ghost pedals. His sticks were Pro-Mark 5As.
In an effort to be able to get both a double-headed and single-headed bass drum sound, a large orange-colored vacuum hose was run between two of the bass drums. The idea was for the soundman at each venue to have the option of picking the kind of bass drum sound that he wanted. It didn't quite work as planned though as there really wasn't enough air flowing to make the second bass drum sound.
During the four-day run at the Centrum in Worcester, MA, the band was presented with the key to the city of Boston.
Two warm-up shows in Anchorage, AK, and a third in Hawaii were cancelled because the 5150 album was still being mixed by Eddie, Donn Landee, and Mick Jones in-between rehearsals. They were later rescheduled for the end of the tour, but for unknown reasons were again cancelled.
Typical set list:
3/27/86: Hirsch Memorial Coliseum, Shreveport, LA. Opening act: BTO.
3/28/86: Barton Coliseum, Little Rock, AR. Opening act: BTO. Audio recording exists.
3/29/86: Mid-South Coliseum, Memphis, TN. Opening act: BTO.
3/31/86: Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center, Birmingham, AL. Opening act: BTO.
4/01/86: Von Braun Civic Center, Huntsville, AL. Opening act: BTO.
4/03/86: Jackson Coliseum, Jackson, MS. Opening act: BTO.
4/04/86: The Centraplex, Baton Rouge, LA. Opening act: BTO.
4/05/86: Gulf High Coliseum, Biloxi, MI. Opening act: BTO.
4/07/86: The Sportatorium, Hollywood, FL. Opening act: BTO. Miami Dolphins five-time Pro Bowler Bob Baumhower takes the stage to sing Jump.
4/08/86: Lee Civic Center, Ft. Myers, FL. Opening act: BTO.
4/10/86: Lakeland Civic Center, Lakeland, FL. Opening act: BTO. Audio recording exists.
4/11/86: Lakeland Civic Center, Lakeland, FL. Opening act: BTO.
4/12/86: Jacksonville Coliseum, Jacksonville, FL. Opening act: BTO.
4/14/86: The Omni, Atlanta, GA. Opening act: BTO. The band is informed that the 5150 album is #1 on the Billboard charts, and a celebration party is held just before show time. Audio recording exists.
4/15/86: Carolina Coliseum, Columbia, SC. Opening act: BTO. Audio recording exists.
4/19/86: Roberts Stadium, Evansville, IN. Opening act: BTO.
4/20/86: Municipal Auditorium, Nashville, TN. Opening act: BTO.
4/22/86: Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont, IL. Opening act: BTO.
4/23/86: Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont, IL. Opening act: BTO. Rock Candy is added to the set list for this show. Audio recording exists.
4/24/86: Rockford Metro Centre, Rockford, IL
4/26/86: SIU Arena, Carbondale, IL. Opening act: BTO.
4/27/86: Peoria Civic Center, Peoria, IL. Opening act: BTO. Wild Thing and Make It Last are added to the set list for this show. Audio recording exists.
4/29/86: St. Paul Civic Center, St. Paul, MN. Opening act: BTO. Audio recording exists.
4/30/86: Five Seasons Center, Cedar Rapids, IA. Opening act: BTO.
5/02/86: Allen County Memorial Coliseum, Ft. Wayne, IN. Opening act: BTO. Audio recording exists.
5/03/86: Market Square Arena, Indianapolis, IN. Opening act: BTO. Audio recording exists.
5/06/86: Cincinnati Gardens, Cincinnati, OH. Opening act: BTO.
5/07/86: Cincinnati Gardens, Cincinnati, OH. Opening act: BTO. Audio recording exists.
5/09/86: Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, MI. Opening act: BTO. Wild Thing and Make It Last added to set list for this show.
5/10/86: Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, MI. Opening act: BTO. Rock Candy and Wild Thing added to set list for this show. Audio and video recordings exist.
5/11/86: Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, MI. Opening act: BTO. Audio recording exists.
5/13/86: Pittsburgh Civic Arena, Pittsburgh, PA. Opening act: BTO. Van Halen grosses $235,265. Attendance: 15,899.
5/14/86: Charleston Civic Center, Charleston, WV. Opening act: BTO.
5/16/86: Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, NC. Opening act: BTO. Audio recording exists.
5/17/86: Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, VA. Opening act: BTO.
5/18/86: Roanoke Coliseum, Roanoke, VA. Opening act: BTO.
5/20/86: The Omni, Atlanta, GA. Opening act: BTO. Makeup date for a previously cancelled show. Sammy publicly slams a reporter over an article written about the cancelled concert.
5/21/86: Thompson Boling Arena, Knoxville, TN. Opening act: BTO. Audio recording exists.
5/23/86: Alpine Valley Music Theater, East Troy, WI. Opening act: BTO. A short version of Black and Blue is performed at this show. Audio recording exists.
5/24/86: Alpine Valley Music Theater, East Troy, WI. Opening act: BTO.
5/26/86: Memorial Auditorium, Des Moine, IA. Opening act: BTO. Make It Last is added to the set list for the show. Audio and video recordings exist.
5/27/86: Omaha Civic Auditorium, Omaha, NE. Opening act: BTO.
5/28/86: Kansas Coliseum, Witchita, KS. Opening act: BTO.
5/30/86: Kemper Auditorium, Kansas City, MO. Opening act: BTO. Audio recording exists.
5/31/86: Kemper Auditorium, Kansas City, MO. Opening act: BTO. Crossroads and Make It Last added to set list for this show. Audio and video recordings exist.
6/02/86: Market Square Arena, Indianapolis, IN. Opening act: BTO. Audio recordings exist.
6/11/86: Oakland Coliseum, Oakland, CA. Opening act: BTO.
6/26/86: San Diego Sports Arena, San Diego, CA. Opening act: BTO.
6/28/86: San Diego Sports Arena, San Diego, CA. Opening act: BTO. Audio recording exists.
6/29/86: San Diego Sports Arena, San Diego, CA. Opening act: BTO.
7/02/86: Great Western Forum, Inglewood, CA. Opening act: BTO. Van Halen's first Los Angeles show with Sammy Hagar. Numerous celebrities joined the band backstage including Tommy Lee and Heather Locklear, John Stamos, Dweezil and Moon Zappa, Ratt's Stephen Pearcy, and Paul Stanley. After the show, the band was presented with platinum sales awards for 5150 at a Los Angeles Hard Rock Café.
7/03/86: Great Western Forum, Inglewood, CA. Opening act: BTO. Audio recording exists.
7/05/86: Great Western Forum, Inglewood, CA. Opening act: BTO.
7/08/86: Compton Terrace, Phoenix, AZ. Opening act: BTO.
7/12/86: Folsom Field, Boulder, CO. Known as the Colorado Sun Day, the bill for this show included Loverboy, Dio, and BTO.
7/14/86: Tingley Coliseum, Albuquerque, NM. Opening act: BTO.
7/16/86: The Myriad, Oklahoma City, OK. Opening act: BTO. Make It Last is added to the set list for this show. Audio recording exist.
7/19/86: Cotton Bowl, Dallas, TX. This was the 9th annual Texxas Jam. The bill included BTO, Keel, Krokus, Dio, and Loverboy. Attendance: 72,000.
7/21/86: St. Louis Arena, St. Louis, MO. Opening act: BTO.
7/22/86: St. Louis Arena, St. Louis, MO. Opening act: BTO.
7/23/86: St. Louis Arena, St. Louis, MO. Opening act: BTO.
7/25/86: Richfield Coliseum, Cleveland, OH. Opening act: BTO.
7/26/86: Richfield Coliseum, Cleveland, OH. Opening act: BTO. Leslie West joined BTO on stage to perform Mississippi Queen.
7/28/86: The Meadowlands, East Rutherford, NJ. Opening act: BTO. Make It Last is added to the set list for this show.
7/29/86: The Meadowlands, East Rutherford, NJ. Opening act: BTO with Leslie West.
7/31/86: The Meadowlands, East Rutherford, NJ. Opening act: BTO with Leslie West. An unknown quantity of tickets for this show were printed with the following date: "7-2-30-86." Foxey Lady is added to the set list for this show. Audio recording exists.
8/01/86: The Meadowlands, East Rutherford, NJ. Opening act: BTO with Leslie West. Make It Last is added to the set list for this show. Audio recording exists.
8/02/86: Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY. Opening act: BTO.
8/04/86: The Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA. Opening act: BTO. Audio recording exists.
8/05/86: The Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA. Opening act: BTO. Audio recording exists.
8/06/86: The Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA. Opening act: BTO. Rock Candy is added to the set list for this show.
8/08/86: Capital Centre, Largo, MD . Opening act: BTO. Summertime Blues is added to the set list for this show. Audio recording exists.
8/09/86: Capital Centre, Largo, MD. Opening act: BTO. Audio recording exists.
8/11/86: The Centrum, Worcester, MA. Opening act: BTO. Audio recording exists.
8/12/86: The Centrum, Worcester, MA. Opening act: BTO. Audio recording exists.
8/14/86: The Centrum, Worcester, MA. Opening act: BTO. Audio recording exists.
8/15/86: The Centrum, Worcester, MA. Opening act: BTO. Growth and Outside Woman Blues added to the set list for this show. Audio recording exists.
8/18/86: Canadian National Exhibition Stadium, Toronto, ON. Opening act: BTO and Loverboy. Summertime Blues added to the set list for this show. Audio recording exists.
8/19/86: Manitoba, Canada. Opening act: BTO.
8/20/86: Montreal Forum, Montreal, QE. Opening act: BTO. Sammy and Alex switch places for a short time during this concert. Alex took the microphone while Sammy pounds Alex's drums. Audio and video recordings exist.
8/22/86: Providence Civic Center, Providence, RI. Opening act: BTO. Make It Last added to set list for this show. Audio recording exists.
8/23/86: Providence Civic Center, Providence, RI. Opening act: BTO.
8/24/86: Portland Memorial Coliseum, Portland, ME. Opening act: BTO.
8/25/86: Portland Memorial Coliseum, Portland, ME. Opening act: BTO. Audio recording exists.
8/26/86: Veterans Memorial Coliseum, New Haven, CT. Opening act: BTO. Live without a Net footage is supposed to be filmed, but isn't due to an equipment malfunction. Audio recording exists.
8/27/86: Veterans Memorial Coliseum, New Haven, CT. Opening act: BTO. Live without a Net footage is filmed. Audio and video recordings exist.
8/29/86: Niagra Falls Convention Center, Niagra Falls, NY. Opening act: BTO.
8/30/86: Niagra Falls Convention Center, Niagra Falls, NY. Opening act: BTO.
9/01/86: Silver Stadium, Rochester, NY. Opening act: BTO and Kim Mitchell. Audio and video recordings exist.
9/27/86: Cajundome, Lafayette, LA. Opening act: BTO.
9/29/86: The Summit, Houston, TX. Opening act: BTO.
9/30/86: TCCC Arena, Ft. Worth, TX. Opening act: BTO. Sunshine of Your Love added to set list for this show.
10/01/86: TCCC Arena, Ft. Worth, TX. Opening act: BTO.
10/03/86: San Antonio Convention Center, San Antonio, TX. Opening act: BTO.
10/04/86: Frank C. Erwin, Jr. Special Events Center, Austin, TX. Opening act: BTO. Sunshine of Your Love added to set list for this show.
10/06/86: Pan American Center, Las Cruces, NM. Opening act: BTO.
10/08/86: Salt Palace, Salt Lake City, UT. Opening act: BTO.
10/10/86: Casper Events Center, Casper WY. Opening act: BTO.
10/11/86: Rushmore Plaza Civic Center, Rapid City, SD. Opening act: BTO.
10/14/86: The Metra, Billings, MT. Opening act: BTO.
10/16/86: BSU Pavilion, Boise, ID. Opening act: BTO. A bomb threat after the opening act caused the Pavilion to be evacuated and the show to be delayed by approximately one hour. Upon restarting, Sammy Hagar remarked, "Who in their right mind would want to blow up a Van Halen concert?"
10/18/86: ISU Minidome, Pocatello, WA. Opening act: BTO.
10/19/86: BSU Pavilion, Boise, ID. Opening act: BTO.
10/21/86: Seattle Center, Seattle, WA. Opening act: BTO.
10/22/86: Seattle Center, Seattle, WA. Opening act: BTO. Heart's Ann Wilson joins the band onstage to perform Rock and Roll.
10/23/86: BC Place Stadium, Vancouver, British Columbia. Opening act: BTO and Tom Cochrane.
10/25/86: Portland Memorial Coliseum, Portland, OR. Opening act: BTO.
10/26/86: Portland Memorial Coliseum, Portland, OR. Opening act: BTO.
10/29/86: Lawlor Events Center, Reno, NV. Opening act: BTO.
10/31/86: Cow Palace, San Francisco, CA. Opening act: BTO. Attendance: 15,000.
11/01/86: Cow Palace, San Francisco, CA. Opening act: BTO. Attendance: 15,000.
11/02/86: Cow Palace, San Francisco, CA. Opening act: BTO. Attendance: 15,000.
11/03/86: Cow Palace, San Francisco, CA. Opening act: BTO. Pipeline added to the set list for this show. Audio recording exists. Attendance: 15,000.
]]>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.
]]>With this tour we saw the birth of the infamous "Grid System." Mostly Dave's idea, it began when the band was planning the tour in the late spring/early summer of 1982. A small-scale model of the stage was designed and housed at their Hollywood, CA, business office. Each of the stage barricades was marked with a number and each number corresponded to specific security guards, located at various points around the stage. If Roth spotted a female fan that he wanted to party with after the show at say, section 24, the appropriate guard was sent to hunt her down and provide her with a backstage pass. Should the guard be unable to locate the specified person or if he found others en route who were good enough or better than the selected recipient, it was his call whether or not to provide them with a pass.
This tour introduced Jimmy Briscoe and Danny Rodgers, Dave's personal little person bodyguards, who remained with the band through the 1984 Tour. They were frequently seen dressed in all kinds of outfits, including S.W.A.T. uniforms, karate guis and tuxedos.
Michael's live rig was made up of four or five basses, each strung with Rotosound Swing Bass Roundwound strings. This collection included Fender Precisions with Yamaha pickups and Badass bridges along with his main bass - a prototype Yamaha Broad Bass 2000, given to him when the band was in Japan a few years earlier. For amplification he used SVT amplifiers fed through Flagg System cabinets with 18-inch Gauss bottoms and 12-inch Gauss tops. His solo routinely featured the Bonanza theme.
Alex's Ludwig setup consisted of one kick drum, one 14-inch-by-10-inch rack tom, one 18-inch-by-20-inch floor tom, one rosewood 6 ¼-inch-by-14-inch snare drum with a Black-Dot CS head, three tomtoms measuring 12-inch, 13-inch, and 20-inch respectively, a high-hat, and various other Paiste cymbals, including a 24-inch heavey ride and a 20-inch crash. His hardware was a hybrid mixture of sorts and everything was welded together to keep from breaking when Roth would climb on his kit during the show.
The band had planned a European leg for the tour, with stops in the Netherlands, but it was cancelled by Warner Brothers who reportedly demanded Van Halen back to the studio to begin work on a new album.
In January 1983, as a substitute for the cancelled leg of the U.K. tour, the band made a short run through South America (dubbed the No Problem Tour). Stops included Argentina, Venezuela, Brazil, and Uruguay. At one Venezuelan show, Eddie played the entire evening from stage right (the spot normally held by Michael Anthony) for the first and only time in the band's history. During this leg of the tour, Dave played a song entitled Ode to Argentina, unaccompanied on an acoustic/electric guitar.
Typical set list:
7/14/82: Augusta-Richmond County Civic Center, Augusta, GA. Opening act: After the Fire.
7/16/82: Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, NC. Audio recording exists. Warner Brothers films this show and some backstage footage.
7/17/82: Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, NC. Audio recording exists.
7/18/82: Carolina Coliseum, Columbia, SC
7/20/82: Knoxville Coliseum, Knoxville, TN. Opening act: After the Fire.
7/22/82: Birmingham Jefferson Civic Center, Birmingham, AL. Opening act: After the Fire. Audio recording exists.
7/23/82: Jackson Coliseum, Jackson, MS
7/24/82: Biloxi Coliseum, Biloxi, MS
7/27/82: Nashville Memorial Coliseum, Nashville, TN
7/29/82: Hara Arena, Dayton, OH
7/30/82: Freedom Hall, Louisville, KY. Opening act: After the Fire. Audio recording exists.
7/31/82: Allen County Memorial Coliseum, Ft. Wayne, IN
8/03/82: Rockford Metro Centre, Rockford, IL
8/04/82: Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Des Moines, IA. Opening act: After the Fire.
8/06/82: Checkerdome, St. Louis, MO. Edward meets Dan Martin and by 5:30 the following morning, purchases a mint condition 1958 Gibson Flying V.
8/07/82: Kemper Arena, Kansas City, MO
8/08/82: Omaha Civic Auditorium, Omaha, NE
8/10/82: St. Paul Civic Center, St. Paul, MN. Opening act: After the Fire. Attendance: 15,207.
8/11/82: Dane County Memorial Coliseum, Madison, WI. Audio recording exists.
8/13/82: Cobo Hall, Detroit, MI. Audio recording exists.
8/14/82: Cobo Hall, Detroit, MI. Opening act: After the Fire. Audio recording exists.
8/16/82: Mecca Auditorium, Milwaukee, WI. Opening act: After the Fire.
8/18/82: Brown County Veterans Memorial Arena, Green Bay, WI
8/19/82: The Pavilion, Chicago, IL. Opening act: After the Fire. Audio recording exists.
8/20/82: The Pavilion, Chicago, IL
8/21/82: Richfield Coliseum, Cleveland, OH
9/01/82: Portland Memorial Coliseum, Portland, OR
9/02/82: Seattle Coliseum, Seattle, WA. Audio recording exists.
9/03/82: Vancouver Coliseum, Vancouver, BC
9/05/82: Selland Arena, Fresno, CA. Audio recording exists.
9/07/82: Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Phoenix, AZ. Opening act: After the Fire.
9/08/82: Omaha Civic Auditorium, Omaha, NE
9/10/82: Great Western Forum, Inglewood, CA. Opening act: After The Fire. Audio recording exists.
9/11/82: Great Western Forum, Inglewood, CA
9/12/82: Great Western Forum, Inglewood, CA
9/14/82: Cow Palace, San Francisco, CA. Opening act: Kix. Audio recording exists.
9/15/82: Cow Palace, San Francisco, CA. Opening act: After The Fire. Audio recording exists.
9/17/82: Aladdin Hotel, Las Vegas, NV
9/18/82: Aladdin Hotel, Las Vegas, NV
9/19/82: El Paso County Coliseum, El Paso, TX
9/21/82: The Myriad, Oklahoma City, OK. Opening act: After the Fire.
9/22/82: Assembly Hall, Tulsa, OK
9/23/82: Kansas Coliseum, Wichita, KS
9/24/82: The Summit, Houston, TX
9/25/82: Hirsch Memorial Coliseum, Shreveport, LA
9/26/82: Casper, WY
10/07/82: New Haven Coliseum, New Haven, CT. Opening act: After the Fire. Audio recording exists.
10/08/82: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY. Opening act: After the Fire. Audio recording exists.
10/09/82: The Carrier Dome, Syracuse, NY. Opening act: After the Fire. Attendance: 32,000. Audio recording exists.
10/11/82: Capitol Centre, Largo, MD. Opening act: After the Fire. Audio and video recordings exist. Warner Brothers films this show.
10/12/82: Capitol Centre, Largo, MD. Opeing act: After the Fire. Audio recording exists. Warner Brothers films this show.
10/13/82: Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY
10/14/82: Pittsburgh Civic Arena, Pittsburgh, PA
10/15/82: Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ. Cancelled due to Eddie's wrist fracture.
10/16/82: Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ. Cancelled due to Eddie's wrist fracture.
10/18/82: Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY. Cancelled due to Eddie's wrist fracture.
10/19/82: The Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA. Audio recording exists.
10/20/82: The Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA. Audio recording exists.
10/22/82: The Centrum, Worcester, MA. Opening act: Joe Whiting & the Bandit Band. A third show at this venue was added to the tour schedule and Van Halen Day is declared due to a 25,000-signature petition headed by radio's WAAF program director, Rob Barnett.
10/23/82: The Centrum, Worcester, MA. Opening act: Joe Whiting & the Bandit Band.
10/24/82: The Centrum, Worcester, MA. Opening act: Joe Whiting & the Bandit Band.
10/26/82: Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, ON. Opening act: Joe Whiting & the Bandit Band. Audio recording exists.
10/27/82: Montreal Forum, Montreal, QC. Audio and video recordings exist.
10/30/82: Roanoke Civic Center, Roanoke, VA
10/31/82: Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, VA. Opening act: Accept. Audio recording exists.
11/01/82: Pittsburgh Civic Arena, Pittsburgh, PA
11/03/82: The Omni, Atlanta, GA
11/05/82: Riverfront Coliseum, Cincinnati, OH
11/06/82: Rupp Arena, Lexington, KY
11/07/82: University of Tennessee Arena, Chattanooga, TN
11/13/82: Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY. Makeup for canceled 10/18/82 show. Audio and video recordings exist.
11/14/82: Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ. Makeup for canceled 10/15/82 show. Audio recording exists.
11/15/82: Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ. Makeup for canceled 10/16/82 show. Audio recording exists.
11/18/82: Reunion Arena, Dallas, TX. Audio recording exists.
11/19/82: Reunion Arena, Dallas, TX. Audio recording exists.
11/20/82: Frank C. Irwin, Jr. Special Events Center, Austin, TX
11/22/82: San Antonio Convention Center Arena, San Antonio, TX
11/24/82: Kansas Coliseum, Wichita, KS
11/26/82: Riverside Centroplex, Baton Rouge, LA
11/28/82: Mobile Municipal Auditorium, Mobile, AL
11/29/82: Von Braun Civic Center, Huntsville, AL
11/30/82: Asheville Civic Center, Asheville, NC
12/02/82: Mid-South Coliseum, Memphis, TN
12/04/82: Freedom Hall, Johnson City, TN
12/05/82: Reynolds Coliseum, Raleigh, NC
12/07/82: Lakeland Civic Center, Lakeland, FL
12/08/82: Lakeland Civic Center, Lakeland, FL
12/09/82: Sportatorium, Hollywood, FL
12/10/82: Sportatorium, Hollywood, FL. Audio recording exists.
12/11/82: Jacksonville Coliseum, Jacksonville, FL
1/14/83: Paliebro, Caracas, VENEZUELA. May have been cancelled.
1/15/83: Paliebro, Caracas, VENEZUELA. May have been cancelled.
1/16/83: Paliebro, Caracas, VENEZUELA. Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers is added to the set list for this show. Audio and video recordings exist.
1/21/83: Ibirapuera Gymnasium, Sao Paulo, BRAZIL. Opening act: Patrulha do Espaco. Video recording exists.
1/22/83: Ibirapuera Gymnasium, Sao Paulo, BRAZIL. Opening act: Patrulha do Espaco.
1/23/83: Ibirapuera Gymnasium, Sao Paulo, BRAZIL. Opening act: Patrulha do Espaco
1/26/83: Maracanãzinho Gymnasium, Rio De Janeiro, BRAZIL
1/27/83: Maracanãzinho Gymnasium, Rio De Janeiro, BRAZIL. Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers and Heartbreak Hotel added to set list for this show. Audio recording exists.
1/28/83: Gigantinho Gymnasium, Porto Alegre, BRAZIL
1/29/83: Gigantinho Gymnasium, Porto Alegre, BRAZIL
2/05/83: Auditorio El Cilandro, Montevideo, URUGUAY. Heartbreak Hotel added to set list for this show. Audio recording exists.
2/07/83: Auditorio Obras, Buenos Aires, ARGENTINA
2/08/83: Newell's Old Boys, Rosario, ARGENTINA. May have been cancelled.
2/09/83: Newell's Old Boys, Rosario, ARGENTINA. May have been cancelled.
2/11/83: Auditorio Obras, Buenos Aires, ARGENTINA. Summertime Blues added to set list for this show. Audio and video recordings exist.
2/12/83: Auditorio Obras, Buenos Aires, ARGENTINA. May have been cancelled.
2/13/83: Auditorio Obras, Buenos Aires, ARGENTINA. May have been cancelled.
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