Just curious if there were others before the stones did it?

I remember U2 doing it, not sure which tour, possibly the Achtung Baby tour...well they did it at Roundhay Park Leeds Uk - I think!

I tought Gazza's band, Bon Jovi was the first!

Ask Macca (William Shears Campbell) and he will probably say Betales was the first

U2 certainly did it (Zoo TV tour, 1992) before the Stones, but as far as I know Bryan Adams was using one in the 80's.

The Stones didnt do it until 1997 (although theyd done a moving stage mini-set as a one off on the Miami PPV show in November '94)

Who was the first major (arena/stadium) act to have long ramps jutting out from the main stage???
Probably first happened when microphones & guitars became wireless.


IORR............but I like it!

U2.....absolutely.....peter

Bryan Adams did it back in the 80's, him and his band was running back and forth to get there. Even in smaller arenas like 5000ish, he's done it.

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Gazza
U2 certainly did it (Zoo TV tour, 1992) before the Stones, but as far as I know Bryan Adams was using one in the 80's.

The Stones didnt do it until 1997 (although theyd done a moving stage mini-set as a one off on the Miami PPV show in November '94)

Are you sure? I recall being at a Zoo TV show and don't recall a b-stage, although it was a long time ago.

Bono found out that SIR Mick Jagger designed the Rolling Stones' mid-1990s shows after viewing U2's Zoo TV tour. The Irish singer was thrilled that his band's ideas were so appreciated by the rock heroes.

"We invented the B stage, the idea of going into the middle of a stadium or arena, on that tour. That was our idea that they borrowed", Bono said.

The U2 frontman confessed he has learned many things from the Rolling Stones members, so he can't complain about the band pinching some of his ideas.

LOL & LOL .



I am a Frenchie ,as Mick affectionately called them in the Old Grey Whistle Test in 1977 .

Bryan Adams

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sweet neo con
Who was the first major (arena/stadium) act to have long ramps jutting out from the main stage???
Probably first happened when microphones & guitars became wireless.

Hammersmith Odeon - now Apollo - in London had longish ramps on either side of the stage for a while back in the mid-70s.

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SwayStones
Bono found out that SIR Mick Jagger designed the Rolling Stones' mid-1990s shows after viewing U2's Zoo TV tour. The Irish singer was thrilled that his band's ideas were so appreciated by the rock heroes.

"We invented the B stage, the idea of going into the middle of a stadium or arena, on that tour. That was our idea that they borrowed", Bono said.

The U2 frontman confessed he has learned many things from the Rolling Stones members, so he can't complain about the band pinching some of his ideas.

LOL & LOL .

U2 got it from Bryan Adams.

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Silver Dagger

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sweet neo con
Who was the first major (arena/stadium) act to have long ramps jutting out from the main stage???
Probably first happened when microphones & guitars became wireless.

Hammersmith Odeon - now Apollo - in London had longish ramps on either side of the stage for a while back in the mid-70s.

Thanks..so I assume any act that played there (w/wireles mikes & guitars) used the ramps.


IORR............but I like it!

The Stones 1981 stage had the long runways on both sides of the stage.
They ran along the sidelines of the stadium for a stretch too.

Wasn't that the first 'B stage', when Keith and Mick would walk out there for Let Me Go or Beast Of Burden?

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LeonidP

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Gazza
U2 certainly did it (Zoo TV tour, 1992) before the Stones, but as far as I know Bryan Adams was using one in the 80's.

The Stones didnt do it until 1997 (although theyd done a moving stage mini-set as a one off on the Miami PPV show in November '94)

Are you sure? I recall being at a Zoo TV show and don't recall a b-stage, although it was a long time ago.

Yep. They had a satellite stage in the middle of the stadium.

They certainly had one at the Zooropa show I attended in Dublin in 1993 - and which Mick Jagger attended too (and from where he no doubt picked up a few ideas). The Stones were in town working on Voodoo Lounge at the time.

They also used one on the Popmart tour in '97.

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Munichhilton
The Stones 1981 stage had the long runways on both sides of the stage.
They ran along the sidelines of the stadium for a stretch too.

Wasn't that the first 'B stage', when Keith and Mick would walk out there for Let Me Go or Beast Of Burden?

No. It was just a pair of very long wings on the side. One of the band going to the end of the stage is hardly a b-stage set.

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SwayStones
Bono found out that SIR Mick Jagger designed the Rolling Stones' mid-1990s shows after viewing U2's Zoo TV tour. The Irish singer was thrilled that his band's ideas were so appreciated by the rock heroes.

"We invented the B stage, the idea of going into the middle of a stadium or arena, on that tour. That was our idea that they borrowed", Bono said.

The U2 frontman confessed he has learned many things from the Rolling Stones members, so he can't complain about the band pinching some of his ideas.

LOL & LOL .

They have the same stage designer. They bump ideas off each other all the time, and have done for a couple of decades.

He's wrong about them inventing the b-stage though, although its quite probable that U2 were the first band that Jagger saw using one.

I have a feeling that I have seen bands in the 60'ies "only" using b-stage - that is playing in the middle of the audience. Was it the Beatles or Stones? That must be the ultimative b-stage at the same time being the main stage.

Think they maybe both did it, I'm pretty sure I've seen pics of the Stones doing it.

And the Beatles most certainly did 'in the round' shows, as can be seen in the films from Washington '64 and Shea Stadium, etc.

So, the b-stage is actualy a reinvention of the 60'ies thing.

Conclusion, Bono didn't create a new idea. He just brought back old things.

By the way, Mark Fisher is working wit all of them - not strange that same ideas and concepts are being used by most of the big bands

This is embarassing to know ,but Bon Jovi did it in like '86 when Jon was clothes-lined out to a second stage for 2 songs. My stupid girlfriend made me go dammit!!!!!!

And the ramp out from the middle of the stage was also in use way earlier than the 80'ies / 90'ies - probably Elvis used it when going out between the audience to shake hands. And Elvis also use the idea of small stage intimacy in his 68 TV show (small audience though).
An no strange about the ramp from the middle of the stage, CatWalks also use it presenting clothes.

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mtaylor
And the ramp out from the middle of the stage was also in use way earlier than the 80'ies / 90'ies - probably Elvis used it when going out between the audience to shake hands. And Elvis also use the idea of small stage intimacy in his 68 TV show (small audience though).
An no strange about the ramp from the middle of the stage, CatWalks also use it presenting clothes.

That 1968 NBC special reminds me of how much re-invention of musical history you hear in the post-MTV era. Some kid I work with insisted a few months ago that Elvis 'did an Unplugged Tv show'.

Even the substitution of 'unplugged' for the word 'acoustic' is enough to make you barf.

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mtaylor
So, the b-stage is actualy a reinvention of the 60'ies thing.

The Beatles played Shea Stadium in the middle of the field. But that was hardly a b-stage as the audience was sitting on the stands and noone on the green.

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JJHMick

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mtaylor
So, the b-stage is actualy a reinvention of the 60'ies thing.

The Beatles played Shea Stadium in the middle of the field. But that was hardly a b-stage as the audience was sitting on the stands and noone on the green.

It wasn't the Shea consert I had in mind. I have a picture form a Stones consert where they are "in the middle" of the audience on ground level.

According to Bono he got the idea of a b-stage on the Zoo TV tour from the Elvis 1968 TV show.

Don't confuse having a B stage (two stages) with playing in the round (one stage in the middle of the arena).

I saw U2 in 93 at Wembley where they had a B stage. The PPV in Miami they moved part of the A stage forward a few feet so that was the beginning of the Stones having a B stage. For Europe in 1995 they would get acoustic guitars and move Charlie forward on the A stage.

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mtaylor

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JJHMick

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mtaylor
So, the b-stage is actualy a reinvention of the 60'ies thing.

The Beatles played Shea Stadium in the middle of the field. But that was hardly a b-stage as the audience was sitting on the stands and noone on the green.

It wasn't the Shea consert I had in mind. I have a picture form a Stones consert where they are "in the middle" of the audience on ground level.

I think I found that one in a Stones biography by a Tony Jasper (Octopus Publishing 1976). But neither are date (1966?), place nor the photographer's name given.

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JJHMick

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mtaylor

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JJHMick

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mtaylor
So, the b-stage is actualy a reinvention of the 60'ies thing.

The Beatles played Shea Stadium in the middle of the field. But that was hardly a b-stage as the audience was sitting on the stands and noone on the green.

It wasn't the Shea consert I had in mind. I have a picture form a Stones consert where they are "in the middle" of the audience on ground level.

I think I found that one in a Stones biography by a Tony Jasper (Octopus Publishing 1976). But neither are date (1966?), place nor the photographer's name given.

Exactly that book I used to have many eyars ago (got lost unfortunately).
. I remember Charlie's "funny face" on it, if I am not mistaken.