Hands down, 1969.

The first true arena tour by a major band, one that featured actual PAs, lights and a portable stage. This tour essentially created what we think of as an arena show today - the arc of the show was unbelievable - weaving in hits, classic blues, covers, theater, not one but TWO epics (Midnight and SFTD), an acoustic break (Prodigal Son), best opening ever (JJF) and the ultimate closer (SFM). There was actual costuming and props, too. There is not an arena touring band today that does not owe something to this tour - like an epic voyage that blazed the trails for everything that followed - the '69 tour changed the face, gravity and scope of live music, forever.







Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2012-02-11 21:43 by hbwriter.

Blind Faith?

hbwriter's right, of course. Sometimes I just like to "bust chops".

1:45 - charlie mouthing the words- magic

Nice post hb, nice comment, nice videos...and Charlie........

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hbwriter
Hands down, 1969.

The first true arena tour by a major band, one that featured actual PAs, lights and a portable stage. This tour essentially created what we think of as an arena show today - the arc of the show was unbelievable - weaving in hits, classic blues, covers, theater, not one but TWO epics (Midnight and SFTD), an acoustic break (Prodigal Son), best opening ever (JJF) and the ultimate closer (SFM). There was actual costuming and props, too. There is not an arena touring band today that does not owe something to this tour - like an epic voyage that blazed the trails for everything that followed - the '69 tour changed the face, gravity and scope of live music, forever.

Absolutely! The Stones have said that prior to '69, they couldn't hardly hear themselves play. With the advent of newer PA systems and stage monitors, they could actually hear themselves which obviously led to better playing. It truly was the start of the era of arena rock.

The Doors actually played Madison Square Garden almost a full year before the Stones did, but that was probably just an isolated gig during a tour of mostly large theaters and ballrooms. It's generally accepted as fact that the Stones "comeback" tour of 1969 set the template for arena tours that has been followed ever since.

Love it...nice post.

PECMAN

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tatters
The Doors actually played Madison Square Garden almost a full year before the Stones did, but that was probably just an isolated gig during a tour of mostly large theaters and ballrooms. It's generally accepted as fact that the Stones "comeback" tour of 1969 set the template for arena tours that has been followed ever since.

Didn't Mick Jagger ask Jim (Morrison) what it was like playing large arenas or something?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012-02-12 02:06 by Youngie.

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hbwriter
1:45 - charlie mouthing the words- magic

Great moment too when Charlie and Keith catch each other's eye at 1:51!

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Youngie

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tatters
The Doors actually played Madison Square Garden almost a full year before the Stones did, but that was probably just an isolated gig during a tour of mostly large theaters and ballrooms. It's generally accepted as fact that the Stones "comeback" tour of 1969 set the template for arena tours that has been followed ever since.

Didn't Mick Jagger ask Jim (Morrison) what it was like playing large arenas or something?

he did and he reminded him to turn out the lights when the music was over....

Led Zeppelin North American Tour 1968–1969

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shadooby
Led Zeppelin North American Tour 1968–1969

No. Their first arena tour was in 1970.

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tatters

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shadooby
Led Zeppelin North American Tour 1968–1969

No. Their first arena tour was in 1970.

yeah. that first tour went over like a led...well...

Zep's First U.S. Tour

26/12/1968: Denver Auditorium Arena - Denver, CO
27/12/1968: Seattle Center Arena - Seattle, WA
28/12/1968: Pacific Coliseum - Vancouver, BC
29/12/1968: Civic Auditorium - Portland, OR
30/12/1968: Kennedy Pavilion - Spokane, WA
02/01/1969: Whisky a Go Go - West Hollywood, CA
03/01/1969: Whisky a Go Go - West Hollywood, CA
04/01/1969: Whisky a Go Go - West Hollywood, CA
05/01/1969: Whisky a Go Go - West Hollywood, CA
09/01/1969: Fillmore West - San Francisco, CA
10/01/1969: Fillmore West - San Francisco, CA
11/01/1969: Fillmore West - San Francisco, CA
12/01/1969: Fillmore West - San Francisco, CA
13/01/1969: Fox Theater[disambiguation needed ] - San Diego, CA
15/01/1969: Iowa Memorial Union - Ballroom - Iowa City, IA
16/01/1969: Baltimore Civic Center - Baltimore, MD
17/01/1969: Grande Ballroom - Detroit, MI
18/01/1969: Grande Ballroom - Detroit, MI
19/01/1969: Grande Ballroom - Detroit, MI
20/01/1969: Wheaton Youth Center - Wheaton, MD
21/01/1969: Hunt Armory - Pittsburgh, PA
23/01/1969: Boston Tea Party - Boston, MA
24/01/1969: Boston Tea Party - Boston, MA
25/01/1969: Boston Tea Party - Boston, MA
26/01/1969: Boston Tea Party - Boston, MA
27/01/1969: Symphony Hall - Springfield, MA
29/01/1969: Electric Factory - Philadelphia, PA
31/01/1969: Fillmore East - New York City, NY
01/02/1969: Fillmore East - New York City, NY
02/02/1969: Rockpile - Toronto, ON
07/02/1969: Kinetic Playground - Chicago, IL
08/02/1969: Kinetic Playground - Chicago, IL
10/02/1969: Elma Roane Fieldhouse - Memphis, TN
14/02/1969: Thee Image Club - North Miami Beach, FL
15/02/1969: Thee Image Club - North Miami Beach, FL

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StonesTod

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tatters

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shadooby
Led Zeppelin North American Tour 1968–1969

No. Their first arena tour was in 1970.

yeah. that first tour went over like a led...well...

Weren't they opening for the likes of Vanilla Fudge and Iron Butterfly?

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hbwriter
Hands down, 1969.

the arc of the show was unbelievable - weaving in hits, classic blues, covers, theater, not one but TWO epics (Midnight and SFTD), an acoustic break (Prodigal Son), best opening ever (JJF) and the ultimate closer (SFM).

Yes, the set list for this tour is really outstanding. Plus the Medley of Under My thumb/ I'm free after the accustic songs.

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tatters

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StonesTod

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tatters

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shadooby
Led Zeppelin North American Tour 1968–1969

No. Their first arena tour was in 1970.

yeah. that first tour went over like a led...well...

Weren't they opening for the likes of Vanilla Fudge and Iron Butterfly?

it's easy to understand with the likes of an iron butterfly and a led zeppelin how the tour never really took flight....

............................................................ Ethan A.Russell....



ROCKMAN

100% right hbwriter,l saw two of the 3 shows they played at MSG,and that tour was the one that started it all,and the set list imo was never better.Funny, but for me the 2 acoustic numbers that they played,were the highlight of those shows,just to have Mick and Keith sitting on those stools and actually having fun,not the pretending that they did at SAL,totally freaked me out.

"No dope smoking no beer sold after 12 o'clock"

Technically- I think the doors played the felt forum-located within the garden- but not "the garden"

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hbwriter
Technically- I think the doors played the felt forum-located within the garden- but not "the garden"

The Doors played the Felt Forum sometime in Jan 1970,l attended one of those shows with some friends l met at The Stones Garden shows..

"No dope smoking no beer sold after 12 o'clock"

...................................................... Ethan A Russell



ROCKMAN

Cream and the Doors played arenas in 1968. Hendrix played at the Hollywood Bowl which is arena size (17,000) in 1968, and did play the Forum in Early 1969.
...I'm just saying...not sure if the rest of the shows in other cities were arena shows.

Charlie has been there through it all. Leave it to the film makers to have the verve to focus on him; with Jagger prancing, and henchman Keith in the blue sparkle rhinestones next to him. But Charlie's intensity is just as gripping.
I gotta love Mick in the last verse though @ 2;38.
What a GREAT version of this song.

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hbwriter
Technically- I think the doors played the felt forum-located within the garden- but not "the garden"

As said above, they played the Felt Forum in January 1970 (all the shows have been since released as official bootlegs) but they did play the main arena before the Stones (24th January 1969, to be exact). They also played the Singer Bowl (with The Who opening) in August 1968.

Led Zeppelin were playing a mixture of theatres, arenas and festivals in 1969 too.

[en.wikipedia.org]
[en.wikipedia.org]

Cream's final US tour - Oct/Nov'68 - took place in arenas. [www.setlist.fm]

I'd imagine it was a bonafide arena tour in the way you're describing (lights, staging, PA) as opposed to the sort of tours in those sort of venues that the likes of The Beatles had done before, where the amplification was totally inadequate.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012-02-12 05:37 by Gazza.

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Gazza

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hbwriter
Technically- I think the doors played the felt forum-located within the garden- but not "the garden"

As said above, they played the Felt Forum in January 1970 (all the shows have been since released as official bootlegs) but they did play the main arena before the Stones (24th January 1969, to be exact). They also played the Singer Bowl (with The Who opening) in August 1968.

Led Zeppelin were playing a mixture of theatres, arenas and festivals in 1969 too.

[en.wikipedia.org]
[en.wikipedia.org]

Cream's final US tour - Oct/Nov'68 - took place in arenas. [www.setlist.fm]

I'd imagine it was a bonafide arena tour in the way you're describing (lights, staging, PA) as opposed to the sort of tours in those sort of venues that the likes of The Beatles had done before, where the amplification was totally inadequate.

I was at both the Felt Forum and Singer Bowl shows. I think the Forum held about 5-7000 people. Thye Singer Bowl show was a hoot....beautiful August night.

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hbwriter
Technically- I think the doors played the felt forum-located within the garden- but not "the garden"

Well, I saw them at the Fabulous Forum in front of 18,000 folks in December 1968. If they could sell that many seats in L.A. they probably could also in New York. BTW, it was the worst concert I've ever been to, but Jerry Lee was pretty good even thought the crowd didn't appreciate him.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012-02-12 05:55 by BluzDude.

As Gazza correctly said, the Doors played the main arena at Madison Square Garden on January 24, 1969, nearly a year before the Stones played there. There was an actual riot at the Garden in the summer of 1969 when Blind Faith played a sold out show there. Surprisingly, the Who didn't do their first full-blown arena tour until 1971. They didn't play the Garden until 1974.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2012-02-12 06:49 by tatters.

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tatters
As Gazza correctly said, the Doors played the main arena at Madison Square Garden on January 24, 1969, nearly a year before the Stones played there. There was an actual riot at the Garden in the summer of 1969 when Blind Faith played a sold out show there. Surprisingly, the Who didn't do their first full-blown arena tour until 1971. They didn't play the Garden until 1974.

True perhaps about the Who Tatters, but like the aforementioned acts (Doors, Hendrix) the Who dabbled in arena's as early as 1968. However, their first stadium tour was probably the Summer US tour of 1970. They played the Anaheim Stadium on that tour, Mammoth Gardens in Denver, Sports Arena in San Diego, and the Spectrum in Philly. But the majority of the gigs were still in auditoriums.
I think this is an apples and oranges kind of thing IMO. A lot of groups came out in the late 60s with a more mature sound and better equipment. The Who, Pink Floyd, and the Dead are considered the pioneers in what we now know as the Stadium PA's. The Stones may have played the first arena tour in 1969, but these other groups had developed the PA systems by 1968.