World Slavery Tour

World Slavery Tour
Tour by Iron Maiden
Official tour advertisement for the band's performance at Gothenburg, 3 November 1984
Associated albumPowerslave
Start date9 August 1984
End date5 July 1985
No. of shows189 in total (197 scheduled)
Iron Maiden concert chronology
  • World Piece Tour
    (1983)
  • World Slavery Tour
    (1984–1985)
  • Somewhere on Tour
    (1986–1987)

The World Slavery Tour was a concert tour by the heavy metal band Iron Maiden in support of their fifth album, Powerslave, beginning in Warsaw, Poland on 9 August 1984 and ending in Irvine, California on 5 July 1985.

Background

The tour was notorious for being the band's most arduous to date- although it was very successful, the band were left exhausted by its end in 1985 and demanded a break for the rest of the year before starting work on Somewhere In Time in 1986.[1] The band's lead vocalist, Bruce Dickinson, has since explained that "I never thought it was going to end ... I began to feel like I was a piece of machinery, like I was part of the lighting rig."[1] Overall, the tour lasted 331 days,[2] during which the band performed 189 gigs, the longest tour dates of their career.[3] The tour also saw the band play to one of the largest crowds of their career, approximately 350,000 people at the first edition of the Brazilian rock festival Rock in Rio in 1985.[4]

The tour was notable for its use of props, such as the sarcophagi, 30-foot mummified Eddie and extensive pyrotechnics.[5] Steve Harris referred to it as "probably the best stage show we ever did,"[5] and Dickinson commented that, "You could set it up in small theatres or big arenas and it would always look fantastic."[1] The band's 2008–2009 tour, Somewhere Back in Time World Tour, featured a stage set which largely emulated the World Slavery Tour.[6]

Iron Maiden's first full-length live album Live After Death was recorded during the band's four shows at London's Hammersmith Odeon in October 1984 and four shows at Long Beach Arena in Long Beach, California in March 1985.[7] A video entitled Behind the Iron Curtain documented the band's first shows in Poland, Hungary, and Yugoslavia in August 1984, as they were regarded as the first rock act to take a full stage show into the Eastern Bloc.[8]

An 18-year-old Iron Maiden fan, Daniel Pitre, fell 100 ft to his death from a catwalk in the press area of the Colisée de Québec during the Quebec City show. The band learned about the death only after the show.[9]

Setlist

  1. Intro – Churchill's Speech
  2. "Aces High" (from Powerslave, 1984)
  3. "2 Minutes to Midnight" (from Powerslave, 1984)
  4. "The Trooper" (from Piece of Mind, 1983)
  5. "Revelations" (from Piece of Mind, 1983)
  6. "Flight of Icarus" (from Piece of Mind, 1983)
  7. "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" (from Powerslave, 1984)
  8. "Los'fer Words" (from Powerslave, 1984) (Dropped after 26 November 1984)
  9. "Powerslave" (from Powerslave, 1984)
  10. Guitar solo
  11. "The Number of the Beast" (from The Number of the Beast, 1982)
  12. "Hallowed Be Thy Name" (from The Number of the Beast, 1982)
  13. "22 Acacia Avenue" (from The Number of the Beast, 1982) (Dropped after 26 November 1984)
  14. "Iron Maiden" (from Iron Maiden, 1980)
  15. "Run to the Hills" (from The Number of the Beast, 1982)
  16. "Running Free" (from Iron Maiden, 1980)
  17. "Sanctuary" (from Iron Maiden, 1980)

Other songs occasionally played were:

  • "Phantom Of The Opera" (from Iron Maiden, 1980) (Played on 21 September, 8 and 12 October, and 15 December 1984 and 19 January 1985)
  • "Children Of The Damned" (from The Number of the Beast, 1982) (Played on 20 September and 8, 9, and 10 October 1984)
  • "Wrathchild" (from Killers, 1981) (Played on 17 September and 15 December 1984 and 25 April 1985)
  • "Die With Your Boots On" (from Piece of Mind, 1983) (Played on 22 September and 9 and 10 October 1984)
  • "Murders In The Rue Morgue" (from Killers, 1981) (Played on 18 September and 12 October 1984)
  • "Back In the Village" (from "Powerslave", 1984) (Played on 9 and 10 August 1984)

Tour dates

List of 1984 concerts
Date City Country Venue Opening Act
9 August 1984 Warsaw Poland Hala Torwar —
10 August 1984 Łódź Hala MOSiR
11 August 1984 Poznań Hala Arena
12 August 1984 Wrocław Hala Ludowa
14 August 1984 Zabrze Sporthall Makoszowy
16 August 1984 Zeltweg Austria Aichfeldhalle Sportzentrum
17 August 1984 Budapest Hungary Budapest Park Pokolgép
P. Box
18 August 1984 Belgrade Yugoslavia Sajam Exhibition Centre Warriors
19 August 1984 Ljubljana Dvorana Tivoli
22 August 1984 Arma di Taggia Italy Ex-Caserma Ravelli Accept
25 August 1984 Annecy France Parc des Expositions
26 August 1984 Palavas-les-Flots Arennes de Palavas
29 August 1984 San Sebastián Spain Velódromo de Anoeta
31 August 1984 Porto Portugal Pavilhao Infante de Sagres
1 September 1984 Cascais Pavilhão Dramático
3 September 1984 Madrid Spain Estadio Román Valero
5 September 1984 Barcelona Palau dels Esports de Barcelona
7 September 1984 Toulouse France Palais des Sports
8 September 1984 Bordeaux Palais des Sports
11 September 1984 Glasgow Scotland Glasgow Apollo Waysted
12 September 1984 Aberdeen Capitol Theatre
13 September 1984 Edinburgh Edinburgh Playhouse
15 September 1984 Newcastle England Newcastle City Hall
16 September 1984
17 September 1984 Sheffield Sheffield City Hall
18 September 1984 Ipswich Gaumont Theatre
20 September 1984 Leicester De Montfort Hall
21 September 1984 Oxford Apollo Theatre Oxford
22 September 1984 St Austell Cornwall Coliseum
23 September 1984 Bristol Bristol Hippodrome
25 September 1984 Manchester Manchester Apollo
26 September 1984
27 September 1984 Hanley Victoria Hall
29 September 1984 Nottingham Nottingham Royal Concert Hall
30 September 1984 Cardiff Wales St David's Hall
2 October 1984 Birmingham England Birmingham Odeon
3 October 1984
5 October 1984 Southampton Gaumont Theater
7 October 1984 Cardiff Wales St David's Hall
8 October 1984 London England Hammersmith Odeon
9 October 1984
10 October 1984
12 October 1984
13 October 1984
15 October 1984 Cologne West Germany Sporthalle Mötley Crüe
16 October 1984 Böblingen Sporthalle
17 October 1984 Heidelberg Rhein-Neckar-Halle
19 October 1984 Würzburg Carl-Diem-Halle
20 October 1984 Brussels Belgium Forest National
21 October 1984 Nancy France Parc des Expositions
23 October 1984 Freiburg im Breisgau West Germany Stadthalle Freiburg
24 October 1984 Munich Olympiahalle
26 October 1984 Essen Grugahalle
27 October 1984 Bremen Stadthalle Bremen
28 October 1984 Zwolle Netherlands IJsselhallen
29 October 1984 Paris France Espace Balard Mötley Crüe
Mama's Boys
1 November 1984 Copenhagen Denmark Brøndbyhallen Mötley Crüe
2 November 1984 Stockholm Sweden Johanneshovs Isstadion
3 November 1984 Gothenburg Scandinavium
5 November 1984 Helsinki Finland Helsinki Ice Hall
8 November 1984 Rüsselsheim West Germany Walter-Köbel-Halle
9 November 1984 Neunkirchen am Brand Hemmerleinhalle
11 November 1984 Bologna Italy Teatro Tenda
12 November 1984 Milan Teatro Tenda di Lampugnano
13 November 1984 Lyon France Halle Tony Garnier
14 November 1984 Basel Switzerland St. Jakob Sporthalle
24 November 1984 Halifax Canada Halifax Metro Centre Twisted Sister
26 November 1984 Quebec City Colisée de Québec
27 November 1984 Montreal Montreal Forum
28 November 1984 Ottawa Ottawa Civic Centre
30 November 1984 Toronto Maple Leaf Gardens
1 December 1984 Greater Sudbury Sudbury Community Arena
3 December 1984 Winnipeg Winnipeg Arena
4 December 1984 Regina Agridome
6 December 1984 Edmonton Northlands Coliseum
7 December 1984 Calgary Stampede Corral
9 December 1984 Vancouver Pacific Coliseum
10 December 1984 Seattle United States Seattle Center Coliseum
11 December 1984 Portland Portland Memorial Coliseum
13 December 1984 Salt Lake City Salt Palace
15 December 1984 Denver McNichols Sports Arena —
17 December 1984 Kansas City Kemper Arena Twisted Sister
18 December 1984 St. Louis Kiel Auditorium
19 December 1984 Milwaukee MECCA Arena
20 December 1984 Bloomington Met Center
21 December 1984 Rosemont Rosemont Horizon
List of 1985 concerts
Date City Country Venue Opening Act
3 January 1985 Cincinnati United States Cincinnati Gardens Twisted Sister
4 January 1985 Detroit Joe Louis Arena
5 January 1985 Columbus Battelle Hall
6 January 1985 Richfield Richfield Coliseum
7 January 1985 Buffalo Buffalo Memorial Auditorium
11 January 1985[A] Rio de Janeiro Brazil City of Rock Queen (headliner)
Whitesnake
14 January 1985 Hartford United States Hartford Civic Center Twisted Sister
15 January 1985 Worcester Worcester Centrum
17 January 1985 New York City Radio City Music Hall Queensrÿche
18 January 1985
19 January 1985
20 January 1985
21 January 1985
28 January 1985 Landover Capital Centre Twisted Sister
29 January 1985 Philadelphia The Spectrum
31 January 1985 Columbia Carolina Coliseum
1 February 1985 Johnson City Freedom Hall Civic Center
2 February 1985 Atlanta Omni Coliseum
3 February 1985 Memphis Mid-South Coliseum
5 February 1985 Nashville Nashville Municipal Auditorium
6 February 1985 Knoxville Knoxville Civic Coliseum
8 February 1985 Charlotte Charlotte Coliseum
9 February 1985 Greensboro Greensboro Coliseum
10 February 1985 Greenville Greenville Memorial Auditorium
12 February 1985 Jacksonville Jacksonville Memorial Coliseum
14 February 1985 North Fort Myers Lee County Civic Center
15 February 1985 Pembroke Pines Hollywood Sportatorium
16 February 1985 Lakeland Lakeland Civic Center
17 February 1985 St. Petersburg Bayfront Center
19 February 1985 Chattanooga UTC Arena
20 February 1985 Birmingham Boutwell Memorial Auditorium —
21 February 1985 Huntsville Von Braun Civic Center
23 February 1985 Beaumont Beaumont Civic Center W.A.S.P.
24 February 1985 Biloxi Mississippi Coast Coliseum
27 February 1985 New Orleans Lakefront Arena
28 February 1985 Houston The Summit
1 March 1985 Waco Waco Convention Center
2 March 1985 Oklahoma City Myriad Convention Center
4 March 1985 Dallas Reunion Arena
5 March 1985 San Antonio San Antonio Convention Center
7 March 1985 Lubbock City Bank Coliseum
8 March 1985 El Paso El Paso County Coliseum
9 March 1985 Albuquerque Tingley Coliseum
10 March 1985 Tucson Tucson Convention Center
14 March 1985 Long Beach Long Beach Arena Twisted Sister
15 March 1985
16 March 1985
17 March 1985
19 March 1985 Reno Lawlor Events Center
20 March 1985 Fresno Selland Arena
21 March 1985 Daly City Cow Palace
23 March 1985 San Diego San Diego Sports Arena
24 March 1985 Tempe Compton Terrace
25 March 1985 Las Vegas Aladdin Theater Warrior[10]
26 March 1985 San Bernardino Orange Pavilion
31 March 1985 Honolulu Neal S. Blaisdell Center
14 April 1985 Tokyo Japan Nakano Sun Plaza —
15 April 1985
17 April 1985 Tokyo Kōsei Nenkin Kaikan
19 April 1985
20 April 1985 Nagoya Nagoya Civic Assembly Hall
22 April 1985 Fukuoka Fukuoka Sunpalace
24 April 1985 Osaka Festival Hall
25 April 1985 Tokyo Nakano Sun Plaza
2 May 1985 Canberra Australia Canberra Civic Theatre Boss
3 May 1985 Melbourne Festival Hall
4 May 1985 Adelaide Thebarton Theatre
6 May 1985 Wollongong Shellharbour Workers Club
7 May 1985 Sydney Hordern Pavilion
8 May 1985 Newcastle Newcastle Civic Theatre
10 May 1985 Brisbane Brisbane Festival Hall
23 May 1985 Portland United States Cumberland County Civic Center Accept
24 May 1985 Uniondale Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
25 May 1985 Binghamton Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena
27 May 1985 Rochester Rochester Community War Memorial
28 May 1985 Glens Falls Glens Falls Civic Center
29 May 1985 Springfield Springfield Civic Center
31 May 1985 New Haven New Haven Coliseum
1 June 1985 Allentown Great Allentown Fair
2 June 1985 Providence Providence Civic Center
4 June 1985 Columbia Merriweather Post Pavilion
5 June 1985 Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Civic Arena
7 June 1985 Trotwood Hara Arena
8 June 1985 Evansville Mesker Amphitheatre Accept
Why on Earth
9 June 1985 East Troy Alpine Valley Music Theatre Accept
11 June 1985 Toledo Toledo Sports Arena
12 June 1985 Clarkston Pine Knob Music Theatre
14 June 1985 Saginaw Wendler Arena
15 June 1985 Charlevoix Castle Farms
16 June 1985 Hoffman Estates Poplar Creek Music Theater
18 June 1985 Peoria Peoria Civic Center
19 June 1985 Cedar Rapids Five Seasons Center
21 June 1985 Madison Dane County Coliseum
22 June 1985 Seymour Outagamie County Fairgrounds Accept
Ratt
23 June 1985 Minneapolis Trout Aire Amphitheatre
24 June 1985 Fargo Red River Fairgrounds
26 June 1985 Des Moines Iowa Veterans Memorial Auditorium Accept
27 June 1985 Omaha Omaha Civic Auditorium
29 June 1985 Morrison Red Rocks Amphitheatre
3 July 1985 San Jose San Jose Civic Auditorium Accept
W.A.S.P.
4 July 1985 Sacramento Cal Expo Amphitheatre
5 July 1985 Irvine Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre
Festivals and other miscellaneous performances
A This concert was a part of "Rock in Rio"
Cancellations
  • 21 August 1984: Pordenone, Italy, Parco Galvani
  • 23 January 1985: New York City, United States, Radio City Music Hall; cancelled due to health problems.[11]
  • 24 January 1985: New York City, United States, Radio City Music Hall; cancelled due to health problems.[11]
  • 25 January 1985: Glens Falls, United States, Civic Center; cancelled due to health problems.[11]
  • 26 January 1985: Bethlehem, United States, Stabler Arena; cancelled due to health problems.[11]
  • British writer Neil Daniels states that some proposed South African dates were cancelled when objections arose to the use of the word "slavery".[12]

References

  1. ^ a b c Wall, Mick (2004). Iron Maiden: Run to the Hills, the Authorised Biography (3rd ed.). Sanctuary Publishing. p. 255. ISBN 1-86074-542-3.
  2. ^ Wall, Mick (2004). Iron Maiden: Run to the Hills, the Authorised Biography (3rd ed.). Sanctuary Publishing. p. 253. ISBN 1-86074-542-3.
  3. ^ "The History of Iron Maiden part 3". Maiden England '88 (DVD). EMI. 25 March 2013.
  4. ^ "The History of Iron Maiden part 2". Live After Death (DVD). EMI. 4 February 2008.
  5. ^ a b Wall, Mick (2004). Iron Maiden: Run to the Hills, the Authorised Biography (3rd ed.). Sanctuary Publishing. p. 254. ISBN 1-86074-542-3.
  6. ^ Lane, Daniel (7 September 2007). "Iron Maiden tour plans". Metal Hammer. Archived from the original on 2 June 2013. Retrieved 27 November 2012.
  7. ^ Wall, Mick (2004). Iron Maiden: Run to the Hills, the Authorised Biography (3rd ed.). Sanctuary Publishing. p. 257. ISBN 1-86074-542-3.
  8. ^ Vare, Ethlie Ann (13 October 1984). "Iron Maiden Pierces Iron Curtain". Billboard. Vol. 96, no. 38. Los Angeles. Retrieved 27 November 2012.
  9. ^ "Rock fan falls to death at concert". The Gazette. 28 November 1984. QUEBEC (Gazette) -- Daniel Pitre, 18, of Chicoutimi was killed Monday night when he fell 30 meters from a catwalk during a concert by the heavy metal rock group Iron Maiden at the Quebec Coliseum. ... [Iron Maiden's public relations officer Michael] Jensen said members of the band did not learn about the death until after the concert.
  10. ^ "World Slavery Tour - 1984 - Iron Maiden".
  11. ^ a b c d Bushell, Garry; Halfin, Ross (1985). Running Free, The Official Story of Iron Maiden (2nd ed.). Zomba Books. pp. 137–9. ISBN 0-946391-84-X.
  12. ^ Daniels, Neil (25 May 2012). Iron Maiden: The Ultimate Illustrated History (1 ed.). Voyageur Press. p. 68. ISBN 978-0760342213. Retrieved 24 June 2012.