Blackout Tour

The Blackout Tour was a concert tour by the heavy metal band Scorpions from March 16, 1982 to December 18, 1983. It supported their same named album. The 1982's European leg of the tour was supported by Blackfoot and Wolf^[1] and the 1982's North American leg was supported by Iron Maiden, Girlschool, Rainbow and Riot.^[2][3][4]

Background

The tour began on March 1 in Kaunitz, a month before Blackout's official release in Europe. During March, the band performed in Luxembourg, performing almost fifteen performances in France, and performed for the first time in Spain with concerts in San Sebastián, Madrid and Barcelona. In the same way they visited Italy for the first time, with concerts in Bolzano – where they were supported by Trust – Reggio Emilia and Milan. In April and after appearing in the French cities of Nice and Grenoble, the group embarked on an extensive tour of the United Kingdom, with more than twenty shows in fifteen English cities and a Scottish one, and then playing in Belgium and the Netherlands. Their first leg in Europe culminated in May in West Germany, where they had Blackfoot as a guest artist.

On June 6 began the first leg in North America, with a concert in Binghamton, New York in the United States. The next day they traveled to Canada, where they performed five concerts as guest artist for the British group Rainbow. On the 13th of that same month, they returned to the United States, but this time as main act with Rainbow and Riot as the opening act, and during the next days of July they had Girlschool and Iron Maiden as support bands. Three special concerts; One in Orchard Park, New York and the other in Anaheim where they shared the stage with Foreigner, Loverboy and Ted Nugent, as well as the British band Iron Maiden and were part of the poster of the festival Day on the Green, held on July 18 in Oakland, California. This first leg in North America continued with six more shows for Canada and more than thirty in the United States, the last of which was held on September 13 in Honolulu.

At the beginning of October they traveled to Japan to performed eight concerts, playng three sold-out concerts in Tokyo, at the Kōsei Nenkin Kaikan. In the end, the last dates of 1982 were in Canada, with a show in Québec City and another one in Winnipeg -where they played as a support act for the British band Judas Priest-. (*Scorpions did not return to Winnipeg in late 1982 as an opening act for Judas Priest. That is incorrect information. Coney Hatch opened for Judas Priest on November 4, 1982 at the old Winnipeg Arena on Maroons Road. Scorpions would next return to Winnipeg on September 20, 1988 during the Savage Amusement Tour.)

Due to the success of the tour in the United States, the band returned to that country in May 1983 with six more shows. performing in the US Festival, where they shared the stage with Quiet Riot, Mötley Crüe, Ozzy Osbourne, Triumph, Judas Priest and Van Halen. Already in December they began their second and final leg in Europe, with concerts in Sweden, Denmark and West Germany. The last show of the tour was performed on December 17 in Dortmund as part of the Rock Pop Festival that also featured Def Leppard, Krokus, Michael Schenker Group, Quiet Riot, Ozzy Osbourne, Iron Maiden and Judas Priest.

Tour dates

Set list

As in the previous tours, the set list varied in certain presentations. Most played songs from Taken by Force to Blackout, but during the last concerts of 1983, they played "Coming Home" and "I'm Leaving You" from their future album Love at First Sting. Here's the average setlist from the tour:

1982 setlist

1. "Blackout"
2. "Don't Make No Promises (Your Body Can't Keep)"
3. "Loving You Sunday Morning"
4. "Make It Real"
5. "We'll Burn the Sky"
6. "Can't Live Without You"
7. "Coast to Coast"
8. "Always Somewhere"
9. "Holiday"
10. "Lovedrive"
11. "He's a Woman – She's a Man"
12. "Another Piece of Meat"
13. "Dynamite"
14. "The Zoo"
15. "Steamrock Fever"
16. "Can't Get Enough"

1983 setlist

1. "Blackout"
2. "Don't Make No Promises (Your Body Can't Keep)"
3. "Loving You Sunday Morning"
4. "Make It Real"
5. "We'll Burn the Sky"
6. "I'm Leaving You"
7. "Coast to Coast"
8. "Holiday"
9. "Always Somewhere"
10. "No One Like You"
11. "Can't Live Without You"
12. "Coming Home"
13. "Dynamite"
14. "The Zoo"
15. "Another Piece of Meat"
16. "Can't Get Enough"

Songs performed

1. From Taken by Force: "Steamrock Fever", "We'll Burn the Sky", "He's a Woman – She's a Man"
2. From Lovedrive: "Loving you Sunday Morning", "Another Piece of Meat", "Always Somewhere", "Coast to Coast", "Can't Get Enough", "Is There Anybody There", "Lovedrive", "Holiday"
3. From Animal Magnetism: "Make It Real", "Don't Make No Promises (Your Body Can't Keep)", "The Zoo", "Animal Magnetism"
4. From Blackout: "Blackout", "Can't Live Without You", "No One Like You", "Dynamite", "Now!", "China White"^[5]
5. From Love at First Sting: "I'm Leaving You", "Coming Home"

References