Babylon by Bus Tour

The Babylon by Bus Tour was a concert tour organised to support the album Babylon by Bus by Bob Marley & The Wailers. It was also to popularize Marley and reggae music in Asia and Oceania.

Babylon by Bus Tour 1979
Tour by Bob Marley & The Wailers
Start date5 April 1979
End date6 May 1979
Legs2
No. of shows8 in Asia
11 in Oceania
19 in total
Bob Marley & The Wailers concert chronology

The tour started in Japan on 5 April 1979, and ended in Honolulu, Hawaii, on 6 May 1979. The tour should have started with two shows in Ivory Coast in mid-March, but both concerts had been cancelled due to unknown reasons. The first leg led Marley through Japan where he performed for the first time, the second leg took place in various Oceanian places (New Zealand, Australia, Hawaii). It was Marley's only tour including concerts in Asia and Oceania.

After the tour Marley performed two historical concerts: his last performance in Jamaica, at the Reggae Sunsplash, and at the Amandla Festival in Boston's Harvard Stadium where he made a powerful and historical speech.

Setlist

The standard setlist of the tour mostly looked like the following:

  • "Positive Vibration"
  • "Concrete Jungle"
  • "Burnin' And Lootin'"
  • "Them Belly Full (But We Hungry)"
  • "The Heathen"
  • "Running Away" / "Crazy Baldhead" (medley)
  • "I Shot The Sheriff"
  • "No Woman, No Cry"
  • "Lively Up Yourself"
  • "Jammin'"
  • "Is This Love?"
  • "War" / "No More Trouble" (medley)
  • "Get Up, Stand Up"
  • "Exodus"

The setlist was very similar to that from the previous Kaya Tour, but in different order. There were also performances of an earlier song, "Punky Reggae Party", which is not featured on any of Marley's Island albums released at that time, but was released as a single in 1977.

From show to show sometimes an additional song was edged in the middle of the setlist, like "Stir It Up", "Punky Reggae Party" or "Natty Dread". Live performances of each of these songs happened very rarely during the tour.

Tour dates
Date City Country Venue Notes
16 March 1979AbidjanIvory CoastStade Félix Houphouët-Boignycancelled
17 March 1979Palais des Congrèscancelled
5 April 1979Shinjuku, TokyoJapanShinjuku Kosei Nenkin Kaikan
6 April 1979
7 April 1979Shibuya, TokyoShibuya Public Hall2 shows
10 April 1979Nakano, TokyoNakano Sun Plaza2 shows
11 April 1979OsakaOsaka Kōsei Nenkin Kaikan
13 April 1979Festival Hall
16 April 1979AucklandNew ZealandWestern Springs Stadium
18 April 1979BrisbaneAustraliaFestival Hall
20 April 1979AdelaideApollo Stadium
21 April 1979
23 April 1979PerthEntertainment Centre
25 April 1979MelbourneFestival Hall
26 April 1979
27 April 1979SydneyHordern Pavilionaccording to itinerary 2 concerts were played, one on the 27 and then on the 28th, the last concert played in Australia.
1 May 1979MelbourneFestival Hallaccording to the itinerary this date didn't exist or was played, last concert was Sydney 28 April.
5 May 1979 7:30 PMLahaina, HawaiiUnited StatesLahaina Civic Center
6 May 1979 8 PMHonolulu, HawaiiWaikiki Shell
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