Isolar II - The 1978 World Tour

Infobox concert tour
concert_tour_name = Isolar II - The 1978 World Tour


image_caption=
artist = David Bowie
location =
locations = North America
Europe
Australia
New Zealand
Japan
type =
album= "Low" & ""Heroes""
start_date = 29 March 1978
end_date = 12 December 1978
number_of_legs = 4
number_of_shows = 77
last_tour = Isolar - 1976 Tour
(1976)
this_tour = Isolar II - The 1978 World Tour
(1978)
next_tour = Serious Moonlight Tour
(1983)The Isolar II - The 1978 World Tour [Sean Mayes, "Life on Tour with David Bowie: We Can Be Heroes", Independent Music Press, 2003, ISBN 9781897783177] , more commonly known as The Low / Heroes World Tour or The Stage Tour [Nicholas Pegg, "The Complete David Bowie", Reynolds & Hearn Ltd, 2004, ISBN 1-903111-73-0] , was a worldwide concert tour by David Bowie. The tour opened on 29 March 1978 at the San Diego Sports Arena continuing through North America, Europe and Australia before reaching a conclusion at the Budokan Arena - Tokyo, Japan on 12 December 1978.

History

The stark fluorescent tube lighting approach of the previous 1976 tour, was further developed and expanded to create a large cage of tube lighting, which enclosed the stage with the ability to pulsate moodily during the slower instrumental pieces and flash frantically during the faster songs. The set list for the performances comprised of material from the previous year's albums, "Low" and "Heroes", with the second half of each performance opening with a five-song sequence from the "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars" album with material from the "Station To Station" album as the closing numbers.

The Dallas Convention Center performance on 10 April 1978 was filmed with six-songs broadcast on USA television entitled "David Bowie On Stage". The performances at Civic Center - Providence, RI, New Boston Garden Arena and Madison Square Garden were recorded for the live album "Stage". The Earl's Court - London performances were filmed by David Hemmings, with extracts broadcast on a British TV programme, "The London Weekend Show". The film has yet to be released.

The final night of the Earl's Court - London performance was recorded by the RCA mobile unit with the live performance premier of the song, "Sound and Vision", later released on the 1995 compilation album, "Rarestonebowie". The song was not performed live again until the 1990 Sound and Vision Tour.

The Australian leg of the tour was Bowie's first concert performances in Australia and his first large-scale outdoor concerts [Nicholas Pegg, "The Complete David Bowie", Reynolds & Hearn Ltd, 2004, ISBN 1-903111-73-0] . For the first two dates, keyboardist Dennis Garcia, deputised for Roger Powell who had a previously arranged commitment with Utopia. The 6 December 1978 performance at Koseinenkin Kaikan - Osaka was broadcast on Japanese FM Radio, in addition to the Budokan Arena - Tokyo performance on 12 December 1978 being filmed and broadcast on Japanese TV's "The Young Music Show".

Tour Band

*David Bowie - vocals, chamberlain
*Adrian Belew - lead guitar, backing vocals
*Carlos Alomar - rhythm guitar, backing vocals
*George Murray - bass guitar, backing vocals
*Dennis Davis - drums, percussion
*Roger Powell - keyboards, synthesizer, backing vocals (except 11-14 November 1978)
*Dennis Garcia - keyboards, synthesizer (11-14 November 1978 only)
*Sean Mayes - piano, string ensemble, backing vocals
*Simon House - electric violin

Band Road Crew

*Jan Michael Alejandro
*Vern “Moose” Constan
*Rob Joyce
*Leroy Kerr
*Edd Kolakowski

Tour Dates

North America

*29/03/1978 flagicon|United States San Diego Sports Arena - San Diego, CA
*30/03/1978 flagicon|United States Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum - Phoenix, AZ
*02/04/1978 flagicon|United States Fresno Convention Center - Fresno, CA
*03/04/1978 flagicon|United States The Forum - Los Angeles, CA
*04/04/1978 flagicon|United States The Forum - Los Angeles, CA
*05/04/1978 flagicon|United States Oakland Coliseum - Oakland, CA
*06/04/1978 flagicon|United States The Forum - Los Angeles, CA
*09/04/1978 flagicon|United States The Summit - Houston, TX
*10/04/1978 flagicon|United States Dallas Convention Center Arena - Dallas, TX
*11/04/1978 flagicon|United States Louisiana State University Assembly Center - Baton Rouge, LA
*13/04/1978 flagicon|United States Municipal Auditorium - Nashville, TN
*14/04/1978 flagicon|United States Mid-South Coliseum - Memphis, TN
*15/04/1978 flagicon|United States Municipal Auditorium - Kansas City, MO
*17/04/1978 flagicon|United States Arie Crown Theatre - Chicago, IL
*18/04/1978 flagicon|United States Arie Crown Theatre - Chicago, IL
*20/04/1978 flagicon|United States Cobo Arena - Detroit, MI
*21/04/1978 flagicon|United States Cobo Arena - Detroit, MI
*22/04/1978 flagicon|United States Richfield Coliseum - Cleveland, OH
*24/04/1978 flagicon|United States Mecca Arena - Milwaukee, WI
*26/04/1978 flagicon|United States Civic Arena - Pittsburgh, PA
*27/04/1978 flagicon|United States Capital Centre - Landover, MD
*28/04/1978 flagicon|United States Spectrum Arena - Philadelphia, PA
*29/04/1978 flagicon|United States Spectrum Arena - Philadelphia, PA
*01/05/1978 flagicon|Canada Maple Leaf Gardens - Toronto, ON
*02/05/1978 flagicon|Canada Ottawa Civic Centre - Ottawa, ON
*03/05/1978 flagicon|Canada Montreal Forum - Montreal, QC
*05/05/1978 flagicon|United States Civic Center - Providence, RI
*06/05/1978 flagicon|United States New Boston Garden Arena - Boston, MA
*07/05/1978 flagicon|United States Madison Square Garden - New York City
*08/05/1978 flagicon|United States Madison Square Garden - New York City
*09/05/1978 flagicon|United States Madison Square Garden - New York City

Europe

*14/05/1978 flagicon|Germany Festhalle - Frankfurt, Germany
*15/05/1978 flagicon|Germany Congress-Centrum - Hamburg, Germany
*16/05/1978 flagicon|Germany (Cancelled) Philipshalle - Düsseldorf, Germany
*16/05/1978 flagicon|Germany Deutschlandhalle - Berlin, Germany
*18/05/1978 flagicon|Germany Grugahalle - Essen, Germany
*19/05/1978 flagicon|Germany [http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sporthalle_%28K%C3%B6ln%29 Kölner Sporthalle] - Cologne, Germany
*20/05/1978 flagicon|Germany Olympiahalle - Munich, Germany
*22/05/1978 flagicon|Austria Stadthalle - Vienna, Austria
*24/05/1978 flagicon|France Pavillon de Paris - Paris, France
*25/05/1978 flagicon|France Pavillon de Paris - Paris, France
*26/05/1978 flagicon|France Palais des Sports de Gerland - Lyon, France
*27/05/1978 flagicon|France (Cancelled) Parc Chaneau - Marseilles, France
*27/05/1978 flagicon|France Palais des Sports - Marseilles, France
*31/05/1978 flagicon|Denmark Falkoner Teatret - Copenhagen, Denmark
*01/06/1978 flagicon|Denmark Falkoner Teatret - Copenhagen, Denmark
*02/06/1978 flagicon|Sweden (Cancelled) Skansen - Stockholm, Sweden
*02/06/1978 flagicon|Sweden Kungliga Tennishallen - Stockholm, Sweden
*04/06/1978 flagicon|Sweden Scandinavium - Gothenburg, Sweden
*05/06/1978 flagicon|Norway Ekersberghallen - Oslo, Norway
*07/06/1978 flagicon|Netherlands Sportpaleis Ahoy - Rotterdam, Netherlands
*08/06/1978 flagicon|Netherlands Sportpaleis Ahoy - Rotterdam, Netherlands
*09/06/1978 flagicon|Netherlands Sportpaleis Ahoy - Rotterdam, Netherlands
*11/06/1978 flagicon|Belgium Vorst Nationaal - Brussels, Belgium
*12/06/1978 flagicon|Belgium Vorst Nationaal - Brussels, Belgium
*14/06/1978 flagicon|England Newcastle City Hall - Newcastle upon Tyne, England
*15/06/1978 flagicon|England Newcastle City Hall - Newcastle upon Tyne, England
*16/06/1978 flagicon|England Newcastle City Hall - Newcastle upon Tyne, England
*19/06/1978 flagicon|Scotland The Apollo - Glasgow, Scotland
*20/06/1978 flagicon|Scotland The Apollo - Glasgow, Scotland
*21/06/1978 flagicon|Scotland The Apollo - Glasgow, Scotland
*22/06/1978 flagicon|Scotland The Apollo - Glasgow, Scotland
*24/06/1978 flagicon|England New Bingley Hall County Showground - Stafford, England
*25/06/1978 flagicon|England New Bingley Hall County Showground - Stafford, England
*26/06/1978 flagicon|England New Bingley Hall County Showground - Stafford, England
*29/06/1978 flagicon|England Earl's Court - London, England
*30/06/1978 flagicon|England Earl's Court - London, England
*01/07/1978 flagicon|England Earl's Court - London, England

Australia

*11/11/1978 flagicon|Australia Oval Cricket Ground - Adelaide, Australia
*14/11/1978 flagicon|Australia Perth Entertainment Centre - Perth, Australia
*18/11/1978 flagicon|Australia Melbourne Cricket Ground - Melbourne, Australia
*21/11/1978 flagicon|Australia Lang Park - Brisbane, Australia
*24/11/1978 flagicon|Australia RAS Showgrounds - Sydney, Australia
*25/11/1978 flagicon|Australia RAS Showgrounds - Sydney, Australia

New Zealand

*29/11/1978 flagicon|New Zealand Queen Elizabeth II Park - Christchurch, New Zealand
*02/12/1978 flagicon|New Zealand Western Springs Stadium - Auckland, New Zealand

Japan

*06/12/1978 flagicon|Japan Koseinenkin Kaikan - Osaka, Japan
*07/12/1978 flagicon|Japan Koseinenkin Kaikan - Osaka, Japan
*09/12/1978 flagicon|Japan Banpaku Kaikan - Osaka, Japan
*11/12/1978 flagicon|Japan Budokan Arena - Tokyo, Japan
*12/12/1978 flagicon|Japan Budokan Arena - Tokyo, Japan

Notes

References

* Pimm Jal de la Parra, "David Bowie: The Concert Tapes", P.J. Publishing, 1985, ISBN 909001005X
* Kevin Cann, "David Bowie: A Chronology", Vermilion, 1983, ISBN 0091538319
* David Buckley, "Strange Fascination: The Definitive Biography of David Bowie", Virgin Books, 1999, ISBN 1-85227-784X