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Bridges to Babylon Tour

{{Short description|1997–98 concert tour by the Rolling Stones}}

{{more citations needed|date=September 2020}}

{{Use British English|date=July 2014}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}

{{Infobox concert

| concert_tour_name = Bridges to Babylon Tour

| image = Bridges to Babylon Tour.jpg

| image_size = 220px

| border = yes

| location = {{hlist|Asia|Europe|North America|South America}}

| artist = The Rolling Stones

| album = Bridges to Babylon

| start_date = {{Start date|df=yes|1997|09|23}}

| end_date = {{End date|df=yes|1998|09|19}}

| number_of_shows = {{plainlist|

  • 102

}}

| number_of_legs = 5

| gross = $274 million (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|274|r=2|1998}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US}} dollars){{inflation-fn|US}}

| last_tour = Voodoo Lounge Tour
(1994–95)

| this_tour = Bridges to Babylon Tour
(1997–98)

| next_tour = No Security Tour
(1999)

}}

The Bridges to Babylon Tour was a worldwide concert tour by the Rolling Stones. Staged in support of their album Bridges to Babylon, the tour visited stadiums from 1997 to 1998. It grossed over $274 million, becoming the second-highest-grossing tour at that time, behind their own Voodoo Lounge Tour of 1994–1995.Murry R. Nelson (2010). "The Rolling Stones – A Musical Biography". p. 141. ABC-CLIO,

The Bridges to Babylon Tour was followed by 1999's No Security Tour.

History

The tour was announced in a press conference held beneath the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City.

The tour began on 9 September 1997 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and comprised fifty-six shows in North America, nine shows in South America, six shows in Japan and thirty-seven shows in Europe. It concluded on 19 September 1998 in Istanbul, Turkey. Five shows were cancelled (in Marseilles, Paris, Lyon, Bilbao and Gijón) and five were postponed (in Italy, Ireland and Great Britain).

The production was designed by Mark Fisher, Charlie Watts, Mick Jagger and Patrick Woodroffe.[http://www.stufish.com/the-rolling-stones/bridges-to-babylon/reality.html Stufish – The Mark Fisher Studio] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090702065547/http://www.stufish.com/the-rolling-stones/bridges-to-babylon/reality.html |date=2 July 2009 }} The show opened with a circular central screen exploding with fireworks, from which guitarist Keith Richards emerged playing the classic riff to "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction". The stage design included a 46 m (150 ft) long telescoping cantilever bridge that extended from the main stage to a 'B' stage in the center of the field.

One of the innovations was a "web vote" – fans who purchased a ticket could vote for a song they wanted to hear. If a song was picked by the web vote 4 shows in a row it became a permanent part of the set list ("Gimme Shelter" was added early on in the tour and "Under My Thumb" came one shy of 4 on 6 occasions, but never was requested for 4 consecutive shows). A few shows had no web vote (for example, in Brazil, where the band performed with Bob Dylan on "Like a Rolling Stone").

This was the band's first tour where a B-stage was featured at most shows (they had used one on the Voodoo Lounge Tour, but only at one show). The band normally played three numbers on the B-stage, with the exception of the final show where only two were played there.

The Bridges to Babylon Tour was the second-highest-grossing tour at the time, behind their own record-breaking 1994–1995 Voodoo Lounge Tour. It was believed 4.577 million people attended the tour over the 102 shows – 2.02 million in Europe, 2.009 million in North America, 348,000 in Argentina and Brazil, and 200,000 in Japan. The tour reached 25 countries and is the second–largest North American tour of all time – second to the Rolling Stones' 2005–2007 A Bigger Bang Tour.

The tour is documented by the live album No Security and a DVD release of the St. Louis, Missouri show. In 1999 the band commenced another tour called the No Security Tour, which played smaller venues and fewer destinations.

Among the opening acts was, in October 1997, Sheryl Crow. "They invited me to go on their private plane…" she recalled. "Three weeks before I went on the tour, my band and I watched the Stones film Cocksucker Blues. It's a riot – it's complete debauchery and there are several scenes where they're practically having orgies on their private 747 back in the early '70s. So I got on their plane and I thought, 'Wow, what a difference! We definitely have changed our tune here, haven't we?'"{{cite magazine|first=Tom|last=Doyle|title=Their year – Sheryl Crow|magazine=Q #137|date=February 1998|page=100}}

"Bridges to Bremen", a double CD / Blu-ray / DVD live album, was released in June 2019.

"Bridges to Buenos Aires", a double CD / Blu-ray / DVD live album, was released in November 2019.

Set list

  1. "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction"
  2. "Let's Spend the Night Together"
  3. "Flip the Switch"
  4. "Gimme Shelter"
  5. "Anybody Seen My Baby?"
  6. "Saint of Me"
  7. "Out of Control"
  8. "Miss You"
  9. "All About You"
  10. "Wanna Hold You"
  11. "Sympathy for the Devil"
  12. "Tumbling Dice"
  13. "Honky Tonk Women"
  14. "Start Me Up"
  15. "Jumpin' Jack Flash"
  16. "You Can't Always Get What You Want"
  17. "Brown Sugar"
  18. "Waiting on a Friend"

Shows

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"

|+ List of concerts, showing date, city, country, venue, opening act, tickets sold, number of available tickets and amount of gross revenue

scope="col" style="width:11em;"| Date

! scope="col" style="width:11em;"| City

! scope="col" style="width:11em;"| Country

! scope="col" style="width:15em;"| Venue

! scope="col" style="width:11em;"| Opening act(s)

! scope="col" style="width:12em;"| Attendance

! scope="col" style="width:11em;"| Revenue

colspan=7| North AmericaNorth America box score:

  • {{cite magazine|date=25 October 1997|title=Billboard Boxscore — Concert Grosses|magazine=Billboard|volume=109|issue=43|pages=14|issn=0006-2510|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0wkEAAAAMBAJ}}
  • {{cite magazine|date=8 November 1997|title=Billboard Boxscore — Concert Grosses|magazine=Billboard|volume=109|issue=45|pages=20|issn=0006-2510|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7QkEAAAAMBAJ}}
  • {{cite magazine|date=29 November 1997|title=Billboard Boxscore — Concert Grosses|magazine=Billboard|volume=109|issue=48|pages=15|issn=0006-2510|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5AkEAAAAMBAJ}}
  • {{cite magazine|date=13 December 1997|title=Billboard Boxscore — Concert Grosses|magazine=Billboard|volume=110|issue=50|pages=19|issn=0006-2510|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3gkEAAAAMBAJ}}
  • {{cite magazine|date=27 December 1997|title=Billboard Boxscore — Concert Grosses|magazine=Billboard|volume=110|issue=52|pages=24|issn=0006-2510|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0g0EAAAAMBAJ}}
  • {{cite magazine|date=7 February 1998|title=Billboard Boxscore — Concert Grosses|magazine=Billboard|volume=110|issue=6|pages=16|issn=0006-2510|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fQ0EAAAAMBAJ}}
  • {{cite magazine|date=28 February 1998|title=Billboard Boxscore — Concert Grosses|magazine=Billboard|volume=110|issue=9|pages=18|issn=0006-2510|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Eg8EAAAAMBAJ}}
23 September 1997

| rowspan=2| Chicago

| rowspan=3| United States

| rowspan=2| Soldier Field

| rowspan=9| Blues Traveler

| rowspan=2| 107,186 / 107,186

| rowspan=2| $6,260,000

25 September 1997
27 September 1997

| Columbus

| Ohio Stadium

| 60,621 / 60,621

| $3,553,069

30 September 1997

| Winnipeg

| rowspan=2| Canada

| Winnipeg Stadium

| 34,685 / 40,000

| $1,575,160

2 October 1997

| Edmonton

| Commonwealth Stadium

| 44,036 / 44,036

| $2,033,971

6 October 1997

| Madison

| rowspan=28| United States

| Camp Randall Stadium

| 27,087 / 35,000

| $1,460,425

8 October 1997

| Orchard Park

| Rich Stadium

| 30,404 / 35,000

| $1,655,588

10 October 1997

| Charlotte

| Ericsson Stadium

| 54,436 / 54,436

| $3,126,945

12 October 1997

| Philadelphia

| Veterans Stadium

| 56,651 / 56,651

| $3,275,572

16 October 1997

| rowspan=2| East Rutherford

| rowspan=2| Giants Stadium

| rowspan=2| Foo Fighters

| rowspan=2| 118,610 / 118,610

| rowspan=2| $6,823,242

17 October 1997
20 October 1997

| rowspan=2| Foxborough

| rowspan=2| Foxboro Stadium

| rowspan=6| Sheryl Crow

| rowspan=2| 84,696 / 84,696

| rowspan=2| $4,839,760

21 October 1997
23 October 1997

| Landover

| Jack Kent Cooke Stadium

| 55,654 / 55,654

| $3,195,710

26 October 1997

| Nashville

| Vanderbilt Stadium

| 45,193 / 45,193

| $2,551,578

28 October 1997

| Norman

| Owen Field

| 53,327 / 53,327

| $3,076,378

30 October 1997

| Albuquerque

| University Stadium

| 34,362 / 34,362

| $2,075,326

1 November 1997

| Fort Worth

| Texas Motor Speedway

| Smashing Pumpkins
Dave Matthews Band
Matchbox 20

| 43,496 / 50,000

| $3,030,330

7 November 1997

| Tempe

| Sun Devil Stadium

| Third Eye Blind

| 47,056 / 47,056

| $2,699,842

9 November 1997

| rowspan=2| Los Angeles

| rowspan=2| Dodger Stadium

| rowspan=2| The Wallflowers

| rowspan=2| 90,519 / 90,519

| rowspan=2| $5,338,429

10 November 1997
14 November 1997

| rowspan=4| Oakland

| rowspan=4| Oakland Alameda County Coliseum

| rowspan=4| Pearl Jam

| rowspan=4| 186,220 / 186,220

| rowspan=4| $10,955,527

15 November 1997
18 November 1997
19 November 1997
22 November 1997

| Las Vegas

| MGM Grand Garden Arena

| Jamiroquai

| 12,750 / 12,750

| $2,925,800

25 November 1997

| Minneapolis

| Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome

| rowspan=3| Third Eye Blind

| 46,265 / 46,265

| $2,674,383

28 November 1997

| Seattle

| Kingdome

| 42,258 / 42,258

| $2,411,261

2 December 1997

| Pontiac

| Pontiac Silverdome

| 51,466 / 51,466

| $2,801,714

5 December 1997

| Miami

| Orange Bowl

| Smashing Pumpkins
Dave Matthews Band
Third Eye Blind

| 53,547 / 55,000

| $3,680,635

7 December 1997

| Orlando

| Citrus Bowl

| Santana

| 32,723 / 35,000

| $1,817,499

9 December 1997

| Atlanta

| Georgia Dome

| Third Eye Blind

| 52,232 / 52,232

| $3,008,665

12 December 1997

| St. Louis

| TWA Dome

| Kenny Wayne Shepherd
Dave Matthews
Taj Mahal
Joshua Redman

| 46,474 / 46,474

| $2,538,881

5 January 1998

| Quebec City

| Canada

| Colisée de Quebec

| Our Lady Peace

| 11,993 / 11,993

| $415,705

14 January 1998

| rowspan=3| New York City

| rowspan=5| United States

| rowspan=3| Madison Square Garden

| rowspan=3| Fiona Apple

| rowspan=3| 53,626 / 53,626

| rowspan=3| $6,395,815

16 January 1998
17 January 1998
23 January 1998

| rowspan=2| Honolulu

| rowspan=2| Aloha Stadium

| rowspan="4" | Jonny Lang

| rowspan=2| 54,006 / 60,000

| rowspan=2| $3,317,190

24 January 1998
28 January 1998

| Vancouver

| Canada

| BC Place Stadium

| 37,058 / 40,000

| $1,472,119

30 January 1998

| rowspan=2| Portland

| rowspan=3| United States

| rowspan=2| Rose Garden

| rowspan=2| 35,059 / 35,059

| rowspan=2| $2,975,914

31 January 1998

|

3 February 1998

| San Diego

| Qualcomm Stadium

|Santana

| 55,507 / 55,507

| $3,220,069

7 February 1998

| rowspan=2| Mexico City

| rowspan=2| Mexico

| rowspan=2| Foro Sol

| rowspan=2| El Tri

| rowspan=2| 88,700 / 88,700

| rowspan=2| $3,902,244

9 February 1998
12 February 1998

| rowspan=2| Houston

| rowspan=2| United States

| rowspan=2| Compaq Center

| rowspan=2| Jonny Lang

| rowspan=2| 23,612 / 23,612

| rowspan=2| $2,244,058

13 February 1998
colspan=7| Asia{{cite magazine|date=18 April 1998|title=Billboard Boxscore — Concert Grosses|magazine=Billboard|volume=110|issue=16|pages=12|issn=0006-2510|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mQ4EAAAAMBAJ}}
12 March 1998

| rowspan=4| Tokyo

| rowspan=6| Japan

| rowspan=4| Tokyo Dome

| rowspan=6 {{n/a}}

| rowspan=4| 130,020 / 130,020

| rowspan=4| $10,025,470

14 March 1998
16 March 1998
17 March 1998
20 March 1998

| rowspan=2| Osaka

| rowspan=2| Osaka Dome

| rowspan=2| 69,427 / 69,427

| rowspan=2| $5,317,800

21 March 1998
colspan=7| South America{{cite magazine|date=9 May 1998|title=Billboard Boxscore — Concert Grosses|magazine=Billboard|volume=110|issue=19|pages=14|issn=0006-2510|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UQ0EAAAAMBAJ}}
29 March 1998

| rowspan=5| Buenos Aires

| rowspan=5| Argentina

| rowspan=5| River Plate Stadium

| rowspan=1| Viejas Locas
Meredith Brooks

| rowspan=5| 271,766 / 271,766

| rowspan=5| $14,819,850

30 March 1998

| rowspan=1| Las Pelotas
Meredith Brooks

2 April 1998

| rowspan=1 {{n/a}}

4 April 1998

| rowspan=2| Las Pelotas
Bob Dylan

5 April 1998
11 April 1998

| Rio de Janeiro

| rowspan=2| Brazil

| Praça da Apoteose

| rowspan=2| Bob Dylan

| 27,984 / 27,984

| $1,253,277

13 April 1998

| São Paulo

| Estádio Ícaro de Castro Mello

| 48,606 / 48,606

| $2,591,148

colspan=7| North America
17 April 1998

| Syracuse

| United States

| Carrier Dome

| Our Lady Peace

| 26,047 / 28,000

| $1,231,694

19 April 1998

| rowspan=2| Montreal

| rowspan=2| Canada

| rowspan=2| Molson Centre

| rowspan=2 {{n/a}}

| rowspan=2| 32,097 / 32,097

| rowspan=2| $1,339,778

20 April 1998
23 April 1998

| Chicago

| United States

| United Center

| Buddy Guy

| 18,672 / 18,672

| $2,234,920

26 April 1998

| Toronto

| Canada

| SkyDome

| Wide Mouth Mason

| 54,986 / 54,986

| $2,222,969

colspan=7| EuropeEuropean box score:

  • {{cite magazine|date=11 July 1998|title=Billboard Boxscore — Concert Grosses|magazine=Billboard|volume=110|issue=28|pages=16|issn=0006-2510|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-AkEAAAAMBAJ}}
  • {{cite magazine|date=25 July 1998|title=Billboard Boxscore — Concert Grosses|magazine=Billboard|volume=110|issue=30|pages=14|issn=0006-2510|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9gkEAAAAMBAJ}}
  • {{cite magazine|date=1 August 1998|title=Billboard Boxscore — Concert Grosses|magazine=Billboard|volume=110|issue=31|pages=16|issn=0006-2510|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8wkEAAAAMBAJ}}
  • {{cite magazine|date=15 August 1998|title=Billboard Boxscore — Concert Grosses|magazine=Billboard|volume=110|issue=33|pages=14|issn=0006-2510|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EwoEAAAAMBAJ}}
  • {{cite magazine|date=5 September 1998|title=Billboard Boxscore — Concert Grosses|magazine=Billboard|volume=110|issue=36|pages=20|issn=0006-2510|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DQoEAAAAMBAJ}}
  • {{cite magazine|date=12 September 1998|title=Billboard Boxscore — Concert Grosses|magazine=Billboard|volume=110|issue=37|pages=22|issn=0006-2510|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CwoEAAAAMBAJ}}
  • {{cite magazine|date=26 September 1998|title=Billboard Boxscore — Concert Grosses|magazine=Billboard|volume=110|issue=39|pages=18|issn=0006-2510|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GgoEAAAAMBAJ}}
  • {{cite magazine|date=3 October 1998|title=Billboard Boxscore — Concert Grosses|magazine=Billboard|volume=110|issue=40|pages=20|issn=0006-2510|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FwoEAAAAMBAJ}}
13 June 1998

| Nuremberg

| Germany

| Zeppelinfeld

| Jonny Lang

| 91,590 / 91,590

| $4,366,698

20 June 1998

| rowspan=2| Werchter

| rowspan=2| Belgium

| rowspan=2| Rock Werchter

| rowspan=2| Simple Minds

| rowspan=2| 95,104 / 95,104

| rowspan=2| $4,095,315

21 June 1998
24 June 1998

| Düsseldorf

| rowspan=2| Germany

| Rheinstadion

| rowspan=8| Dave Matthews Band

| 59,022 / 59,022

| $3,958,940

26 June 1998

| Hanover

| Expo Gelaende

| 89,963 / 89,963

| $4,253,451

29 June 1998

| rowspan=5| Amsterdam

| rowspan=5| Netherlands

| rowspan=5| Amsterdam ArenA

| rowspan=5| 261,277 / 261,277

| rowspan=5| $11,094,308

1 July 1998
2 July 1998
5 July 1998
6 July 1998
9 July 1998

| Frauenfeld

| Switzerland

| Pferderennbahn

| 59,768 / 59,768

| $2,641,315

11 July 1998

| Wiener Neustadt

| Austria

| Flugfeld

| {{n/a}}

| 57,216 / 57,216

| $2,497,966

13 July 1998

| Munich

| Germany

| Olympiastadion

| rowspan=2| Hothouse Flowers

| 74,588 / 74,588

| $4,303,476

16 July 1998

| Málaga

| rowspan=3| Spain

| Puerto de Málaga

| 34,450 / 40,000

| $1,477,476

18 July 1998

| Vigo

| Estadio Balaídos

| Seahorses

| 33,116 / 35,000

| $1,527,642

20 July 1998

| Barcelona

| Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys

| Hothouse Flowers

| 52,375 / 52,375

| $2,464,319

25 July 1998

| Saint-Denis

| France

| Stade de France

| Jean-Louis Aubert

| 76,716 / 76,716

| $4,406,313

27 July 1998

| Gelsenkirchen

| Germany

| Parkstadion

| Hothouse Flowers

| 34,610 / 40,000

| $2,139,815

29 July 1998

| Copenhagen

| Denmark

| Idraetsparken

| rowspan=4| Seahorses

| 47,726 / 47,726

| $2,832,622

31 July 1998

| Gothenburg

| Sweden

| Nya Ullevi

| 56,683 / 56,683

| $2,630,783

2 August 1998

| Oslo

| Norway

| Valle Hovin

| 30,447 / 35,000

| $1,522,378

5 August 1998

| Helsinki

| Finland

| Olympic Stadium

| 45,236 / 45,236

| $2,282,011

8 August 1998

| Tallinn

| Estonia

| Song Festival Grounds

| Big Country

| 28,152 / 40,000

| $1,134,161

11 August 1998

| Moscow

| Russia

| Luzhniki Stadium

| Splean

| 45,304 / 45,304

| $1,513,838

14 August 1998

| Chorzów

| Poland

| Stadion Śląski

| Dżem

| 44,598 / 44,598

| $1,440,020

20 August 1998

| Zagreb

| Croatia

| Zagreb Hippodrome

| Big Country

| 76,755 / 76,755

| $2,313,386

22 August 1998

| Prague

| Czech Republic

| Sportovní Hala

| The Corrs

| 16,000 / 16,000

| {{n/a}}

26 August 1998

| Berlin

| rowspan=4| Germany

| Olympiastadion

| rowspan=5| Big Country

| 70,900 / 70,900

| $4,194,917

28 August 1998

| Leipzig

| Festwiese

| 74,348 / 74,348

| $3,510,436

30 August 1998

| Hamburg

| Trabrennbahn Bahrenfeld

| 90,000 / 90,000

| $4,235,411

2 September 1998

| Bremen

| Weserstadion

| 32,288 / 40,000

| $2,149,934

5 September 1998

| The Hague

| Netherlands

| Malieveld

| 86,000 / 86,000

| $3,699,393

8 September 1998

| Stockholm

| Sweden

| Stockholm Globe Arena

| Soundtrack of our Lives

| 15,580 / 15,580

| $932,377

10 September 1998

| Berlin

| rowspan=2| Germany

| Waldbühne

| rowspan=2| The Corrs

| 16,403 / 16,403

| $1,560,032

12 September 1998

| Mannheim

| Maimarktgelände

| 85,913 / 85,913

| $4,448,942

16 September 1998

| Athens

| Greece

| Olympic Stadium

| rowspan=1| Xylina Spathia

| 79,446 / 79,446

| $3,859,407

19 September 1998

| Istanbul

| Turkey

| Ali Sami Yen Stadium

| rowspan=1 {{n/a}}

| 14,873 / 20,000

| $642,999

colspan=5| Total

| 4,437,567 / 4,518,578

| $248,495,791

Personnel

=The Rolling Stones=

=Additional musicians=

See also

{{Portal|1990s}}

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

  • {{official website|https://rollingstones.com/}}

{{The Rolling Stones}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:1997 concert tours

Category:1998 concert tours

Category:The Rolling Stones concert tours