Ending on a High Note Tour

{{Short description|2010 concert tour by a-ha}}

{{Infobox concert

|concert_tour_name = Ending on a High Note Tour

|artist = a-ha

|image = A-haBandMadrid.jpg

|image_caption = A-ha at Palacio Vistalegre in Madrid, Spain

|albums = {{hlist|Foot of the Mountain|25}}

|start_date = March 4, 2010

|end_date = December 4, 2010

|number_of_legs = 5

|number_of_shows = {{unbulleted list|9 in South America|7 in North America|2 in Asia|55 in Europe|73 in total}}

|last_tour = Foot of the Mountain Tour
(2009)

|this_tour = Ending on a High Note Tour
(2010)

|next_tour = Cast in Steel Tour
(2015–16)

}}

Ending on a High Note Tour was a worldwide concert tour by Norway synth-pop/rock band a-ha in support of the group's ninth studio album, Foot of the Mountain, which was released in June 2009 {{Cite web |url=http://www.a-ha.com/tour/ |title=The Official Community of a-ha: News, Concert Info, Tickets, Biography and Photos |access-date=2010-02-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100301102649/http://www.a-ha.com/tour/ |archive-date=2010-03-01 |url-status=dead }} as well as the compilation 25 which was released in July 2010. It was also a farewell tour, as the band announced, in 2009, their decision to split after a worldwide concert tour in 2010.{{Cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8308829.stm |title=A-ha to break up after 25 years |publisher=BBC |date=2009-10-15 |access-date=2009-10-15}}

The tour began on March 4 at the Estadio Luna Park in Buenos Aires, Argentina and ended on 4 December in Oslo Spektrum in Oslo, Norway, having visited many cities in the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom and several European countries. The sold out a-ha show in Santiago, Chile, originally scheduled for 6 March, was rescheduled for 23 March following a major earthquake.

{{cite web| url = http://www.cooperativa.cl/A-ha-ya-tiene-nueva-fecha-para-su-pospuesto-show/prontus_nots/2010-03-09/163917.html| title = A-Ha ya tiene nueva fecha para su pospuesto show - Cooperativa.cl}}

Due to demand, the a-ha concert on March 16 in Centro de Convenções (Brasília, Brazil) was moved to a larger venue, Ginásio Nilson Nelson.{{cite web| url = https://twitter.com/aha_com| title = a-ha (@aha_com) / Twitter}} Also the capacity for the concerts in Oslo and Bergen in August in Norway had to expand its capacity with 9000 additional tickets to a total of 25 000 tickets for each show.

Background

On 15 October 2009, through a press release from the official website of the group, "has stated that after his latest album Foot of the Mountain, with the success enjoyed by both commercial and critical acclaim, had decided that now was the time of final dissolution of the band. In a statement on the news the band thanked all the cooperation and support received throughout their career, they talked and put an end with these words:

{{blockquote|"We've literally lived the ultimate boy's adventure tale, through a longer, more rewarding career than anyone could hope for.
Doing this now will give us a chance to get more involved in other meaningful aspects of life, be it humanitarian work, politics, or whatever else—and of course through new constellations in the field of art and music. We are retiring as a band, not as individuals.
Change is always difficult and it is easy to get set in one's ways. Now it is time to move on."|a-ha, October 2009{{cite web |url=http://www.A-ha.com/news/languages/english/AHA_fullStory.aspx?PostID=4214 |title= The Official Community of a-ha: News, Concert Info, Tickets, Biography and Photos|website=www.A-ha.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100203045515/http://www.a-ha.com/news/languages/english/AHA_fullStory.aspx?PostID=4214 |archive-date=2010-02-03}}}}

Stadium tour of Norway

For the 6 shows in Oslo between the 21st of August and the 11th of September, a-ha exclusevly built a special stage rig, the largest rig ever put up in Norway so far. The stage was 1,200 Sq meters, weighing over 1,500 tonnes. The rig included a video wall of 600 Sq meters. The stage took 200 men, 4 days to build.{{cite web| url = http://www.dagbladet.no/2010/08/18/kultur/musikk/konsert/A-ha/morten_harket/13011826/| title = A-ha med tidenes største norske scene| date = 18 August 2010}}

Australian leg controversy

There has been much controversy surrounding the supposed Australian leg of the tour. Before an official announcement of tour dates it was suggested on a-ha's official website that Australian tour dates would be included in their final world tour.

{{blockquote|"January will bring a-ha back to Australia for the first time since their first world tour, which opened in Perth, Australia on June 3, 1986."|a-ha, July 2009{{Cite web |url=http://a-ha.com/news/articles/2311/ |title=Articles | the Official Website of a-ha | News | Concert Info | Tickets | Biography | Photos |access-date=2010-04-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100309164328/http://a-ha.com/news/articles/2311/ |archive-date=2010-03-09 |url-status=dead }}}}

As further tour dates were announced throughout Europe, North and South America, none were announced for Australia. It was later suggested through the a-ha fan community, West of the Moon, that Australia would not be included in a-ha's final world tour.{{cite web| url = http://www.A-ha-wotm.com/viewtopic.php?f=34&t=1785&p=74982#p74934| title = west of the moon • View topic - 2010 World Tour news}} This turn of events has sparked outrage amongst Australian based fans.{{Cite web |url=http://thebandstand.wordpress.com/2010/01/19/ending-on-a-high-note-australia/ |title=Ending on a High Note – Australia « the Bandstand |access-date=2010-04-07 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120630070956/http://thebandstand.wordpress.com/2010/01/19/ending-on-a-high-note-australia/ |archive-date=2012-06-30 |url-status=dead }} Had a-ha returned to Australia, it would have marked their first visit there since they played their first live concerts in 1986 after the initial success of "Take On Me".

Set list

The set list of the concert in the Luna Park on March 4, 2010.

  1. "The Bandstand"
  2. "Foot of the Mountain"
  3. "Analogue"
  4. "Forever Not Yours"
  5. "Summer Moved On"
  6. "Move to Memphis"
  7. "Crying in the Rain"
  8. "Stay on These Roads"
  9. "The Blood That Moves the Body"
  10. "The Living Daylights"
  11. "Early Morning"
  12. "And You Tell Me"
  13. "Scoundrel Days"
  14. "Cry Wolf"
  15. "We're Looking for the Whales"
  16. "Manhattan Skyline"
  17. "I've Been Losing You"
  18. "Living a Boys Adventure Tale"
  19. "Hunting High and Low"
  20. "Train of Thought"
  21. "The Sun Always Shines on T.V."
  22. "Take On Me"

The setlist of the concert in the Ullevaal Stadium at August 21, 2010.

  1. "The Sun Always Shines on T.V."
  2. "Move to Memphis"
  3. "The Blood That Moves the Body"
  4. "Scoundrel Days"
  5. "Stay on These Roads"
  6. "Manhattan Skyline"
  7. "Hunting High and Low"
  8. "The Bandstand"
  9. "We're Looking for the Whales"
  10. "Butterfly, Butterfly (The Last Hurrah)"
  11. "(Seemingly) Nonstop July"
  12. "Crying in the Rain"
  13. "Minor Earth, Major Sky"
  14. "Forever Not Yours"
  15. "Summer Moved On"
  16. "I've Been Losing You"
  17. "Foot of the Mountain"
  18. "Cry Wolf"
  19. "Analogue"
  20. "The Living Daylights"
  21. "Take On Me"

Other songs performed:

  • "The Swing of Things"
  • "Touchy"
  • "You Are the One"
  • At the final concert (4 December) they performed the Everly Brothers song "Bowling Green" in the final encore, just before "Take On Me".

Tour dates

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

! style="width:150px;"|Date

! style="width:150px;"|City

! style="width:150px;"|Country

! style="width:275px;"|Venue

colspan="4"|South America
March 4, 2010

|Buenos Aires

|Argentina

|Luna Park, Buenos Aires

March 9, 2010

|Bauru

|rowspan="7"|Brazil

|Alameda Quality Center

March 10, 2010

|São Paulo

|Credicard Hall

March 13, 2010

|Rio de Janeiro

|Citibank Hall

March 14, 2010

|Belo Horizonte

|Chevrolet Hall

March 16, 2010

|Brasília

|Nilson Nelson Gymnasium

March 18, 2010

|Recife

|Chevrolet Hall

March 20, 2010

|Fortaleza

|Siara Hall

March 23, 2010

|Santiago

|Chile

|Movistar Arena

colspan="4"|North America
May 6, 2010

|rowspan="3"|New York City

|rowspan="3"|United States

|rowspan="3"|Nokia Theatre Times Square

May 7, 2010
May 8, 2010
May 10, 2010

|Toronto

|Canada

|Massey Hall

May 13, 2010

|Chicago

|rowspan="3"|United States

|Riviera Theatre

May 15, 2010

|rowspan="2"|Los Angeles

|rowspan="2"|Club Nokia

May 16, 2010
colspan="4"|Europe
May 28, 2010

|Mönchengladbach

|rowspan="4"|Germany

|Warsteiner HockeyPark

May 29, 2010

|Trier

|Trier Arena

May 30, 2010

|Stadtallendorf

|Hessentagsarena

June 1, 2010

|Kiel

|Sparkassen-Arena

July 14, 2010

|Budapest

|Hungary

|Budapest Sports Arena

July 16, 2010

|Linz

|Austria

|Clam Castle

July 17, 2010

|Zürich

|Switzerland

|Dolder Eisbahn (Live at Sunset)

July 18, 2010

|Salem

|rowspan="4"|Germany

|Schloß Salem

July 23, 2010

|Emmendingen

|Schloßplatz

July 24, 2010

|Halle

|Gerry Weber Stadion

July 25, 2010

|Dresden

|Filmnächte am Elbufer

colspan="4"|Asia
August 7, 2010

|Tokyo

|rowspan="2"|Japan

|Chiba Marine Stadium

August 8, 2010

|Osaka

|Summer Sonic Festival

colspan="4"|Europe
August 21, 2010

|Oslo

|rowspan="7"|Norway

|Ullevaal Stadion

August 28, 2010

|Bergen

|Brann Stadion

September 2, 2010

|Stavanger

|Rått og Råde Festival

September 3, 2010

|Tromsø

|Døgnvill Festival

September 4, 2010

|Trondheim

|Lerkendal Stadion

September 11, 2010

|Kristiansand

|Sør Arena

October 4, 2010

|Oslo

|Oslo Concert Hall

October 6, 2010

|rowspan="2"|London

|rowspan="2"|England

|Heaven

October 8, 2010

|Royal Albert Hall

October 10, 2010

|Amsterdam

|Netherlands

|Heineken Music Hall

October 11, 2010

|Brussels

|Belgium

|Forest National

October 12, 2010

|Paris

|France

|Zénith de Paris

October 14, 2010

|Madrid

|rowspan="2"|Spain

|Palacio Vistalegre

October 15, 2010

|Barcelona

|Palau Sant Jordi

October 17, 2010

|Basel

|Switzerland

|St. Jakobshalle

October 18, 2010

|Munich

|rowspan="9"|Germany

|Olympiahalle

October 19, 2010

|Stuttgart

|Porsche-Arena

October 21, 2010

|Nuremberg

|Nuremberg Arena

October 22, 2010

|Leipzig

|Arena Leipzig

October 23, 2010

|Rostock

|Stadthalle Rostock

October 25, 2010

|Braunschweig

|Volkswagen Halle

October 26, 2010

|Mannheim

|SAP Arena

October 28, 2010

|Hamburg

|O2 World

October 29, 2010

|Berlin

|O2 World

November 1, 2010

|Riga

|Latvia

|Arena Riga

November 2, 2010

|Vilnius

|Lithuania

|Siemens Arena

November 4, 2010

|Kyiv

|Ukraine

|International Exhibition Centre

November 6, 2010

|Minsk

|Belarus

|Palace of Sports

November 9, 2010

|Moscow

|rowspan="2"|Russia

|Olympic Stadium

November 11, 2010

|Saint Petersburg

|Ice Palace

November 15, 2010

|Brighton

|rowspan="2"|England

|Brighton Centre

November 16, 2010

|Newcastle

|Metro Radio Arena

November 17, 2010

|Glasgow

|Scotland

|Clyde Auditorium

November 19, 2010

|Birmingham

|rowspan="4"|England

|LG Arena

November 20, 2010

|Manchester

|Evening News Arena

November 21, 2010

|Nottingham

|Trent FM Arena

November 23, 2010

|Sheffield

|Sheffield Arena

November 25, 2010

|Cardiff

|Wales

|Cardiff International Arena

November 26, 2010

|Bournemouth

|rowspan="2"|England

|Bournemouth International Centre

November 27, 2010

|London

|Wembley Arena

November 30, 2010

|rowspan="5"|Oslo

|rowspan="5"|Norway

|rowspan="5"|Oslo Spektrum

December 2, 2010
December 3, 2010
December 4, 2010

References

{{Reflist}}