Highway to Hell Tour
The Highway to Hell Tour was a concert tour by Australian rock band AC/DC in support of the group's seventh studio album, Highway to Hell, which was released on 27 July 1979. The tour had 3 legs around Europe and North America lasting 5 months starting on 17 August 1979 at Haffmans Park in Bilzen, Belgium, and concluded on 27 January 1980 at Southampton, England. This was the last tour with Bon Scott, who died due to alcohol poisoning, three weeks after the Southampton show, which therefore cancelled the Japan and Australian legs of the tour.
Tour by AC/DC | |
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Location |
|
---|---|
Associated album | Highway to Hell |
Start date | 17 August 1979 |
End date | 27 January 1980 |
Legs | 3 |
No. of shows | 99 |
AC/DC concert chronology |
Background
During the band's tour in the United States, the band attracted capacity crowds, with one venue having to turn away over two thousand fans after being sold out minutes after the box office opened.[1] The band were set to tour in Japan and Australia in early 1980,[2] but the legs were cancelled following the death of vocalist Bon Scott as a result of alcohol poisoning.[3]
Def Leppard was the opening act for part of the European leg after they were approached by Peter Mensch of Leber-Krebs management, who had booked them on a tour of the UK supporting the band.[4][5] During the shows in Texas in the United States, Riot and Molly Hatchet were the opening acts for the band on their North American leg.[6]
Setlist
Europe (warm–up leg)
Encore |
North America
Encore
|
Europe
Encore
|
Tour dates
Date | City | Country | Venue |
---|---|---|---|
17 August 1979[lower-alpha 1] | Bilzen | Belgium | Haffmans Park |
18 August 1979[lower-alpha 2] | London | England | Wembley Stadium |
20 August 1979 | Dublin | Ireland | Olympic Ballroom |
21 August 1979 | |||
23 August 1979 | Belfast | Northern Ireland | Ulster Hall |
24 August 1979 | |||
27 August 1979 | Aix-les-Bains | France | Verdure Theatre |
1 September 1979[lower-alpha 3] | Nuremberg | West Germany | Zeppelinfeld |
5 September 1979 | Oakland | United States | Oakland Civic Auditorium |
6 September 1979 | Reno | UNR Gym | |
7 September 1979 | Santa Cruz | Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium | |
8 September 1979 | Fresno | Warnors Theatre | |
9 September 1979 | San Diego | San Diego Sports Arena | |
10 September 1979 | Long Beach | Long Beach Arena | |
13 September 1979 | Amarillo | Amarillo Civic Center | |
14 September 1979 | Lubbock | Lubbock Municipal Auditorium | |
15 September 1979 | Midland | Chaparral Center | |
16 September 1979 | El Paso | El Paso County Coliseum | |
18 September 1979 | McAllen | La Villa Real Convention Center | |
19 September 1979 | Corpus Christi | Memorial Coliseum | |
20 September 1979 | Houston | Houston Music Hall | |
21 September 1979[lower-alpha 4] | Dallas | Dallas Convention Center | |
22 September 1979[lower-alpha 5] | San Antonio | San Antonio Convention Center | |
24 September 1979 | Beaumont | Beaumont City Auditorium | |
26 September 1979 | Memphis | Dixon–Myers Hall | |
27 September 1979 | Nashville | Nashville Municipal Auditorium | |
28 September 1979 | Johnson | Freedom Hall Civic Center | |
29 September 1979[lower-alpha 6] | Charlotte | Charlotte Coliseum | |
30 September 1979 | Greenville | Greenville Memorial Auditorium | |
2 October 1979 | Knoxville | Knoxville Civic Coliseum | |
3 October 1979 | Greensboro | Greensboro Coliseum | |
5 October 1979 | Jacksonville | Jacksonville Coliseum | |
6 October 1979 | Birmingham | Boutwell Memorial Auditorium | |
7 October 1979 | Dothan | Dothan Civic Center | |
8 October 1979 | Atlanta | Fox Theatre | |
10 October 1979 | Columbia | Carolina Coliseum | |
12 October 1979 | Norfolk | Norfolk Municipal Auditorium[10] | |
13 October 1979 | Wheeling | Wheeling Civic Center | |
14 October 1979 | Charleston | Charleston Civic Center | |
16 October 1979 | Towson | Towson Center | |
17 October 1979 | Buffalo | Shea's Performing Arts Center | |
18 October 1979 | Cleveland | Public Auditorium | |
19 October 1979 | Chicago | Aragon Ballroom | |
20 October 1979 | Toledo | Toledo Sports Arena | |
21 October 1979 | Columbus | St. John Arena | |
26 October 1979[lower-alpha 7] | Newcastle upon Tyne | England | Mayfair Ballroom |
27 October 1979 | Glasgow | Scotland | The Apollo |
28 October 1979 | |||
29 October 1979 | Manchester | England | Manchester Apollo |
30 October 1979 | |||
1 November 1979 | London | Hammersmith Odeon | |
2 November 1979 | |||
3 November 1979 | |||
4 November 1979 | |||
5 November 1979 | Liverpool | Liverpool Empire Theatre | |
6 November 1979 | |||
8 November 1979 | Stafford | Bingley Hall | |
9 November 1979 | Leicester | De Montfort Hall | |
11 November 1979 | Brussels | Belgium | Forest National |
12 November 1979 | Amsterdam | Netherlands | Jaap Edenhal |
13 November 1979 | Cologne | West Germany | Sartory-Saal |
14 November 1979 | Hanover | Eilenriedehalle | |
16 November 1979 | Essen | Grugahalle | |
17 November 1979[lower-alpha 8] | Kürnach | Kurnachtal-Halle | |
19 November 1979 | Passau | Niderbeiernhalle | |
20 November 1979 | Offenbach | Stadthalle | |
21 November 1979 | Dortmund | Westfalenhallen | |
23 November 1979 | Hamburg | Messehallen | |
24 November 1979 | Munich | Circus Krone Building | |
25 November 1979 | Bern | Switzerland | Festhalle |
27 November 1979[lower-alpha 8] | Regensburg | West Germany | RT Halle |
28 November 1979 | Oberschwabenhalle | ||
29 November 1979 | Hof | Freiheitshalle | |
1 December 1979 | Ludwigshafen | Friedrich-Ebert-Halle | |
2 December 1979 | Neunkirchen | Hemmerleinhalle | |
3 December 1979 | West Berlin | Eissportahalle | |
4 December 1979 | Offenbach am Main | Stadthalle Offenbach | |
6 December 1979 | Metz | France | Metz Expo Hall |
7 December 1979 | Reims | Palais Des Sports | |
8 December 1979 | Lille | Foire Commerciale | |
9 December 1979[lower-alpha 9][lower-alpha 10] | Paris | Pavillon de Paris[11] | |
10 December 1979 | Grenoble | Parc Expo | |
12 December 1979 | Clermont-Ferrand | Clermont-Ferrand Sports Hall | |
13 December 1979 | Montpellier | Palais Des Sports | |
14 December 1979 | Nice | Théâtre de verdure de Nice | |
15 December 1979 | |||
17 December 1979 | London | England | Hammersmith Odeon |
19 December 1979 | Brighton | Brighton Centre | |
20 December 1979 | Birmingham | Birmingham Odeon | |
21 December 1979 |
Date | City | Country | Venue |
---|---|---|---|
16 January 1980 | Poitiers | France | — |
17 January 1980 | Bordeaux | ||
18 January 1980 | Toulouse | Gymnase du Lycée Pierre Aragon | |
19 January 1980 | Lyon | Palais des Sports de Gerland | |
20 January 1980 | Rouen | — | |
21 January 1980 | Nantes | Stade de la Beaujoire | |
22 January 1980 | Brest | Parc de Penfeld | |
23 January 1980[lower-alpha 11] | Le Mans | La Rotonde | |
25 January 1980 | Newcastle | England | Mayfair Ballroom |
27 January 1980[lower-alpha 12] | Southampton | Gaumont Theatre |
Cancelled dates
Date (1979) |
City | Country | Venue | Reason |
---|---|---|---|---|
22 November | Bremen | West Germany | Stadthalle 4 | — |
30 December | Göppingen | Haldenberghalle |
Box office score data
Date (1979) |
City | Venue | Attendance | Gross | Ref(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
September 5 | Oakland, United States | Civic Auditorium | 5,000 | $49,150 | [12] |
September 7 | Santa Cruz, United States | Civic Auditorium | 1,954 | $16,694 | |
September 8 | Fresno, United States | Warnors Theatre | 2,100 | $16,800 | |
September 18 | McAllen, United States | Villa Real | 2,439 | $18,950 | [13] |
September 20 | Houston, United States | Music Hall | 3,005 | $24,389 | |
September 26 | Memphis, United States | Dixon–Myers Hall | 2,352 | $16,710 | [14] |
September 27 | Nashville, United States | Municipal Auditorium | 5,093 | $36,363 | |
September 28 | Johnson City, United States | Freedom Hall | 7,710 | $49,675 |
Personnel
- Bon Scott – lead vocals
- Angus Young – lead guitar
- Malcolm Young – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
- Cliff Williams – bass guitar, backing vocals
- Phil Rudd – drums
Notes
- This show on 17 August 1979 was a part of Jazz Bilzen.
- This show on 18 August 1979 was an opening act for The Who's 1979 tour.
- This show on 1 September 1979 was a part of the Open Air Festival.
- Originally scheduled for 22 September 1979.
- Originally scheduled for 21 September 1979.
- Originally scheduled for 30 September 1979.
- Originally scheduled for 25 October 1979.
- Originally scheduled for 18 November 1979.
- 2 shows have been played.
- Originally scheduled for 7 December 1979.
- Originally scheduled for 9 December 1979.
- Originally scheduled for 18 December 1979.
References
Citations
- "New Mac album out in 8 days". Sydney, Australia: The Sydney Morning Herald. 9 September 1979. p. 104. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
- "LRB's tour nets tow hit singles". Sydney, Australia: The Sydney Morning Herald. 21 October 1979. p. 118. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
- "'Schoolboy' rock group singer found dead". Glasgow, Scotland: The Glasgow Herald. 21 February 1980. p. 7. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
- Konow 2009, p. 132.
- Huxley 2015, p. 101.
- Sharpe-Young 2007, p. 317.
- Durieux, Arnaud. "AC/DC Tour History - 1979/80 "Highway To Hell" World Tour". ac-dc.net. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
- Masino 2009.
- Masino 2015.
- "AC/DC Tour History - 12 Oct. 1979 Norfolk (Arena)". www.ac-dc.net. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
- Perkins 2011.
- "Top Box Office". Billboard. Vol. 91, no. 38. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 22 September 1979. p. 48. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
- "Top Box Office". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 6 October 1979. p. 46. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
- "Top Box Office". Billboard. Vol. 91, no. 41. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 13 October 1979. p. 48. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
Sources
- Sharpe-Young, Garry (2007). Metal: The Definitive Guide – Heavy, NWOBH, Progressive, Thrash, Death, Black, Gothic, Doom, Nu. Jawbone Press. ISBN 978-1-906002-01-5.
- Konow, David (2009). Bang Your Head: The Rise and Fall of Heavy Metal. Crown. ISBN 978-0-307-56560-0.
- Masino, Susan (2009). Let There Be Rock: The Story of AC/DC (Paperback ed.). London, England: Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-8256-3701-8.
- Perkins, Jeff (2011). AC/DC - Uncensored on the Record. Warwickshire, England: Coda Books Ltd. ISBN 978-1-908538-54-3.
- Masino, Susan (2015). AC/DC FAQ: All That's Left to Know About the World's True Rock 'n' Roll Band. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-1-4950-2601-0.
- Huxley, Martin (2015). AC/DC: The World's Heaviest Rock. New York City, New York: St. Martin's Publishing Group. ISBN 978-1-250-09652-4.