Jazz Tour


The Jazz Tour was the sixth headlining concert tour by the British rock band Queen, supporting the album Jazz. The tour was memorable for the spectacle created by the band. As James Henke of Rolling Stone said about the band's Halloween 1978 concert in New Orleans: "...when they were launching a U.S. tour in support of their Jazz, album, Queen threw a bash in New Orleans that featured snake charmers, strippers, crossdressers and a naked fat lady who smoked cigarettes in her crotch." Part of the European leg was recorded for the band's first live album, Live Killers.

Background

Due to the tour starting within weeks of the final recording sessions for Jazz, Freddie Mercury's voice was worn out, which led to generally below-average performances. While holding up fine for the American and European shows, he lost his voice in Japan. During the encore performance of "We Will Rock You", as he sang, Mercury would be carried on the shoulders of a Superman cosplayer.

Tour dates

DateCityCountryVenue
17 January 1979HamburgWest GermanyErnst-Merck-Halle
18 January 1979KielWest GermanyOstseehalle
20 January 1979BremenWest GermanyStadthalle Bremen
21 January 1979DortmundWest GermanyWestfalenhallen
23 January 1979HanoverWest GermanyMessesportpalast
24 January 1979West BerlinWest GermanyDeutschlandhalle
26 January 1979BrusselsBelgiumForest National
27 January 1979BrusselsBelgiumForest National
29 January 1979RotterdamNetherlandsRotterdam Ahoy
30 January 1979RotterdamNetherlandsRotterdam Ahoy
1 February 1979CologneWest GermanyCologne Sporthalle
2 February 1979FrankfurtWest GermanyFesthalle Frankfurt
4 February 1979ZürichSwitzerlandHallenstadion
6 February 1979ZagrebYugoslaviaDom Sportova
7 February 1979LjubljanaYugoslaviaTivoli Hall
10 February 1979MunichWest GermanyRudi-Sedlmayer-Halle
11 February 1979MunichWest GermanyRudi-Sedlmayer-Halle
13 February 1979BöblingenWest GermanyBöblingen Sporthalle
15 February 1979SaarbrückenWest GermanySaarlandhalle
17 February 1979LyonFrancePalais des Sports de Gerland
19 February 1979BarcelonaSpainPalau dels Esports de Barcelona
20 February 1979BarcelonaSpainPalau dels Esports de Barcelona
22 February 1979MadridSpainPalacio de Deportes de la Comunidad de Madrid
23 February 1979MadridSpainPalacio de Deportes de la Comunidad de Madrid
25 February 1979PoitiersFranceArènes de Poitiers
27 February 1979ParisFrancePavillon de Paris
28 February 1979ParisFrancePavillon de Paris
1 March 1979ParisFrancePavillon de Paris
13 April 1979TokyoJapanNippon Budokan
14 April 1979TokyoJapanNippon Budokan
19 April 1979OsakaJapanOsaka Festival Hall
20 April 1979OsakaJapanOsaka Festival Hall
21 April 1979KanazawaJapanJissenrinri Kinen Commemor. Hall
23 April 1979TokyoJapanNippon Budokan
24 April 1979TokyoJapanNippon Budokan
25 April 1979TokyoJapanNippon Budokan
27 April 1979KobeJapanKobe Central Gymnasium
28 April 1979NagoyaJapanPortmesse Nagoya
30 April 1979FukuokaJapanFukuoka Kyuden Kinen Gymnasium
1 May 1979FukuokaJapanFukuoka Kyuden Kinen Gymnasium
2 May 1979YamaguchiJapanYamaguchi Prefectural Athletic Association
5 May 1979SapporoJapanMakomanai Ice Arena
6 May 1979SapporoJapanMakomanai Ice Arena

Box office score data

Personnel

  • Freddie Mercury: lead vocals, piano, tambourine.
  • Brian May: guitars, backing vocals, piano
  • Roger Taylor: drums, timpani, lead vocals, backing vocals.
  • John Deacon: bass guitar, additional backing vocals, triangle