Selling England by the Pound Tour


The Selling England by the Pound Tour was a concert tour by the English rock band Genesis, to promote their album Selling England by the Pound. The tour began on 19 September 1973 in Paris, France, and concluded on 6 May 1974 in New York City, USA.

Background

Initially the band were to perform with a new and more elaborate stage set than before, that included inflatable objects with projected images, but a change in fire regulations following the Summerland disaster in August 1973 led to the idea being scrapped. Gabriel devised new stories before songs, and wore a full costume with a helmet and shield representing the Britannia character for "Dancing With the Moonlit Knight" and sang "The Battle of Epping Forest" with a stocking over his head.
The tour began with a sold-out tour of the UK, but had to cancel the first date at the Green's Playhouse, Glasgow due to electrical safety issues minutes before its start. The group realised they were substantially in debt and needed better management, so recruited Tony Smith. In October 1973 a pair of dates in the tour were filmed by Charisma for a possible cinema release, but the plan was rejected by the band who felt the film was not up to standard. Instead, the band performed a five-song set in front of an invited audience at Shepperton Studios that was filmed and broadcast as Tony Stratton Smith Presents Genesis in Concert. The group returned to the U.S. in December 1973 to perform six shows in three nights at The Roxy in Los Angeles, and a performance of "Watcher of the Skies" and "The Musical Box" on the late-night television show The Midnight Special. January 1974 saw the band perform five nights at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, at which Gabriel was lifted in the air by a wire during "Supper's Ready".

Set list

  1. "Watcher of the Skies"
  2. "Dancing with the Moonlit Knight"
  3. "The Cinema Show"
  4. "I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)"
  5. "Firth of Fifth"
  6. "The Musical Box"
  7. "More Fool Me" or "Horizons"
  8. "Supper's Ready"
Other songs that were performed during this tour:

Tour dates

DateCityCountryVenue
13 January 1974BristolEnglandBristol Hippodome
15 January 1974LondonEnglandTheatre Royal
16 January 1974LondonEnglandTheatre Royal
18 January 1974LondonEnglandTheatre Royal
19 January 1974LondonEnglandTheatre Royal
20 January 1974LondonEnglandTheatre Royal
26 January 1974BrusselsBelgiumForest National
28 January 1974WinterthurSwitzerlandEulachhalle
30 January 1974DüsseldorfGermanyPhilipshalle
31 January 1974Offenbach am MainGermanyStadthalle Offenbach
3 February 1974TurinItalyPalaRuffini
4 February 1974Reggio EmiliaItalyPalasport
5 February 1974RomeItalyPalazzetto dello Sport
6 February 1974NaplesItalyTeatro Mediterraneo
8 February 1974WinterthurSwitzerlandSalle Vaubier
9 February 1974MarseilleFrancePalais des Sports
10 February 1974LyonFrancePalais d'Hiver
1 March 1974PassaicUnited StatesCapitol Theatre
2 March 1974Upper Darby TownshipUnited StatesTower Theater
3 March 1974Upper Darby TownshipUnited StatesTower Theater
4 March 1974BaltimoreUnited StatesEast Wind Ballroom
5 March 1974Washington, D.C.United StatesWarner Theatre
7 March 1974Fort WayneUnited StatesAllen County War Memorial Coliseum
8 March 1974AtlantaUnited StatesFox Theatre
9 March 1974Coral GablesUnited StatesUniversity of Miami, Maurice Gusman Concert Hall
12 March 1974NashvilleUnited StatesMuther's Music Emporium
13 March 1974MemphisUnited StatesEllis Auditorium
17 March 1974AustinUnited StatesArmadillo World Headquarters
20 March 1974PhoenixUnited StatesPhoenix Civic Plaza
21 March 1974Santa MonicaUnited StatesSanta Monica Civic Auditorium
22 March 1974Santa MonicaUnited StatesSanta Monica Civic Auditorium
24 March 1974San FranciscoUnited StatesWinterland Ballroom
26 March 1974SeattleUnited StatesSeattle Center Arena
27 March 1974VancouverCanadaPNE Garden Auditorium
2 April 1974New York CityUnited StatesAvery Fisher Hall
3 April 1974DavenportUnited StatesRKO Orpheum Theater
4 April 1974Fort WayneUnited StatesEmbassy Theatre
5 April 1974Fort WayneUnited StatesNational Guard Armory
6 April 1974ToledoUnited StatesUniversity of Toledo, Student Union Auditorium
7 April 1974ColumbusUnited StatesAgora Ballroom
10 April 1974PhiladelphiaUnited StatesSpectrum
11 April 1974ChicagoUnited StatesAuditorium Theatre
12 April 1974IndianapolisUnited StatesIndiana Convention Center
13 April 1974St. LouisUnited StatesKiel Auditorium
14 April 1974Kansas CityUnited StatesMemorial Hall
16 April 1974DetroitUnited StatesFord Auditorium
17 April 1974EvanstonUnited StatesMcGaw Memorial Hall
18 April 1974Quebec CityCanadaCentre Municipal des Congres
19 April 1974OttawaCanadaOttawa Civic Centre
20 April 1974MontrealCanadaCEPSUM
21 April 1974MontrealCanadaCEPSUM
22 April 1974RochesterUnited StatesAuditorium Theater
24 April 1974BostonUnited StatesMusic Hall
25 April 1974AllentownUnited StatesAllentown Fairgrounds
27 April 1974BuffaloUnited StatesCentury Theatre
28 April 1974ClevelandUnited StatesAllen Theatre
29 April 1974ClevelandUnited StatesAllen Theatre
1 May 1974New York CityUnited StatesAcademy of Music
2 May 1974TorontoCanadaMassey Hall
3 May 1974PittsburghUnited StatesSyria Mosque
4 May 1974New York CityUnited StatesAcademy of Music
6 May 1974New York CityUnited StatesAcademy of Music

Personnel

  • Peter Gabriel – vocals, flute, percussion
  • Tony Banks – Hohner Pianet, RMI Electra Piano, Hammond Organ, Mellotron, ARP Pro Soloist synthesizer, acoustic 12-string guitar, backing vocals
  • Steve Hackett – electric guitar, acoustic 12-string guitar, electric sitar
  • Michael Rutherford – bass, bass pedals, acoustic and electric 12-string guitars, backing vocals
  • Phil Collins – drums, percussion, backing vocals; lead vocals on "More Fool Me"