The Tin Machine Tour was a concert tour headlined by Anglo-American

hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest hard ...

band

Tin Machine Tin Machine were a British–American rock band formed in 1988, and fronted by English singer-songwriter David Bowie. The band consisted of Bowie on lead vocals, saxophone and guitar; Reeves Gabrels on guitar and vocals; Tony Fox Sales on bass ...

. The tour commenced on 14 June 1989, following a performance of " Heaven's in Here" at the ''International Music Awards'' in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

on 31 May 1989. It comprised 12 performances in six countries (USA, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, France, United Kingdom) in

venues Venue is the location at which an event takes place. It may refer to: Locations * Venue (law), the place a case is heard * Financial trading venue, a place or system where financial transactions can occur * Music venue, place used for a concer ...

with a capacity of 2,000 or less. Joined onstage by Kevin Armstrong,

performed the entirety of their eponymous debut album with the exception of "Video Crime," augmented with cover version of songs from

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

and Johnny Kidd & The Pirates.

Tour performance details

The band played in "fashionable black suits" in front of stark lighting in what was described as a departure from Bowie's previous tour. The 17 June show was added at the last minute when Bowie saw the long lines for tickets to 16 June's performance; the show was at midnight (technically the night of 16 June) and tickets were sold at half-price. For 24 June's performance in

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...

, video screens were erected outside the venue for those unable to obtain tickets.

Nicholas Pegg Nicholas Pegg is a British actor, writer and director. Educated at Nottingham High School and graduating with a Master of Arts in English Literature from the University of Exeter, Pegg subsequently trained at the Guildford School of Acting. Acti ...

, ''The Complete David Bowie'', Reynolds & Hearn Ltd, 2004, The video for "

Maggie's Farm "Maggie's Farm" is a song written by Bob Dylan, recorded on January 15, 1965, and released on the album ''Bringing It All Back Home'' on March 22 of that year. Like many other Dylan songs of the 1965–66 period, "Maggie's Farm" is based on electr ...

" was recorded at the same venue.

Live recordings

The 25 June performance at

La Cigale La Cigale (; English: ''The Cicada'') is a theatre located at 120, boulevard de Rochechouart near Place Pigalle, in the 18th arrondissement of Paris. The theatre is part of a complex connected to the Le Trabendo concert venue and the Boule Noir ...

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

was recorded with excerpts broadcast on

Westwood One Westwood One is an American radio network There are two types of radio network currently in use around the world: the one-to-many (simplex communication) broadcast network commonly used for public information and mass-media entertainment, and ...

FM radio FM broadcasting is a method of radio broadcasting using frequency modulation (FM). Invented in 1933 by American engineer Edwin Armstrong, wide-band FM is used worldwide to provide high fidelity sound over broadcast radio. FM broadcasting is cap ...

. Four songs from the same performance were released as b-sides to the 1989

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; "

" and " Prisoner of Love." 8 songs performed at this show were released digitally on the album ''Live at La Cigale, Paris, 25th June, 1989'' in August 2019, to coincide with the album's 30th anniversary. The digital release was mastered by original album producer

Tim Palmer Timothy J. Palmer (born 4 October 1962, in North Shields) is an English record producer, audio engineer, guitarist and songwriter of rock music, rock and alternative rock, alternative music. He Audio mixing (recorded music), mixed Pearl Jam's d ...

Tour reviews

The

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...

had a positive review of Tin Machine's first show of the tour in New York City, saying "the band was full of life, raucous and brash, good-natured and smart." ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' described fans who had gone to see "the Thin White Duke crooning '

Young Americans ''Young Americans'' is the ninth studio album by English musician David Bowie, released on 7March 1975 through RCA Records. The album marked a departure from the glam rock style of Bowie's previous albums, showcasing his interest in soul and ...

'" as receiving a rude awakening as Bowie offered "no oldies, no encores and no apologies." Reactions to the US shows were mixed as fans and critics felt that the proximity to Bowie was often more exciting than the music the band was playing. Ultimately, ''Rolling Stone'' magazine stated that it was Bowie's presence that "elevated the songs from the level of average grunge to that of theatrical avant-garage rock", and later said it helped Bowie regain some of the credibility he had lost during his previous

album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

and

tour Tour or Tours may refer to: Travel * Tourism, travel for pleasure * Tour of duty, a period of time spent in military service * Campus tour, a journey through a college or university's campus * Guided tour, a journey through a location, directed ...

Tour band

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...

– vocals, guitar *

Reeves Gabrels Reeves Gabrels (born June 4, 1956) is an American guitarist, songwriter and record producer. A member and guitarist of British band the Cure since 2012, Gabrels worked with David Bowie from 1987 to 1999, and was a member of the band Tin Machine. ...

– guitar *

Tony Sales Tony Fox Sales (born September 26, 1951) is an American rock musician and composer. Normally on bass guitar, Sales and his brother, Hunt Sales, have worked with Todd Rundgren, Iggy Pop, and in Tin Machine with David Bowie. Early life and career ...

– bass guitar, vocals *

Hunt Sales Hunt Sales (born March 2, 1954) is an American rock drummer, who has played with Todd Rundgren, Iggy Pop and Tin Machine with David Bowie. He has often worked with his brother Tony Sales, a bass guitarist. Personal life Hunt Sales is a son o ...

– drums, vocals ;Additional musicians *

Kevin Armstrong Kevin Armstrong (1922–1992 ) was a dual player who played Gaelic football, football and hurling for his local club O'Connell's GAA, O'Connell's and for the Antrim GAA, Antrim senior inter-county teams in both codes from the 1940s until the 19 ...

– rhythm guitar, vocals (''

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Tin Machine II ''Tin Machine II'' is the second and final studio album by Anglo-American rock group Tin Machine, released on 2September 1991 through Victory Music in association with London Records. The band, composed of English singer-songwriter David Bowie, ...

'')

Tour dates

* 14 June 1989 The World – New York City, United States

SET LIST: Sacrifice Yourself, Heaven's in Here, Amazing,
Working Class Hero "Working Class Hero" is a song by John Lennon from his 1970 album ''John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band'', his first album after the break-up of the Beatles. Theme Stridently political, the song is a commentary on the difference between social clas ...
,
Tin Machine Tin Machine were a British–American rock band formed in 1988, and fronted by English singer-songwriter David Bowie. The band consisted of Bowie on lead vocals, saxophone and guitar; Reeves Gabrels on guitar and vocals; Tony Fox Sales on bass ...
, Sorry,
Prisoner of Love, Bus Stop (country version), Bus Stop,
I Can't Read "I Can't Read" is a song written by David Bowie and Reeves Gabrels for Tin Machine on their debut album in 1989. The song was subsequently re-recorded by Bowie and Gabrels together in 1997, and performed live during Bowie's concerts in the lat ...
, You've Been Around, Baby
Can Dance, Run, Crack City, Pretty Thing, Under The God

* 16 June 1989

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–

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, United States

SET LIST: Sacrifice Yourself, Heaven's in Here, Amazing, Working Class Hero, Tin Machine, Prisoner of
Love, Sorry, Bus Stop, Bus Stop (country version), Run, I Can't Read, Baby Can Dance, Pretty Thing,
Crack City, Under The God

* 17 June 1989 The Roxy – Los Angeles, California, United States

SET LIST: Sacrifice Yourself, Heaven's in Here, Working Class Hero, Sorry, Bus Stop (country version),
Bus Stop, I Can't Read, Run, Pretty Thing, Crack City, Baby Can Dance, Under The God

* 21 June 1989 Saga Rockteatre –

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...

, Denmark

SET LIST: Sacrifice Yourself, Heaven's in Here, Amazing, Working Class Hero, Tin Machine, Prisoner of
Love, Sorry, Bus Stop (country version), Bus Stop, Run, I Can't Read, Baby Can Dance, Pretty Thing,
Crack City, Under The God

* 22 June 1989 Docks –

Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...

, Germany

SET LIST: Amazing, Sacrifice Yourself, Heaven's in Here, Working Class Hero, Tin Machine, Sorry,
Bus Stop, Bus Stop (country version), Run, Maggie's Farm, Baby Can Dance, I Can't Read, Pretty
Thing, Crack City, Under The God

* 24 June 1989 Paradiso –

, Netherlands

SET LIST: Amazing, Sacrifice Yourself, Heaven's in Here, Working Class Hero, Prisoner of Love,
Tin Machine, Sorry, Bus Stop (country version), Bus Stop, Run, Maggie's Farm, I Can't Read,
Baby Can Dance, Pretty Thing, Crack City, Under The God

* 25 June 1989

–

, France

SET LIST: Amazing, Heaven's in Here, Sacrifice Yourself, Working Class Hero, Prisoner of Love, Tin
Machine, Sorry, Bus Stop (country version), Bus Stop, Run, Maggie's Farm, I Can't Read, Baby Can
Dance, Pretty Thing, Crack City, Under The God

Opening Band : La Place (France) Local Promoter : Alain Lahana * 27 June 1989

The Town & Country Club The O Forum Kentish Town is a concert venue in Kentish Town, London, England owned by MAMA & Company, and originally built in 1934. History The venue was built in 1934 and was originally used as an art deco cinema. After the cinema was close ...

– London, England

SET LIST: Amazing, Heaven's in Here, Sacrifice Yourself, Working Class Hero, Prisoner of Love, Sorry,
Bus Stop, Run, Maggie's Farm, I Can't Read, Baby Can Dance, Pretty Thing, Crack City, Under The God

Opening Band :

Jesus Jones Jesus Jones are a British alternative rock band from Bradford-on-Avon in Wiltshire, formed in late 1988, who continue to record and perform, as of 2021. Their track " Right Here, Right Now" was an international hit, and was subsequently globall ...

(UK) * 29 June 1989 National Ballroom – London, England

SET LIST: Bus Stop (country version), Bus Stop, Amazing, Working Class Hero, Sacrifice Yourself,
Heaven's in Here, Prisoner of Love, Sorry, Now, Run, Baby Can Dance, Tin Machine, Maggie's
Farm, I Can't Read,
Shakin' All Over "Shakin' All Over" is a song originally performed by Johnny Kidd & the Pirates. It was written by leader Johnny Kidd, and his original recording reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart in August 1960. The song is sometimes credited to Frederick ...
, Pretty Thing, Crack City, Under The God

* 1 July 1989

Newport Leisure Centre The Newport Centre is a leisure centre in Newport, Wales, Newport, South Wales. The Newport Centre is located in Newport city centre on the west bank of the River Usk adjacent to the Kingsway Shopping Centre. It holds events such as concerts, Bu ...

– Newport, Wales

SET LIST: Amazing, Heaven's in Here, Sacrifice Yourself, Working Class Hero, Prisoner of Love, Sorry,
Bus Stop (country version), Bus Stop, Shakin' All Over, Run, Baby Can Dance, I Can't Read, Maggie's
Farm, Pretty Thing, Crack City, Under The God

* 2 July 1989 St. George's Hall –

Bradford Bradford is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Bradford district in West Yorkshire, England. The city is in the Pennines' eastern foothills on the banks of the Bradford Beck. Bradford had a population of 349,561 at the 2011 ...

, England

SET LIST: Now, Amazing, Heaven's in Here, Bus Stop (country version), Bus Stop, Working Class Hero,
Prisoner of Love, Sacrifice Yourself, Sorry, Run, I Can't Read, Maggie's Farm, Tin Machine, Baby Can
Dance, Shakin' All Over, Pretty Thing, Crack City, Under The God

* 3 July 1989 The Forum –

Livingston Livingston may refer to: Businesses * Livingston Energy Flight, an Italian airline (2003–2010) * Livingston Compagnia Aerea, an Italian airline (2011–2014), also known as Livingston Airline * Livingston International, a North American custom ...

, Scotland

SET LIST: Amazing, Heaven's in Here, Working Class Hero, Shakin' All Over, Sorry, Sacrifice Yourself,
Bus Stop (country version), Bus Stop, Run, I Can't Read, Maggie's Farm, Baby Can Dance, Tin Machine,
Pretty Thing, Crack City, Under The God

The songs

From ''

'' * "Heaven's in Here" * "Tin Machine" (Bowie,

) * "Prisoner of Love" (Bowie, Gabrels, H. Sales, T. Sales) * "Crack City" * "I Can't Read" (Bowie, Gabrels) * "Under the God" * "Amazing" (Bowie, Gabrels) * "Working Class Hero" (originally from ''

John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band ''John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band'' is the debut solo album by English musician John Lennon. Backed by the Plastic Ono Band, it was released by Apple Records on 11 December 1970 in tandem with the similarly titled album by his wife, Yoko Ono. At ...

'' (1970) by

John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...

; written by Lennon) * "Bus Stop" (Bowie, Gabrels) * "Pretty Thing" * "Run" (Bowie, Kevin Armstrong) * "Sacrifice Yourself" (Bowie, H. Sales, T. Sales) * "Baby Can Dance" From ''

'' * "Sorry" (H. Sales) From ''

Black Tie White Noise ''Black Tie White Noise'' is the 18th studio album by English musician David Bowie, released on 5 April 1993 through Savage Records in the United States and Arista Records in the United Kingdom. Conceived following the disbandment of Bowi ...

'' * "You've Been Around" (Bowie, Gabrels) Other songs: * "Maggie's Farm" (from ''

Bringing It All Back Home ''Bringing It All Back Home'' (known as ''Subterranean Homesick Blues'' in some European countries; sometimes also spelled ''Bringin' It All Back Home'') is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. It was released in Apri ...

'' (1965) by

; written by Dylan) * "Now" (unreleased outtake from ''Tin Machine'', written by Bowie and Armstrong, bookended with the "noise" segments of the 1988 remake of "

Look Back in Anger ''Look Back in Anger'' (1956) is a realist play written by John Osborne. It focuses on the life and marital struggles of an intelligent and educated but disaffected young man of working-class origin, Jimmy Porter, and his equally competent yet i ...

", later rewritten as the title track of his 1995 album '' Outside'') * "Shakin' All Over" (originally a non-album

single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...

(1960) by Johnny Kidd and the Pirates; written by Johnny Kidd, later released as the B-side to " You Belong in Rock n' Roll")

Notes

References

* David Buckley, ''Strange Fascination: The Definitive Biography of David Bowie'', Virgin Books, 1999, {{Authority control 1989 concert tours David Bowie concert tours