The Wall Tour (1980–81)

The Wall Tour was a concert tour by the English progressive rock band Pink Floyd throughout 1980–1981 in support of their concept album The Wall.

The tour was relatively small compared to previous tours for a major release, with only 31 shows in total. The tour was notable for its extensive use of stage theatrics, most notably a giant wall constructed across the stage to convey the sense of alienation present in both the album, and Roger Waters' personal feelings at the time. The concert tour was Pink Floyd's last with the Waters-Gilmour-Wright-Mason line-up (albeit with Wright as a salaried musician rather than a full member, having been fired during the sessions for the album), as bassist Roger Waters left the group following a court battle between him and the band.

History

The costs of the tour were estimated to have reached US$ 1.5 million even before the first performance. The New York Times stated in its 2 March 1980 edition that:

Nick Mason explained:

The Wall concert was only performed 31 times in four cities: Los Angeles (7 shows), Uniondale (5), Dortmund (8) and London (11). The primary 'tour' consisted of 18 shows in L.A., Uniondale and London in 1980, but the band performed a further eight shows in Dortmund (13–20 February 1981) and five more shows at Earl's Court (13–17 June) for filming, with the intention of integrating the shows into the upcoming movie.

The Wall Live (2010–13)

The Wall Live was a worldwideconcert tour by Roger Waters, formerly of Pink Floyd. The tour is the first time the Pink Floyd album The Wall has been performed in its entirety by the band or any of its former members since Waters performed the album live in Berlin 21 July 1990. According to Cole Moreton of the Daily Mail, "The touring version of Pink Floyd's The Wall is one of the most ambitious and complex rock shows ever staged." It is estimated that the tour cost £37 million ($60M) to stage. The first leg of the tour grossed in North America over $89.5 million from 56 concerts. It was the second highest grossing concert tour in North America in 2010 and the third highest grossing concert tour worldwide as of 2013. As of 2013, the tour holds the record for being the highest grossing tour for a solo musician, surpassing the previous record holder, Madonna.

The tour opened on 15 September 2010 in Toronto, and moved through North America before ending the first leg of the tour in Mexico City, 21 December 2010. The European tour began 21 March 2011 in Lisbon, Portugal, and ended 12 July 2011 in Athens, Greece. In 2012, the tour included Australia, New Zealand, and South America, resuming 27 January in Perth, and ending 1 April 2012 in São Paulo. It was confirmed by Waters during an interview with Jimmy Fallon that he would be returning to North America for yet another leg of The Wall tour, beginning 27 April 2012 in Mexico City and ending 21 July 2012 in Quebec City on the Plains of Abraham, a former battlefield. This last show in Quebec City was the second largest outdoor production of "The Wall" ever – the largest being the Live in Berlin show in 1990. The tour returned to European stadiums again in summer 2013. After the 21 September 2013 Paris show he claimed on stage this to be possibly the last The Wall show, confirming rumours that there will be no further tour dates planned for 2014.