Looking back, this stage just had something special. More conceptual ideas behind it. Not just props...the whole thing was unified. I remember seeing it in person (for the first time as you couldn't watch a video b4 u went to the show!) and it just being so impressive even without any lights, etc.. Of course the opening sequence with the Moroccan music and then the giant blast is something I'll never forget. It lit the whole place up and everyone's arms went up in the air. Beyond incredible.
"So when you build the actual stage, will it have these same dimensions?" "I don't know what you're talking about ... this is the stage." Keith pulls out a cocktail napkin with writing on it: Height: 140"
IMO .. the coolest. It set the stage (some pun) .. for all major rock events / tours from then on. It was a monstrosity. I've saw the Stones every tour since 1981 (except for A Bigger Bang). The Steel Wheels stage was my favorite stage of theirs to this day -
I was born 6 years later and could only appreciate it through my father's LaserDisc back then. I think I was 4 yo and that stage got me fascinated ever since. If one could travel back in time, attending one of its concerts is what I would first do.
Amazing document, thanks you. When I was a teenager in late 90's I was so fascinated by this stage that I built a model of it in my bedroom. today i'm 38 years old and i still have this huge thing at home, much to my wife's despair... and people who come to our house always wonder what it is... it's funny. If anyone is interested I can take pictures.
Mick makes a good point at 22 min. Previous stages were messy, with people hanging around the periphery and equipment exposed. Steel Wheels was the first tour to finally fix that. Interesting how he mentions wanting to include the audience sections in the staging which was eventually done years later during the Bigger Bang tour in 2005.
Patrick Woodroffe..the guy on Micks left in the blue shirt ..has really had an amazing career as a lighting designer. Some really talented guys here in this video and I love how hands on Mick is.
This is very interesting! I appreciate all the work that goes into the shows, but honestly I’m just there for the music! And to see the greatest Rock & Roll/Blues band there ever has been or ever will be! Thanks for all the music!
I was thinking the same, the music first, you hear it when they play in small theaters like Paradiso or Olympia. But there are so many fans to satisfied!!!
That has got to be so much fun. Because it's for real. That thing is actually going to be built, and thousands of people are going to be screaming for it. There's a good bit of inside jokes and ribbing going on between the two actual Stones. Who is Lars? when Charlie is talking about the distance or height of that rafter, it sounds like he is referring to 'Lars'. Around the 18 minute mark they get to the essence of the show. Fisher sum sit up well.
250 feet long on avg ,height 140 feet with built in Elavator ,80 feet deep from front of stage to backline are ,i still have blueprint book from 89 thanks ian frazer crew tech ,this stage has so many ways to be built 5 day set up made it a pain ,Europe was smaller set stage 1990 according to Jagger it had to be smaller for Europe ,Ticket prices would not support it Cost are higher there US tour took 80 trucks to move one set they built two ,one was used for Scrap after Japan tour
Call me a nerd Paul but I LOVE the logistics of all of this. According to 20/20 back in 89' the stage had enough juice to light up 30 city blocks!! That's what disappointed me about the Zip Code tour 3 years ago. They seemed to have put very little thought or money into the stage yet still jacked up the ticket prices. I suppose after 'Bigger Bang' they simply ran out of ideas!
@@jeanetteduda6611 It's funny they said it was expensive but they used the stage in Turin, East Berlin and London as we can see in Live at the Max. I read once that they blame streaming services for reducing costs with stages as the album sales decreased immensely. Also, their stage designer Mark Fisher passed away in 2013, which I believe there might have an influence. I got to see them in Latin America in 2016 and the stage was disappointing.
Musixhunter Charlie's no dummy. He knows Mick's gonna do whatever he pleases, but he's providing pretty good input. Mick's made all the lads millionaires for 5 generations going forward. Charlie actually wants Mick to climb higher, but Mick's terrified. Lol! Charlie's thinking, Maybe the beggar will trip and break his neck. Then we'll get a nice settlement and won't have to do this anymore. (Meanwhile here we are, nearly a quarter century later...) I remember Jerry Hall being on the View or some shit and they asked her about the schools their kids go to. She said, "Oh, Mick handles all of that." Ummm, yeah! Much laughter all around. But hey, back to this! Where's the coke? Do the naked chicks come in later? Where the deuce is Keith? Probably hasn't gotten up yet. That Southern Comfort makes for a NASTY hangover. (Ugh, wanna barf just thinking about it. I remember back in the day, drinking too much; I never gave a thought to how I'd feel the next day). By this time, people have started saying he's the soul of the band (which is baloney) and all, but Mick does all the work!
I know some people would prefer that they would just hit the stage and rock, but this whole Steels Wheels tour was played in 85,000 seat football stadiums. I have been to stadium shows. You must give something for the fans in back to look at that enhances the concert experience. And then when it comes to playing stadiums, some asshole famous musician said in the 90's that the decision to play them was just to make more money. Jealous jerk. No, it's play to more fans. As far back as 1974 on the Old Grey Whistle Show, Keith Richards said it would be incredibly selfish for them to play 8 gigs at the L.A. Forum when they can play 2 gigs at the L.A. Coliseum. Playing the huge stadiums allows them to play more cities, and it gives them the chance to play the occasional theater or auditorium. You have to face the fact that sometimes an act is just too popular. It's not all about economics and bands making more bucks. Sometimes it's about what is doing what is fair to the fans. Another thing that these anti-stadium jerks fail to realize is the huge financial risk that bands like the Stones and U2 assume by taking these stadium gigs on the road. As Larry Mullen Jr. of U2 once said during the "Popmart" tour, they were flirting with bankruptcy every week if people didn't show up or whatever. It was a massive risk. But they had to do it because they weren't going to play four shows in Dallas when they could just play one. It wouldn't be fair to the folks in Oklahoma City or whatever.
Was A Disaster To Put Up 4 To 5 Days Some Called A Scrap Heap 260 To 300 Feet Long Did Not Fit In Some Stadiums Was Scrapped After Japan Tour Said To Cost To Much More To Transport They Made New One For Europe Said Jagger Smaller Ticket Prices Would Not Support Old Steel Wheels one 18 Million Was Said To Cost They Built 2 When I Talked To Crew They Said What A Waste of Money This Was 😆 But It Did Look Impressive
The 89-90 stage was insane, basically a building with electricity and all, several floors, giant inflatable dolls, etc. I'm sure it had a loo as well
No loo, I built this stage across North America too many times to remember it was logistically awesome
I saw a show during that tour and the stage was awesome! This is a great short film. The Bridges to Babylon Stage was incredible as well!
Charlie Watts has always been integral in the design of Stones tour stages.
Peter Mills Pink Floyd
@@drummer78 Motley Crue
YES ! ABSOLUTLY !
@@petermills542 Queen in the 80's.
@@mikewilson3581 Not the same scale as Steel Wheels tour in any way!
Looking back, this stage just had something special. More conceptual ideas behind it. Not just props...the whole thing was unified. I remember seeing it in person (for the first time as you couldn't watch a video b4 u went to the show!) and it just being so impressive even without any lights, etc.. Of course the opening sequence with the Moroccan music and then the giant blast is something I'll never forget. It lit the whole place up and everyone's arms went up in the air. Beyond incredible.
"So when you build the actual stage, will it have these same dimensions?" "I don't know what you're talking about ... this is the stage." Keith pulls out a cocktail napkin with writing on it: Height: 140"
Bill Wymans last tour. GREAT concert. Saw em' in Montreal.
One of the coolest stages I"ve ever seen!!!
IMO .. the coolest. It set the stage (some pun) .. for all major rock events / tours from then on. It was a monstrosity. I've saw the Stones every tour since 1981 (except for A Bigger Bang). The Steel Wheels stage was my favorite stage of theirs to this day -
It was amazing...the first "non box" stage I'd ever seen....and was the greatest show I ever attended by anyone.
I was born 6 years later and could only appreciate it through my father's LaserDisc back then. I think I was 4 yo and that stage got me fascinated ever since. If one could travel back in time, attending one of its concerts is what I would first do.
Jeanette Duda Did you ever get to appreciate the Bridges to Babylon stage? Another piece of architectural art! ❤️
Saw the first show (I think) at Soldier Field. NO BRIDGE!!!! :(
Amazing document, thanks you. When I was a teenager in late 90's I was so fascinated by this stage that I built a model of it in my bedroom. today i'm 38 years old and i still have this huge thing at home, much to my wife's despair... and people who come to our house always wonder what it is... it's funny. If anyone is interested I can take pictures.
Let us see!!
@@stephenoneill9387 I just put a video of this on my chanel if you want to see.
This tour, along with their 1978 "Some Girls" tour and their 1972 tour were their best.
Charlie and Mick were tight
I love how Mick looks like he just rolled out of bed and Charlie's got the vest and tie going on.
"When you get up there you need all that crap" Gotta love Charlie Watts!! RIP
Mick makes a good point at 22 min. Previous stages were messy, with people hanging around the periphery and equipment exposed. Steel Wheels was the first tour to finally fix that.
Interesting how he mentions wanting to include the audience sections in the staging which was eventually done years later during the Bigger Bang tour in 2005.
Patrick Woodroffe..the guy on Micks left in the blue shirt ..has really had an amazing career as a lighting designer. Some really talented guys here in this video and I love how hands on Mick is.
This is very interesting! I appreciate all the work that goes into the shows, but honestly I’m just there for the music! And to see the greatest Rock & Roll/Blues band there ever has been or ever will be! Thanks for all the music!
I was thinking the same, the music first, you hear it when they play in small theaters like Paradiso or Olympia. But there are so many fans to satisfied!!!
Music isn't great since Mick Taylor left the band
I miss Charlie and the old days!!!
I remember this concert. The funny thing is I barely remember the stage at all. My vivid memory is Keith's solo for Sympathy for the Devil.
always charlie.
Espectacular video. Saludos!
That has got to be so much fun. Because it's for real. That thing is actually going to be built, and thousands of people are going to be screaming for it. There's a good bit of inside jokes and ribbing going on between the two actual Stones. Who is Lars? when Charlie is talking about the distance or height of that rafter, it sounds like he is referring to 'Lars'. Around the 18 minute mark they get to the essence of the show. Fisher sum sit up well.
Interesting that they already were talking about a b-stage in 1989
I remember this like yesterday
250 feet long on avg ,height 140 feet with built in Elavator ,80 feet deep from front of stage to backline are ,i still have blueprint book from 89 thanks ian frazer crew tech ,this stage has so many ways to be built 5 day set up made it a pain ,Europe was smaller set stage 1990 according to Jagger it had to be smaller for Europe ,Ticket prices would not support it Cost are higher there US tour took 80 trucks to move one set they built two ,one was used for Scrap after Japan tour
Call me a nerd Paul but I LOVE the logistics of all of this. According to 20/20 back in 89' the stage had enough juice to light up 30 city blocks!! That's what disappointed me about the Zip Code tour 3 years ago. They seemed to have put very little thought or money into the stage yet still jacked up the ticket prices. I suppose after 'Bigger Bang' they simply ran out of ideas!
Tickets were $27.50...i remember thinking "wow that's the most I've ever paid" LoL
@@jeanetteduda6611 It's funny they said it was expensive but they used the stage in Turin, East Berlin and London as we can see in Live at the Max. I read once that they blame streaming services for reducing costs with stages as the album sales decreased immensely. Also, their stage designer Mark Fisher passed away in 2013, which I believe there might have an influence. I got to see them in Latin America in 2016 and the stage was disappointing.
Oh how delightful good morning
Charlie and Mick, the men who work behind the Stones machine.
No, here it's professionals making propositions on Mick and Charlie ideas.
You don’t understand, obviously they don’t created this model but they was the two Stones involved in all and complex process of the stage design.
When it zooms in at the end so you can properly see what they're looking at, you realise this is just very rich adults designing a doll's house 😉
.... MICK......!!!!!!!!!
EL MEJOR ESCENARIO, LA MEJOR GIRA.
ironic was in Phily when, the power went out during "Shattered"..
Never played that song the rest of the tour!
Got to know about this incident yesterday, watching the whole footage. That might have been fun for the audience.
but why drop Shattered, it's their best live song
I was there for the Philly show when the power went out. It really sucked and the outage lasted for a long time. No one knew whether to stay or leave.
Anyone have one of these for the voodoo lounge set
Don't beleive so but on their "Tip of the tongue" documentary it shows stage planning for the 002 tour. Think you may like that
I remember the VH1 special had a long interview with the stage designer
I wonder where the model of the stage is today?
Mick and his poncy 1989 hair cut. Thank God he got a different stylist for Voodoo Lounge
'loik bleeding Stone 'enge,....
🤣🤣🤣👏👏👏
yeah we gona spend some millions on a crane with many many baloons and then we gona drop on the stage in the last song
Charlie is so chatty here...
Musixhunter Charlie's no dummy. He knows Mick's gonna do whatever he pleases, but he's providing pretty good input. Mick's made all the lads millionaires for 5 generations going forward. Charlie actually wants Mick to climb higher, but Mick's terrified. Lol! Charlie's thinking, Maybe the beggar will trip and break his neck. Then we'll get a nice settlement and won't have to do this anymore. (Meanwhile here we are, nearly a quarter century later...)
I remember Jerry Hall being on the View or some shit and they asked her about the schools their kids go to. She said, "Oh, Mick handles all of that." Ummm, yeah! Much laughter all around.
But hey, back to this! Where's the coke? Do the naked chicks come in later? Where the deuce is Keith? Probably hasn't gotten up yet. That Southern Comfort makes for a NASTY hangover. (Ugh, wanna barf just thinking about it. I remember back in the day, drinking too much; I never gave a thought to how I'd feel the next day). By this time, people have started saying he's the soul of the band (which is baloney) and all, but Mick does all the work!
Charlie…..if we miss you, how much do the boys miss you?
I know some people would prefer that they would just hit the stage and rock, but this whole Steels Wheels tour was played in 85,000 seat football stadiums. I have been to stadium shows. You must give something for the fans in back to look at that enhances the concert experience. And then when it comes to playing stadiums, some asshole famous musician said in the 90's that the decision to play them was just to make more money. Jealous jerk. No, it's play to more fans. As far back as 1974 on the Old Grey Whistle Show, Keith Richards said it would be incredibly selfish for them to play 8 gigs at the L.A. Forum when they can play 2 gigs at the L.A. Coliseum. Playing the huge stadiums allows them to play more cities, and it gives them the chance to play the occasional theater or auditorium. You have to face the fact that sometimes an act is just too popular. It's not all about economics and bands making more bucks. Sometimes it's about what is doing what is fair to the fans. Another thing that these anti-stadium jerks fail to realize is the huge financial risk that bands like the Stones and U2 assume by taking these stadium gigs on the road. As Larry Mullen Jr. of U2 once said during the "Popmart" tour, they were flirting with bankruptcy every week if people didn't show up or whatever. It was a massive risk. But they had to do it because they weren't going to play four shows in Dallas when they could just play one. It wouldn't be fair to the folks in Oklahoma City or whatever.
Mick was right. Every band started copying the stones stadium shows. Trying to top them
be nice if h could th sound proply
I seen that tour....I that mick was in his fake looking 80s phase..
Was A Disaster To Put Up 4 To 5 Days Some Called A Scrap Heap 260 To 300 Feet Long Did Not Fit In Some Stadiums Was Scrapped After Japan Tour Said To Cost To Much More To Transport They Made New One For Europe Said Jagger Smaller Ticket Prices Would Not Support Old Steel Wheels one 18 Million Was Said To Cost They Built 2 When I Talked To Crew They Said What A Waste of Money This Was 😆 But It Did Look Impressive