Babylon by Bus Tour

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Babylon by Bus Tour 1979
Tour by Bob Marley & The Wailers
Start date April 5, 1979
End date May 6, 1979
Legs 2
Shows 8 in Asia
11 in Oceania
19 in total
Bob Marley & The Wailers tour chronology
Kaya Tour
(1978)
Babylon by Bus Tour
(1979)
Survival Tour
(1979)

The Babylon by Bus Tour was a concert tour organised to support the album Babylon by Bus by Bob Marley & The Wailers. It was also to popularize Marley and reggae music in Asia and Oceania.

The tour started in the Ivory Coast on April 5, 1979, and ended in Honolulu, Hawaii, on May 6, 1979. The tour should have started with two shows in the Ivory Coast in mid-March, but both concerts had been cancelled due to unknown reasons. The first leg led Marley through Japan where he performed for the first time, the second leg took place in various Oceanian places (New Zealand, Australia, Hawaii). It was Marley's only tour including concerts in Asia and Oceania.

After the tour Marley performed two historical concerts: his last performance in Jamaica, at the Reggae Sunsplash, and at the Amandla Festival in Boston's Harvard Stadium where he made a powerful and historical speech.

[edit] Setlist

The standard setlist of the tour mostly looked like the following:

  • "Positive Vibration"
  • "Concrete Jungle"
  • "Burnin' And Lootin'"
  • "Them Belly Full (But We Hungry)"
  • "The Heathen"
  • "Running Away" / "Crazy Baldhead" (medley)
  • "I Shot The Sheriff"
  • "No Woman, No Cry"
  • "Lively Up Yourself"
  • "Jammin'"
  • "Is This Love?"
  • "War" / "No More Trouble" (medley)
  • "Get Up, Stand Up"
  • "Exodus"

The setlist was very similar to that from the previous Kaya Tour, but in different order. There were also performances of an earlier song, "Punky Reggae Party", which is not featured on any of Marley's Island albums released at that time, but was released as a single in 1977.

From show to show sometimes an additional song was edged in the middle of the setlist, like "Stir It Up", "Punky Reggae Party" or "Natty Dread". Live performances of each of these songs happened very rarely during the tour.

[edit] Tour dates

Date Venue City State Notes
March 16 Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny Abidjan Flag of Côte d'Ivoire Ivory Coast cancelled
March 17 Palais des Congrès Abidjan Flag of Côte d'Ivoire Ivory Coast cancelled
April 5 Shinjuku Kosei Nenkin Kaikan Shinjuku, Tokyo Flag of Japan Japan
April 6 Shinjuku Kosei Nenkin Kaikan Shinjuku, Tokyo Flag of Japan Japan
April 7 Shibuya Public Hall Shibuya, Tokyo Flag of Japan Japan 2 shows
April 10 Nakano Sun Plaza Hall Nakano, Tokyo Flag of Japan Japan 2 shows
April 11 Osaka Kosei Nenkin Kaikan Osaka Flag of Japan Japan
April 13 Festival Hall Osaka Flag of Japan Japan
April 16 Western Springs Stadium Auckland Flag of New Zealand New Zealand
April 18 Festival Hall Brisbane Flag of Australia Australia
April 20 Apollo Stadium Adelaide Flag of Australia Australia
April 21 Apollo Stadium Adelaide Flag of Australia Australia
April 23 Entertainment Centre Perth Flag of Australia Australia
April 25 Festival Hall Melbourne Flag of Australia Australia
April 26 Festival Hall Melbourne Flag of Australia Australia
April 27 Hordern Pavillion Sydney Flag of Australia Australia
May 1 Festival Hall Melbourne Flag of Australia Australia
May 5 Lahaina Civic Center Lahaina, HI Flag of the United States USA
May 6 Waikiki Shell Honolulu, HI Flag of the United States USA