Out Of The Blue Tour

Electric Light Orchestra -- Out Of The Blue Tour

An in-depth look at the 1978 tour

Comments and Observations

The Out Of The Blue tour, billed as The Big Night in the USA, was not ELO's longest tour schedule nor did it have the biggest setlist, but it was certainly the most ambitious and highest profile tour. It was the highest grossing concert ever in the USA up to that time. 1978 was the peak of ELO's popularity with Out Of The Blue as their best selling album yet, a wildly popular stage show, and general high respect from radio and music critics. The stage show involved a laser lightshow and sometimes a giant hamburger-shaped spaceship for a stage, thus presenting an incredible visual spectical to go along with the audio program.

One of the biggest stars of the show was the stage itself. This was a gigantic metal hamburger-shaped spaceship that opened up at the beginning of the show with lasers, fog machines and tapes of dramatic classical music blasting out to the audience. As it opened, the band was raised from out of the floor on hydraulic risers. There the band played until the end of the show, when they walked off stage and it closed back up with more laser and fog theatrics and dramatic classical music (once again) blasting out to the audience. Jeff Lynne has commented in several interviews that he sometimes left the stage after the performance and rushed out to stand with the audience so he could watch it close.

Unfortunately, as much fun as this stage was for the audience, it caused a lot of havoc for the band. It was incredibly expensive to operate and transport. It used many technicians to construct, operate and deconstruct it for each show; and it required thirteen 18-wheelers to transport it from city to city. In fact, it was so expensive and time-consuming to use that it was mostly used at every other performance (dubbed the "A-shows"), with the non-spaceship parts of the tour using a regular stage at the venue (dubbed the "B-shows"). The hydraulic lifts did not always work properly, which meant that sometimes the entire band would not be on stage when the show (including the taped song intros) began. Worst of all, it caused the music to suffer as the spaceship set was a very hot place in which to play. This caused the band's instruments to often go out of tune, particularly the cellos and violin. And the acoustics in the spaceship made it difficult for the band to hear themselves properly.

Due to the complications of trying to reproduce the music on the album in a live setting and the problem of the heat causing the instruments to go out of tune, the band relied heavily on a tape system as backup. That's not to say that they didn't play live or that the audience was hearing these tapes instead of the band. Tapes were used on some of the parts that could not be played live, such as the intros to Night In The City, Standin' In The Rain and Mr. Blue Sky. Otherwise, the tape music was turned down low and used as a guide for the band to keep in synch. If, perchance, the instruments went out of tune, then the tapes could be turned up to correct any errors. The tapes were not meant to be heard by the audience when the band was playing. Tapes had been used on previous tours for intros and it was never a problem. But it became a problem on the Out Of The Blue tour, perhaps because the audience could sometimes hear the tape backup and/or because the band was so popular and the tour was so high profile that critics, as they are often wont to do, were using it as a convenient excuse to deride the band. This wasn't helped any by the broadcast on TV of ELO's performance at Wembley Empire Pool in which the original recordings were very heavily mixed over the live performance, making it appear as if the band is simply miming the songs. In any case, by the end of the tour the band had gained an undeserved reputation as a band who mimed to tape on stage.

It's unclear, but it appears that the spaceship stage was only used at the UK Wembley shows and North American shows, not the Japan or European shows. There have been several people who recall seeing the European shows, but no one has yet to report seeing one with the spaceship stage.

As in previous shows, Mik Kaminski and Hugh McDowell were able to perform solo violin and cello performances during the show. Mik performed a self-written and unnamed solo piece which merged with a brief segment from of In The Hall Of The Mountain King and ended with the drums, bass and keyboards joining in for the classical piece Hungarian Dance No. 5. Hugh performed his own self-written and unnamed solo piece which merged with a very frantic performance of the classical piece Flight Of The Bumblebee. What made Hugh's performance especially fun for the audience was that he used his famous silver cello and wore a silver costume during the performance. Green lasers shot toward him during the performance were reflected all across the stage and the audience, creating a stunning visual spectacle.

The Out Of The Blue tour was also the swan song of the classic ELO; following this tour, the band was to be forever changed with the loss of the string players from the band (except for the occasional promotional appearance and Mik Kaminski on the Time tour and very rare studio contribution) and the beginning of the decline in ELO's critical acclaim and popularity.

Band and crew members

The band and crew on this tour were:

Jeff Lynne: vocals, guitar
Bev Bevan: drums
Richard Tandy: keyboards
Kelly Groucutt: bass, vocals
Mik Kaminski: violin
Hugh McDowell: cello
Melvyn Gale: cello
John Downing: Tour manager
Deryck Dickinson: Production manager
Mack: Sound engineer
Davie Kirkwood: Sound engineer
Jake Commander: backing vocals, guitar (off stage), Monitor engineer
Nigel Gibbons: Lighting engineer
Peter Mertens: Guitar technician
Brian Jones: Drums and percussion technician
Tony Holmes: String section technician
Philip Copestake: Amplification technician
Ed Simone: Keyboards technician
Joe Browne: Production consultant
Don Arden: Business and personal management
Dave Arden: Business and personal management
Harman Cadis: Laser engineer

Tour dates

This tour ran from February to September 1978. It started in Australia and New Zealand (February), Japan (February to March), Europe (April to May), UK (June), and USA and Canada (June to September).

Date City, Country Venue Setlist
[A-shows with shapeship set]
[B-shows without shapeship set] 		Opening Act(s) Comments
January 25 1978 Honolulu, Hawaii, USA Neal Blaisdell Center Unknown Unknown
? 1978 Auckland, New Zealand Western Springs Unknown Unknown
February ? 1978 Brisbane, Australia Festival Hall Unknown Unknown
February 4 1978 Sydney, Australia Randwick Racecourse Unknown Unknown
February ? 1978 Adelaide, Australia Unknown Unknown Unknown
February 22 1978 Tokyo, Japan Nippon Budokan Japan show Unknown
February 23 1978 Osaka, Japan Unknown Japan show Unknown
February 24 1978 Osaka, Japan Unknown Japan show Unknown
February 25 1978 Kyoto, Japan Unknown Japan show Unknown
February 26 1978 Fukuoka, Japan Unknown Japan show Unknown
February 28 1978 Nagoja, Japan Unknown Japan show Unknown
March 3 1978 Shizuoka, Japan Unknown Japan show Unknown
April 22 1978 Malmψ, Sweden Unknown Europe, USA and Canada A or B show Unknown
April 23 1978 Gothenburg, Sweden Scandinavium Europe, USA and Canada A or B show Unknown
April 25 1978 Oslo, Norway Ekeberghallen Europe, USA and Canada B show Trickster
April 27 1978 Copenhagen, Denmark Unknown Europe, USA and Canada A or B show Unknown
April 29 1978 Kiel, Germany Unknown Europe, USA and Canada A or B show Unknown
April 30 1978 Dortmund, Germany Halle 1 Dortmund Europe, USA and Canada B show Trickster
May 2 1978 Bremen, Germany Unknown Europe, USA and Canada A or B show Unknown
May 3 1978 Hannover, Germany Unknown Europe, USA and Canada A or B show Unknown
May 4 1978 Hamburg, Germany Unknown Europe, USA and Canada A or B show Unknown
May 6 1978 Ludwigshafen/Rhein, Germany Unknown Europe, USA and Canada A or B show Unknown
May 8 1978 Kφln, Germany Unknown Europe, USA and Canada B show Unknown
May 10 1978 Berlin, Germany Deutschlandhalle Europe, USA and Canada A or B show Trickster
May 11 1978 Nόrnberg, Germany Messehalle Europe, USA and Canada B show Trickster
May 12 1978 Munich, Germany Unknown Europe, USA and Canada A or B show Unknown
May 15 1978 Paris, France Pavillon de Paris Europe, USA and Canada A or B show Unknown
May 16 1978 Rotterdam, The Netherlands Rotterdam Ahoy Europe, USA and Canada B show Unknown
May 17 1978 Rotterdam, The Netherlands Rotterdam Ahoy Europe, USA and Canada B show Unknown
May 18 1978 Brussels, Belgium Vorst Nationaal Europe, USA and Canada B show Trickster
June 2 1978 London, UK Wembley Empire Pool UK A show Trickster
June 6 1978 Stafford, UK Bingley Hall UK B show Trickster This performance wasn't originally scheduled as part of the tour, but was added as an award ceremony because the band won the Daily Mirror Rock and Pop Awards (which would eventually evolve into what we now know as the Brits). The award ceremony bit didn't happen for whatever reason but the gig remained.
June 9 1978 London, UK Wembley Empire Pool UK A show Trickster
June 10 1978 London, UK Wembley Empire Pool UK A show Trickster
June 11 1978 London, UK Wembley Empire Pool UK A show Trickster
June 12 1978 London, UK Wembley Empire Pool UK A show Trickster
June 14 1978 London, UK Wembley Empire Pool UK A show Trickster
June 15 1978 London, UK Wembley Empire Pool UK A show Trickster
June 16 1978 London, UK Wembley Empire Pool UK A show Trickster
June 30 1978 Omaha, Nebraska, USA Omaha Civic Auditorium Europe, USA and Canada A or B show Unknown
July 1 1978 St. Louis, Missouri, USA Keil Arena Europe, USA and Canada A show Unknown
July 2 1978 Kansas City, Missouri, USA Kemper Arena Europe, USA and Canada A show Trickster
July 3 1978 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA Myriad Gardens Europe, USA and Canada A or B show Unknown
July 4 or 5 1978 Memphis, Tennessee, USA Midsouth Coliseum Europe, USA and Canada A or B show Unknown
July 6 1978 Atlanta, Georgia, USA The Omni Coliseum Europe, USA and Canada A or B show Unknown
July 7 1978 Atlanta, Georgia, USA The Omni Coliseum Europe, USA and Canada A or B show Unknown
July 8 1978 Birmingham, Alabama, USA Jefferson Coliseum Europe, USA and Canada B show Unknown
July 9 1978 Lexington, Kentucky, USA Rupp Arena Europe, USA and Canada A show Unknown
July 11 1978 Greensboro, North Carolina, USA Greensboro Coliseum Europe, USA and Canada A or B show Unknown
July 12 1978 Roanoke, Virginia, USA Civic Centre Europe, USA and Canada B show Unknown
July 15 1978 Cleveland, Ohio, USA Cleveland Municipal Stadium Europe, USA and Canada A show Trickster, Journey, Foreigner This show as billed as "The World Series of Rock". The bands that day in order of appearance were Trickster, Journey, Foreigner, and Electric Light Orchestra.
July 19 1978 Toronto, Ontario, Canada Canadian National Exhibition Stadium Europe, USA and Canada A or B show Trickster, Meatloaf
August 10 1978 Chicago, Illinois, USA Chicago Stadium Europe, USA and Canada A show Trickster
August 12 1978 Pontiac, Michigan, USA The Pontiac Silverdome Europe, USA and Canada A show Trickster, Heart
August 13 1978 Pontiac, Michigan, USA The Pontiac Silverdome Europe, USA and Canada A show Trickster, Heart
August 14 1978 Indianapolis, Indiana, USA Market Square Arena Europe, USA and Canada A or B show Unknown
August 15 1978 Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA Milwaukee Arena Europe, USA and Canada A or B show Unknown
August 16 1978 Madison, Wisconsin, USA Dane County Coliseum Europe, USA and Canada A or B show Unknown
August 17 1978 St. Paul, Minnesota, USA Civic Centre Europe, USA and Canada A or B show Unknown
August 19 1978 Denver, Colorado, USA McNichols Sports Arena Europe, USA and Canada A show Unknown
August 22 1978 Las Vegas, Nevada, USA Aladdin Theater for the Performing Arts Europe, USA and Canada A show Unknown
August 23 1978 San Francisco, California, USA Oakland Coliseum Europe, USA and Canada A or B show Unknown
August 26 1978 Anaheim, California, USA Anaheim Stadium Europe, USA and Canada A show Trickster, Kingfish and Journey
August 29 1978 Las Vegas, Nevada, USA Aladdin Theater for the Performing Arts Europe, USA and Canada A or B show Unknown
September 1 1978 Fort Worth, Texas, USA Tarrant County Convention Center Europe, USA and Canada A show Trickster
September 2 1978 Shreveport, Louisiana, USA Hirsch Memorial Coliseum Europe, USA and Canada A or B show Unknown
September 3 1978 Houston, Texas, USA The Summit Europe, USA and Canada A show Unknown
September 4 1978 Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA LSU Assembly Center Europe, USA and Canada A or B show Unknown
September 5 1978 Biloxi, Mississippi, USA Mississippi Coast Coliseum & Convention Center Europe, USA and Canada A or B show Unknown
September 7 1978 Knoxville, Tennessee, USA Knoxville Civic Center Europe, USA and Canada A or B show Unknown
September 8 1978 Dayton, Ohio, USA University of Dayton Arena Europe, USA and Canada B show Kingfish
September 9 1978 Murfreesboro, Tennessee, USA Murfreesboro Convention Center Europe, USA and Canada A or B show Unknown
September 11 1978 Buffalo, New York, USA Buffalo Memorial Auditorium Europe, USA and Canada A show Unknown
September 12 1978 New Haven, Connecticut, USA New Haven Veterans' Coliseum Europe, USA and Canada B show Kingfish
September 14 1978 New York City, New York, USA Madison Square Garden Europe, USA and Canada A show Unknown
September 15 1978 New York City, New York, USA Madison Square Garden Europe, USA and Canada A show Unknown
September 18 1978 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA The Spectrum Europe, USA and Canada A show Kingfish
September 19 1978 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA The Spectrum Europe, USA and Canada A show Kingfish
September 22 1978 Hampton, Virginia, USA Hampton Coliseum Europe, USA and Canada B show Trickster
September 23 1978 Largo, Maryland, USA Capital Centre Europe, USA and Canada A show Trickster
September 25 1978 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA Civic Arena Europe, USA and Canada A or B show Unknown
September 27 1978 Boston, Massachusetts, USA Boston Garden Europe, USA and Canada A show Unknown
September 28 1978 Providence, Rhode Island, USA Providence Civic Center Europe, USA and Canada A or B show Unknown
September 29 1978 Portland, Maine, USA Cumberland County Civic Center Europe, USA and Canada A show Kingfish
September 30 1978 Montreal, Quebec, Canada Montreal Forum Europe, USA and Canada A or B show Unknown

Setlist

These are the setlists during the tour. There were some minor changes along each leg of the tour, in response to the release of singles during the tour or other unknown reasons. In particular, Fire On High and the Eldorado Overture are only known to have played at the Japan shows. Wild West Hero was added to the UK shows only, replacing Strange Magic. This change may have been done at some Europe shows, but that remains uncertain. Also, from analyzing various bootlegged concerts, it appears that Ma-Ma-Ma Belle and Livin' Thing were often switched in the order they were played, and the order that Mr. Blue Sky, Sweet Talkin' Woman and Evil Woman was often switched around. One fan recalls that Jungle was played at a the June 6, Bingley Hall show in the UK, but that remains unconfirmed.

Song Title
Japan show
UK A show
(with the spaceship set)
UK B show
(without the spaceship set)
Europe, USA and Canada A show
(with the spaceship set)
Europe, USA and Canada B show
(without the spaceship set)
Arrangement
Song comments
Introduction Theme
-
YES
-
YES
-
 N/A This song, a recording only, was only used at the concerts that used the spaceship set. It's uncertain if this is an ELO original written or performed song, something created just for the concert, or a piece adapted to the show.
Fire On High
YES
-
-
-
-
 Face The Music LP version This song was performed at the Japan concerts only. The intro was played via tape, but the rest of the song was performed live.
Standin' In The Rain
-
YES
YES
YES
YES
 Out Of The Blue LP version, except it cuts rain/keyboard intro, starting at the cymbal crash and it ends early, cutting the "big wheels" vocorder part This song was performed at all concerts except Japan
Night In The City
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
 Out Of The Blue LP version, except it cuts the "I'll get you, yes, I'm gonna get you" vocal part and has a non-fading ending
Turn To Stone
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
 Out Of The Blue LP version
Eldorado Overture
YES
-
-
-
-
 Eldorado LP version This song was performed at the Japan concerts only. Much of this track was played with tapes, but once the big orchestra starts the band joins in, including guitars, drums and strings.
Can't Get It Out Of My Head
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
 Eldorado LP version
Hugh's Cello Solo / Flight Of The Bumblebee
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
 N/A
Tightrope
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
 A New World Record LP version
Telephone Line
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
 A New World Record LP version, except it cuts the telephone tone intro and the last two choruses and it adds a non-fading ending
Rockaria!
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
 A New World Record LP version, except that Kelly Groucutt sings the opera parts and the second and fourth verses
Mik's Violin Solo / In The Hall Of The Mountain King / Hungarian Dance No. 5
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
 N/A
Wild West Hero
-
YES
YES
-
-
 Out Of The Blue LP version, but with several edits; the piano intro, second chorus, second vocal bridge ("ride the range...), and one of the final repeated "oh I wish I was a wild west hero" lines are cut; finally, the first vocal bridge is sung in acapella This song was performed only at the UK shows. It may have been at the European shows as well, but that remains uncertain.
Strange Magic
YES
-
-
YES
YES
 The Strange Magic arrangement is quite different from the Face The Music arrangment; all the slide guitar parts are played on keyboards; the orchestral intro is cut; the "it's magic" backing vocals are cut from the song's bridge; the third verse and third, fourth and fifth choruses are cut; and the sixth and final chorus does not fade, but merges into Showdown. This song may not have been performed at the UK and European shows, having been replaced by Wild West Hero, but that remains unclear.
Showdown
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
 Standard single version, except the cello intro, the third and fourth verses, and the second chorus are cut . Also, there is added piano over the song's instrumental bridge and the song does not fade but includes a different 20 second instrumental jam to end the song.
Sweet Talkin' Woman
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
 Out Of The Blue LP version, except a non-fading ending
Evil Woman
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
 Face The Music album version, except without the orchestral intro and a non-fading ending
Mr. Blue Sky
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
 Out Of The Blue LP version, except it starts just after the "forcast calls for blue skies part" and it cuts completely the orchestra coda ending
Do Ya
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
 A New World Record LP version, except it adds four extra guitar riffs at the beginning and the bridge and it cuts the last verse; the song is played with a very hard sounding rock 'n' roll guitar
Livin' Thing
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
 A New World Record LP version, except it adds an extended 20 second instrumental bit after the last chorus
Ma-Ma-Ma Belle
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
 On The Third Day album version, but with a 30 second drum intro used to get the audience worked up and a nearly one minute and 20 second jam session at the songs end. Also, Kelly Groucutt sings the second verse and on the choruses, Kelly and Jeff trade lines with Kelly singing the "you gotta ma-ma-ma belle" parts and Jeff singing the "or I will get you" (and similar) lines.
Roll Over Beethoven
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
 Generally the ELO 2 UK album version but without the mellotron intro and the second half of Beethoven's F ifth symphony cut from the intro. Also, Kelly sings the first chorus and the instrumental jam throughout most of the middle of the song is very differently arranged.
Outroduction Theme
-
YES
-
YES
-
 N/A This song, a recording only, was only used at the concerts that used the spaceship set. It's uncertain if this is an ELO original written or performed song, something created just for the concert, or a piece adapted to the show.

Releases

Only one performance from this tour has seen official release, which is the June 1978 Wembley Empire Pool (now called the Wembley Arena) performance in London, England. It was a spaceship concert that included an introduction by actor Tony Curtis and was performed before the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester as part of a charity event. The performance was videotaped and prepared for TV broadcast, with the audio for this concert subsequently being mixed with the album recordings and all of this was mixed down to mono only for TV. This mixing in of the album recordings further exacerbated the incorrect public perception that ELO only performed to tapes in concert. This was broadcast on British television later in 1978 and in the USA and other countries shortly thereafter.

In the 1980s, this TV broadcast was released in both the USA and UK on videotape (VHS and Beta). In the USA, it was also released on CED laserdisc. In the 2000s, it was released on video and DVD again with all with the bonus footage of the band meeting the Duke and Duchess Gloucester after the show and combined with the Discovery videos. In 1998, the audio track was issued in the UK on the Eagle CD, Live At Wembley '78. Unfortunately all of these releases are of the inferior original mono mix prepared for 1970s TV broadcast.

Fortunately, in March 2005, the audio from the performance was finally remastered and released on a UK DVD to accompany the original video footage in March of 2006. This sound is a vast improvement and clearly shows that the band was not miming on stage to prerecorded music.

Despite several releases of this performance on both video and audio formats, the entire performance has not seen release. Missing songs include Can't Get It Out Of My Head, Hugh's Cello Solo, Mik's Violin Solo, Strange Magic, Evil Woman and Ma-Ma-Ma Belle. Given the fantastic laser light show during Hugh McDowell's cello solo, it's surprising that this performance was not part of the TV broadcast and has never made it to video.

No other official releases of performances from this tour are currently available.

Several shows of this concert tour have been bootlegged. They include:

Date Location Source Quality Comments
February 22, 1978 Tokyo, Japan Audience Good Bootlegs of this concert are missing the songs Mr. Blue Sky, Ma-Ma-Ma Belle and Roll Over Beethoven.
February 23, 1978 Osaka, Japan Audience Good
May 8, 1978 Cologne, Germany Audience Good
August 22, 1978 Las Vegas, USA Audience Fair Bootlegs of this concert are missing the songs Hugh's Cello Solo / Flight Of The Bumblebee, Mik's Solo / In The Hall Of The Mountain King / Hungarian Dance No. 5, Livin' Thing, Ma-Ma-Ma Belle and Roll Over Beethoven.
September 11, 1978 Buffalo, USA Audience Fair
September 14, 1978 New York City, USA Unknown Unknown
September 19, 1978 Philadelphia, USA Audience Fair Only the songs Livin' Thing, Ma-Ma-Ma Belle and Roll Over Beethoven are known to have been booted from this performance.

Opening Acts

It is known that a Jet Records signed band called Trickster (featuring Phil Bates, who eventually joined Electric Light Orchestra Part II in the 1990s) was the opening act for many of the shows. During some of the shows, a band called Kingfish opened instead. At the Cleveland show, billed as the "The World Series of Rock", Trickster, Journey and Foreigner all opened the show and at the Anaheim, California show, Trickster, Kingfish and Journey opened the show. At at least one show in Canada, Meatloaf joined as an opener and for two shows in Michigan, Heart opened.It's unclear at this time how many shows Trickster opened, but they were on most (if not all) of the European and American parts of the tour except where Kingfish appeared alone. If anyone reading this has this information, please contact the webmaster at the email address supplied below.

Promotions

Stay tuned for some interesting stories about how the tour was promoted, including a hot air baloon in Los Angeles that was mistaken for a UFO!

Photos

 
In concert image from the Discovery album's inner sleeve (LP) and booklet (CD) ELO in concert at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, Australia on February 4, 1978
Image kindly provided by Debbie Kruger
Backstage pass for January 25, 1978 show
Image kindly provided by Graham Bennett
 		Ticket stub for May 10, 1978 show
Image kindly provided by Graham Bennett
 		Ticket stubs for May 11, 1978 show
Image kindly provided by Graham Bennett
Ticket stub for May 15, 1978 show
Image kindly provided by Graham Bennett
 		Ticket stub for May 18, 1978 show
Image kindly provided by Graham Bennett
 		Ticket stub for June 6, 1978 show
Image kindly provided by Graham Bennett
 		Ticket stub for June 9, 1978 show
Image kindly provided by Graham Bennett
 		Ticket stub for July 15, 1978 show



Ticket stubs for July 19, 1978 show
Image kindly provided by Graham Bennett
 		Ticket stub for August 13, 1978 show
Image kindly provided by Graham Bennett
 		Ticket stub for August 19, 1978 show
Image kindly provided by Graham Bennett
 		Ticket stubs for August 26, 1978 show
Image kindly provided by Graham Bennett
 		Ticket stubs for September 1, 1978 show
Image kindly provided by Graham Bennett

Ticket stubs for September 2, 1978 show
Image kindly provided by Graham Bennett
 		Ticket stub for September 3, 1978 show
Image kindly provided by Graham Bennett
 		Ticket stub for September 4, 1978 show
Image kindly provided by Graham Bennett
 		Ticket stub for September 11, 1978 show
Image kindly provided by Graham Bennett
 		Ticket stub for September 19, 1978 show
Image kindly provided by Graham Bennett
Backstage pass for US concert Tour t-shirt front Tour t-shirt back Concert program from August 12 and 13, 1978 show
Image kindly provided by Graham Bennett
 		Advertisement for August 29, 1978 show
Image kindly provided by Graham Bennett
 
no image currently available
Advertisement for July 19, 1978 show
Image kindly provided by Graham Bennett
 		Billboard ad from October 14 1978 thanking the crew
Image kindly provided by Graham Bennett
 		ELO - Live in Concert VHS videotape (1980) * UK * V.C.L. Z159G) Electric Light Orchestra - Live At Wembley VHS videotape (1980) * USA * MGM/CBS Home Video CV40021 Electric Light Orchestra - Live At Wembley Beta videotape (1980) * USA * MGM/CBS Home Video CB40021
Electric Light Orchestra - Live At Wembley CED laserdisc (September 1, 1981) * USA * CBS/Fox CD 100021 ELO - Live In Concert VHS videotape (1985) * UK * V.C.L. Communications 2739-50 Live At Wembley - The Out Of The Blue Tour VHS videotape (1989) * UK * Castle Hendring CASH5036 Out Of The Blue Tour - Live At Wembley VHS videotape (1998) * UK * Eagle Rock ERE 058 Live At Wembley '78 (March 28, 1998) * UK * Eagle Records EAMCD0039
Live At Wembley '78 (September 8, 1998) * USA * Cleopatra CLP0353
The USA CD is the same as the UK issue, but with a sticker with the new label and stock number
Out Of The Blue Tour - Live At Wembley / Discovery VHS videotape (1998) * USA * Image Entertainment ID4561ER) The Complete ELO Live Collection CD album (October 3, 2000) * USA * Cleopatra CLP0932) Out Of The Blue Tour - Live At Wembley / Discovery DVD (October 5, 2004) * USA * Image Entertainment ID4562ERDVD Out Of The Blue - Live At Wembley DVD (March 20, 2006) * UK * Eagle Vision EREDV556
Out Of The Blue - Live At Wembley DVD (June 27, 2006) * USA * Eagle Vision USA 801213303793
The USA DVD is the same as the UK issue, but with a sticker indicating it's compatible with USA DVD players
 		Live At Wembley Laserdisc (????) * UK * CBS LASERVISION 7021)
Image kindly provided by Graham Bennett
Live At Wembley - The Out Of The Blue Tour VHS videotape * Japan * VIDEOARTS JAPAN INC VALC 3176)
Image kindly provided by Graham Bennett
No other photos from this tour are currently available. If you have any to share, please contact the email address at the bottom of this page.

Fan Comments

Below are fan comments from fans who attended shows on this tour.

I went to this concert in June 1978 at the Empire Pool, Wembley - now known as the Wembley Arena.

It was the first concert I ever went to and, as I had just turned 15 at the time, it left a lasting impression with me. I'm sure I still have the ticket stub and program somewhere. If you want I will try to dig them out for you.

I can't remember much about the support act but I seem to recall the name Trickster (not Trixter) appearing on the ticket. I was amazed when I recently found out that Eric Troyer must have been in that band.

I had never seen a laser before that concert so the opening, with the smoke, lasers, spaceship etc was something really special.

Hugh's solo and Mik's solo also were surprises to me. Not sure that everyone else enjoyed them, but I did.

I don't remember anything going out of tune on the night I was there. I was also surprised when I later saw the concert on TV. Firstly for Tony Curtis's totally lame introduction. Thankfully he only appeared on the opening night and I was spared his "performance". Secondly, as on the TV version it was obvious that the original recordings were sometimes being played. I don't have any recollection of this on the night, except perhaps for some of the parts that were not possible to recreate live, as Queen used to do during Bohemian Rhapsody. I'm sure that if it had been like that at the concert I would have noticed and felt cheated.
-Mark Hewitt

I was lucky enough to attend one of the Philadelphia, PA (the Spectrum) shows on this tour, and I seem to recall the opening act was a Grateful Dead-related band from San Francisco known as "Kingfish" (Bob Weir, Matt Kelly, Dave Torbert, etc.) who released 2 albums in '77 & '78 on the Jet Records label.

I have been to many concerts since then, but the ELO "Out of the Blue" tour will always be one of my favorites.
-Bill

I saw the tour in Dortmund in '78. Trickster opened the show with Phil Bates on lead vocals. (personally they were poor). i recall (my first concert) We were sat in the pitch black for ages. Then u heard thunder and the sound of heavy rain. All of a sudden the arena was lit up by lasers everywhere as ELO opened the show with 'Standin' In The Rain' (Concerto For A Rainy Day). Of course they played all of their then current hits + most of OOTB. The spaceship was projected on a screen behind the band. i believe ELO were the FIRST band [but am not certain]- to use electric instruments with transmitters? they moved around the stage w/o getting tied up in wires/cables. The venue if i remember correctly was Halle 1 Dortmund. Mik Kaminski, Bev Bevan and Hugh McDowell all performed solos brilliantly i recall. A memorable experience!! i do still have the concert booklet somewhere.
-Del
I went to the Big Night Tour on September 23, 1978, at the Capital Center in Largo, MD. I was 16 and this was the first concert I had ever been to. The opening band was Trickster, and ELO did indeed use the spaceship set. We were so far back I had to use my mother's binoculars to see all the guys in addition to the TV-like screens posted above the stage. Tickets cost $7.70 each. I don't remember the setlist at all except that Standin' in the Rain and Night in the City were so loud, it was painful. I remember during Mr. Blue Sky, Hugh putting his hand on Jeff's shoulder during the line "Mr. Blue you did it right, But soon comes Mr. Night, Creepin' over, Now his hand is on your shoulder, Never mind....." and I thought it was incredibly cute (like I said, I was 16!). My ears hurt for days and days, but it was an unforgettable show. I wore my Big Night t-shirt for many years after that until I put it in a ziploc bag to save. I also still have the tour program and the ticket stub somewhere.
-Nancye Dudley
I attended the concert in Ekeberghallen, Oslo, april 25th.I was only 15 years at the time, and together with three friends, i made the short trip to Oslo after school had finished.We were the only people outside the venue when the band arrived for soundcheck. They were signing autographs and chatted to us.I got the signatures from Jeff,Bev, Mik and Hugh and i still got them !Richard and Melvyn was not in a happy mood, but the others were ok.

I don`t recall much of the concert itself, but the lasers really made an impression on a young lad. I do remember the encore, "Roll over Beethoven" when it was completly chaos on stage.
-Pεl Nylend

The A tour hit Fort Worth TX at the Tarrant County Convention Center (TCCC) I was at sec 101 the show sold out the day of the show of 16,800. This was the talk of the town heavily promoted and I was 14 yrs old. There were Kiss fans there that were very impressed with the lasers, ship and band performance. I was in all. I also have photos but I used a flash and as you know it distorted the images I still have my ticket stub and The Big Night tour Program. The show went without a glitch, you could hear the tape in the background but you could also tell the band was in rare form as they rocked the night away. As they played the lasers would form ELO and different designs above the band and the lasers would shoot everywhere in the hall. The cello’s Hugh and Marvin with Mik were all over the stage and their Solo’s were UN surpassed. My 8.50 ticket was so well worth it I will never forget the show.
-William
i was only sixteen years old and had never been to a concert before . i went to wembley on monday june 12 my ticket cost 3.50 i still have the ticket. having never seen a laser in my life imagine what i was going through when that concert began .the most amasing night of my life. went home with windows open in the car and ootb blasting out , elo scarves attatched to the car ,tshirt on and programme held very closely.if i remember rightly fleetwood mac were also playing in london earls court the same night . little did i know that my mothers boyfriend would get tickets for thursday june 15 this time costing 4.25 and i would be there again.as sharon osbourne now says ,fabulous ,completing the most amasing week of my life up to that point.
-Mark Manley
The first major concert I ever attended was the August '78 show in Chicago. To update your records: Trickster was the opening band. I recall one of the strings on Hugh's cello broke, and Mik filled with a short solo.
-Jim Evenson
I attended the 12-Sept-1978 ELO concert in New Haven. It was (without question) held at the New Haven Veterans' Coliseum (which closed in 2002 and was demolished this past January; no loss, place was a dump). I don't remember a great deal of detail, it was long ago, but they did not use the space ship (the Coliseum didn't have room for it), it was probably the first time I ever saw lasers (certainly in an entertainment venue), and I enjoyed it a great deal (it was my first real rock concert -- I was 14). I do remember one solo -- sorry, I don't know the musicians by name -- played on a bass, with a laser dancing upon it. That was pretty cool. The opening band was Kingfisher or Mockingbird or something like that -- a bird name; they were forgettable.
-Thomas White
I just wanted to let you know that Kingfish was the warm up act at the Sep 8th, 1978 show at Dayton (UD Arena).

One outstanding memory about that show: Me and the group of guys I was with were walking out to the car after the 2nd encore was over (thinking that the show was over). Suddenly we hear the first notes of "Roll Over Beethoven" and we run back in to see most of the extended jam. I'll bet they played almost 20 minutes on that final song. Awesome.

I remember Kelly doing a lot of personal interaction with the crowd, but Jeff very little. During Hugh's cello solo they focused a spinning lazer on the bottom half of his cello. Nice effect.
-Steve Jones

I saw the Stafford Bingley Hall show in June 1978 and was certain they played 'Jungle', I could be wrong it was a while ago, but I remember for the number Bev Bevan came to the front to sing and play tambourine.

It's interesting the mention of the use of backing tapes, the Stafford gig did sound a bit 'suspicious' at times...
-Ashley Haynes

I attended the Sept. 11, 1978 performance at Buffalo, NY's Memorial Auditorium (known as "The Aud"), which is now in the process of being demolished. I do not recall the opening act.
I was thirteen years old at the time, and remember all of the hype leading up to the concert, including the frequent TV commercials. It was the perfect ending to a great, hot, summer. This was my first rock concert and hanging in the air was the pungent odor of a substance being smoked by attendees in the seats ahead of me.
I remember being blown away by the spray of green lasers and the opening and closing of the gigantic spaceship. I think I grinned throughout the show, and couldn’t seem to properly convey my excitement to my parents later that night. I worried that my ears would never stop ringing since I had not been exposed to anything that loud before. They finally did either the next evening or two days after the show.
-Paul Iorio
I remember this show fondly.I had great seats,(right next to stage in the old Garden "yellows" and was a major Move/Early ELO fan. Even though I was only 15 years old,I longed for the good old days of Roy Wood and the 10538 Overture. Back to the show, I was very impressed. At the prestigious Garden,of course this was a "Spaceship Show" and the band made the most of it. My standout memory is the Cello solo done with Hugh's hair back like a crazed Paganini belting out these great rock riffs on Cello. Amazing! Only down side and a Spinal Tap moment came when the entire PA shut down during one song,(can't remember the tune,it was 30 years ago). The ticket cost me 10 dollars which these days will buy you a soda at a concert. How things have changed. Great night, great band.
-John DiCosola
I was also at the show in Chicago for the "Out Of The Blue" Tour. I don't remember there being an open act for that show. You've got "Trickster" as the opener. From what I remember, the way that the stage was set up with the spaceship on there, there wasn't any room for an opening band. I could be mistaken, but that just doesn't ring a bell.
-Jack Bly
I attended the Anaheim show in August [1978]--my first concert! As such we decided to party in a pickup truck across the street from the stadium all night the evening prior. About 2 a.m. in a semi-fog we wake up and see a huge spaceship flying through the night sky! Figured we had drank too many brews...but the next night during the show the huge inflatable craft, towed by helicopter, made its appearance and we all understood. The show opened with Trickster and Kingfish, both of whom put the audience to sleep. Then came Journey which rocked, and after a long, long delay in which the audience began to get antsy, Tony Curtis appeared with a laser gun and shot 'Star Wars'-era Storm Troopers off the huge speaker standards. Then he chanted 'E-L-O...E-L-O' till the stage opened up to reveal the flying saucer underneath...incredible...!
-Marcus Dietz
I was able to track down the date that I saw ELO in concert! It was Sept. 29, 1978 and I saw them at the Cumberland County Civic Center in Portland, Maine. They used the spaceship set and I'll never forget the experience as the "ship" rumbled, the lights flashed, and it opened up to ELO jamming away.
-Steve from NY
Add your comments here

If you attended one or more performances from ELO's Out Of The Blue tour, send in your name, the date/venue, and your comments and I will add them to this page. I will only add your comments with your explicit permission.

Song Comments

Introduction By Tony Curtis

Introduction Theme
"[On the Out Of The Blue tour, the Introduction Theme was performed] only at spaceship concerts."
Patrik Guttenbacher, Marc Haines, & Alexander von Petersdorff (1996 Unexpected Messages)

Fire On High (Out Of The Blue Tour)
"In Japan, where they hadn't done any gigs before, they also played Fire On High instead of Standin' In The Rain."
Patrik Guttenbacher, Marc Haines, & Alexander von Petersdorff (1996 Unexpected Messages)

"Fire On High ([backup tapes were used for the] intro only, played before band on stage on selected dates) - 1:40"
Rob Caiger (July 20, 2003 - Showdown mailing list)

Standin' In The Rain (Wembley 1978)
"In Japan, where they hadn't done any gigs before, they also played Fire On High instead of Standin' In The Rain. On [the Out Of The Blue] tour they used the most pre-recorded basic tapes on stage. For Standin' In The Rain, Turn To Stone, Mr. Blue Sky and Sweet Talkin' Woman, the group was accompanied by strings, choir, piano, backing vocals, co-lead vocals (!), guitars and synthesizer sounds from the album..."
Patrik Guttenbacher, Marc Haines, & Alexander von Petersdorff (1996 Unexpected Messages)

"To cater for the limitations of the original TV broadcast [of the 1978 Wembley concert], the 24 track live recording was mixed down to one mono track. During the mix down, more of a back-up 'backing' tape was pushed up into the mix on some of the then new Out Of The Blue songs than was actually used at the live show. [...] Standin' In The Rain - is all live. The tape is playing in the background, to lesser or greater degrees depending on the show. What I remember from Wembley was a much heavier, rockier version, with the tape pushed up only for the special effects on the vocal echos (no sequencers or click tracks as bands use now). What you hear on the video is a studio mix for TV and not what was heard at the show."
Rob Caiger (March 30, 2002 - Showdown mailing list)

"Standin' In The Rain (complete song as back up, band playing and singing live)"
Rob Caiger (July 20, 2003 - Showdown mailing list)

Night In The City (Wembley 1978)
"Also from tape [during the Out Of The Blue tour] came the intros of Roll Over Beethoven and Night In The City."
Patrik Guttenbacher, Marc Haines, & Alexander von Petersdorff (1996 Unexpected Messages)

"To cater for the limitations of the original TV broadcast [of the 1978 Wembley concert], the 24 track live recording was mixed down to one mono track. During the mix down, more of a back-up 'backing' tape was pushed up into the mix on some of the then new Out Of The Blue songs than was actually used at the live show. [...] Night In The City was all live except for the second echo'd 'city' which was added later during the mixdown."
Rob Caiger (March 30, 2002 - Showdown mailing list)

"There were also a couple of minor repairs made in the studio to a few songs. Night In The City - which everyone cites as being totally live - has a studio overdub. Listen closely to the second 'higher' and 'city'. Jeff and Kelly are still singing the first part and are physically unable to get to the second part. Night In The City ([backup tapes were used for the] intro only which band played along to) - 17 seconds"
Rob Caiger (July 20, 2003 - Showdown mailing list)

Turn To Stone (Wembley 1978)
"On [the Out Of The Blue] tour they used the most pre-recorded basic tapes on stage. For Standin' In The Rain, Turn To Stone, Mr. Blue Sky and Sweet Talkin' Woman, the group was accompanied by strings, choir, piano, backing vocals, co-lead vocals (!), guitars and synthesizer sounds from the album..."
Patrik Guttenbacher, Marc Haines, & Alexander von Petersdorff (1996 Unexpected Messages)

"To cater for the limitations of the original TV broadcast [of the 1978 Wembley concert], the 24 track live recording was mixed down to one mono track. During the mix down, more of a back-up 'backing' tape was pushed up into the mix on some of the then new Out Of The Blue songs than was actually used at the live show. [...] Turn To Stone - was performed totally live at Wembley. Again, a tape was ready, playing in the background, but aside from a few seconds at the start of the song on the count-in, was pulled out completely at the concert."
Rob Caiger (March 30, 2002 - Showdown mailing list)

"Turn To Stone ([backup tapes were used for] count-in and partial song as back up, band playing and singing live)"
Rob Caiger (July 20, 2003 - Showdown mailing list)

Eldorado Overture (Out Of The Blue Tour)
"In Japan, where they hadn't done any gigs before, they... added Eldorado Overture."
Patrik Guttenbacher, Marc Haines, & Alexander von Petersdorff (1996 Unexpected Messages)

Can't Get It Out Of My Head (Out Of The Blue Tour)

Hugh's Cello Solo/Flight Of The Bumblebee (Out Of The Blue Tour)
This song is known only to have been played live. No known studio recording exists.

"Hugh's solo theme was Flight Of The Bumblebee by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakoff in which Kelly joined in on bass."
Patrik Guttenbacher, Marc Haines, & Alexander von Petersdorff (1996 Unexpected Messages)

Tightrope (Wembley 1978)
"Tightrope ([backup tapes were used for] orchestral intro only which band played along to) - 1:05"
Rob Caiger (July 20, 2003 - Showdown mailing list)

Telephone Line (Wembley 1978)

Rockaria! (Wembley 1978)
"Kelly Groucutt sang the opera part of Rockaria! [on the Out Of The Blue tour]"
Patrik Guttenbacher, Marc Haines, & Alexander von Petersdorff (1996 Unexpected Messages)

Mik's Violin Solo/In The Hall Of The Mountain King/Hungarian Dance No. 5 (Out Of The Blue Tour)
This song is known only to have been played live. No known studio recording exists.

"Mik's new solo theme was Hungarian Dance No. 5 by Johannes Brahms with drums and bass joining in. On other occasions he played Orange Blossom Special by E.T. Rousse and sometimes a violin version in his solo of In The Hall Of The Mountain King by Edvard Grieg."
Patrik Guttenbacher, Marc Haines, & Alexander von Petersdorff (1996 Unexpected Messages)

Wild West Hero (Wembley 1978)
"[On the Out Of The Blue tour, Wild West Hero was performed] only in Great Britain."
Patrik Guttenbacher, Marc Haines, & Alexander von Petersdorff (1996 Unexpected Messages)

"There were three voices [doing harmony the Wembley concert version of Wild West Hero], the third being Jake Commander, monitor technician, engineer, producer, guitarist and singer, standing slightly behind Richard's piano and hidden in the gloom. He was bought in specifically to sing on Wild West Hero and went on to provide more vocal backing on other songs as the tour progressed."
Rob Caiger (November 25, 2002 - Showdown mailing list)

"The first line of Wild West Hero is also repaired [in the studio during post production] as it was fluffed on the night. Monitor engineer Jake Commander is also singing live, unlit on stage by Richard's keyboards but providing a third harmony and backing vocal."
Rob Caiger (July 20, 2003 - Showdown mailing list)

Strange Magic (Out Of The Blue Tour)

Showdown (Wembley 1978)

1 Minute Talk

Sweet Talkin' Woman (Wembley 1978)
Jeff Lynne flubs a couple of lyrics on this recording. During the first verse, Jeff sings "I was askin', for a chance to meet" (rather than the correct lyric of "I was hopin'"). Apparently he confused the lyric and started to sing the line "I was askin' everybody I meet" from the last verse. Also, on the third line from the first verse, "I was waitin' for the operator on the line", Jeff gets a bit ahead of himself and says the "on" of "on the line" a bit early. On the video of the performance, Jeff clearly realizes that he's screwing it up as he looks sideways at Kelly Groucutt in annoyance.

"On [the Out Of The Blue] tour they used the most pre-recorded basic tapes on stage. For Standin' In The Rain, Turn To Stone, Mr. Blue Sky and Sweet Talkin' Woman, the group was accompanied by strings, choir, piano, backing vocals, co-lead vocals (!), guitars and synthesizer sounds from the album..."
Patrik Guttenbacher, Marc Haines, & Alexander von Petersdorff (1996 Unexpected Messages)

"To cater for the limitations of the original TV broadcast [of the 1978 Wembley concert], the 24 track live recording was mixed down to one mono track. During the mix down, more of a back-up 'backing' tape was pushed up into the mix on some of the then new Out Of The Blue songs than was actually used at the live show. [...] Sweet Talkin' Woman - as Turn To Stone [performed totally live at Wembley a tape was playing in the background] but[the backup tape was] pushed up as the strings lost their tuning mid-song."
Rob Caiger (March 30, 2002 - Showdown mailing list)

"Sweet Talkin' Woman ([backup tapes were used for the] complete song as back up, band playing and singing live)"
Rob Caiger (July 20, 2003 - Showdown mailing list)

Evil Woman (Out Of The Blue Tour)
"A brilliant performance of Evil Woman didn't even make the TV broadcast [of the Wembley concert] as during the string break, the [strings] went completely out of tune. It was so painful that sliding fingernails down a chalk board wouldn't even come close...."
Rob Caiger (July 20, 2003 - Showdown mailing list)

Mr. Blue Sky (Wembley 1978)
"Mr. Blue Sky was left out [of the Japanese concerts performed on the Out Of The Blue tour]. On [the Out Of The Blue] tour they used the most pre-recorded basic tapes on stage. For Standin' In The Rain, Turn To Stone, Mr. Blue Sky and Sweet Talkin' Woman, the group was accompanied by strings, choir, piano, backing vocals, co-lead vocals (!), guitars and synthesizer sounds from the album..."
Patrik Guttenbacher, Marc Haines, & Alexander von Petersdorff (1996 Unexpected Messages)

"To cater for the limitations of the original TV broadcast [of the 1978 Wembley concert], the 24 track live recording was mixed down to one mono track. During the mix down, more of a back-up 'backing' tape was pushed up into the mix on some of the then new Out Of The Blue songs than was actually used at the live show. [...] Mr. Blue Sky - [the backup tape] kicks in on the choir."
Rob Caiger (March 30, 2002 - Showdown mailing list)

"Mr. Blue Sky ([backup tapes were used for] complete song as back up, band playing and singing live)"
Rob Caiger (July 20, 2003 - Showdown mailing list)

Do Ya (Wembley 1978)

Livin' Thing (Wembley 1978)