Dangerous World Tour

The Dangerous World Tour was the second world concert tour by American singer Michael Jackson to promote his eighth studio album Dangerous. The tour was sponsored by Pepsi-Cola. All profits were donated to various charities including Jackson's own "Heal the World Foundation". The tour ran from June 27, 1992, to November 11, 1993, playing 69 concerts to nearly 4 million people.

"Dangerous Tour" redirects here. For the film, see Dangerous Tour (film).
Dangerous World Tour
Tour by Michael Jackson
Promotional image for the tour
Associated albumDangerous
Start dateJune 27, 1992
End dateNovember 11, 1993
Legs3
No. of shows69
Michael Jackson concert chronology

Background

In January 1989, Jackson finished his Bad tour, his first as a solo artist, which had grossed over $125 million. Initially he planned not to tour again and concentrate on making albums and films. Following the release of his eighth studio album Dangerous in November 1991, a press conference was held on February 3, 1992 at Radio City Music Hall in New York City to announce the Dangerous Tour.[1][2] The event, attended by 200 people, was organized by Jackson's sponsor Pepsi with the artist also present. Jackson explained his sole reason for touring once more was to raise funds for his newly-formed Heal the World Foundation to aid children and the environment. He aimed to raise $100 million for the charity by Christmas 1993.[2] It was revealed that Jackson planned to perform across Europe, Asia, Latin America, and Australia, with no dates in the United States or Canada.[1] Jackson commented: "I am looking forward to this tour because it will allow me to devote time to visiting children all around the world, as well as spread the message of global love, in the hope that others will be moved to do their share to help heal the world".[3]

Preparation

In June 1992, a Russian Antonov AN-124 cargo jet, then the world's largest operating airplane, was booked to transport the equipment and stage set from Los Angeles to London for the opening European leg.[4] However, problems regarding its civilian aircraft certification led to Jackson using a Federal Express Boeing 747 instead.[5] Upon arrival, the equipment was transported across Europe by 65 lorries.[4] The cargo included 1,000 lights, 10 miles of electrical cable, 9 video screens, and 168 speakers.[6] Around 2 tons of clothing was transported. The outfits were designed by Michael Bush and Dennis Tompkins, who worked with Jackson to gain an idea on what he wanted, and aimed to "bring his ideas to life".[7] Two outfits were 9 feet tall, 7 feet wide, and weighed 40 lbs each, with fibre optic lights controlled by a computerised laser. One jacket was fitted with a battery belt generating 3,000 volts to light the 36 strobe lights on it. Another had hidden flaps to conceal explosive effects.[7] 1,000 yards of fabric from Europe was used to make the costumes, including a black and gold outfit for Jackson which included 18-karat gold.[7] The costumes alone cost $2 million.[8]

The show incorporated various stage illusions. Among them was the "toaster" effect where Jackson entered the stage on a rapidly rising catapult from underneath, sending off pyrotechnics at the same time. His sister Janet Jackson said: "That opening was kick-ass. I'm sitting in the sound tower and all the kids are everywhere. And when he jumped out of whatever the hell that thing was [...] the kids in front of me were looking back and I didn't even know it".[9] Most of the 1992 shows included a stage trick during the transition from "Thriller" to "Billie Jean", whereby Jackson walks into two pillars and is secretly switched with a werewolf-masked backup dancer while he changes outfits for "Billie Jean". The masked "Jackson" is placed into a coffin which disappears when dancers posing as the skeletons and zombies drape a cloth over the coffin and pull it out. Jackson then appears on an upper stage level and sings "Billie Jean". When the full trick was not performed, it featured a sequence with the Jackson impersonator and the backup dancers performing dances from "Thriller". In some legs of the tour, the Jackson impersonator would go back stage after singing the main chorus of the song, instead of doing a reprise of the "Thriller" dance, and the Zombie backup-dancers would do reprise of the dance by themselves.

The show

The original set list for the 1992 leg featured "The Way You Make Me Feel" and "Bad", but these were taken out after the eighth concert in Oslo, Norway. However, these two songs were returned for the performances in Tokyo, Japan.

During the Europe leg in 1992, MTV was allowed to film backstage and broadcast six fifteen-minute episodes of the tour. The show was called The Dangerous Diaries and was presented by Sonya Saul. MTV released footage of "Billie Jean" and "Black Or White" at the first show in Munich. "Billie Jean" was released with 2 different versions, one by MTV as a special, and the other on the Dangerous Diaries documentary. Both versions have placed a snippet of Jackson's original a cappella recording for "Billie Jean" over the live vocals when Jackson throws his fedora.

The October 1, 1992 concert in Bucharest, Romania was filmed for broadcast on the HBO network on October 10. Jackson sold the film rights for the concert for $20 million, then the highest amount for a concert performer to appear on television.[10] The special earned Jackson the second of two CableACE Awards of his career, this one for Outstanding Performance Musical Special.[11]

The Toulouse, France concert performed on September 16, 1992 featured a special instrumental performance of the first half of the song "In the Closet" as an interlude between the songs "Heal the World" and "Man in the Mirror". Princess Stéphanie of Monaco, who was the "Mystery Girl" in the actual song, was in attendance at this concert. This concert marked the first and only time that this song was performed during this tour, although it was performed on his next tour.

Slash made guest appearances for three performances of "Black or White": Oviedo, Spain in September 1992, the New Year's Eve concert in Tokyo, Japan on December 31, 1992, and the last concert in Spain September 26, 1993 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Canary Islands).

The September 1, 1993 concert in Singapore was scheduled for August 30, 1993 but was rescheduled due to Jackson collapsing before the show.

During his visit to Moscow in September, Jackson came up with the song "Stranger in Moscow" which would be released on his 1995 album HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I. It was during a time when Jackson felt very alone, far away from his family and friends, yet every night throughout his tours fans would stay by his hotel and support him.[12]

Super Bowl XXVII halftime show

Unlike many previous years, Jackson was the only performer in the entire Super Bowl XXVII halftime show.[13] The show started with Jackson dancing on certain jumbotrons, followed by impersonators that posed on top of the screen, which gave the illusion of Jackson moving from one side of the stadium to the other. Then Jackson himself catapulted on stage and simply stood frozen in front of the audience.

Jackson's set began with a mashup of "Jam" and "Why You Wanna Trip on Me", followed by performances of "Billie Jean" and "Black or White". The finale featured an audience card stunt, a video montage showing Jackson participating in various humanitarian efforts around the world, and a choir of 3,500 local Los Angeles area children singing "We Are the World", later joining Jackson as he sang his single "Heal the World".[14]

It was the first Super Bowl where the audience figures increased during the half-time show. Jackson was chosen to boost interest and viewership. in 1992, a live episode of In Living Color drew higher ratings than the halftime show, prompting NFL and FOX television officials to look at signing high-level talent to perform. Jackson originally asked a $1 million fee to perform. The NFL, which normally only pays the expenses for performers, instead donated $100,000 to Jackson's Heal the World Foundation.[15]

Set list
1992
  1. "Brace Yourself" (Video Introduction)
  2. "Jam"
  3. "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'"
  4. "Human Nature"
  5. "Smooth Criminal"
  6. "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" (with Siedah Garrett)
  7. "She's Out of My Life"
  8. "I Want You Back" / "The Love You Save" / "I'll Be There"
  9. "Thriller"
  10. "Billie Jean"
  11. "Black Or White Panther" (Video Interlude)
  12. "Working Day and Night"
  13. "Beat It"
  14. "Someone Put Your Hand Out" (Instrumental Interlude)
  15. "Will You Be There"
  16. "The Way You Make Me Feel"
  17. "Bad"
  18. "Black or White"
  19. "We Are The World" (Video Interlude)
  20. "Heal the World"
  21. "Man in the Mirror" / "Rocket Man"
1993
  1. Brace Yourself (Video Introduction)
  2. "Jam"
  3. "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'"
  4. "Human Nature"
  5. "Smooth Criminal"
  6. "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" (with Siedah Garrett)
  7. "She's Out of My Life"
  8. "I Want You Back" / "The Love You Save" / "I'll Be There"
  9. "Thriller"
  10. "Billie Jean"
  11. Black Or White Panther (Video Interlude)
  12. "Will You Be There"
  13. "Dangerous" (contains excerpts of the James Bond theme)
  14. "Black or White"
  15. "We Are The World" (Video Interlude)
  16. "Heal the World"
  17. "Man in the Mirror" / "Rocket Man" (only in Mexico)
Notes
  • "Rock With You", "Remember the Time" and "In the Closet"[16] were part of the rehearsal setlist, but were left off the tour due to time constraints.
  • "The Way You Make Me Feel" and "Bad" were removed from the set list after the concert in Oslo, Norway. They were later brought back for the first four shows in Tokyo in December 1992. In these shows, the two songs were performed before "Will You Be There" instead of after.
  • During the show in Toulouse, an instrumental interlude of "In The Closet" was played before the encore.
  • "Workin' Day and Night", "Beat It", "The Way You Make Me Feel", and "Bad" were rehearsed for the 1993 leg, but were ultimately left off the setlist. Additionally, "Man in the Mirror" and the "Rocket Man" finale were absent for much of that leg.

Opening acts

Tour dates
Date City Country Venue
Europe
June 27, 1992 Munich Germany Olympiastadion
June 30, 1992 Rotterdam Netherlands Feijenoord Stadium
July 1, 1992
July 4, 1992 Rome Italy Stadio Flaminio
July 6, 1992 Monza Stadio Brianteo
July 7, 1992
July 11, 1992 Cologne Germany Müngersdorfer Stadion
July 15, 1992 Oslo Norway Valle Hovin
July 17, 1992 Stockholm Sweden Stockholm Olympic Stadium
July 18, 1992
July 20, 1992 Copenhagen Denmark Gentofte Stadion
July 22, 1992 Werchter Belgium Werchter Festival Grounds
July 25, 1992 Dublin Ireland Lansdowne Road
July 30, 1992 London England Wembley Stadium
July 31, 1992
August 5, 1992 Cardiff Wales Cardiff Arms Park
August 8, 1992 Bremen Germany Weserstadion
August 10, 1992 Hamburg Volksparkstadion
August 13, 1992 Hamelin Weserberglandstadion
August 16, 1992 Leeds England Roundhay Park
August 18, 1992 Glasgow Scotland Glasgow Green
August 20, 1992 London England Wembley Stadium
August 22, 1992
August 23, 1992
August 26, 1992 Vienna Austria Praterstadion
August 28, 1992 Frankfurt Germany Waldstadion
August 30, 1992 Ludwigshafen Südweststadion
September 2, 1992 Bayreuth Wild Stadion
September 4, 1992 Berlin Jahn Stadion
September 8, 1992 Lausanne Switzerland Stade olympique de la Pontaise
September 13, 1992 Paris France Hippodrome de Vincennes
September 16, 1992 Toulouse Stade de Toulouse
September 18, 1992 Barcelona Spain Estadi Olímpic de Montjuïc
September 21, 1992 Oviedo Estadio Carlos Tartiere
September 23, 1992 Madrid Vicente Calderón Stadium
September 26, 1992 Lisbon Portugal Estádio José Alvalade
October 1, 1992 Bucharest Romania Lia Manoliu National Stadium
Asia
December 12, 1992 Tokyo Japan Tokyo Dome
December 14, 1992
December 17, 1992
December 19, 1992
December 22, 1992
December 24, 1992
December 30, 1992
December 31, 1992
August 24, 1993 Bangkok Thailand Suphachalasai Stadium
August 27, 1993
August 29, 1993 Singapore Singapore National Stadium
September 1, 1993
September 4, 1993 Taipei Taiwan Taipei Municipal Stadium
September 6, 1993
September 10, 1993 Fukuoka Japan Fukuoka Dome
September 11, 1993
Europe
September 15, 1993 Moscow Russia Luzhniki Stadium
Middle East
September 20, 1993 Tel Aviv Israel Yarkon Park
September 21, 1993
Europe
September 23, 1993[lower-alpha 1] Istanbul Turkey BJK İnönü Stadium
September 26, 1993 Santa Cruz de Tenerife Spain Port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Latin America
October 8, 1993 Buenos Aires Argentina River Plate Stadium
October 10, 1993
October 12, 1993
October 15, 1993 São Paulo Brazil Estádio do Morumbi
October 17, 1993
October 23, 1993 Santiago Chile Estadio Nacional
October 29, 1993 Mexico City Mexico Estadio Azteca
October 31, 1993
November 7, 1993
November 9, 1993
November 11, 1993

Broadcasts and recordings

All concerts were professionally filmed by Nocturne Productions Inc., which filmed all of Jackson's tours and private affairs. During the 1992 European leg of the tour, MTV was given permission to film backstage reports, interview the cast and film live performance. The mini-show was hosted by Sonya Saul and had six, 15-minute mini-episodes of concerts in Munich, Werchter, Dublin, Hamburg, Cardiff, London, Leeds, Berlin, Oviedo and Madrid. Performances include "Billie Jean", "Black or White", "Jam", "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'", and "Will You Be There". The concert in "Bucharest" on October 1, 1992, was filmed and broadcast on television all across the world, giving HBO the highest rating garnered in cable TV History, with an unedited version airing on the BBC. The concert film titled Live in Bucharest: The Dangerous Tour was officially released on DVD on July 25, 2005.[17]

Personnel
Dangerous World Tour

Musical

MJ: The Musical is a jukebox musical that will premiere on Broadway in 2020. "The show takes audiences behind the scenes as Michael prepares for the 1992 Dangerous Tour, providing an in-depth look at his process. As Michael and his collaborators rehearse their epic setlist, we are transported to pivotal creative moments from his career." The show is set to feature over 25 of Michael Jackson's biggest hits.[18]

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gollark: There's also a Rust program called battop.
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gollark: I have an applet called "cbatticon" for this.
gollark: Except osmarks.tk turing machines, which are designed better.

References
Notes
  1. The September 23, 1993 concert at BJK İnönü Stadium, Istanbul was originally set for October 4, 1992, but was rescheduled.
Citations
  1. "Michael Jackson to tour the world". The Times. Shreveport, Louisiana. 4 February 1992. Retrieved 21 June 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. Hunt, Dennis (4 February 1992). "Jackson plans tour to fund charity". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 21 June 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. Crampton, Luke (2009). Michael Jackson (Music Icons (Taschen)). Taschen. ISBN 9783836520812. Retrieved December 1, 2012.
  4. "Jackson hires giant Russian transport". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. 15 June 1992. p. 1. Retrieved 21 June 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. "Jackson tour changes planes". The Desert Sun. Palm Springs, California. 19 June 1992. p. 37. Retrieved 21 June 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. "Sing a simple song". Chicago Tribune. 18 June 1992. p. 24. Retrieved 21 June 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. "Michael Jackson ships explosives, 2 tons of clothes for tour". The Times. Munster, Indiana. 18 June 1992. p. 2. Retrieved 21 June 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. "Jackson's clothes take a 'Dangerous' turn". Post-Tribune. 26 June 1992. Archived from the original on 24 June 2018. Retrieved 23 June 2018 – via Highbeam Research.
  9. Q, June 1993
  10. Zad, Martin (10 October 1992). "Michael Jackson on HBO". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on 23 June 2018. Retrieved 23 June 2018 – via Highbeam Research.
  11. George, pp. 37–52.
  12. Frank Cascio's Book: My Friend Michael: An Ordinary Friendship With An Extraordinary Man
  13. Saulnier, Jason (23 July 2008). "Jennifer Batten Interview". Music Legends. Retrieved 3 July 2013.
  14. Knopper, Steve (January 31, 2018). "Flashback: Michael Jackson Reclaims His Pop Throne at Super Bowl XXVII". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
  15. "How Jackson Redefined the Super Bowl". The New York Times. 30 June 2009.
  16. Off The Wall Magazine interview with Jennifer Batten "We went from 25-30 numbers to 15. He removed 'In The Closet' without giving explanations; in his show, he is the King and we obey"
  17. "Michael Jackson: Live in Bucharest -The Dangerous Tour". 26 July 2005 – via Amazon.
  18. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2019-01-29. Retrieved 2019-01-29.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

Sources

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