Saxon crowds on tour

[coventry1]

Hi im interested in what the attendances looked like in Saxons heyday in the 80s on their headlining tours (not festivals), I´ve been researching through the years to get a picture of the popularity of the band as I never got to see them in the 80s. Please share from your own experience if you were lucky enough to see them back then. Here´s a summary of what I have gathered so far...

According to JJ the former tour manager, (whom I rode with on their tour bus on the dogs of war tour) the biggest gig as headliners on a tour was in San Antonio 1983/84 with approx 18,000 at the Hemisfair arena.

In Italy the denim n leather 1981 tour was great, with crowds of 3,500-7,000 which was quite remarkable as the band only broke a year earlier.

Yugoslavian tour of 1983 was supposed to have big crowds, pionir hall in belgrade held around 10,000+, from what i heard it was a sold out tour.

On the 83 and 84 U.S. tours they would do circa 3,000-6000 on their own on the west coast, bigger crowds 7000+ in the south like texas and also in the midwest according to Graham Oliver...on the east coast on the same tours- smaller halls or clubs which is a bit weird

Stockholm icestadium 1983 was sold out 10,000, Stockholm 84 also sold out. Gothenburg 84 world crusade was 11,000 at Scandinavium arena.
The year after in Stockholm 1985, pre innocence release, there was only 4000 at the icestadium showing the start of the decline in scandinavia.
By 86 they were demoted to a smaller venue, Solnahallen in stockholm with a capacity of 3000.

Their popularity in mainland and southern europe remained unchanged by 1986 from what I gather.

The zenith in paris they played regularly in the mid 80´s 5,000-6,000, same numbers in spain and italy some bigger some smaller ranging between 4,000 to 8,000.

In brussels 86 (which exist on vhs) they still played the big Voorst National which holds 9,000+ dont know how many tickets were sold, they played the Voorst national in brussels 83,84,85,86 maybe also 88?

1988 saw a part of the european leg of the Destiny tour cancelled because Biff and others felt they were being demoted from playing the big arenas they were used to, Paris being the example going from the Zenith and 6,000 to playing a club. They didn´t like that at all.

Eastern europe 1988 was still good, big arenas dont know the attendances though. The Rock n rolll gypsies live release from 1989 was recorded in Hungary 88 but the audience is obviously overdubbed on the record.

1989 saw a double bill tour in germany with Manowar good crowds 4,000-8,000. Manowar headlining most dates..

If anyone have crowd info/attendances on a European, American or any other gig from the 80´s that they headlined and you attended please share...

[Fingers]

Hi,

Manchester Apollo 85, 86 and 88 to me were all pretty much sold out 3.5k capacity I think.

In 1990 they moved to the "International 2" a smaller all standing venue.

[coventry1]

1988 Apollo sold out aswell? That´s great info...So they still had a pretty high profile in the northwest I guess.

[Fingers]

1988 certainly seemed as busy to me as the two previous shows? Yep always popular in the North West, Around the early 90's I saw them at Workington Rock (1990 I think), Oldham (can't remember the venue) and the Parr Hall in Warrington.

Forum Member "Militia Guard" would be a good source of info for you, I know he did coach trips abroad and was onboard as an uber fan from the very early days.

Also if you are on facebook there is a "saxon4ever" group which could be of use.

[midnightrider]

We all had more hair in the 80's i know that!!! A lot more slapheads at todays gigs lol

[coventry1]

Originally Posted by Fingers

1988 certainly seemed as busy to me as the two previous shows? Yep always popular in the North West, Around the early 90's I saw them at Workington Rock (1990 I think), Oldham (can't remember the venue) and the Parr Hall in Warrington.

Forum Member "Militia Guard" would be a good source of info for you, I know he did coach trips abroad and was onboard as an uber fan from the very early days.

Also if you are on facebook there is a "saxon4ever" group which could be of use.

Ok tnx for the info I´ll definitely check that out.
Anyone else with experiences please share!

[Neil_747]

I was at the first Monsters of Rock at Donington in 1980 and always thought the crowd that day was 60,000 but could be wrong

[coventry1]

59,999.

Anyone else has some 80s memories? please share...

[coventry1]

Bump.
Come on must be someone with a crowd or gig memory worth sharing
We are talking Saxon after all.

[Husky]

In Germany the played in smaller halls,about 3.000
In the beginning of the eighties people were dressed in coulered cothes instead of black ,lol.