Victory Tour 30 Yrs Old Today

jcool26

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Hello my fellow MJ fans! Today marks 30 years since the magnificent Victory Tour started. Feel free to share your thoughts and opinions on this wonderful concert in this thread.
 
Wow, 3 DECADES passed already! I remember the announcement (Mike didn't look too happy and hindsight being 20/20, I know why) and was screaming through the house, hoping I could snag a ticket. I thought Don King was an odd choice for promoter and the ticket sales fiasco almost killed it (super expensive and could only be bought in 4 ticket blocks). That year I graduated from high school and was working part time at Mickey D's, so I knew I couldn't afford 4 tickets. Needless to say I just wished I could go. :(

My sister Chris surprised me with an early birthday/late graduation present in an envelope she decorated herself and I thought it was money at first, then I saw the tickets! I hugged her so tight I almost choked her, then ran around the house screaming again, lol!

We went to the Detroit shows (Pontiac Silverdome, where the Detroit Lions used to play) and I was a mess for the 35 min drive from Detroit. I don't remember who the opening act was and I didn't CARE! :lmao:
When the house lights went out and the stage lit up, my heart skipped a beat. It was badass the way they rose up on the platform, striking a pose, but my eyes were on Mike (he was in the middle) and then the Silverdome erupted into a roar! Chris and I were fangirling big time: she over Jermaine (eww, lol) and me over Mike. To me, this was pretty much the "THRILLER Tour" with the bros as back-up, because it was so obvious that this was more about Mike than the J5/Jacksons. Jermaine did get a solo segment, but I didn't see it. That's when I (and many others) went on a bathroom break and getting more food/drink, LMFAO!

People were fainting as Mike commanded the stage, ruled it, OWNED IT and as they fainted, I got closer to the front. Back then they didn't monitor seating as tough as they do today. You can't go from section to section without event staff checking your stub to see if you were in the right area today. Anyway, I kept getting closer as more people fainted, then I was 6 rows from the front of the stage when they launched into "Billie Jean"! I could hear him sing without help from the sound system and almost died when he briefly sang directly to those of us near the front of the stage! I waved at him with my bootleg jeweled glove and for a quick moment he locked eyes with me *screaming inside my head from the memory, lol*!! A DUDE to my left fainted, then security came to get him before he got stepped on. I inched even closer to the stage, keeping my eyes on him as he launched into the final dance for Billie Jean, then all of a sudden he tossed his fedora into the audience and the feeding frenzy ensued. Somebody could have gotten stomped to death it was so crazy! I jumped up right as it seemed to be sailing my way (elbowing a chick and climbing on people in front of me), it HIT MY HAND, then ricocheted further back behind me!! DAMN IT, bahahahahaha!

Eventually I found my sister (after the show) and she laughed when I told her I almost had Mike's fedora. She wanted to stick around and get Jermaine's autograph, but the event staff (and cops) told us they already left the stadium and told us all to go home, lol! :hysterical:
 
The Victory Tour was a six-month tour of U.S. and Canada. The tour had 55 shows and about 2M attendees. It was the highest grossing tour of its time. Many came to see Michael Jackson because they became aware of him via his success with Thriller however; many others came to see the reunion of the Jackson Five/Jacksons. Regardless, I do not believe anyone left disappointed.

This tour deserved to be commemorated respectfully and appropriately with:

- The full concert in BluRay/DVD
- Matching audio live cds
- Coffee table book about the tour
- Tour documentary

Instead, there is the Toronto show leak.

Such a waste of pure magic.
 
It began July 6th, 1984 in Kansas City MO.! it is a wonderful show and it deserves more attention than low quality VHS leaks, there are full shows on film.. it would be great to see a Blu-Ray transfer this year.. but tbh i'm not expecting anything to come. Only wishes.
 
Wow, 3 DECADES passed already! I remember the announcement (Mike didn't look too happy and hindsight being 20/20, I know why) and was screaming through the house, hoping I could snag a ticket. I thought Don King was an odd choice for promoter and the ticket sales fiasco almost killed it (super expensive and could only be bought in 4 ticket blocks).

I just read about the controversy behind the ticket sales the other day. This just proves again what kind of person Michael was, totally different from his family. Donating his entire earnings to calm down the situation, even though he was the one who was against that form of ticket sale from the start. What a man!

I saw the concert on youtube and it would be such a treat to have a better quality.
 
It began July 6th, 1984 in Kansas City MO.! it is a wonderful show and it deserves more attention than low quality VHS leaks, there are full shows on film.. it would be great to see a Blu-Ray transfer this year.. but tbh i'm not expecting anything to come. Only wishes.

^^ Aww my birthday! well, 4 years before I was born but still :lol: The Victory Tour was amazing but mainly because of Michael... watching it now, I realize that the brothers weren't any different from the backup dancers/singers on the Bad Tour... I can't even get myself to watch Jermaine's bit... ugh! it's a harsh thing of me to say but that's how I feel. I know a lot of people who attended the shows at the time were excited about the Jacksons reunion but then again, those were people that grew up on their music (or with them more like it). As much as I love a lot of their stuff as the J5/Jacksons, Michael is my main interest and it's the same with the Victory Tour.
 
Wow, 3 DECADES passed already! I remember the announcement (Mike didn't look too happy and hindsight being 20/20, I know why) and was screaming through the house, hoping I could snag a ticket. I thought Don King was an odd choice for promoter and the ticket sales fiasco almost killed it (super expensive and could only be bought in 4 ticket blocks). That year I graduated from high school and was working part time at Mickey D's, so I knew I couldn't afford 4 tickets. Needless to say I just wished I could go. :sad:

My sister Chris surprised me with an early birthday/late graduation present in an envelope she decorated herself and I thought it was money at first, then I saw the tickets! I hugged her so tight I almost choked her, then ran around the house screaming again, lol!

We went to the Detroit shows (Pontiac Silverdome, where the Detroit Lions used to play) and I was a mess for the 35 min drive from Detroit. I don't remember who the opening act was and I didn't CARE! :lmao:
When the house lights went out and the stage lit up, my heart skipped a beat. It was badass the way they rose up on the platform, striking a pose, but my eyes were on Mike (he was in the middle) and then the Silverdome erupted into a roar! Chris and I were fangirling big time: she over Jermaine (eww, lol) and me over Mike. To me, this was pretty much the "THRILLER Tour" with the bros as back-up, because it was so obvious that this was more about Mike than the J5/Jacksons. Jermaine did get a solo segment, but I didn't see it. That's when I (and many others) went on a bathroom break and getting more food/drink, LMFAO!

People were fainting as Mike commanded the stage, ruled it, OWNED IT and as they fainted, I got closer to the front. Back then they didn't monitor seating as tough as they do today. You can't go from section to section without event staff checking your stub to see if you were in the right area today. Anyway, I kept getting closer as more people fainted, then I was 6 rows from the front of the stage when they launched into "Billie Jean"! I could hear him sing without help from the sound system and almost died when he briefly sang directly to those of us near the front of the stage! I waved at him with my bootleg jeweled glove and for a quick moment he locked eyes with me *screaming inside my head from the memory, lol*!! A DUDE to my left fainted, then security came to get him before he got stepped on. I inched even closer to the stage, keeping my eyes on him as he launched into the final dance for Billie Jean, then all of a sudden he tossed his fedora into the audience and the feeding frenzy ensued. Somebody could have gotten stomped to death it was so crazy! I jumped up right as it seemed to be sailing my way (elbowing a chick and climbing on people in front of me), it HIT MY HAND, then ricocheted further back behind me!! DAMN IT, bahahahahaha!

Eventually I found my sister (after the show) and she laughed when I told her I almost had Mike's fedora. She wanted to stick around and get Jermaine's autograph, but the event staff (and cops) told us they already left the stadium and told us all to go home, lol! :hysterical:
Great to read first-hand experiences like this!

It began July 6th, 1984 in Kansas City MO.! it is a wonderful show and it deserves more attention than low quality VHS leaks, there are full shows on film.. it would be great to see a Blu-Ray transfer this year.. but tbh i'm not expecting anything to come. Only wishes.
The Kansas show is great! MJ's vocals are amazing. SOOML in particular really stands out there.

For those with an interest in the Victory Tour, I think the book 'On the Road with Michael' by Mark Bego is worthwhile checking out. It's all about the Victory Tour.
 
Wow, 3 DECADES passed already! I remember the announcement (Mike didn't look too happy and hindsight being 20/20, I know why) and was screaming through the house, hoping I could snag a ticket. I thought Don King was an odd choice for promoter and the ticket sales fiasco almost killed it (super expensive and could only be bought in 4 ticket blocks). That year I graduated from high school and was working part time at Mickey D's, so I knew I couldn't afford 4 tickets. Needless to say I just wished I could go. :(

My sister Chris surprised me with an early birthday/late graduation present in an envelope she decorated herself and I thought it was money at first, then I saw the tickets! I hugged her so tight I almost choked her, then ran around the house screaming again, lol!

We went to the Detroit shows (Pontiac Silverdome, where the Detroit Lions used to play) and I was a mess for the 35 min drive from Detroit. I don't remember who the opening act was and I didn't CARE! :lmao:
When the house lights went out and the stage lit up, my heart skipped a beat. It was badass the way they rose up on the platform, striking a pose, but my eyes were on Mike (he was in the middle) and then the Silverdome erupted into a roar! Chris and I were fangirling big time: she over Jermaine (eww, lol) and me over Mike. To me, this was pretty much the "THRILLER Tour" with the bros as back-up, because it was so obvious that this was more about Mike than the J5/Jacksons. Jermaine did get a solo segment, but I didn't see it. That's when I (and many others) went on a bathroom break and getting more food/drink, LMFAO!

People were fainting as Mike commanded the stage, ruled it, OWNED IT and as they fainted, I got closer to the front. Back then they didn't monitor seating as tough as they do today. You can't go from section to section without event staff checking your stub to see if you were in the right area today. Anyway, I kept getting closer as more people fainted, then I was 6 rows from the front of the stage when they launched into "Billie Jean"! I could hear him sing without help from the sound system and almost died when he briefly sang directly to those of us near the front of the stage! I waved at him with my bootleg jeweled glove and for a quick moment he locked eyes with me *screaming inside my head from the memory, lol*!! A DUDE to my left fainted, then security came to get him before he got stepped on. I inched even closer to the stage, keeping my eyes on him as he launched into the final dance for Billie Jean, then all of a sudden he tossed his fedora into the audience and the feeding frenzy ensued. Somebody could have gotten stomped to death it was so crazy! I jumped up right as it seemed to be sailing my way (elbowing a chick and climbing on people in front of me), it HIT MY HAND, then ricocheted further back behind me!! DAMN IT, bahahahahaha!

Eventually I found my sister (after the show) and she laughed when I told her I almost had Mike's fedora. She wanted to stick around and get Jermaine's autograph, but the event staff (and cops) told us they already left the stadium and told us all to go home, lol! :hysterical:

Thats a wonderful moment
 
It began July 6th, 1984 in Kansas City MO.! it is a wonderful show and it deserves more attention than low quality VHS leaks, there are full shows on film.. it would be great to see a Blu-Ray transfer this year.. but tbh i'm not expecting anything to come. Only wishes.

Let's just hope until then enjoy the Toronto show
 
MjsLovelyOne88;4030535 said:
I know a lot of people who attended the shows at the time were excited about the Jacksons reunion but then again, those were people that grew up on their music (or with them more like it).

Actually, that is not completely true.

Yes, there are those who were fans of J5/Jacksons from their beginnings at Motown and were excited for the reunion during the Victory tour. It was also the most in demand ticket of the time thus, it being the highest grossing tour so, some were not necessarily fans of any Jackson brother but, most likely left entertained.

Those viewing it now on YT can witness the progression of Michael’s artistry (and the brothers) and may learn to value Michael performing alongside his brothers as much as they may value his solo career. Michael’s artistry did not begin during the Bad era or even Thriller. It was alive and well at least a decade before.

I do understand some fans have an issue with other Jackson members for whatever reasons however; one misses quite a bit of Michael’s career if the focus is solely his solo career. I do not mean to be rude however; Michael’s siblings were decidedly different than the backup dancers/singers on all of his solo tours and his tours with his brothers simply because those professionals are usually not mentioned if at all on forums.
 
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@tygger
actually this is also one of the fascinating things about Michael, that his success didnt happen over night. i guess those years on stage and in studio, the experience was crucial later when making off the wall. i dont think many ppl can actually comprehend how experienced this man was before being 20 years old. on the bad tour he shone so bright, i cant even explain.

I have the Triumph vinyl- loove it. i dont see a reason why would anyone ignore michaels work as part of the jacksons. there are some real gems on those albums, timeless songs.
 
Speeddemon88, Joe Jackson has been sharing his memories of each of his immediate family members on his website and it has been truly intriguing and revealing. He said Michael rehearsed songs at home before recording them in the studio which expresses a dedication far deeper than his years at the time. I do not believe that fact is well known but, it explains why he is the world's greatest entertainer.

Michael expressed an interest in performing with his brothers so his children could witness it and it was for good reason; it is simply pure magic.
 
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Tygger;4030730 said:
Actually, that is not completely true.

Yes, there are those who were fans of J5/Jacksons from their beginnings at Motown and were excited for the reunion during the Victory tour. It was also the most in demand ticket of the time thus, it being the highest grossing tour so, some were not necessarily fans of any Jackson brother but, most likely left entertained.

Those viewing it now on YT can witness the progression of Michael’s artistry (and the brothers) and may learn to value Michael performing alongside his brothers as much as they may value his solo career. Michael’s artistry did not begin during the Bad era or even Thriller. It was alive and well at least a decade before.

I do understand some fans have an issue with other Jackson members for whatever reasons however; one misses quite a bit of Michael’s career if the focus is solely his solo career. I do not mean to be rude however; Michael’s siblings were decidedly different than the backup dancers/singers on all of his solo tours and his tours with his brothers simply because those professionals are usually not mentioned if at all on forums.

It would think it was a mixture of Michael fans, J5 fans, casual attendees and the likes, I didn't experience it of course and I haven't done much research on it to be completely honest, that's why my guess was inaccurate to some extent. I, however, have watched the videos available and to me, Michael's brothers didn't make much of a difference, in fact, on the later tours the J5/Jacksons songs usually sound far better IMO, better arrangements.. everything! than they did on the Victory Tour and Michael did all of the lead singing, that's why I compared them to the backup dancers/singers (whose names aren't expected to be seen here, unless people has done research on them, like I have). Yes the brothers share that family bond and his career started alongside them; However the comparison is not 'cause I have 'issues' with them, I don't build my opinion on the quality of their performance based on their relationship or any personal issues for that matter, in fact I appreciate his years with the brothers and their contributions to the music they did back then. How could I not? after all, Randy, who's not the most popular of the brothers, co-wrote two of my favorite Jacksons era songs. I'm sure you know that (Lovely One and Shake Your Body).

I simply believe Michael was the real focus(for me and many others)and he honestly overshadowed the rest of the brothers and their skills, for the fact that he was exceptional and mesmerizing and devoted bigger amount of time perfecting his craft, far more than his brothers ever did (or at least, that's what it seems like).


I have never thought Michael's artistry began during the Bad or Thriller eras, how could I? He was born an artist and he showed that from a very young age. I think most of his fans are well aware of this. That is the very reason his appeal is much bigger than that of his brothers, plus, I don't really expect to see many hardcore fans of the Jackson brothers in an all- Michael forum either, even when the Victory tour featured all of them. That's how I feel about it and I don't expect everyone to agree with me, I respect how you feel about them and I think we should all do the same with everyone's opinions on this and earlier tours featuring the Jacksons.
 
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MjsLovelyOne88, Michael has been called - and rightly so - the greatest entertainer that ever lived. This simply means that he overshadows everyone in his field.

In my view, it is convenient, unfortunate, and a bit too narrow to compare Michael solely to his family members.

This was the largest tour of its time. It was not the largest tour among Jackson family members only. It deserves to be commemorated and it is unfortunate that it still has not. I hope to see the day that it will receive the attention it deserves.
 
Of course he does Tygger and I mentioned his brothers simply because the thread is about the Victory Tour. I am comparing his and the brothers skills for THE same reason, not intending to sound 'narrow', etc.. If this were a thread on the music industry in general, then it would be a very different post. Despite my thoughts on the brothers, I too believe it deserves a proper release, given the fact that it was a landmark in the music industry and music tours as we know them.
 
MjsLovelyOne88, I am glad we both would like to see this tour commemorated.

I personally do not see value in comparing Michael’s performance as the lead singer of a group during the Victory Tour to his brothers’ performance during the same tour as they did not hold the same positions. I do see value in discussing the progress of Michael’s performance during the Victory Tour and past and later tours. Again, that is my view and I understand others feel differently.
 
I don't see anything wrong with it, despite them having different positions as you say. I think they could've striven to be on the same level as Michael, it doesn't matter he was the lead singer but they did not for whatever reasons. Anyway, I respect that you feel differently and I have never said I don't find value in your views on it, I would appreciate if you did the same. But I do hope it gets a big, proper release in the future.
 
MjsLovelyOne88, apologies if I was not clear.

I see value in all views. I do not see value in the activity of comparing Michael to his brothers when he was the lead singer of J5/Jacksons and they were not. There was only one lead singer and I do not see why Michael’s brothers would compete with Michael to be lead singer of the J5/Jacksons and I do not understand why fans would want them to.

You are speaking of Michael’s level in his field and in that field he was above everyone; not just his brothers. Every. One. That is an amazing achievement he earned and it oftentimes goes unnoticed.

A little more about the Victory Tour: the Jacksons outpaced the Rolling Stones at that time who had the highest grossing tour about three years before and took over a year to do less than what the Jackson brothers did in six months. Before anyone suggest it was simply inflated ticket prices, the Jacksons played 53 stadiums in 55 dates which was unheard of at that time; the Rolling Stones had not done in North America and Europe what Michael and his brothers did in less time and only in the U.S. and Canada. That is an amazing achievement they all can share in. That is why that tour should be commemorated; it was simply one of the best.
 
Tygger, I am not saying they had to compete with him for the place as the lead singer, I don't think I made myself clear. I am simply stating that they could've tried to improve their craft, be their OWN person and become as big as he was at the time (and remains until this day) as individuals in the industry and maybe just maybe they wouldn't have had to rely on the tour then and to controversial projects/reality shows as they have in later years, to stay relevant.

Now, I know Michael is and was above anyone in the industry, not just the brothers, I made that clear before. But again, my focus here is them because it's a tour that involved all 6 (even though Jackie wasn't really part of it for the most part). I simply don't feel the same passion or drive from them and their participation clearly shows that, at least IMO. Sure they all made history together and your contribution about their outpacing of the Stones record is one of many facts that proves it, yet, it was Michael's overwhelming success with the Thriller record that resulted in the Victory tour for the most part. Michael took part simply out of solidarity towards his brothers, given they needed the $$$ while he did not (thus leading to the donations of his share to charity) ; Despite the record-breaking result and outstanding achievements, we know it wasn't his desire to do it in the first place.
 
MjsLovelyOne88, you are very clear.

One of the first, if not the first stadium tour was done by six African-American males. This is an achievement often overlooked and it is unfortunate when it happens on a Michael Jackson forum.

The Jackson brothers had the first stadium tour with Victory in 1984, not the Rolling Stones before them and not U2’s 360 tour after them. The Jacksons did that.

I am not going to use that achievement to dismiss Michael's brothers. It is interesting that some believe dismissing Michael's brothers professionally somehow uplifts Michael professionally as if his achievement would need that.
 
No Tygger, I don't believe that I'm dismissing them, if you think so then that shows me you're not really understanding my posts, please tell me straight out you believe I am. If anything, you're mistaken. What they have done in later years with their careers is a reality. They are also very talented black men, I'm not overlooking ANY of their previous achievements with the comments I've made. They opened the door for a lot of acts that preceded them alongside Michael, but they wasted the chance of becoming as respected and celebrated as him because of their talent and dedication,due to their lack of commitment to the very thing that made them stand out and break records as a talented BLACK, all-family group in the first place.
 
MjsLovelyOne88, I am discussing the true success of Victory that often goes unnoticed even on a Michael Jackson forum and you have repetitively whined the familiar “Michael’s brothers are not on his level of success” - verbatim. Separate conversations.

I find it interesting you did not expand on the fact that the Rolling Stones and U2 were not on the Jacksons’ level of success. Instead you returned to the narrow, familiar view of comparing Michael’s professional life to his brothers.

Unfortunately, it is on a Michael Jackson forum where this irrational and illogical belief that Michael’s brothers would become Kings of Pop only because their brother is such continues to be pushed by some. Unfortunately, it has yet to be understood that such a feat would diminish Michael’s unique achievement.

I do not and will not subscribe to that irrational and illogical belief.
 
Back to the subject at hand. . . :girl_whistle: :lol:

I'm thrilled (pun intended) to find out that Victory22 and I attended the DETROIT/Pontiac shows, WOO HOO! Small world! Here are some pics from when they were in the Detroit area for their shows (found these pics on a Detroit-related site).

Mike with the Pontiac police. This pic was in the newspaper and I still have it boxed up somewhere:

PosingwiththePontiacPoposVictoryTour84_zps39b67981.jpg



Here's another pic of Mike with the Pontiac PD (it ran in the newspapers, too):

PontiacPDVictoryTour_zpsfb95cc6c.jpg


This is where we saw them, the old Pontiac Silverdome:

PontiacSilverdomepostcard_zps538cb4aa.jpg


Sadly, this is the Silverdome recently. When the Detroit Lions had a new stadium built in downtown Detroit, their old stadium lost revenue and is now in ruins. My sister said they auctioned off parts of it. :(

f6cb1a15-0a49-4e52-b9f5-8a676c053b27_zpsd39216c3.png
 
OMG! Thank you so much for posting these pictures SheilaMJ! Memories I will cherish forever. MJ was simply amazing. Everyone came because of him not his brothers. PPD were looking good protecting the King.

:victory: Yes they did and that was the only time the po-pos looked good surrounding a brotha, LMFAO! ;) :fear:

I noticed the same female cop was to his right in both pics. You can bet she wasn't some low ranking officer to snag the same spot in multiple pics, girl! :D
 
The Jacksons were the first to use robotics for a musical, stage performance during the first ever stadium tour.

Would be grand to see the logistics of that discussed during a documentary commemorating this amazing tour.
 
:lol: Sheila, back on topic, I promise, great pictures by the way :girl_sigh:. I just gotta give this a closing argument and say to Tygger: you're incredibly far from understanding the reason of my comparisons between them and Michael. You seem to be obsessed with winning this over and dismissing my opinions by saying they're narrow and whiny. Way to go, where's the respect, partner. You don't see me doing the same to yours, right?.

Also, when did I state any of them should've become the KOP? You're fixated on the belief that I'm discriminating against them by not mentioning U2 or the Stones, apparently this has to do with race for you and I'm the complete opposite. Let me tell you why I did not address them, simply because I don't care nor do I like their material, although I also respect what they do. I won't explain where I come from once again, since you're not one that would ever get it and will keep on accusing me of things that didn't even cross my mind in the first place and grossly misunderstanding my opinions. And I just don't wanna get into serious arguments with you over something so subjective :rolleyes:
 
:victory: Yes they did and that was the only time the po-pos looked good surrounding a brotha, LMFAO! ;) :fear:

I noticed the same female cop was to his right in both pics. You can bet she wasn't some low ranking officer to snag the same spot in multiple pics, girl! :D

You know that's right gurl! LMAO!!! Especially up in Pontiac Michigan in the 80's! Only MJ could pull it off. :bow:
 
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