The Hold Your Fire Tour was a concert tour by Canadian rock band Rush, in support of the band's twelfth studio album Hold Your Fire.
Background
The band continued the trend of their usage of synthesizers, sequencers and onstage automation which continued from their Power Windows Tour,[1] also featuring a laser system with red and green beams as well as a video screen that had animated segments of the three red orbs from the cover of Hold Your Fire.[2] Opening bands on the North American leg included Chalk Circle,[3] the McAuley Schenker Group, and Tommy Shaw.[4]Wishbone Ash was the support act for the band's performances in Europe.[5] The first three European performances at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, England were recorded for the band's live album and video, A Show of Hands.[4]
Reception
Reviewing the Lakeland concert on February 15, 1988, Philip Booth of the Lakeland Ledger who had given the concert a 'poor' review, criticized the band's performance, stating that the band "defined itself by self absorption to the max", referring to their music as "hollow" despite the state-of-the-art equipment they had, as well as calling their music "numbingly loud" and "repetitive". He closed his review, stating that the visuals and music couldn't compensate for Rush's musical substance, concluding that they were "overcooked".[2] Jane E. Stephenson, a reader who had attended the performance, later sent a response to Booth to criticize him, defending the band's performance with a rebuttal that there were "ten thousand screaming fans" who were moved from the concert.[6]
Set list
This is an example set list adapted from Rush: Wandering the Face of the Earth – The Official Touring History of what was performed during the tour, but may not represent the majority of the shows.[7]
^Stephenson, Jane E. (February 28, 1988). "Letters to the Editor: Bummed Rush". No. 129. Lakeland, Florida: Lakeland Ledger. p. 10A. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
