18 March 1983 at the Hallenstadion, Zurich.

I don't remember every detail of the show - it's been 20 years, but I remember the videos. While the band played the intro to Martha's Madman an animated film was shown: a man being attacked with an axe, held by his own extremely long beard.

I found the Fritz the Blank video very funny. Today the story is even more relevant than it was 20 years ago, especially the end: a little middle-aged nerdy guy walks into a shop and buys a can of "Instant Sex". He takes it home and while only the door to his place is shown, the amazing effects of "Instant Sex" is being explained by explosive noises with shockwaves coming through the closed door, shaking the doormat and a potted plant. When all is quiet again, the guy pops out of his place and hurries to the supermarket to get more "Instant Sex". After more trips to the shop and back, more explosions and eruptions, an ever increasingly agitated doormat, a severely shaken and finally leafless plant, the guy gets buried alive underneath hundreds of "instant sex"-cans. The film ends with the warning "Too much sex may damage your health"

Apart from the videos I remember how Steve Waller faked a technical problem with his guitar during "Demolition Man". He looked like he was trying to get a sound out of his guitar to play his solo but nothing could be heard. He checked his amplifier and guitar, then with a big gesture he announced his solo but again, nothing happened. After the third attempt (all the while Manfred was playing an "intermission" solo) not only the guitar-sound suddenly blasted on full volume but also Waller's speaker cabinet "exploded" with a magnesium flash. More sparks went off right on the edge of the stage (of course I was standing in front row and was blinded! and very surprised because I didn't expect anything like that).

In those days they usually played Martha, Davy and Mighty in succession, like the tracks on Watch. Additional highlights were Carol, You Angel You, Demolition Man, For You and Africa Suite. They didn't play Father because Mick wasn't in the line-up at the time.

Of course the 10.000 in the venue didn't hold back with their excitement, they almost brought the roof down.

Christopher Dealtrey

(Thanks also to Paul Bossenmaier & Annette Grah for their help with this article)

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