Question about stage design

[U2girl]

I remember reading somehwere that Willie Williams said Bono wanted to have an extension into the crowd (the catwalk) back in UF tour time to have more interaction with the fans.

What was the first major tour to use the catwalk and B-side, then? Was U2 the first on Zoo TV?

 

[Aardvark747]

I never remember seeing it on any of the later tours from the 80's, so id guess on ZOOTV being the 1st...

 

[barrett]

Rolling Stones and Elvis used a catwalk before U2 formed as a band.

 

[Blue Room]

U2 were not the first. In fact the same year as Zoo (1992) Bryan Adams had a catwalk and B stage into the crowd. So that is at least a tie. There was someone else that did it prior to that but I cant think of who it was at the moment.

The Stones had a Catawalk ramp into the crowd in 1981 but they did not have a B stage until The Bridges To Babylon tour in 1997.

I guess the question is whether or not a catwalk is the same as the B stage. I dont think so personally. The entire band would perform on the B stage, the catwalk effect was typically just the lead singing running out there.