Celebration concert tours can also be described as music tours that are organized to mark certain events in the career of a musical group or artist. Such tours are usually organized when an act attains a certain number of years down the line such as the 10th, 20th, 25th, or 30th year although it is not limited to such years alone.
The most popular times for a band to go on a celebration tour is when they are celebrating their 20th or 25th year in the industry as a group. It is a big feat to have lasted this long in the music industry because many bands do not even survive past their first decade. It is even more fulfilling to make this feat when you are 25 years of age or older. Bands such as Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters, Green Day, Blink-182, and others have all rolled out some additional anniversary treks in honor of their twentieth birthdays. Other groups that have been in the industry for even longer times, for instance, U2, Metallica, Aerosmith, and the Rolling Stones, have also conducted mammoth celebration concerts for 50th birthdays or even more. Such tours enable one-group bands to glance through their extensive discographies and then perform the popular songs that fans old and new still enjoy.
It is also common for bands to schedule celebratory concerts and tours on other numbers of years such as the 10th anniversary or the band’s 30 or 40th birthday. While these years may not be as significant as the two-decade point, they do mean staying power in an industry that is notorious for its fickleness. From BlackEyed Peas to Maroon 5 to The Killers and many more acts have all taken some time out to celebrate such decade milestones with special concert shows and/or compilation CDs if not actual concert tours. Group durability is still commendable if they have been around for 10 years, while 30 or 40+ years is where it is at, as it is considered legendary.
Apart from the band’s anniversary, celebration tours also often include the albums’ anniversary of those albums that are considered to be the best ones. Some culturally significant LPs are celebrated twenty years on with concerts in which the album is performed from beginning to end. Celebratory tours have been performed for the 10th, 20th, 25th, 30th, or even 40th anniversary of various albums from artists such as The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Guns N Roses, Jay Z, or The Velvet Underground, to name just a few. These shows allow the bands and the fans to revisit albums that have contributed to the formation of legends in the music industry.
Last of all, celebration tours sometimes occur when certain members of a band meet up again after some time. Such types of comeback tours create immense enthusiasm and calls, particularly if the members have not been on talking terms for years and then they reunite. Some other recent big-profile reunions include the Guns N Roses classic lineup reunion in 2016 or the temporary Police reunion in 2007 proving that such types of reunion events can create excitement. We can at last look forward to our favorite bands reuniting for concerts after several years or decades, be it for one-time performances, or for world tours to make up for lost years. People are ready to pay a lot of money to watch the members of a disbanded band perform together again.
As for the setlists, celebration and anniversary tours are usually targeted at devoted and long-time fans as they are not expected to perform only the hits or the most recent songs but to cover the band’s discography in all its depth. Hits do get played of course – no group is going to neglect the biggest hits at a celebratory event. However, anniversary sets also show the beloved album tracks, hits, songs that have not been performed in concerts for a long time, or special versions and guest appearances impossible to listen to in other circumstances. Songs that defined an act’s formative years as well as original material by significant influences likewise feature prominently.
Celebration set lists are both somewhat predictable and full of surprises at the same time. That is why, although setlists still include established live standards that fans expect to see, anniversary concerts also allow for a change of pace and include almost overlooked album tracks or B-sides that fans of the band might enjoy. Mixing up familiar tracks, deep cuts, covers, and guest performers is what defines these celebration tours as unique experiences for the most dedicated fans who have been with an artist or group from the beginning.
In terms of production, celebration and anniversary tours also take the ordinary concert to the next level with all the razzmatazz of a special occasion. Lights, fireworks, and stages get extra treatment; videos tell stories of the star’s past and achievements. Some anniversary tours even mimic the stage sets, costumes, or props related to the original band to make the fans remember. Bands such as Led Zeppelin, Kiss, Alice Cooper, and Pink Floyd have all gone out of their way to ensure that major milestone tours are as grand as most fans’ imaginations.
In conclusion, celebration tours occur at career points such as decade anniversaries or at classic album benchmarks; they encompass setlists that consist of core and selected rare songs; and complement concerts with elaborate staging. Like all celebration events, history looks backward, but at the same time, it can rejuvenate bands and create lasting foundations for future success. When it is time for the most beloved groups to reach key anniversaries, dedicated fans across the globe are waiting for the opportunity to share milestone moments and pay homage to extraordinary achievements.
