David Lee Roth, Cinderella, Extreme Tour 1991

[Tommy2Tone84]

I’ve never been able to figure out why this tour bombed. Especially with Extreme on
the bill. They went platinum that year and had a #1 and #4 hit single with More Than Words
and Hole Hearted. Nuno was also the new guitar hero at the time.

Ok fine, David Lee Roth and even Cinderella might’ve looked long in the tooth somewhat
as both only reached gold status. But Cinderella got decent MTV play as did Dave who
also got decent radio play in my area. I’ve watched performances of both acts from that
tour and they both deliver to wildly enthusiastically and very loud audiences.

Did anyone see this tour? How was attendance, crowd reaction, performances?

I remember people blaming the economy and Iraq War at the time. But I remember Poison’s album and tour
was a big success. I saw them in a sold out arena that year. They were triple platinum. Van Halen had a big album and tour,
Skid Row and Guns N Roses was arguably the hottest and most anticipated ticket that year. I unfortunately
had to miss that show but talked to friends who went and had a blast.

Ozzy’s album and tour was a big success later that fall.

I mean Christ, Tuff had a hit single on MTV at the time.

Warrant, Trixter and Firehouse had a respectable tour that year. So why did the hair metal fan base
fail to turn out for Cinderella, DLR with a hot new act like Extreme causing mass cancellations? It doesn’t make a lot of sense.

I do remember the Judas Priest, Motörhead, Alice Cooper, Dangerous Toys tour bombing
But I always thought that was a bizarre package. Maybe split it down the middle. Unlike Cinderella’s, Roth’s and Extreme’s records, I wasn’t a huge fan of any of those four albums at the time.

Edit: According to the RIAA, Cinderella went platinum in Feb 1991. DLR was gold by April. Extreme was either platinum or close to double platinum. They were certified double platinum by the end of 1992. A year in which hair metal was allegedly over.

It makes no sense that this tour failed.

[Mister Freeze]

I agree that on paper, it's a summer package that should've worked. And neither DLR or Cinderella had toured in 2-3 years.

Here's a list of dates. Lots of cancellations:
https://www.vharchives.com/dlrtour1991

I think people were just ready for something different.

It didn't help that the two headliners had new albums with no buzz. I love Heartbreak Station, but it lacked hit singles. Nobody buys a ticket to hear "Shelter Me." At least Poison was touring off a hot album.

Extreme had the opposite problem: hit singles, but few hardcore fans. People liked them. They didn't LOVE them. Kinda like Mr. Big.

For the most part, the metal acts that did well that year kept their distance from the glam image - Gn'R, Queensryche, Ozzy, Metallica, Skid Row. A new wave was coming, even if it wasn't there yet.

[Brainy Lane]

It’s odd that the tour “bombed” with canceled shows at the start of the US Tour but then continued in the summer???

I saw the show at Jones Beach at July 3rd
Got second row walk up seats! Caught the last second of Extreme, Cinderella seemed like they were bored to be there.

Dave was Dave. I thought it was great. But it was starting to seem like self parody at that point

[VinnieStJohn]

Caught the show at Blossom. Hair metal still sold well in Ohio in 1991, and at least the pavilion was full (lawn may have been papered). Extreme was far and away the best, most exciting act - to the point I remember it today. Don't remember anything about Cinderella. It was my first time seeing Dave solo and it was a fun time, but all Dave schtick - forgetting the words to his own song and all.

[BDG135]

Did Roth do Sensible Shoes?

[Mister Freeze]

I'm not sure exactly when hair metal peaked, but we were definitely past that peak in 1991. By then, most bands had released follow-ups to their biggest albums that weren't as good or successful.

Unlike today, metal was driven by younger fans, and younger fans don't want to be a part of something that feels like old news.

[ijwthstd]

The DLR tour took several months to get off the ground and the album was long dead. Cinderella actually had a full headline tour that they pulled the plug on because it wasn't selling tickets so they rolled the 2 tours together. I get the idea the whole thing was poorly thrown together. The canceled dates actually had Thunder opening as Extreme jumped over to the ZZ Top tour.

Also overall concert sales were down around 35% from 1990 and the road was oversaturated with hard rock and metal tours. So it's not so much no one wanted to go but most kids probably wanted to go Guns N Roses over this and Clash Of The Titans over Operation Rock N Roll.

[Tommy2Tone84]

I agree that on paper, it's a summer package that should've worked. And neither DLR or Cinderella had toured in 2-3 years.

Here's a list of dates. Lots of cancellations:
https://www.vharchives.com/dlrtour1991

I think people were just ready for something different.

It didn't help that the two headliners had new albums with no buzz. I love Heartbreak Station, but it lacked hit singles. Nobody buys a ticket to hear "Shelter Me." At least Poison was touring off a hot album.

Extreme had the opposite problem: hit singles, but few hardcore fans. People liked them. They didn't LOVE them. Kinda like Mr. Big.

For the most part, the metal acts that did well that year kept their distance from the glam image - Gn'R, Queensryche, Ozzy, Metallica, Skid Row. A new wave was coming, even if it wasn't there yet.

Def Leppard took how long between Pyromania and Hysteria? Then took another how many between Hysteria and Adrenalize? If you want to start talking about self-parody with that Let’s Get Rocked and Make Love Like A Man shit. Yet, I saw them on that tour and the place was packed. SOLD OUT

Speak for yourself. I dig Shelter Me. I remember it getting decent attention at MTV. From my recollection, Heartbreak Station was on MTV a lot. Heartbreak Station was released fall 1990. They were platinum by February.

Mr Big toured with the Scorpions that year. I think Great White (speaking of bands with few hardcore fans) was on the bill too.


Dave had reached self parody by Skyscraper with the surfboard and boxing ring. Losing Vai, Sheehan and then Jason didn’t help him.

Compared to Poison and others, Cinderella did the biggest musical and image shift between their first and second albums. They continued that trend with HBS. I don’t see the argument.

[Mister Freeze]

^^^ I don't see your argument, actually.

Cinderella shipped platinum with HS after back-to-back triple platinum albums. I think you're trying to claim they were still hot, when the ticket sales for the 1991 tour prove otherwise, which is the whole premise of this thread you started.

Cinderella was riding the goodwill of their previous success. "Heartbreak Station" did okay, but felt like a routine power ballad at that point. Nothing like "Don't Know What You Got..." or "Nobody's Fool".

Def Leppard was the same deal. (Not sure what point you're making there either.) They were riding the wave of their past success. Like you, I knew the new stuff on Adrenalize wasn't as good, but I bought the album and saw their sold-out show in Chicago on that tour.

You think if some new band came along out of nowhere in 1991 and released "Let's Get Rocked," "Make Love Like a Man" and "Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad" as singles they'd go multi-platinum too? Def Leppard was operating on goodwill at that point (and using most of it up).

[Bob Sacamano]

I agree that on paper, it's a summer package that should've worked. And neither DLR or Cinderella had toured in 2-3 years.

Here's a list of dates. Lots of cancellations:
https://www.vharchives.com/dlrtour1991

I think people were just ready for something different.

It didn't help that the two headliners had new albums with no buzz. I love Heartbreak Station, but it lacked hit singles. Nobody buys a ticket to hear "Shelter Me." At least Poison was touring off a hot album.

Extreme had the opposite problem: hit singles, but few hardcore fans. People liked them. They didn't LOVE them. Kinda like Mr. Big.

For the most part, the metal acts that did well that year kept their distance from the glam image - Gn'R, Queensryche, Ozzy, Metallica, Skid Row. A new wave was coming, even if it wasn't there yet.

Def Leppard took how long between Pyromania and Hysteria? Then took another how many between Hysteria and Adrenalize? If you want to start talking about self-parody with that Let’s Get Rocked and Make Love Like A Man shit. Yet, I saw them on that tour and the place was packed. SOLD OUT

Those Def Leppard records were significantly bigger than Skyscraper or Long Cold Winter. If you put out a record with as many hit singles as Pyromania or Hysteria, your popularity will have a lot more staying power.

[War_in_D]

Cinderella was dead by 1991. I saw them in 1991 with red hot Slaughter opening. Barely 3,000 there for an arena show.

[Bono Nettencourt]

Did Roth do Sensible Shoes?

No. Co-headlining meant short sets so the only new songs he was playing were the title cut and Tell the Truth, which had both already came and went from the charts.

2 things screwed Roth - going to Europe 1st, and losing Becker to ALS. Without a hotshot guitar player, he tried to lean on the blues thing and did a lot of CFTH tunes. I think the idea behind playing Europe 1st was to whip the new band into shape, but by the time he hit the States there was no interest. Apparently WB pulled support from the album because he insisted on releasing SS and Tcubed as the follow-up singles but they bombed. The whole ponytailed gaucho look was a big fail too.

[Love_Industry]

Did Roth do Sensible Shoes?

No. Co-headlining meant short sets so the only new songs he was playing were the title cut and Tell the Truth, which had both already came and went from the charts.

2 things screwed Roth - going to Europe 1st, and losing Becker to ALS. Without a hotshot guitar player, he tried to lean on the blues thing and did a lot of CFTH tunes. I think the idea behind playing Europe 1st was to whip the new band into shape, but by the time he hit the States there was no interest. Apparently WB pulled support from the album because he insisted on releasing SS and Tcubed as the follow-up singles but they bombed. The whole ponytailed gaucho look was a big fail too.

There was also a conflict with WB others have referred to here, related to Roth pushing for a VH compilation album I think.

I saw the tour in Karlskoga, a shithole with population 30k or so and far from any big cities even by Swedish standards, the opener was local nobodies Don Patrol and the 5,5k capacity ice hall was at least 3/4 full. He also played 7 songs off ALAE. My only complaints were that he played only YR and JLP off the previous albums and that Joe Holmes sounded all wrong on some of Ed's and Vai's parts

[Bono Nettencourt]

That's all we got too - YR, JLP, 2 from ALAE, 3 from CFTH, and 7 (?) VH songs. No solos or anything, both headliners did ~75 min sets. Arena was about half-full at most.

[Love_Industry]

That's all we got too - YR, JLP, 2 from ALAE, 3 from CFTH, and 7 (?) VH songs. No solos or anything, both headliners did ~75 min sets. Arena was about half-full at most.

The difference is we got 7 ALAE songs, 9 VH, and a 1hr 45 min show incl some solos and covers. The whole show is on youtube and ok quality for a 1991 audience film.

[Bono Nettencourt]

Yeah I felt gypped, I liked ALAE and wanted to hear more of it live. Like I said, I think he hit Europe 1st either as a test run or hoping that the album would catch fire. Didn't work out and he hadda do a package tour as a salvage move.

[daveg]

DLR was basically the unwelcome drunk uncle at that time. He was just not cool anymore, and the new album was barely Ok. Van Hagar had won the battle by that point.
A Poison/Cinderella/Extreme tour would have done just fine. People had enough of Dave by that point.



As for Operation RnR. The problem was thinking Motorhead was gonna sell tickets. Regardless of how many people say they love them...they were never more than an average opening act. Metal Church??? Dangerous Toys??? Those bands were not selling any extra tickets. Priest/Cooper would have been a really cool arena tour at that time...

We went to that tour in Montreal and there was no Motorhead or Metal Church...and that made it soooooo much better.

[cowpins]

daveg is correct. DLR was off the map entirely just a few years later and Cinderella and Extreme didn't have a co-headliner pull.

[Bono Nettencourt]

He was. In 94 he played the TLA (500 seater walking distance from my house) and I didn't go. It was over.

[LAglamrocker]

Dave was never cool and seemed old for Cinderella/ Extreme fans. Bands like Van Halen-Aerosmith were super old to Metal Edge generation. Nobody understood why Rolling Stones were on MTV during PoisonMania…grandpa music
Would have wondered why Cinderella didn’t headline.

[Love_Industry]

DLR was basically the unwelcome drunk uncle at that time. He was just not cool anymore,

He seemed to realize that and killed off the Diamond Dave character at the end of the ALAE video.

His problem was that nobody in 91-92 wanted Serious Dave and bluesy tunes with arty b&w videos. Think Gary Moore covered that niche by then.

[Love_Industry]

daveg is correct. DLR was off the map entirely just a few years later and Cinderella and Extreme didn't have a co-headliner pull.

Cinderella's first two albums went 3x platinum. No Maiden, Priest or Kiss album sold that much and they headlined arenas for most of their careers.

One big album doesn’t mean that much, see TS and QR, but Cinderella had two in a row and their 3rd went platinum - and they couldn't even co-headline...

[Bono Nettencourt]

They had some good tunes, but were kinda derivative... a lil Aerosmith, a lil AC/DC, a lil Stones... and as hair farmers go, they were kinda ugly.

[greengoblinrulz]

Saw Fargo show, which everyone had said was last date on tour (no Thunder) ....not Denver a week later (did that show happen)
I liked ALAE but it only had the one single which came out during the winter. By summer, that album was long gone in peoples minds.
Cinderella released their worst of 3 albums & had their own tour tank for some reason (weak openers didnt help IMO) & bailed on that a month before joining this co headline jaunt.
Im doubting some of the dates at beginning that were cancelled as Keifer was still out on tour a few days/weeks before that.
Warrant did great biz, Scorps had their solid crowds, GnR/Skids were selling out.
Just wasnt the hottest thing to check out with multiple other tours coming thru
Looking at those dates, 6 shows in NYw/one cancelling? 5 FL whittled down to 3? A lot of shows in same areas didnt help.

[ijwthstd]

Great White also started out headlining mid size venues with Bulletboys opening but that got pulled and they were added to the Scorpions tour.

[kanister]

Did Roth do Sensible Shoes?

No. Co-headlining meant short sets so the only new songs he was playing were the title cut and Tell the Truth, which had both already came and went from the charts.

2 things screwed Roth - going to Europe 1st, and losing Becker to ALS. Without a hotshot guitar player, he tried to lean on the blues thing and did a lot of CFTH tunes. I think the idea behind playing Europe 1st was to whip the new band into shape, but by the time he hit the States there was no interest. Apparently WB pulled support from the album because he insisted on releasing SS and Tcubed as the follow-up singles but they bombed. The whole ponytailed gaucho look was a big fail too.

There was also a conflict with WB others have referred to here, related to Roth pushing for a VH compilation album I think.

I saw the tour in Karlskoga, a shithole with population 30k or so and far from any big cities even by Swedish standards, the opener was local nobodies Don Patrol and the 5,5k capacity ice hall was at least 3/4 full. He also played 7 songs off ALAE. My only complaints were that he played only YR and JLP off the previous albums and that Joe Holmes sounded all wrong on some of Ed's and Vai's parts

In Finland he had No1 album on official chart, sold out then biggest arena in Helsinki and got 5 star reviews for the show. The support act was a Finnish band Boycott (who 69 Eyes are covering on their latest album) since the Warrant was off the tour. Seven songs from ALAE in Helsinki too.

Agreed on Holmes. Saw him with Ozzy 4 years later in Newcastle. It was much better fit. He is a very good guitarist.

[Bono Nettencourt]

Looking at those dates, 6 shows in NYw/one cancelling? 5 FL whittled down to 3? A lot of shows in same areas didnt help.

I think they thought because of the co-headline thing they could do a mix of A and B markets. Didnt work out.

[LSD69]

I saw this tour at Pine Knob.

Highlights :

The pissing devils
The inflatable legs in high heels behind the amps.
Dave eating a banana at the side of the stage during a guitar solo.

[FreddyFender]

Dave was almost 40 and had peaked as an artist in 1984. For comparison: Lady Gaga and Katy Perry are about the age now that Dave was then. Think about how long it's been since they were "cool".

Cinderella were also yesterday's news. Nobody wanted to hear "Shelter Me" when they could hear The Black Crowes do what Cinderella was doing 10x better.

Extreme had an adult contemporary ballad hit. They'd have been a better fit opening for Michael Bolton.

[ParaDime77]

I was around 15 when l watched Cinderella/DLR at the Red River Valley Fair in West Fargo, ND. I recall it being very war that night and Extreme was not part of that date. Roth, while it was cool ti see him, he just seeemed REALLY outdated and not cool in ‘91. By them he was out of VH for 5-6 years and fane was fleeting. Was low key kissed he was the headliner as Cinderella was far more superior at that juncture. There must have been 4500 people. I was confused as to why the small turn out, come on, these band’s are huge right!? Little did I know in my small brain and in my small-market that the hair metal genre was on the verge of a complete collapse and this was the actual good showing all things considered.