"Steel Wheels" 1989 - The Rolling Stones

"Steel Wheels" 1989
The Rolling Stones

Drawing © Mark Fisher

"Event as City"
In searching for an appropriate visual environment for The Rolling Stones to serve as a reflection of both their status and contemporary life in the late 1980's, Fisher considered the transitional state that the western world had recently undergone, that had let to the emergence of "post-industrial" society. As a concept, "post-industrial" can be characterised as a shift from economies based on heavy industries and manufacturing, to those based on information and services. The physical consequences of these changes had already begun to affect film makers and writers, and manifested themselves as apocalyptic visions concerned with urban decay and dystopian futures, which captured the popular imagination, and formed the cultural backdrop for Fisher's designs for what became The Rolling Stones "Steel Wheels" tour.

Photo © Mark Fisher

The gargantuan set (the largest touring stage ever built) drew upon the powerful forms of steel mills, refineries, oil rigs and power stations; the redundant technology of industries in decline, which were played back to the audience as a glamorised image. This huge structure invoked a sense of nostalgia for a bygone age, which was particularly relevant to the baby-boomer generation who formed the original Rolling Stones fan base, and had witnessed this industrial decline at first hand. The show played across North America during 1989 and visited thirty-three cities over a fifteen-week period. The massive stage set was transported on in 80 trucks and required a travelling crew of 200 people, with a further 150 hired locally for each performance.

Excerpts from:
'Mark Fisher - Staged Architecture'
by Eric Holding
Wiley-Academy

Links

The Mark Fisher Studio
Archietctural Monograph No 52 "Mark Fisher - Staged Architecture"

Mark Fisher arcspace features





				Features
		"Steel Wheels" 1989 The Rolling Stones Drawing © Mark Fisher "Event as City" In searching for an appropriate visual environment for The Rolling Stones to serve as a reflection of both their status and contemporary life in the late 1980's, Fisher considered the transitional state that the western world had recently undergone, that had let to the emergence of "post-industrial" society. As a concept, "post-industrial" can be characterised as a shift from economies based on heavy industries and manufacturing, to those based on information and services. The physical consequences of these changes had already begun to affect film makers and writers, and manifested themselves as apocalyptic visions concerned with urban decay and dystopian futures, which captured the popular imagination, and formed the cultural backdrop for Fisher's designs for what became The Rolling Stones "Steel Wheels" tour. Photo © Mark Fisher The gargantuan set (the largest touring stage ever built) drew upon the powerful forms of steel mills, refineries, oil rigs and power stations; the redundant technology of industries in decline, which were played back to the audience as a glamorised image. This huge structure invoked a sense of nostalgia for a bygone age, which was particularly relevant to the baby-boomer generation who formed the original Rolling Stones fan base, and had witnessed this industrial decline at first hand. The show played across North America during 1989 and visited thirty-three cities over a fifteen-week period. The massive stage set was transported on in 80 trucks and required a travelling crew of 200 people, with a further 150 hired locally for each performance. Excerpts from: 'Mark Fisher - Staged Architecture' by Eric Holding Wiley-Academy Links The Mark Fisher Studio Archietctural Monograph No 52 "Mark Fisher - Staged Architecture" Mark Fisher arcspace features