The Ridiculously Self-Indulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity Tour

[Diva]

The comedy and the music don't really need the theatrics. I saw Spinal Tap live in 2001. With the exception of a teeny tiny Stonehenge coming from the rafters the show was really about the music and it was phenomenal.

Cheers, Diva
Who would love at least a few verses of Genius in France in a medley

[HappyGilmore]

Oh I think they could pull it off, at least a fairly decent version of it. Al and Ruben could both do keyboards, it would be great.

Didn't Bermuda say it'd be near impossible to do live?

Granted, I'd like to see it but he brushed it off in a 'great song that'll never be in concert."

[TMBJon]

I don't think the point of the 2018 tour as described is to do big elaborate numbers like this. I think the point is to do more straightforward rock/pop performances as a real live band without also hearing weird sound effects in the background. If we were ever going to hear Genuis In France live, it would have to be while they had the backing tracks system running.

[YankoSwag 8888]

My set describes more of a laid back concert without doing a costume change for every song and playing mostly songs without extra sounds.

[Muppetboy09]

So, Al clarified in a Q&A today what this tour would be like. I am going to try and transcribe what he said as best I can:

Q: What's this I heard about a 2018 Al Unplugged tour?
A: I mentioned that...I probably let the cat out of the bag too early. It's just something that's been rattling around in my head. This could very well change, but my plan right now is to take 2017 off entirely from touring. And then 2018, just to cleanse the pallet, I thought instead of trying to do another tour like I'm doing now, to do a...unplugged is probably the wrong word, and it's probably copyrighted. But sort of a no-thrills version of our show, meaning no costume changes, no big screens. A very scaled back show, which would have very limited appeal, so we wouldn't be playing the large arenas, we'd play the small theaters, more for the hardcore fans. Sort of a pallet cleanser, I think, because every year we try to make it bigger and better and more production, you can only do so much of that before it gets unwieldy. So, I think the next time we go out, it'll be sort of the "No Commercial Potential" Tour.

I will be absolutely devastated if he doesn't actually call the next tour the "No Commercial Potential" tour. It fits so well

[Heds]

we'd play the small theaters

Now I wonder where he would play at if he was to possibly do Glasgow sometime during that tour The infamous Clutha bar is the only one I can think of (although I'm unsure about how Al would feel playing in a small cramped up bar, especially one with extensive repairs, but he did mention no costume changes or screens so it would be perfect) but then again, the O2 holds 2,500, and I'll actually be spot on 14 by then Hopefully he'll do it in October like he did last time.
Or he might do Edinburgh, I know that place has a lot of small arenas dotted around Both work best for me.

[Mystik Tomato]

As much as I am completely hopeful that I'm wrong, something like this doesn't really seem like an international thing. Recouping the cost for sending the gear and band over would likely necessitate larger crowds which if it is the No Commercial Potential tour doesn't seem super likely.

I sure as smurf better be wrong but I can completely see this as a US only thing.

[OneWAY]

I'll bet Al doing Hawaii could be more feasible... maybe?

[Sappho]

As much as I am completely hopeful that I'm wrong, something like this doesn't really seem like an international thing. Recouping the cost for sending the gear and band over would likely necessitate larger crowds which if it is the No Commercial Potential tour doesn't seem super likely.

I sure as smurf better be wrong but I can completely see this as a US only thing.

But on the other hand, without costumes and screens there would be less gear to send over. Plus a lot of the European shows have been in smaller venues anyway. There just need to be enough dates.

[KaleyFromSpace]

If I get to see One More Minute, Good Old Days, and/or I'll Be Mellow When I'm Dead performed live, I'll die of happiness. I love this "No Commercial Potential" idea for the idea itself and also because I was getting a little nervous about the scale of his recent tours. I know it sounds silly for me to worry over Al as if he didn't know his own boundaries, but sometimes it just freaks me out how much he is doing. So, if this idea comes to fruition I'll get to possibly see him perform some of my favorites, and I'll have more peace of mind about the whole thing, haha. But I wonder if he'd still be doing meet and greets? It seems that if he'd be doing smaller venues for smaller audiences, then meet and greets would be easier to manage.