For the latter concert, the set opened with Woodhenge going into a medley starting with Incantations part 3 opening, faithful version of Tubular Bells, and Crises (the enormous
tower lighting up, the laser flashing all over the arena from the top and the HUGE moon rising over the tower during the drum build up to the climax!) in second half, Mount Teide, Moonlight Shadow and Shadow on the Wall. Footage was shot but was not deemed good enough for commercial release. There were four gigantic speaker towers in each corner. One reviewer, Mark Steels, said, "As a spectacle .. only marginally more exciting than watching a bus queue .. but this quite anonymous performer let the music do the talking for him instilling .. impressive freshness."

The dates in Germany, France and Spain had audiences up to 40,000 according to Derek, Jewell, who added, "Oldfield played to packed halls at a time when many tours were cancelled. Many other bands were on the road including Supertramp, Bowie, and Dire Straits."

1984 - THE DISCOVERY TOUR

Originally shows in the UK to add to the 1984 Discovery tour were envisaged but Mike did not play in the UK because he was living in tax exile in Switzerland at the time because of the lingering consequences of the 1979 tour, and still avoiding what he regarded as high taxes.
On 27 September his concert in Frankfurt included a track called Freude Scvhoener Gotterfunken. At a French concert Shadow on the Wall encore was followed by French national anthem. Set: most of Discovery, most of Crises, Platinum, 10m of Tubular Bells side 2, Blue Danube at Vienna. Mike met Anita Hegerland at West Germany in October according to Moraghan, thus sparking another major association - now commonplace events on his tours.

Nevertheless Mike's tiredness with touring shone through some of his interviews around this time, saying, "I'd like to do a musical or an acoustic set" and "I've spent the past few years doing an album, touring, doing an album, touring … I'd just like to break away from the treadmill." (Kerrang, summer 84).

Asked: "Do you take the same amount of time and trouble over the live shows - because you've got those coming up - or do you get frustrated by the limitations of live sound?", Mike replied: "Oh totally frustrated all the time, cos you have to just go for it. You get up there and that's it - off you go. So I'm always frustrated and disappointed, but I still seem to get away with it. … The next thing I'd like to try is a musical. If somebody would maybe provide me with a script of a story…" [1984 live Radio 1]. Mike did branch out into actions and music but via video and not live pictures. But the visual motif is similar.

There are two particular products of these intensive tour years. Oldfield liked the tiles in the German sportshall dressing rooms and he tiled the floors and ceilings of his own recording studios. Tiled sections produced a lighter more echoing sound. And most of the albums in this period since 1979 were designed with live play in mind - featuring a combination of instrumentals and songs. Mike also composed QE2 and Platinum quickly - intending to draw on it for live performances.

This tour in 1984 marked the end of an incredibly busy period for Mike. Albums came out often. Tours overlapped with them. It also marked the end of his heavy touring days. A new period of quiet set in and rumours of concerts became more rife than appearances.

Text © Mark Slattery
Photos © Thomas Rosenthal