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80-610: Glass Spider is a concert film by English singer David Bowie . The release was sourced from eight shows during the first two weeks of November 1987 at the Sydney Entertainment Centre in Australia during the last month of the Glass Spider Tour . The 86-show tour, which also visited Europe, North America and New Zealand, was in support of Bowie's album Never Let Me Down (1987). Originally released in 1988 on VHS ,

160-410: A baseball venue, and actively campaigned for a replacement. Brochu sold the team to Jeffrey Loria in 2000, who was equally dissatisfied with Olympic Stadium; he bluntly stated, "We cannot stay here." However, Quebec Premier Lucien Bouchard refused to authorize public funding deemed necessary for a replacement, in part because Olympic Stadium still had not been paid for. The poor conditions played

240-411: A baseball venue. As in all multipurpose stadiums, the lower seating tier was set further back than in baseball-specific parks to accommodate the football field. However, since Canadian football fields are longer and wider than American football fields, Olympic Stadium's lower tier was set back even further than comparable seats at American multipurpose stadiums. The upper deck was one of the highest in

320-581: A combined attendance of 46,984. The New York Yankees were scheduled to play there on March 23 and 24, 2020; however, the games were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic . No further games have been scheduled since, ending baseball spring training at the Montreal Olympic Stadium. Willie Stargell of the Pittsburgh Pirates hit the longest home run at Olympic Stadium on May 20, 1978, driving

400-609: A full decade after the stadium's opening, is the Montreal Tower . At 165 metres (541 ft) it is the world's tallest inclined tower . The stadium and Olympic Park grounds border Maisonneuve Park , which includes the Montreal Botanical Garden , adjacent to the west across Sherbrooke Street ( Route 138 ). As early as 1963, Montreal Mayor Jean Drapeau sought to build a covered stadium in Montreal. A covered stadium

480-451: A guarantee on his own authority. Just as Charles Bronfman , who was slated to become the franchise's first owner, was ready to walk away, Drapeau had his staffers draw up a proposal for a stadium. It was enough to persuade Bronfman to continue with the effort. The stadium was designed by French architect Roger Taillibert to be an elaborate facility featuring a retractable roof , which was to be opened and closed by cables suspended from

560-623: A huge 165-metre (541 ft) tower – the tallest inclined structure in the world, and the tenth tallest structure in Montreal. The design of the stadium has been likened to that of the Australian Pavilion at Expo '70 in Osaka, Japan , although Taillibert had previously explored the concept of an umbrella-style roof for a theatre in Cannes (1964) and Piscine Carnot in Paris (1967). Soon after Montreal

640-576: A lengthy trial, the Quebec Superior Court awarded a judgement in favour of Danny's Construction and dismissed Birdair's countersuit. The stadium's condition suffered considerably in the early 21st century. During the Expos' final years in Montreal, it was coated with grime, and much of the concrete was chipped, stained, and soiled. In 2009, the stadium received approval to remain open in the winter, provided weather conditions are favourable. However,

720-399: A lot to digest." The Los Angeles Times had a mostly negative review of the 1-hour ABC special, calling the show "surprisingly lame" and the stage "silly." One critic found that the video release rendered the show's intended meaning ("rock stars vs reality") "obscured" for two reasons: First, by the time the show was recorded, Bowie had already dropped some parts of the show that elaborated

800-524: A nearly 2-week run in Sydney , Australia in the tour's final month. The liner notes say that most of the Glass Spider video comes from the nights of 7 and 9 November 1987, with some footage from the other nights, although Bowie biographer Nicholas Pegg claimed that most of the footage comes from the performance on the evening of 6 November. While a typical show from the tour ran over 2 hours with around 26 songs,

880-517: A role in the Expos nearly being disbanded in the 2001 Major League Baseball contraction plan , which fell through due to court rulings. Ten years after the last Expos game at Olympic Stadium, the Toronto Blue Jays played two spring training games at the stadium against the New York Mets on March 28 and 29, 2014, with combined attendance of 96,350. The Jays would continue this practice for

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960-471: A speaker. The distance travelled by this ball is also estimated at 525 feet. The longest home run hit to left field was Vladimir Guerrero 's blast on July 28, 2003, that hit an advertising sign directly below the left field upper deck. The ad was later replaced with a sign reading "VLAD 502". The Olympic Stadium was the home of the NASL 's Montreal Manic soccer team from 1981 to 1983. A 1981 playoff game against

1040-399: A swimming pool beyond the right field fence. On April 4, 1988, the Expos' Opening Day, Darryl Strawberry of the New York Mets hit a ball off a speaker which hangs off a concrete ring at Olympic Stadium, estimated to have travelled 525 feet. Henry Rodríguez hit a ball on June 15, 1997, that bounced off the concrete ring in right field, caromed up to hit the roof, and came down, hitting

1120-478: A warehouse in Marseille until 1982, and the tower and roof were not completed until 1987. It would be another year before the 66-tonne, 5,500 m (59,000 sq ft) Kevlar roof (designed and built by Lavalin ) could retract. Even then, it could not be used in winds above 40 km/h (25 mph). Ultimately, it was only opened and closed 88 times. When construction on the stadium's tower resumed after

1200-574: A whole. The stadium is one of the largest by seating capacity in Canada. After the Olympics, artificial turf was installed and it became the home of Montreal's professional baseball and football teams. The Montreal Alouettes of the CFL returned to their previous home of Molson Stadium in 1998 for regular season games, but continued to use Olympic Stadium for playoff and Grey Cup games until 2012. Following

1280-573: Is designed to remain level throughout its trip, while providing a panoramic view to its passengers. The elevator faces north-east, offering a view to the north, south and east. It overlooks the Olympic Village, the Biodome, the Botanical Gardens and Saputo Stadium. The Olympic Park, the stadium's suspended roof and downtown Montreal can be viewed from the south-west-facing Observatory at the top of

1360-426: Is the 1959 film Jazz on a Summer's Day . The film was recorded during the fifth annual Newport Jazz Festival . The earliest known rock concert film is Rock’n’Roll , a 1959 feature film produced by the promoter Lee Gordon. As it also features some Jazz performances and was released prior to Jazz on a Summers Day, it arguably has claims to being the first Jazz concert film as well. A latter notable concert film,

1440-569: Is the highest-grossing concert film of all time; the previous record for the concert film was held by Justin Bieber: Never Say Never (2011). The top 15 are among the highest-grossing concert films. André Rieu is the most frequent performance with 13 titles on the list. Montreal Olympic Stadium Olympic Stadium ( French : Stade olympique ) is a multi-purpose stadium in Montreal , Canada , located at Olympic Park in

1520-571: The Houston Post and the Toronto Star . The Chicago Tribune said the video "offers all of the excitement, spectacle and music" of one of 1987's "most visually engrossing" shows. The AllMusic review called the release "brilliant" and credited the performance with "stunning" live performances that are frequently on par with their studio counterparts. Some reviews were more ambivalent, such as The Boston Globe ' s review stating simply that "there's

1600-516: The T.A.M.I. Show , featured acts such as The Beach Boys , James Brown , Marvin Gaye , and the Rolling Stones . One of popular music's most ground-breaking concert films is Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii (1972), directed by Adrian Maben, in which Pink Floyd perform a short set of songs inside the amphitheatre of Pompeii without an audience (save for the recording crew). The term "rockumentary"

1680-438: The 1976 season . Capacity was reduced from its Olympic capacity of 72,000 to 58,500, but leapt to 66,308 when the natural grass was replaced with AstroTurf ahead of the 1977 season . The Alouettes remained there through 1986, the franchise's final season of operations; the team would shut down shortly after the start of the 1987 season . A revived Alouettes franchise returned for the 1996 and 1997 seasons , but then moved to

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1760-512: The 2004 baseball season, the Expos relocated to Washington, D.C., to become the Washington Nationals . The stadium currently serves as a multipurpose facility for special events (e.g. concerts, trade shows) with a permanent seating capacity of 56,040. The capacity is expandable with temporary seating. CF Montréal (formerly known as Montreal Impact) of Major League Soccer (MLS) has used

1840-480: The Chicago Sting attracted a crowd of over 58,000. Several games of the 2007 FIFA Under 20 World Cup were played at Olympic Stadium and drew the largest crowds of the tournament, including two sell-outs of 55,800. Olympic Stadium hosted a CONCACAF Champions League quarter-final game pitting the original Montreal Impact – who played primarily in the adjacent Saputo Stadium – against Club Santos Laguna of

1920-463: The Hochelaga-Maisonneuve district of the city. Built in the mid-1970s as the main venue for the 1976 Summer Olympics , it is nicknamed "The Big O", a reference to both its name and to the doughnut -shape of the permanent component of the stadium's roof. It is also disparagingly referred to as "The Big Owe" in reference to the high cost of its construction and of hosting the 1976 Olympics as

2000-790: The Los Angeles Dodgers , who went on to win the World Series . On October 19, the Expos lost the decisive fifth game, 2–1, to the Dodgers on Rick Monday 's ninth-inning home run . In 1982, the Major League Baseball All-Star Game was played at Olympic Stadium in front of 59,057—a stadium record for baseball. On September 29, 2004, the Expos played their last game in Montreal, losing 9–1 to the Florida Marlins before 31,395. Olympic Stadium proved to be somewhat problematic as

2080-521: The Percival Molson Stadium in 1998. The Alouettes used Olympic Stadium for select regular season games until 2009, and playoff games until 2012. Due to the increased popularity of the Alouettes and the small capacity of Percival Molson Stadium, the team considered returning to Olympic Stadium on a full-time basis, but instead renovated Percival Molson Stadium to increase its capacity. In addition,

2160-573: The Sacramento Surge defeated the Orlando Thunder 21–17 before 43,789. In 1988 (Jets and Browns) and 1990 (Steelers and Patriots), NFL pre-season games were played at Olympic Stadium. In 1977, the stadium replaced Jarry Park Stadium as the home ballpark of the National League 's Montreal Expos . As a part of the team's franchise grant, a domed stadium was supposed to be in place for

2240-652: The Washington Nationals . Olympic Stadium's first baseball game was played on April 15, 1977. In front of 57,592, the Expos lost 7–2 to the Philadelphia Phillies . However, the Expos had to use a hacksaw to cut open the locks because the OIB did not have a master key . The Expos played five home playoff games in 1981; two in the NLDS against the Phillies, and three in the NLCS against

2320-429: The 1972 baseball season. However, due to the delays in constructing Olympic Stadium, until 1977, the Expos annually sought and received a waiver to remain at Jarry. As late as January 1977, it was thought the Expos would have to play at least part of the 1977 season at Jarry as well. The Parti Québécois ' landslide victory in the 1976 provincial elections caused the Expos to break off lease talks. However, an agreement

2400-472: The 1974 Diamond Dogs Tour or 1990 Sound+Vision Tour videos are released, this release "leads the field for those wishing to see David Bowie delivering a rock-theatre spectacular." All songs were written by David Bowie except where noted. Although they are not mentioned on the sleeve, the original VHS edition contains the same "Intro/ Up the Hill Backwards " and band introduction segments that feature on

2480-413: The 1976 Olympics, a multi-storey observatory was added to the plan, accessible via an inclined elevator , opened in 1987, that travels 266 metres (873 ft) along the curved tower's spine. The elevator cabin ascends from base of the tower to the upper deck in less than two minutes at a rate of 2.8 m/s (6.3 mph), with space for 76 persons per trip and a capacity of 500 persons per hour. The cabin

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2560-407: The 1976 Olympics, construction on the tower resumed in the 1980s. During this period, however, a large fire set the tower ablaze, causing damage and forcing a scheduled Expos home game to be postponed. In 1986, a large chunk of the tower fell onto the playing field prior to another Expos game August 29 vs. San Diego Padres forcing a doubleheader on August 30. In January 1985, approval was given by

2640-419: The 1976 Summer Olympic Games. The stadium was host to various events including the opening and closing ceremonies , athletics , football finals, and the team jumping equestrian events. The building's design is cited as a masterpiece of Organic Modern architecture. Taillibert based the building on plant and animal forms, aiming to include vertebral structures with sinews or tentacles, while still following

2720-826: The DVD reissue. Adapted from the Glass Spider liner notes. Musicians The 2007 re-release reached number 9 on the UK Video Charts . Concert film One of the earliest-known concert films is the 1944 film Adventure in Music . Another early film is the 1948 picture Concert Magic . This concert features virtuoso violinist Yehudi Menuhin (1916–1999) at the Charlie Chaplin Studios in 1947. Together with various artists he performed classical and romantic works of famous composers such as Beethoven, Wieniawski, Bach, Paganini and others. The earliest known jazz concert film

2800-413: The Expos' tenure, the padding on the fence was so thin that fielders risked severe injury by going after long fly balls. However, the OIB was also unwilling to replace the padding. By the 1990s, several free agents specifically demanded that the Expos be taken out of consideration due to the poor playing conditions. By the mid-1990s, owner Claude Brochu concluded that Olympic Stadium was not suitable as

2880-567: The Expos' tenure, the playing surface was an extremely thin AstroTurf carpet, with only equally thin padding between it and the concrete floor. It was so hard on players' knees that visiting teams frequently ran at a nearby park. Longtime Expos trainer Ron McClain begged for a replacement, but the OIB was unwilling to spend the $ 1 million needed for a new surface. Before the roof finally arrived, players had to contend with huge patches of ice in early April or late September. Additionally, for most of

2960-682: The Montreal Impact home opener soccer match in March 2014. A contract for a new permanent steel roof was awarded in 2004, with an estimated $ 300 million price tag. In June 2010, the Olympic Installations Board sought approval from the provincial government for the contract. In May 2011 a committee was formed to study the future of the stadium and improve the usage of the stadium, pool, and sports centre. A slab of concrete measuring approximately 8 by 12 metres (26 by 39 ft) fell from

3040-491: The Olympic Games took place, it was thanks to Dédé Desjardins. What irony!" Further delays ensued due to the stadium's unusual design and Taillibert's unwillingness to back down from his original vision of the stadium even in the face of escalating costs for raw materials. It did not help that the original project manager, Trudeau et Associés, seemed to be incapable of handling some of the most basic construction tasks. In 1974,

3120-514: The Olympic Installations Board issued a report stating that the roof was unsafe during heavy rainfall or more than 8 centimetres (3.1 in) of snow, and that it rips 50 to 60 times a year. The city fire department warned in August 2009 that without corrective measures, including a new roof, it may order the stadium closed. Events cannot be held if more than 3 centimetres (1.2 in) of snow are predicted 24 hours in advance, such as caused postponement of

3200-456: The Quebec government approved a new roof, estimated to cost $ 250 million. The new roof was then planned to be removable, allowing the stadium to either be open-air or enclosed, consistent with the intent of the original roof. The option of a removable portion of the roof has since been removed from the scope of the project. The Olympic Installations Board has estimated the cost of demolishing

3280-404: The Quebec government to complete the project and install a retractable roof, financed by an Olympic cigarette tax in the province. The tower construction and installation of the orange-coloured Kevlar roof were completed by April 1987, a decade later than planned. The roof experienced numerous rips, allowing rain to leak into the stadium. As part of various renovations made in 1991 to improve

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3360-434: The Quebec provincial government lost patience with the delays and cost overruns and fired Taillibert from the project. Additionally, the project was plagued by circumstances beyond anyone's control. Work slowed to a snail's pace for a third of the year due to Montreal's typically brutal winters. As a result, the stadium and tower remained unfinished at the opening of the 1976 Olympic Games. The roof materials languished in

3440-553: The UK. In some regions, it was released on two video cassettes of 10 songs each until a 1990 compilation combined them into a single release. The running time of the combined VHS is approximately 110 minutes. In 1999 a "semi-official" DVD of the show was released in Far East regions only. A 1-hour edit from the original release was aired on US prime-time television in early June 1988 on American Broadcasting Company -affiliated stations. The video

3520-498: The atmosphere friendlier for baseball. During the 1970s and early 1980s, fans arriving at the stadium from the Metro were greeted by an oom-pah band playing " The Happy Wanderer ." Whenever an opposing pitcher tried to hold a runner at first rather than pitch, the sound system would cluck at him like a chicken. Before the 1991 season , the OIB began a major overhaul on the stadium's baseball configuration. The lower deck in centre field

3600-463: The ball into the second deck in right field for an estimated distance of 535 feet. The yellow seat that marked the location where the ball landed has been removed from the 300 level (a new yellow marker seat was placed in 2015). The seat is now preserved at the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame . Stargell also hit a notable home run at the Expos' original Montreal home, Jarry Park, which landed in

3680-534: The basic plans of Modern architecture . The stadium was originally slated to be finished in 1972, but the grand opening was cancelled due to a strike by construction workers. The Conseil des métiers de la construction union headed by André "Dédé" Desjardins kept the construction site in "anarchic disorder" until the Quebec Premier Robert Bourassa bought him off in a secret deal. In his 2000 book Notre Cher Stade Olympique , Taillibert wrote "If

3760-496: The expected cost of the new roof had increased to $ 870 million. She said the new roof will take four years to construct, and is expected to last for 50 years. She said demolition of the stadium is "unthinkable" and not an option, for multiple reasons: the structure is an icon of Quebec, Montreal's Metro runs directly beneath the stadium, multiple businesses lease space in the office tower, and demolition would cost an estimated $ 2 billion. However, Le Journal de Montréal reported that

3840-415: The fabric provider and designer of the roof, was later sued for the roof failure. The installer of the roof, Danny's Construction, having suffered tremendous cost overruns along with its subcontractor Montacier, due to changes in the plans and specifications and delays, was terminated during the construction, and Birdair completed the project. Danny's Construction sued Birdair in 1999. In February 2010, after

3920-498: The fence. The total seating capacity for baseball was reduced from a high of around 60,400 to 46,000. The Expos were very successful in the stadium for a time, with above National League median attendance in 1977 and from 1979 to 1983. The Expos outdrew the New York Mets from 1977 to 1983, and 1994 to 1996, as well as the New York Yankees in 1982 and 1983. The stadium's playing conditions left much to be desired. For most of

4000-639: The hometown Alouettes. The stadium holds the record for nine of the ten largest crowds in CFL history , which include five regular-season and four Grey Cup games. A single-game record crowd numbering 69,083 attended a game played on September 6, 1977, between the Alouettes and Toronto Argonauts . In 1991 and 1992, the stadium was the home of the Montreal Machine of the World League of American Football . This included hosting World Bowl '92 on June 6, 1992, in which

4080-417: The majors; as was the case with most of its multipurpose counterparts, most of the upper-deck seats, particularly those in the outfield, were too far away to be of any use during the regular season. The Expos were not consulted on the stadium's location, design, or construction even though they were slated to be its primary tenants. Nonetheless, for most of their tenure they put considerable effort into making

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4160-474: The new Yankee Stadium . Perceived by many to be a white elephant , the stadium has also been dubbed The Big Owe due to its astronomical cost. The stadium has generated on average $ 20 million in revenue each year since 1977. It is estimated that a large-scale event such as the Grey Cup can generate as much as $ 50 million in revenue. Although the tower and retractable roof were not completed in time for

4240-645: The next 5 years: against the Cincinnati Reds on April 3 and 4, 2015, with combined attendance of 96,545, the Boston Red Sox on April 1 and 2, 2016, with combined attendance of 106,102, the Pittsburgh Pirates on March 31 and April 1, 2017, combined attendance of 95,382, the St. Louis Cardinals on March 26 and 27, 2018, with combined attendance of 51,151 and the Milwaukee Brewers on March 25 and 26, 2019, with

4320-448: The number was inflated, and demolition would cost only a small fraction of that amount. In addition, they reported that the cited cost for the new roof did not include hundreds of millions of dollars in additional work necessary to correct acoustics and remodel seats and restrooms. The Canadian Football League 's Montreal Alouettes became the stadium's first major post-Olympic tenant when they moved their home games there halfway through

4400-460: The opponents' cities. The Expos hinted that the 1992 season was at risk unless the stadium was certified safe. In early November, engineers found the stadium was structurally sound. However, it took longer to certify the roof as safe because it had been badly ripped in a June windstorm. For the 1992 season, it was decided to keep the roof closed at all times. The Kevlar roof was removed in May 1998, making

4480-400: The point; and second, six songs (and at least one vignette ) that were performed in the show were omitted from the video itself. Another critic found that the 1-hour ABC special, which showed only a small subset of the songs performed, and showed them out of order, also "obliterated" the show's meaning. Pegg said that the concert film was "hugely enjoyable" despite the show's flaws, and unless

4560-574: The rockumentary genre. Other examples of this type of film include Menudo 's 1981 film, Menudo: La Película , and Duran Duran 's 85-minute 1984 video, Sing Blue Silver . The former mixes a Menudo concert (in Merida, Venezuela ) with movie scenes and a plot, while the latter follows Duran Duran as they travel around Canada and the United States doing concerts and actual tourism. Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour , which has grossed $ 267 million worldwide,

4640-437: The roof of the stadium's underground parking facility on March 4, 2012. There were no injuries. The roof continues to deteriorate, with 7,453 tears as of May 2017, limiting use of the venue in winter to when there are three or fewer centimetres of snow on the roof. In 2015, a new high definition scoreboard was installed, replacing the aging two-panel display dating back to the stadium's renovations in 1992. In November 2017,

4720-572: The stadium holds the record for the largest Grey Cup attendance, that of the 1977 Grey Cup game, in which the hometown Montreal Alouettes defeated the Edmonton Eskimos, 41-6 before 68,318 spectators; this despite a local transit strike and harsh winter weather conditions. Olympic Stadium has hosted the Grey Cup a total of six times, most recently in 2008 when the Calgary Stampeders defeated

4800-399: The stadium open-air for the 1998 season. Later in 1998, a $ 26 million non-retractable opaque blue roof was installed. In 1999, a 350 m (3,770 sq ft) portion of the roof collapsed on January 18, dumping ice and snow on workers that were setting up for the annual Montreal Auto Show . The auto show and a boat show the following month were cancelled, and the auto show left

4880-461: The stadium would be between $ 500 and $ 700 million, though this figure is based on a preliminary two-month study and thus has a high margin of error. The high cost of demolition is due to the stadium being built of pre-stressed concrete, which rules out a controlled implosion or wrecking ball, and instead would require carefully removing the rebar wire which is under tension. In February 2024, Quebec Tourism Minister Caroline Proulx announced that

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4960-613: The stadium's owner, the Olympic Installations Board (OIB) ( fr : Régie des Installations Olympiques), accounted for 8% of the tax revenue earned from cigarette sales. The 1976 special tobacco tax act stipulated that once the stadium was paid off, ownership of the facility would be returned to the City of Montreal. In mid-November 2006, the stadium's costs were finally paid in full, more than 30 years after it opened. The total expenditure (including repairs, renovations, construction, interest , and inflation) amounted to C$ 1.61 billion, making it—at

5040-421: The stadium's suitability as a baseball venue, 12,000 seats were eliminated, most of them in distant portions of the outfield, and home plate was moved closer to the stands. On September 8 of that year, support beams snapped and caused a 55- long-ton (62- short-ton ; 56  t ) concrete slab to fall onto an exterior walkway. No one was injured, but the Expos had to move their final 13 home games of that season to

5120-514: The time all costs were paid off—the second most expensive stadium built (after Wembley Stadium in London). Despite initial plans to complete payment in October 2006, an indoor smoking ban introduced in May 2006 curtailed the revenue gathered by the tobacco tax. By 2014, the stadium's expense ranking had fallen to fifth, with the construction of costlier venues like MetLife Stadium , AT&T Stadium , and

5200-462: The time, later critics noted that the show changed how other artists (such as Britney Spears , Madonna , and U2 ) performed on their own tours. In 2010, one critic called the Glass Spider Tour one of the "top concert tour design[s] of all time", and in 2016 another critic called the video one of the best for fans wanting to see Bowie delivering "a rock-theatre spectacular." An edit of the film

5280-461: The tour was choreographed by Toni Basil , directed by David Mallet , and produced by Anthony Eaton. The VHS was released by MPI Home Video in the US and by Video Collection International in the UK. The film stars Bowie, his band including Peter Frampton , and a troupe of dancers performing on what was called at the time "the largest touring set ever". Although the tour received mixed critical reviews at

5360-420: The tower. Despite initial projections in 1970 that the stadium would cost only C$ 134 million to construct, strikes and construction delays served to escalate these costs. By the time the stadium opened (in an unfinished form), the total costs had risen to C$ 1.1 billion. The Quebec government introduced a special tobacco tax in May 1976 to help recoup its investment. By 2006, the amount contributed to

5440-517: The venue for good (since then, the Montreal Auto Show has usually been held at the Palais des congrès de Montréal ). Repaired once again, the roof was modified to better withstand winter conditions: the OIB installed a network of pipes to circulate heated water under the roof to allow for snow melting. Despite these corrective measures, the stadium floor remained closed from December to March. Birdair,

5520-452: The venue when demand for tickets justifies the large capacity or when the weather restricts outdoor play at nearby Saputo Stadium in the spring months. The stadium has not had a main tenant since the Expos left in 2004. Despite decades of use, the stadium's history of numerous structural and financial problems has largely branded it a white elephant . Incorporated into the north base of the stadium, inclined at 45°, and not completed until

5600-416: The video in its original 1.33:1 aspect ratio. An error in the sound mix on this DVD left much of Peter Frampton 's guitar playing scarcely audible. Pegg claimed that as a result, although the picture quality is superior on the DVD release, the original VHS or 1999 DVD remain a superior choice for audio. The home video's original 1988 release received positive reviews from sources such as Variety magazine,

5680-435: The video release clocks in at under 2 hours and includes only about 20 songs. A 2007 Special Edition re-release includes a CD of the entire show as performed in Montreal , Canada on 30 August 1987, but does not change the video release. The tour and concert film were named after the track "Glass Spider" from the album. The film was released on VHS in 1988 by MPI Home Video in the US and Video Collection International in

5760-477: Was awarded the 1976 Games, Drapeau struck a secret deal with Taillibert to build the stadium. It only came to light in 1972. The Olympic swimming pool is located under this tower. An Olympic velodrome (since converted to the Montreal Biodome , an indoor nature museum) was situated at the base of the tower in a building similar in design to the swimming pool. The building was built as the main stadium for

5840-472: Was designed to look like a giant spider and stood over 60 feet (18.3m) high, and was described at the time as "the largest touring set ever". The tour features dance choreography by Toni Basil , and Peter Frampton on guitar. Charlie Sexton makes a guest appearance on vocals and guitar in the video release. Prior to the tour, Bowie stated that he did not intend to produce a live record of the show, but despite this, director David Mallet recorded 8 shows from

5920-466: Was first used by Bill Drake in the 1969 History of Rock & Roll radio broadcast and is a portmanteau of "rock" and "documentary". The term was subsequently used to describe concert films containing appearances by multiple artists. Then, in 1976, the term was used by the promoters of the live musical production Beatlemania which documented the evolving career of The Beatles . The 1984 mockumentary film This Is Spinal Tap notably parodied

6000-565: Was reached in February, and an official announcement came in March. The Expos regularly played 81 home games every season until 2003 , when they played 22 home games in Puerto Rico at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan . The Expos played 59 home games at Olympic Stadium in each of their final two seasons of 2003 and 2004; the franchise moved south to Washington, D.C. for the 2005 season and became

6080-499: Was reissued in 2007 on DVD. A regular edition includes the DVD of the same concert as released on VHS, while a special edition also includes a 2 CD live album from the same tour, recorded at Montreal Olympic Stadium on 30 August 1987. The 2007 re-release was originally planned to include a live recording of the song "Glass Spider" recorded in Vienna on 1 July 1987. The DVD includes stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1 sound and presents

6160-418: Was removed to make room for a larger scoreboard with replay capability. That scoreboard was installed ahead of the 1992 season . Also ahead of the 1992 season, the running track was removed, home plate was moved closer to the stands and new seats closer to the field were installed. Several distant sections of permanent seating beyond the outfield fence were closed, replaced with bleacher seats directly behind

6240-458: Was shown on American Broadcasting Company -affiliated stations in June 1988 as a concert special. The full concert video was subsequently released in 1999 on DVD and re-released again in 2007 with a Special Edition, which peaked at number 9 on the UK Video Charts . The Glass Spider Tour was a worldwide concert tour launched in May 1987 in support of Bowie's album Never Let Me Down (1987). The tour

6320-558: Was thought to be all but essential for Drapeau's other goal of bringing a Major League Baseball team to Montreal, given the cold weather that can affect the city in April, October and sometimes even September. In 1967, soon after the National League granted Montreal an expansion franchise for 1969, Drapeau wrote a letter promising that any prospective Montreal team would be playing in a covered stadium by 1971. However, even though Quebec mayors have broad executive power, Drapeau could not make such

6400-412: Was well attended and profitable, but was poorly received by contemporary critics . His first tour since his 1983 Serious Moonlight Tour , the Glass Spider Tour was seen as a chance for Bowie to return to theatrical stage performances, the way he had in his 1974 Diamond Dogs Tour . As a result, the tour incorporated dancers, music and multi-media elements such as stage projections and props. The set itself

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