# John Lennon - Did he ever tour or do one-off shows as a solo artist? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 24, 2010, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-lennon-did-he-ever-tour-or-do-one-off-shows-as-a-solo-artist/526252 "2010-01-24T18:03:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-lennon-did-he-ever-tour-or-do-one-off-shows-as-a-solo-artist/526252/1 "2010-01-24T18:03:57Z")
I was five years old when John Lennon was murdered, so I don’t have any first hand knowledge of him as an artist until way after the fact. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen footage of Lennon performing as a solo artist. I’m sure he played here or there, but can anyone tell me if he ever toured or put on shows on his own? Did any of you have the chance to see him? ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-lennon-did-he-ever-tour-or-do-one-off-shows-as-a-solo-artist/526252/2 "2010-01-24T18:09:54Z")
Well, him and Yoko did the famous Bed-in a two week long demonstration for Peace. They recorded _Give Peace a Chance_ during that stunt. > **[Bed-in](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bed-In)** > > A bed-in is a nonviolent protest against wars, initiated by Yoko Ono and her husband John Lennon during a two week period in Amsterdam and Montreal as an experimental test of new ways to promote peace. As the Vietnam War raged in 1969, artists Ono and Lennon held one bed-in protest at the Hilton Hotel in Amsterdam and one at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal. The idea is derived from a "sit-in", in which a group of protesters remain seated in front of or within an establishment until they Th... > **[John Lennon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Lennon)** > > John Winston Ono Lennon\[nb 1\] (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 1940 – 8 December 1980) was an English musician and activist. He gained global fame as the founder, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the Beatles. Lennon's songwriting partnership with Paul McCartney remains the most successful in history. > Born in Liverpool, Lennon became involved in the skiffle craze as a teenager. In 1956, he formed the Quarrymen, which evolved into the Beatles in 1960. He initially was the group's ... > [@](#): > > The couple were married in Gibraltar on 20 March 1969, and spent their honeymoon in Amsterdam campaigning for an international “Bed-In” for peace. They planned another “Bed-in” in the United States, but were denied entry. The couple then went to neighbouring Montréal, and during a “Bed-in” at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel recorded “Give Peace a Chance”.[133] Lennon and Ono often combined advocacy with performance art, as in their “Bagism”, which was first introduced during a Vienna press conference. Lennon detailed this period in The Beatles’ song “The Ballad of John and Yoko”.[134] In April 1969, on the roof of Apple Records, Lennon changed his middle name to Ono. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-lennon-did-he-ever-tour-or-do-one-off-shows-as-a-solo-artist/526252/3 "2010-01-24T18:20:55Z")
Bagism is a form of performance art created by John and Yoko. > **[Bagism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bagism)** > > Bagism is a satire of prejudice, where by living in a bag a person could not be judged on their bodily appearance. Bagism was created by John Lennon and Yoko Ono as part of their extensive peace campaign in the late 1960s. The intent of bagism was to satirize prejudice and stereotyping. Bagism involved wearing a bag over one's entire body. According to John and Yoko, by living in a bag, a person could not be judged by others on the basis of skin colour, gender, hair length, attire, age, or any ot... > [@](#): > > The intent of bagism was to satirize prejudice and stereotyping. Bagism involved literally wearing a bag over one’s entire body. According to John and Yoko, by living in a bag, a person could not be judged by others on the basis of skin color, gender, hair length, attire, age, or any other such attributes. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-lennon-did-he-ever-tour-or-do-one-off-shows-as-a-solo-artist/526252/4 "2010-01-24T18:32:15Z")
> [@HelloNinja](#): > > I was five years old when John Lennon was murdered, so I don’t have any first hand knowledge of him as an artist until way after the fact. > > I don’t know if I’ve ever seen footage of Lennon performing as a solo artist. I’m sure he played here or there, but can anyone tell me if he ever toured or put on shows on his own? Did any of you have the chance to see him? Lennon only rarely performed post-Beatles as a ‘solo’ act. He performed at a Montreal “Rock & Roll Revival” festival in the fall of '69 with Yoko and a loose-knit band called “the Plastic Ono Band.” (But it was definitely JOHN LENNON & the Plastic Ono Band.) He also performed a number of benefit concerts at Madison Square Gardens in NYC in '72. He also performed numbers on several TV shows, including “the Dick Cavett Show” where he performed the very controversial song “Women is the Nigger of the World” (that’s the actual title, folks) But he never extensively toured as a solo act. Not like he had to; I mean he was JOHN LENNON! Of course people were gonna buy his records, there was no need for him to go on the road and plug them if he didn’t want to. Live John Lennon ‘solo’ recordings: [Live Peace In Toronto](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_Peace_In_Toronto) [Live in New York](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_In_New_York_City) ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-lennon-did-he-ever-tour-or-do-one-off-shows-as-a-solo-artist/526252/5 "2010-01-24T21:22:14Z")
Lennon appeared on live on stage with Frank Zappa and the Mothers in 1971. There are various mixes of the concert. AFAIK, Lennon’s appearance was not publicized before the show – he and Yoko just showed up. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-lennon-did-he-ever-tour-or-do-one-off-shows-as-a-solo-artist/526252/6 "2010-01-24T22:16:46Z")
Lennon also spent half his post-Beatles life (5 years) not recording anything, which at the time was a very long period for a major star not to put out an album. He spent his time getting stoned, baking bread and watching television. One of his best performances was going on WNEW-FM in New York one afternoon and spending 3 hours talking and playing records with DJ Dennis Elsias. It showed off the man’s wit and word play. Lennon also avoided things like George Harrison’s “Concert for Bangladesh” because he was afraid with George and Ringo there, there would be many calls for Paul to show up and “Beatles reunion”-what John had spent several years trying to get past. ---
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-lennon-did-he-ever-tour-or-do-one-off-shows-as-a-solo-artist/526252/7 "2010-01-24T23:29:58Z")
I seem to have read that the Beatles themselves were not considered a “touring” band. Sure they played a lot of live shows, but it wasn’t their focus. They spent a lot of time in the studio, so thankfully we have a large catalog of their works to enjoy. ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-lennon-did-he-ever-tour-or-do-one-off-shows-as-a-solo-artist/526252/8 "2010-01-25T00:08:41Z")
They were very much a touring band in their early years, because that was the only way they could survive. They would play 12 hour a day, seven days a week, for months while they were in Hamburg, and they did two stints in Hamburg. From 1960 to 1963 they were traveling and performing _constantly_ and in very unpleasant conditions. They recorded their first 2 albums around their touring schedule, and after they became successful in America, they began their World Tours. 30 shows in 29 cities in 32 days was the norm. Basically from the years of '58-66, they were the definition of a touring band. They stopped in '66 for several reasons and spent the next 3 years exclusively in the studio. Paul, for one, loved doing live shows and by the time the Beatles broke up, he was very eager to start touring again. John did not love live shows, and honestly, I don’t blame him. Their schedule was grueling and I can’t imagine he looked back on those days with a hint of nostalgia. I never read or saw any indication that he was eager to tour again, and so I’m not really surprised that after '66, he never really got back to it. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-lennon-did-he-ever-tour-or-do-one-off-shows-as-a-solo-artist/526252/9 "2010-01-25T00:10:20Z")
They were a touring band in the beginning. But toward the end, the tours were very scary – they were nearly attacked by an angry mob in the Philippines and there was a lot of tension when they played the southern US after the “Bigger than God” remark (when a firecracker went off during a show, they honestly feared it was a gunshot). It also didn’t help that fans threw jelly beans at them; George in particular hated that. But after that final tour, they gave up on being on the road as a combination of hating the experience and also because their music was difficult to take on the road, since in the studio it required overdubs and added musicians. ---
**Author:** ![In\_Winnipeg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a8b319/32.png) [@In\_Winnipeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/In_Winnipeg)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-lennon-did-he-ever-tour-or-do-one-off-shows-as-a-solo-artist/526252/10 "2010-01-25T01:42:01Z")
The other major problem that made it a drag is that they could never hear themselves – they had no foldback speakers. The thing is, no matter how bad the show was, the girls would scream anyway, and it didn’t seem as if they were into the music, just the fact that they were seeing the Beatles. This caused disenchantment within the group because they felt they weren’t being taken seriously. As bad as they were, though, the Beatles were often much better in concert than the Stones were – listen to “Got Live If You Want It”, and then compare that to “The Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl” or any of the bootlegged concerts, eg. Vancouver, Seattle, Liverpool, Tokyo… and you’ll see what I mean. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-lennon-did-he-ever-tour-or-do-one-off-shows-as-a-solo-artist/526252/11 "2010-01-25T02:31:44Z")
> [@In\_Winnipeg](#): > > The other major problem that made it a drag is that they could never hear themselves – they had no foldback speakers. They pretty much didn’t exist when the Beatles were touring. I ran across a article in Mix magazine that[described the system they used at their last concert at Candlestick Park](http://mixonline.com/mag/audio_second_british_invasion/): _When The Beatles played their last concert, at San Francisco’s Candlestick Park in 1966, the equipment list for the show could have been written on the back of an envelope. The mics were Shure SM56s, the speakers were modified Altec A-7s powered by Altec 1569 **80-watt** tube amplifiers, and McCune Sound’s Mort Feld mixed the show on one or two Altec 1567 five-input rotary pot tube mixers._ This is much smaller than most bands would use for a modestly sized night club. I mean, not even an Altec A2? ---
**Author:** ![Mangosteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Mangosteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangosteen)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-lennon-did-he-ever-tour-or-do-one-off-shows-as-a-solo-artist/526252/12 "2010-01-25T02:42:20Z")
> [@In\_Winnipeg](#): > > The other major problem that made it a drag is that they could never hear themselves – they had no foldback speakers. The thing is, no matter how bad the show was, the girls would scream anyway, and it didn’t seem as if they were into the music, just the fact that they were seeing the Beatles. This caused disenchantment within the group because they felt they weren’t being taken seriously. > > As bad as they were, though, the Beatles were often much better in concert than the Stones were – listen to “Got Live If You Want It”, and then compare that to “The Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl” or any of the bootlegged concerts, eg. Vancouver, Seattle, Liverpool, Tokyo… and you’ll see what I mean. I hope that your opinion is based on having actually been at both Beatle and Stones concerts and not just watching bootleg videos. I saw the Beatles at their '65 Hollywood Bowl show and have seen the Stones several times. The Beatles put on a great show, but I wouldn’t say it was a _much better_ show than any of the Stones concerts I attended. ---
**Author:** ![Fred\_Garvin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c67d28/32.png) [@Fred\_Garvin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fred_Garvin)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-lennon-did-he-ever-tour-or-do-one-off-shows-as-a-solo-artist/526252/13 "2010-01-25T02:42:53Z")
Lennon actually suffered from stage fright. His last major appearance on stage was with Elton John on Thanksgiving night in '74 and that was due to losing a bet with Elton. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-lennon-did-he-ever-tour-or-do-one-off-shows-as-a-solo-artist/526252/14 "2010-01-25T02:44:16Z")
I’ve always found the differences between Paul and John fascinating. John pretty much wasted his enormous talent after the Beatles. Paul went back to his roots. He formed a modest band of semi-pro musicians and called it Wings. The first couple years he had a ball touring England. I saw a documentary on the BBC. They’d pull into a college and ask the student affairs director if they could play. Naturally no one turned him down. 😉 Critics panned Wings because it wasn’t slick and commercial. But, that was the whole point. Paul wanted to get back to making music for fun and being with his mates. Heck he even put his wife in the band. Eventually Wings did become a huge success. I kind of felt sorry for the Beatles. No musician wants that kind of insane success. They couldn’t go anywhere without being mobbed and causing a riot. Elvis had the same problem. Sure, musicians want some success. But, they also want a private life too. ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-lennon-did-he-ever-tour-or-do-one-off-shows-as-a-solo-artist/526252/15 "2010-01-25T02:54:12Z")
And to side-track thread just a bit, why did he appear to be chewing gum inbetween singing? Thanks Quas’ (The eternal Beatls’ fan) ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-lennon-did-he-ever-tour-or-do-one-off-shows-as-a-solo-artist/526252/16 "2010-01-25T03:53:19Z")
> [@Quasimodem](#): > > And to side-track thread just a bit, why did he appear to be chewing gum inbetween singing? It keeps the saliva flowing. Pavorotti chews gum too. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-lennon-did-he-ever-tour-or-do-one-off-shows-as-a-solo-artist/526252/17 "2010-01-25T04:01:23Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Lennon appeared on live on stage with Frank Zappa and the Mothers in 1971. There are various mixes of the concert. AFAIK, Lennon’s appearance was not publicized before the show – he and Yoko just showed up. And, as Zappa pointed out in an interview, some douchebag stole the original 2" master videotapes, replacing them with some tape that was most definitively not Zappa and Lennon. ---
**Author:** ![HorseloverFat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8e8cbc/32.png) [@HorseloverFat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HorseloverFat)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-lennon-did-he-ever-tour-or-do-one-off-shows-as-a-solo-artist/526252/18 "2010-01-25T04:34:34Z")
_John pretty much wasted his enormous talent after the Beatles._ Really? All the Beatles fans I know, including myself, have most, if not all, of Lennon’s solo stuff both recorded and live and can get into heated conversations about his work. Paul’s stuff, not so much. Harrison’s and Ringo’s? Even less. Lennon’s post-beatles work is still something I study as an amateur musician and as a 60-70s culture armchair anthropologist. Songs like God, Mother, and Working Class Hero are really incredible considering their themes and date of release. After that first album he then released 4 or 5 more in less than 10 years. I dont begrudge Lennon some time off. I absolutely hate our current “entertain us, Celebrity” culture in which we dont even consider these people to be real people anymore who need things like vacations or who just want to raise a kid or two. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-lennon-did-he-ever-tour-or-do-one-off-shows-as-a-solo-artist/526252/19 "2010-01-25T04:56:02Z")
I was referring to John’s lack of touring as a waste of talent. He spent a lot of years in his NY apartment. I’m not familiar with a lot of John’s solo work because it didn’t get much airplay. _Imagine_ got massive airplay because of his murder. I’m not knocking his music. I grew up in the 70’s and just don’t recall hearing much about him except the bed-ins and other stunts he pulled with Yoko. His studio recordings may have been really good. \ > [@HorseloverFat](#): > > _John pretty much wasted his enormous talent after the Beatles._ > > Really? All the Beatles fans I know, including myself, have most, if not all, of Lennon’s solo stuff both recorded and live and can get into heated conversations about his work. Paul’s stuff, not so much. Harrison’s and Ringo’s? Even less. Lennon’s post-beatles work is still something I study as an amateur musician and as a 60-70s culture armchair anthropologist. Songs like God, Mother, and Working Class Hero are really incredible considering their themes and date of release. After that first album he then released 4 or 5 more in less than 10 years. > > I dont begrudge Lennon some time off. I absolutely hate our current “entertain us, Celebrity” culture in which we dont even consider these people to be real people anymore who need things like vacations or who just want to raise a kid or two. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Mondegreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/91b2a8/32.png) [@Lord\_Mondegreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Mondegreen)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-lennon-did-he-ever-tour-or-do-one-off-shows-as-a-solo-artist/526252/20 "2010-01-25T05:26:25Z")
> [@Fred\_Garvin](#): > > Lennon actually suffered from stage fright. > > His last major appearance on stage was with Elton John on Thanksgiving night in '74 and that was due to losing a bet with Elton. Not quite a losing bet. Elton and his band appeared on Lennon’s “Whatever Gets You Thru The Night,” and Elton got Lennon to promise to perform on stage with him if it went to Number 1. It did. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-lennon-did-he-ever-tour-or-do-one-off-shows-as-a-solo-artist/526252.md?page=2)