# Fragile Tour

The Fragile Tour was a concert tour by progressive rock band Yes in promotion of their 1971 album, Fragile. Lasting from 24 September 1971 until 27 March 1972, and including 115 performances, the tour began at the Queen's Hall in Barnstaple, Devon, and ended at the Aquarius Theatre in Boston, Massachusetts—Bill Bruford's last performance with the band before returning for 1991's Union. The tour was Rick Wakeman's first with the band; sources differ as to whether his first live appearance with the band was on 24 September at the Queen's Hall in Barnstaple, or on 30 September—the third tour date—at Leicester's De Montfort Hall.

## Recordings

Three songs from the tour (from unknown dates)—"Perpetual Change", "Long Distance Runaround", and "The Fish (Schindleria Praematurus)"—were included on the band's 1973 live album, Yessongs.
The band's 3 October 1971 performance at the Hemel Hempstead Pavilion was recorded for television broadcast on BBC's Sounding Out. The recording was broadcast on 10 January 1972, shortly before the commencement of the second European leg of the tour.

## Members

The line-up for the tour unchanged throughout its duration, though sources are contradictory as to whether Wakeman was present for the first two concerts. The line-up was the sixth incarnation of Yes. Rick Wakeman had joined the band the previous month, spending August and early September in recording sessions for Fragile at London's Advision Studios.
* Jon Anderson—lead vocal
* Steve Howe—guitars
* Chris Squire—bass guitar and vocals
* Rick Wakeman—keyboards
* Bill Bruford—drums

## Tour

The tour saw the band play a total of 111 concerts in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, the United States, and Belgium over four legs—two European legs and two North American legs.
Support came from Jonathan Swift, Ten Years After, Mary Wells, Emerson, Lake and Palmer, The J. Geils Band, King Crimson, The Blues Project, and Shawn Phillips. At a 16 March 1972 concert in Tucson, Arizona, the band supported Black Sabbath.

### Setlist

Setlist:
* "Roundabout" (Anderson, Howe)
* "I've Seen All Good People" (Anderson, Squire)
* "Mood for a Day" (Howe)
* "Clap" (Howe)
* "Heart of the Sunrise" (Anderson, Squire, Bruford)
* Wakeman solo (Rick Wakeman)
* "Long Distance Runaround" (Anderson)
* "The Fish (Schindleria Praematurus)" (Squire)
* "Perpetual Change" (Anderson, Squire)
* "Yours Is No Disgrace" (Anderson, Squire, Howe, Kaye, Bruford)
* "South Side of the Sky" (only occasionally after 2 October 1971) (Anderson, Squire)

### Tour dates

| Date | City | Country | Venue |
| Europe ||||
| 24 September 1971 | Barnstaple | United Kingdom | Queens Hall |
| 25 September 1971 | Devizes | United Kingdom | Devizes Corn Exchange |
| 30 September 1971 | Leicester | United Kingdom | De Montfort Hall |
| 1 October 1971 | Manchester | United Kingdom | Free Trade Hall |
| 2 October 1971 | Bradford | United Kingdom | St. George's Hall |
| 3 October 1971 | Hemel Hempstead | United Kingdom | Hempstead Pavilion |
| 4 October 1971 | Aberdeen | United Kingdom | Aberdeen Music Hall |
| 6 October 1971 | Glasgow | United Kingdom | Green's Playhouse |
| 8 October 1971 | London | United Kingdom | Royal Festival Hall |
| 10 October 1971 | Dundee | United Kingdom | Caird Hall |
| 11 October 1971 | Wolverhampton | United Kingdom | Wolverhampton Civic Hall |
| 12 October 1971 | Bristol | United Kingdom | Colston Hall |
| 13 October 1971 | Sheffield | United Kingdom | Sheffield City Hall |
| 15 October 1971 | Stockton-on-Tees | United Kingdom | ABC Theater |
| 16 October 1971 | Newcastle | United Kingdom | Newcastle City Hall |
| 17 October 1971 | Stoke | United Kingdom | Trentham Gardens |
| 18 October 1971 | Birmingham | United Kingdom | Birmingham Town Hall |
| 21 October 1971 | Warwick | United Kingdom | University of Warwick |
| 22 October 1971 | Leeds | United Kingdom | Leeds University |
| 23 October 1971 | Edinburgh | United Kingdom | Empire Theater |
| 25 October 1971 | Chatham | United Kingdom | Central Hall |
| 26 October 1971 | Liverpool | United Kingdom | Liverpool Stadium |
| 27 October 1971 | Southampton | United Kingdom | Southampton Guildhall |
| 28 October 1971 | Southampton | United Kingdom | Southampton Guildhall |
| 29 October 1971 | Rotterdam | Netherlands | Rotterdam Ahoy |
| 31 October 1971 | Amsterdam | Netherlands | Het Concertgebouw |
| North America ||||
| 2 November 1971 | Oakland | United States | Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum |
| 3 November 1971 | Los Angeles | United States | Whisky a Go Go |
| 4 November 1971 | Los Angeles | United States | Whisky a Go Go |
| 5 November 1971 | Los Angeles | United States | Whisky a Go Go |
| 6 November 1971 | Los Angeles | United States | Whisky a Go Go |
| 7 November 1971 | Los Angeles | United States | Whisky a Go Go |
| 8 November 1971 | San Francisco | United States | Winterland |
| 9 November 1971 | San Diego | United States | San Diego Coliseum |
| 10 November 1971 | Inglewood | United States | Inglewood Forum |
| 11 November 1971 | Inglewood | United States | Inglewood Forum |
| 12 November 1971 | Oklahoma City | United States | Oklahoma City Civic Center |
| 13 November 1971 | Philadelphia | United States | The Spectrum |
| 14 November 1971 | Chicago | United States | Auditorium Theater |
| 15 November 1971 | Detroit | United States | Eastown Theater |
| 16 November 1971 | Detroit | United States | Eastown Theater |
| 17 November 1971 | Elyria | United States | Elyria Catholic High School |
| 19 November 1971 | Richmond | United States | William and Mary Hall |
| 20 November 1971 | Durham | United States | Duke Indoor Stadium |
| 21 November 1971 | DeLand | United States | Stetson University |
| 22 November 1971 | Atlanta | United States | Atlanta Municipal Auditorium |
| 23 November 1971 | Baltimore | United States | Baltimore Civic Center |
| 24 November 1971 | New York City | United States | Academy of Music |
| 25 November 1971 | New York City | United States | Academy of Music |
| 27 November 1971 | New York City | United States | Ritz Theater |
| 28 November 1971 | Stony Brook | United States | Stony Brook University |
| 30 November 1971 | New York City | United States | Genesio College |
| 1 December 1971 | Waterbury | United States | Palace Theater |
| 2 December 1971 | Cincinnati | United States | Reflections |
| 3 December 1971 | Akron | United States | Akron Civic Theater |
| 4 December 1971 | Gettysburg | United States | Gettysburg College |
| 5 December 1971 | Plattsburgh | United States | SUNY Plattsburgh |
| 8 December 1971 | Pittsburgh | United States | Pittsburgh Civic Arena |
| 9 December 1971 | Gaithersburg | United States | Montgomery Country Fairgrounds |
| 10 December 1971 | Carlisle | United States | Dickinson College |
| 11 December 1971 | Garden City | United States | Nassau Community College |
| 12 December 1971 | Newark | United States | Newark Symphony Hall |
| 14 December 1971 | Boston | United States | Orpheum Theater |
| 15 December 1971 | Cleveland | United States | Allen Theater |
| 16 December 1971 | Pittsburgh | United States | Syria Mosque |
| 18 December 1971 | New Orleans | United States | The Warehouse |
| Europe ||||
| 14 January 1972 | London | United Kingdom | Rainbow Theater |
| 15 January 1972 | London | United Kingdom | Rainbow Theater |
| 19 January 1972 | Leuven | Belgium | University of Leuven |
| 20 January 1972 | Antwerp | Belgium | Cinema Roma |
| 21 January 1972 | Brussels | Belgium | Auditorium Q |
| 22 January 1972 | Amsterdam | Netherlands | Het Concertgebouw |
| 23 January 1972 | Rotterdam | Netherlands | De Doelen |
| 24 January 1972 | Breda | Netherlands | Het Turfship |
| 28 January 1972 | Bristol | United Kingdom | Top Rank Suite |
| 29 January 1972 | Boston | United Kingdom | Starlight Room |
| 30 January 1972 | Bristol | United Kingdom | Colston Hall |
| 31 January 1972 | Manchester | United Kingdom | Free Trade Hall |
| North America ||||
| 18 February 1972 | Bethany | United States | Bethany College |
| 19 February 1972 | New York City | United States | Academy of Music |
| 21 February 1972 | Asbury Park | United States | Sunshine Inn |
| 22 February 1972 | Princeton | United States | McCarter Theater |
| 23 February 1972 | New York City | United States | Academy of Music |
| 24 February 1972 | Burlington | United States | Patrick Gymnasium |
| 25 February 1972 | Smithfield | United States | Meehan Auditorium |
| 26 February 1972 | Passaic | United States | Capitol Theater |
| 27 February 1972 | Waterbury | United States | Palace Theater |
| 28 February 1972 | Buffalo | United States | Kleinhans Music Hall |
| 29 February 1972 | New York City | United States | Ritz Theater |
| 1 March 1972 | Rochester | United States | Auditorium Theater |
| 2 March 1972 | Syracuse | United States | Onondaga War Memorial Auditorium |
| 3 March 1972 | Richmond | United States | Richmond Coliseum |
| 4 March 1972 | Salem | United States | Roanoke Valley Civic Center |
| 5 March 1972 | Virginia Beach | United States | Virginia Beach Civic Center |
| 6 March 1972 | Wilmington | United States | University of North Carolina Wilmington |
| 7 March 1972 | Kutztown | United States | Schaeffer Auditorium |
| 8 March 1972 | Shippensburg | United States | Shippensburg University |
| 10 March 1972 | San Francisco | United States | Winterland Arena |
| 11 March 1972 | San Francisco | United States | Winterland Arena |
| 13 March 1972 | Denver | United States | Denver Coliseum |
| 14 March 1972 | Spokane | United States | Spokane Coliseum |
| 15 March 1972 | Los Angeles | United States | Inglewood Forum |
| 16 March 1972 | Tucson | United States | Tucson Community Center |
| 17 March 1972 | San Bernardino | United States | Swing Auditorium |
| 18 March 1972 | San Diego | United States | San Diego Sports Arena |
| 19 March 1972 | Las Vegas | United States | Las Vegas Convention Center |
| 21 March 1972 | Chicago | United States | Arie Crown Theater |
| 22 March 1972 | Detroit | United States | Cobo Hall |
| 23 March 1972 | Cincinnati | United States | Cincinnati Music Hall |
| 24 March 1972 | South Bend | United States | Morris Civic Auditorium |
| 25 March 1972 | Columbus | United States | Capital University |
| 26 March 1972 | Mentor | United States | Lakeland Community College |
| 27 March 1972 | Boston | United States | Aquarius Theater |

### Cancelled shows

Wilkinson (2003) lists only three shows from the tour as being cancelled. The first, on 9 October 1971 at the Edinburgh Empire Theatre, was cancelled after the PA system failed to arrive at the venue. A newspaper story at the time reported that the equipment van, travelling to Scotland from the Royal Festival Hall from the previous evening's concert, broke down in Birmingham. Similarly, two replacement vans also broke down. The band rescheduled the date for 23 October, with original tickets still valid. The band offered free posters to fans attending the 23 October show.
The second appearance to be cancelled was on 2 November at the Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, California—the first show of the tour's North American leg. The concert was cancelled as the band's PA system was stolen.
Other sources state that it was the 8 November show at the San Francisco Winterland Ballroom that was cancelled due to the stolen PA system, implying that the band appeared that night at the Oakland Coliseum (with a rented sound system) instead. The concert in Richmond VA on 3 March 1972, was also cancelled, and supposedly the band played at the TownshipAuditorium in Columbia S Carolina instead. Additionally, reports exist of a show on 29 October in Rotterdam, Netherlands, that was also cancelled.
| Date | City | Country |
| 9 October 1971 | Edinburgh | United Kingdom |
| 2 November 1971 | Oakland | United States |