That's pretty cool. Balloons made in the USA too, that's a throw back. Thanks for sharing.
Hold Your Fire tour was my first multi-show Rush tour. And the first time I got to experience La Villa live - that was very unexpected and thrilling. So little 70s material during the post Moving Pictures tours, and I think with The Trees in 1985 and La Villa in 1988 the 70s songs were slowing making a return to holding a greater share of the set (in the 90s and beyond).
Hold Your Fire tour also said goodbye to the Steinberger and introduction of that big Wal bass.
Great memories from that tour - I recall loving that bass, loving La Villa, and loving the outro solo in Mission (and wishing it was longer).
But I also recall nursing my continued angst that I'd likely never see the classic Rush that I was so passionate about ever performed live. In the previous tour, I was outraged that they went from 2112 into Grand Designs in the encore; such a let down for me at the time! And then HYF I had to cling to La Villa as a great positive. And then on the Presto tour, there was that similar let down when Xanadu cut short and led into Superconductor - what? But the tide finally turned in 1992 when the old stuff really started coming back, and it became silly to try and perform the majority of the new album at the expense of a balanced setlist.
Thanks for induging the musings!