Beat IT - Live Performances

Live Performances

On July 4, 1984, Jackson performed "Beat It" live with his brothers during The Jacksons' Victory Tour. The brothers were joined on stage by Eddie Van Halen, who played the guitar in his solo spot. The song became a signature song of Jackson; the singer performed it on all of his world tours; Bad, Dangerous and HIStory. The October 1, 1992 Dangerous Tour performance of "Beat It" was included on the DVD of the singer's Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Collection box set. The DVD was later repackaged as Live in Bucharest: The Dangerous Tour. Jackson also performed the song on the Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Special, a concert celebrating the musician's thirtieth year as a solo performer. The performance featured Slash as the song's guest guitarist.

A highlight of Jackson's solo concert tour performances of the song is that would he would begin the song on a cherrypicker (which he would also later use with "Earth Song" during the HIStory Tour). "Beat It" is a song, along with Thriller, Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' and "Billie Jean", that Jackson had performed in all of his solo concert tours: Bad World Tour, Dangerous World Tour, and the HIStory World Tour. The song would have also been performed as part of the This Is It concerts which were cancelled due to Jackson's death.

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