Love Hurts Tour - Background

Background

Encouraged by the reception of the album Love Hurts, the European smash single "The Shoop Shoop Song", and after the performance of "Could've Been You" at Top of the Pops - considered as a tour preview, Cher performed six shows as a tour preview at the Sands Atlantic City in Atlantic City, New Jersey. After the promotion of the album on various American TV shows (like Late Night with David Letterman, Dame Edna Show, In Concert and others...). Although Cher toured Europe extensively, she performed a limited tour in the United States. The tour was originally set to commence in March 1992, however, this was postponed until April 1992 due to illness. During an interview, Cher apologized to spectators stating, "I am very disappointed that we had to postpone these shows and I apologize to all my fans who bought tickets."

In comparison with her previous tour, the show was less elaborate, but more controversial for the clothes and the religious symbols used. At the center of the stage there was a big dry tree with branches that extended to the two sides of the stage. There were also brick-like columns and on top of each there was a religious symbol: a serpent pierced, a stylized fish that the first Christians drew in the catacombs, a cross, the symbol of peace, and the heart of the Ex-voto (which was also used for the first controversial cover of the album Heart of Stone). Above, hanging on the right, there was a black angel, naked, with big golden wings. Since the tour was rock centric, many of her popular songs were not performed. Several covers performed including: "Many Rivers To Cross", "Fire", "Love is a Battlefield" and her recent number one hit in the UK "The Shoop Shoop Song", from the film Mermaids.