The Sweet Escape Tour was the second concert tour by American recording artist Gwen Stefani. The tour began in April 2007 in support of her second solo album The Sweet Escape (2006). Performing for nearly a hundred concerts, the tour traveled to the Americas, Australia, Asia, and Europe.
The shows in North America ranked 23rd on Billboard "Top 25 Tours". The 55 reported shows grossed $30.6 million with 648,529 tickets sold.
Background
The tour was Stefani's follow up to her previous 2005 tour. It went worldwide as compared to her previous tour which was constricted only to North America and had more than double the number of shows. It was Stefani's last solo effort as she rejoined her band No Doubt after the tour ended. The main feature were usage of various props such as a prison for Stefani's opening act, a six-piece band and a large multimedia screen in the backdrop showing videos and animations.
On her June 22 and June 23 concerts in Irvine, California, Stefani was joined onstage by her No Doubt bandmates. They performed: "Just a Girl", "Spiderwebs", "Sunday Morning", "Hella Good" and their cover of Talk Talk's "It's My Life".
In response to the 2007 California wildfires, Stefani donated $166,000 from her October 30 concert in San Diego to "The San Diego Foundation" fire relief fund.
The tour had its own set of controversies. A group known as "The National Union of Malaysian Muslim Students" wanted to ban Stefani's concert that was slated to take place on August 21 at Putra Indoor Stadium. The union's vice president, Abdul Muntaqim said, "Her performance and her attire are not suitable for our culture. It promotes a certain degree of obscenity and will encourage youth to emulate the western lifestyle. The concert should be stopped." The organizer of the vent, Maxis Communications later responded, "Stefani has confirmed that her concert will not feature any revealing costumes. She will abide by the Malaysian authorities' guidelines to ensure that her show will not be offensive to local sensitivities."
In April, Akon drew criticism for having on-stage dirty dancing with a fifteen-year-old preacher's daughter, at a club in Trinidad and Tobago, as part of a fake contest.Sources for Akon controversy: As a result, the tour's sponsor Verizon Wireless decided not to sponsor the tour.
Critical reception The Sweet Escape tour was generally well-received by critics. Ricardo Baca (The Denver Post) stated the concert in Denver showed Stefani had the tact to become a solo pop star. He continues, "Wednesday's show was proof of Stefani the rock star. While she's still better suited for the sneering pop-ska of her band No Doubt, she does all right with the glittery, hip-hop-fueled Top 40-loving music on which she has built her solo career." For the concert in Mansfield, Joan Anderman of The Boston Globe stated, "Ironically, for a performer so enamored of artifice, Stefani perpetually comes off as one of the more genuine chart-toppers. Her voice was built for amped-up cheers like "Hollaback Girl," not slow jams like "Luxurious," but her bad notes were hers, part of a real personality rather than a standard-issue pop star."
Ross Raihala (St. Paul Pioneer Press) described her performance in Saint Paul as a "high spirited, energetic sugar rush". He goes on to say, "Yet it was the fresh stuff that made the night work. The high-tech stage and carefully choreographed dance numbers rarely felt canned, and just when they started to get overwhelming, Stefani sprinted to the back of the auditorium and up into the seats to perform a stripped-down 'Cool' [,] surrounded by awestruck fans." Chris Macias of The Sacramento Bee stated her show in Wheatland had a natural sweetness. He says, "Stefani certainly doesn't skimp on her shows. It's part pep rally (the "b-a-n-a-n-a-s" chant in 'Hollaback Girl'), part Broadway musical (the bit from 'The Sound of Music' in 'Wind it Up' that turns Stefani into a yodel-back girl), plus a whole lot of breakdancing from Stefani's sidekicks. [...] With a five-piece band perched high on a riser, and a giant 'G' that descended occasionally from the top of the stage, this concert had plenty of eye and ear candy."
At the Shoreline Amphitheatre, Neva Chonin (San Francisco Chronicle) affirmed the show was stiff and robotic. She says, "Stefani gave back to them with a show in which every line, every move and every gesture was carbon-copied from every other show on the tour, excepting the usual local shout-outs. This doesn't mean she's not sincere when she rhapsodizes over the charms of the Bay Area, or gushes about how amazed she is to be a star and how grateful she is to her fans for helping her become one. It simply means she's gone so far into the star-making machinery she's forgotten how to convey that sincerity in anything besides packaged sound bites."
Derek Paiva of The Honolulu Advertiser described Stefani's show in Honolulu as "infectiously energetic". He states, "In times like these, Stefani showed the fun, endearing and still very grateful side of her that all the costume changes, unnecessary stage production, slickly dumb songs and accompanying bling can't bury. Until she returns to Hawai'i with No Doubt — writer crosses his fingers here — this would have to do."
For the concert in San Diego, T. Michael Crowell (San Diego Union-Tribune) said "Stefani is not the best singer in the biz. Her vocal range is narrow, and her pitch is not always dead-on. But that misses the point of her performance. Her art is the imagery she brings to the stage, the Stefani style, her personal fashion statement, her brand. [...] Not bad for the skater-girl next door, now all grown-up and ready for a little fun."
Opening acts Akon (North America, select dates) Lady Sovereign (North America, select dates) Gym Class Heroes (Australasia) CSS (Europe) Brick & Lace (Camden) Plastilina Mosh (Monterrey) Maria José (Mexico City) The Hall Effect (Bogotá) Hoku (Honolulu) Sean Kingston (Las Vegas, Tucson, San Diego, Stockton, Oakland, Santa Barbara)
Setlist The following setlist was obtained from the April 28, 2007 concert, at the Cricket Wireless Pavilion in Phoenix, Arizona. It does not represent all concerts for the duration of the tour. "The Sweet Escape" (performed with Akon) "Rich Girl" (contains elements of the "James Bond Theme") "Yummy" "4 in the Morning" "Luxurious" "Early Winter" "Wind It Up" "Fluorescent" "Danger Zone" "Hollaback Girl" "Now That You Got It" "Don't Get It Twisted" / "Breakin' Up" "Cool" "Wonderful Life" "Orange County Girl" Encore "The Real Thing" "U Started It" "What You Waiting For?"
Tour dates DateCityCountryVenueOpening ActNorth AmericaSources for tour dates in North America, April-July 2007:April 21, 2007Las VegasUnited StatesPearl Concert TheaterN/AApril 22, 2007Chula VistaCoors AmphitheatreAkonApril 24, 2007FresnoSave Mart CenterApril 25, 2007BakersfieldRabobank ArenaApril 27, 2007Los AngelesGibson AmphitheatreLady SovereignApril 28, 2007PhoenixCricket Wireless PavilionAkonLady SovereignApril 30, 2007West Valley CityE CenterMay 2, 2007DenverPepsi CenterMay 3, 2007AlbuquerqueABQ Journal PavilionMay 5, 2007DallasSmirnoff Music CentreMay 6, 2007The WoodlandsCynthia Woods Mitchell PavilionMay 8, 2007TampaFord AmphitheatreMay 9, 2007West Palm BeachSound Advice AmphitheatreMay 11, 2007AtlantaHiFi Buys AmphitheatreMay 12, 2007CharlotteVerizon Wireless AmphitheatreMay 14, 2007RaleighAlltel PavilionMay 15, 2007Virginia BeachVerizon Wireless Amphitheater May 17, 2007BristowNissan PavilionMay 18, 2007HolmdelPNC Bank Arts CenterMay 20, 2007WantaghNikon at Jones Beach TheaterMay 21, 2007UncasvilleMohegan Sun ArenaMay 23, 2007MansfieldTweeter Center for the Performing ArtsMay 24, 2007CamdenTweeter CenterBrick & LaceMay 27, 2007Atlantic CityBorgata Events CenterLady SovereignMay 29, 2007MontrealCanadaBell CentreAkonLady SovereignMay 30, 2007TorontoAir Canada CentreJune 1, 2007Auburn HillsUnited StatesThe Palace of Auburn HillsJune 2, 2007NoblesvilleVerizon Wireless Music CenterJune 4, 2007OmahaQwest Center ArenaJune 5, 2007Saint PaulXcel Energy CenterJune 7, 2007LondonCanadaJohn Labatt CentreJune 8, 2007Tinley ParkUnited StatesFirst Midwest Bank AmphitheatreJune 10, 2007WinnipegCanadaMTS CentreJune 12, 2007EdmontonRexall PlaceJune 13, 2007CalgaryPengrowth SaddledomeJune 15, 2007VancouverGeneral Motors PlaceJune 16, 2007AuburnUnited StatesWhite River AmphitheatreJune 18, 2007WheatlandSleep Train AmphitheatreJune 19, 2007Mountain ViewShoreline AmphitheatreJune 22, 2007IrvineVerizon Wireless AmphitheatreJune 23, 2007June 26, 2007Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara BowlLady SovereignJune 27, 2007June 29, 2007RenoReno Events CenterJune 30, 2007Las VegasMGM Grand Garden ArenaJuly 13, 2007MonterreyMexicoArena MonterreyPlastilina MoshJuly 15, 2007Mexico CityPalacio de los DeportesMaria JoséJuly 18, 2007San JuanPuerto RicoJosé Miguel Agrelot ColiseumN/ASouth AmericaJuly 21, 2007BogotáColombiaPlaza de EventosThe Hall EffectOceaniaSources for tour dates in Australasia:July 26, 2007AucklandNew ZealandVector ArenaGym Class HeroesJuly 28, 2007BrisbaneAustraliaBrisbane Entertainment CentreJuly 30, 2007SydneyAcer ArenaJuly 31, 2007August 2, 2007MelbourneRod Laver ArenaAugust 3, 2007August 5, 2007AdelaideAdelaide Entertainment CentreAugust 7, 2007PerthBurswood DomeAsiaSources for tour dates in Asia:August 11, 2007ChibaJapanChiba Marine StadiumGym Class HeroesAugust 12, 2007OsakaMaishima Sports IslandAugust 14, 2007SingaporeSingapore Indoor StadiumAugust 16, 2007Hong KongAsiaWorld–ArenaAugust 19, 2007BangkokThailandImpact ArenaAugust 21, 2007Kuala LumpurMalaysiaPutra Indoor StadiumOceaniaAugust 24, 2007HonoluluUnited StatesBlaisdell ArenaHokuAugust 25, 2007EuropeSources for tour dates in Europe:September 10, 2007HamburgGermanyColor Line ArenaCSSSeptember 12, 2007MunichZenithSeptember 14, 2007BerlinVelodromSeptember 15, 2007CologneKölnarenaSeptember 17, 2007ParisFrancePalais Omnisports de Paris-BercySeptember 18, 2007RotterdamNetherlandsSportpaleis van AhoySeptember 20, 2007GlasgowScotlandScottish Exhibition Hall 4September 22, 2007ManchesterEnglandManchester Evening News ArenaSeptember 23, 2007NewcastleMetro Radio ArenaSeptember 25, 2007BirminghamNational Indoor ArenaSeptember 26, 2007CardiffWalesCardiff International ArenaSeptember 28, 2007LondonEnglandWembley ArenaSeptember 29, 2007October 1, 2007BelfastNorthern IrelandOdyssey ArenaOctober 2, 2007DublinIrelandRDS SimmonscourtOctober 4, 2007AntwerpBelgiumSportpaleisOctober 6, 2007ZürichSwitzerlandHallenstadionOctober 7, 2007Esch-sur-AlzetteLuxembourgRockhalOctober 9, 2007OsloNorwayOslo SpektrumOctober 10, 2007StockholmSwedenStockholm Globe ArenaOctober 12, 2007HelsinkiFinlandHartwall AreenaOctober 14, 2007CopenhagenDenmarkForum CopenhagenOctober 16, 2007MilanItalyDatch ForumOctober 17, 2007ViennaAustriaWiener StadthalleOctober 19, 2007BudapestHungaryLászló Papp Budapest Sports ArenaOctober 20, 2007PragueCzech RepublicSazka ArenaNorth AmericaOctober 26, 2007Las VegasUnited StatesPearl Concert TheaterSean KingstonOctober 27, 2007AnaheimHonda CenterTimbalandNicole ScherzingerOctober 29, 2007TucsonAnselmo Valencia Tori AmphitheaterSean KingstonOctober 30, 2007San DiegoCox ArenaNovember 1, 2007StocktonStockton ArenaNovember 2, 2007OaklandOracle ArenaNovember 3, 2007Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara Bowl
Music festivals and other miscellaneous performances This concerts was a part of the Summer Sonic Festival This concert was a part of the Homecoming Concert
Cancellations and rescheduled shows April 21, 2007Phoenix, ArizonaCricket Wireless PavilionMoved to April 28, 2007April 28, 2007Las Vegas, NevadaPearl Concert TheaterMoved to April 21, 2007June 7, 2007Milwaukee, WisconsinBradley CenterCancelledNovember 8, 2007Phoenix, ArizonaDodge TheatreCancelledNovember 9, 2007Phoenix, ArizonaDodge TheatreCancelled
Box office score data