23/07/2025
21st July 1984 â The Jacksons brought their Victory Tour to the Gator Bowl stadium in Jacksonville, FL on three nights from July 21-23, 1984 to perform in front of over 135,000 fans.
The show has a simple story line, based on the tale of the sword in the stone. Huge creatures called Kreetons appear on the stage. Theyâre followed by several warriors who attempt to pull a sword from a stone. One warrior, Randy Jackson, does just that. He slays a Kreeton and thereby paves the way for the kingdom of the Jacksons.
Moments later, Randy, Michael, Tito, Marlon and Jermaine appear majestically on stage, pump the entrance for all its worth, and delight the fans. Fantasyland? You bet.
Two spiderlike creatures attempt to gobble up Michael. Michael writhes on the stage like a snake in the heat of battle before he is saved by magic and levitated out of danger. He reappears moments later on an elevated spot on stage wearing the red jacket he wore in the Beat It video and launches into that song.
The Jacksonsâ show was written and designed by Michael, whose instrumental in moving the rock video into new territory with master-pieces like Thriller. Now the Jacksons become the first group to transform a concert into a video & to use robotics in a musical stage performance. High-tech stage antics are one thing, but Michael Jackson is another. He out dazzles the electronics! The Jacksons have somehow struck the perfect balance between theatrics and musicality.
Part Walt Disney World and part Music Television, itâs an escapist pop show for those in love with fantasy; entertainment for those who hanker for movies like Star Wars, E.T. and Peter Pan; a musical for those who enjoy exquisite dancing and singing.
Surely the Jacksons have realized that a larget percentage of their fans are of the MTV generation, roughly ages 10 to 30. Such audiences understand video-styled theatrics in live shows, and crave the heightened pleasure that stems from sensastional effects created with lasers, lights, and booming sound. This is the same age group that made Star Wars such a hit.
And the Jacksons play to this audience. Even so, the Jacksons have made an unprecedented move with their stage production, and this isnât lost on the fans.