- The First Time -
(First Stones Concert)
My First Stones Show- MSG 9/13/05
by Jack Flash
Well Gassers, my time had finally come. The Rolling Stones were coming to my town, the
world's GREATEST city. And I- one who had not even been alive for the release of Steel
Wheels- would be there to witness. My friends at my new high school were really excited
for me, one of them was going, though unfortunately I wouldn't meet up with him that night
(I'll tell ya- my new freinds are so much cooler than my old friends... I hope the old
ones ain't reading this!).
It was my mom's birthday, so after getting home from school, I did my homework and put on
my distressed jeans and polo shirt and packed my "Do I Look Like A Fucking People
Person?" tee. for the show. My dad and I met my mom at a restaurant for her birthday
dinner. I didn't know how I'd feel at this show- but I was pumped, I knew that! After
dinner was over, my mom and I bid farewell to my dad (only two tix!) and hopped on the
subway to Penn Station. We got there around 8:30 or so. I presume Alanis Morisette was on
at the time but instead of going to our seats, we tried to track down a Tour T-shirt and
missed her whole set. On the way we encoutered many loud, drunk Stones junkies a few of
which yelled at me. But it was the Stones spirit and I loved it. We waited about 20
minutes for a shirt, I ended up getting a black one with exploding lips and the cities
visited on the the back.
We finally made our way to our seats. They were in the second tier, box 302 facing the
stage diagonally from Ronnie's side. The B-stage (or where it would be) was very close.
They were supposed to come on around 9:30. I didn't check the exact time, but I think they
were 20-30 minutes late. But it was worthit- the lights went down and my excitement shot
up a few notches- I was gonna see the World's Greatest Rock N' Roll band! The crowd seemed
very knowledgeable and excited. All was dark... we had a nice Big Bang themed video... and
then out of the shadows wandered Keith- Keith Richards! After a few steps he launched into
the opening chords of Start Me Up. Ronnie ran out right after him, and Charlie Watts got
in a few smacks- Charlie fucking Watts was playing the drums!- it happened: MICK FUCKING
JAGGER ran out onto the stage in a gold jacket- holy shit!!!!!!!! This was it!!!!!!! I
lost the urge to get up and dance and sing by the first "you made a grown man
cry..." and didn't stop all night. My legs were shaking- seriously. Only a few
seconds and it was already one of the most envigorating experiences of my life. But
enough, here's the setlist:
1. Start Me Up- I'm really not sure if it was good or not; I couldn't get over that the
Stones were RIGHT THERE! The guitars were cranked up and blowing out my ears already.
Ronnie playing a kickass solo. I sure as hell knew who I was seeing by the time it was
over!
2. She's So Cold- Mick introduced it and Keith's opening riff rang clear- and Ronnie took
it from there. Not to fear, Ronnie was prominent throught the show and playing
brilliantly! Mick grooved his way through it the guitars really kicked. All right!
In between songs did a nice little monologue, first about New York City and saying was the
twentieth time they'd played the Garden. Then he talked about how the people that saw them
back in the day are now taking their kids! Shit, does this guy read my mind or what?!?! He
is a god. Go Mick! Go Mick! Go Mick! But on with the show...
3. You Got Me Rocking- Everyone complains about this one and it needs to stop- NOW. Loses
it's energy live? Bullshit! This one killed, Mick really did it well. It's a modern day
Stones classic.
4. Tumbling Dice- Believe it or not, this may have been the highpoint of the whole show.
UNBELIEVABLE. Now, out of the warhorses, TD is not my favorite, I love it, but it's not my
favorite of them. But after this performance, I will never look at it the same again.
Keith's playing was loud and clear and flawless, riffing and jamming like it was 1972,
while Ronnie wailed away brilliantly- who is this man you call Mick Taylor? Mick really
strutted it out and got into it- you got to ROLL me... brilliance. Keith is a god too.
5. Rough Justice- This is a serious Stones classic. It works great live, Mick seems to
love it. Ronnie's slide was much cleaner than on the NFL kickoff show. Keith only seemed
to be going through the motions- I hope they tour a few more times so he can think of
something cool to do with it.
6. Back Of My Hand- If TD wasn't the highlight, this was. It started out like the studio
version, with Mick up front with his slide and Keith sitting down on the drum stand
picking killer blues riffs. Then Ronnie comes in, playing like I've never heard him
before, and it becomes a feverish jam. You could feel the ghosts of the lod bluesmen in
the arena. It was haunting AND it rocked. Perfect.
7. 19th Nervous Breakdown- Surprise, surprise! I'm know you guys were happy to see this on
the setlist! And it was coooooool. It started out as a kind of slinky blues and became
almost Beatlish. I liked it. The studio version will always be the best though.
8. Bitch- Rocked with a nice Keith solo. I could really hear Ronnie playing the riff right
up with the horns. Great!
9. All Down The Line- Smoked. Rediculously so. Keith was real hot. Ronnie did his patented
Mick Taylor ripoff, very well I might add, I loved his solo.
10. Get Up, Stand Up- Very groovy. I'm glad they did it. Though I was hoping for Rainy Day
Women!
Band Intros- "Ronnie we've got Wood!" Lol.
Then Keith did his intro and I still have absolutely no fucking idea what he said at all-
and that's just what I was hoping for! Some trademark Keith gobbledegook! But then he went
and picked up the acoustic...
11. The Worst- Boy this was pretty. I wish it would have been longer. I didn't hear
Ronnie's pedal steel that much, but when I did it was great. I liked it when Keef and
Bernard Fowler shared the mic.
12. Infamy- I was really excited to hear this because I loved the studio version so much.
Unfortunately Keith totally forgot the lyrics, I think he even made up some stuff. But
that's OK- he's Keith! I was a LITTLE dissapointed- maybe only because there was no Mick
playing harp on it! But the heavy guitar riff was awsome, and at one point I saw Keith
mouth to Ronnie on the video screen, "take one" and Woody proceded to play a
nice solo! Too cool! I love this song!
13. Miss You- There had been a definite drop in crowd energy during Keith's set (none too
surprising), but when Mick strutted out looking so cool with a guitar and a wireless mic,
they got right back in it! During the middle of the song they got on a platform and
floated out into the crowd to create the B-stage! So cool! As for the song itself, it was
probably the biggest surprise of the night for me. I really didn't want to hear it, in
fact I didn't think they should play it at all on the tour, but it was really good. The
guitars were way out front and jamming, it wasn't cheesy at all. It was like Miss You
meets the rest of the Some Girls album.
14. Oh No, Not You Again- Rocked with rediculous force! You could literally feel the
energy level in the arena. Keith's lead lines burned my ears off, I really doubt he's
played any better in his life. Ronnie's rhythm ripped my head in half. The highlight if TD
and BOMH didn't do it for ya. And from here on in Keith would play like it was 1971.
Amazing.
15. Satisfaction- Gotta here Satisfaction your first Stones show! And it was GREAT. Played
with a renewed energy and force. It was even a highlight for my mom, you said she was sick
of it by 1967- but it was one of her highlights! Keith kicked more ass. Several bras were
thrown towards Mick. THIS was the Stones, thru and thru!
16. Honky Tonk Woman- Keith got really into it, Ronnie was great, terrific singalong.
Starting here the crowd got into and sang everything. They floated back to the main stage-
I love that floating thing!
17. Sympathy For The Devil- After a few seconds of wicked anticipation while Mick was
getting changed, he emerged from the shadows in a hat and coat. Charlie really smacked the
drums and then the song started. It was ORGASMIC!!!!! Mick really played with it, and
Keith and Ronnie's guitar lines descended into the heavens. AMAZING. The crowd was
screaming "WHOO WHOO!" before Mick even started singing! I'm SO HAPPY they did
it.
18. Paint It Black- Very dramatic, and the crowd favorite. The crowd noise was defeaning.
It was fantastic!!!!! HUGE!!!
19. It's Only Rock N' Roll- Very, very high energy and very Chuck Berry. I actually
thought it was Rocks Off at first. And we had it accompanied by some nice clips of IORR
era Stones. And the best thing... it rocked like FUCK!!! I'm not exactly sure how hard
Fuck rocks but it can't be much harder than this. This does DEFINITELY not need to be
dropped!
20. Jumpin' Jack Flash- Ahhhh... thank the rock n' roll gods for the GREATEST SONG OF ALL
TIME!!!!!! Oh man, this song is the SHIT!!!!! Keith nailed the riff, and Ronnie didn't
play that stupid sitar guitar (save it for PIB only!). This is the song I needed to hear.
Not the best of the night, but it's essential... cuz it's a gas gas gas!!!!!!
ENCORE
After about a minute and a half, Keith wandered out alone looking real happy... even from
far away you could just tell... and hit the opening of YCAGWYW.
21. You Can't Always Get What You Want- Very mellow very trippy, and it really, really hit
the spot. Really good guitar playing from Keith and Ronnie. Mick got a gospel thing going
at the end. Man, does this guy do everything or what?!?!?!?
22. Brown Sugar- Just when I thought they couldn't give any more, they blow my ears off.
Keith's playing rings clear as a bell, and he really busts up the house with his
playing!!!!!! It's his best job any version of Brown Sugar I've yet heard- REALLY!!!!!
Ronnie noodles really well, Bobby Keys plays a brilliant sax solo that souds EXACTLY like
the record! Mick works the crowd one final time as every one screams, "YEAH, YEAH,
YEAH, WHOOOOOOO!!!!" Confetti explodes along with the band!!!!!
After the band takes their bows I keep my eyes fixed on Mick for as long as I can before
he disappears- I leave my seating area at 12:02 am on September 14. They've played 22
brilliant songs for over 2 hours. My ears still are actually still ringing when I get in
bed about quarter to one, ready to wake up for school at 6:30. I asked the Stones for a
favor and, like they always have before, they delivered, and more. The sound was a little
muddy, but it didn't really bother me that much. There's no way I can complain- I saw the
ROLLING FUCKING STONES!!!!!! And how can I ever forget it? Well, Mick, Keith, Charlie and
Ronnie till the next goodbye... I hope to see you boys again soon! And I'll never forget
the experience... how can I? I mean, you are the world's greatest rock n' roll band...
always were, and still are! LET IT ROCK!!!!
First Show
(at
Hershey)
by The K Man
Yesterday
was a damn near perfect day for my first Stones show. Weather was great, traffic wasn't
heavy and my dad and I got to Hershey Stadium with plenty of time to spare. When I arrived
at Hershey Stadium I could barely believe that I was going to see my favorite band of all
time live and in person. My legs couldn't stop shaking with excitement as we walked
towards the stadium.
We got
there and I had to wait about a half an hour for a shirt because the guy who was handling
our side of the stand was only picking on people in the corners and he didn't even seem to
notice that we were there. Well, eventually I got my black shirt with the exploding tongue
on the front, but by that time the opening act, Beck, had already started. My dad and I
raced over to get me a poster with a pic of the band on it and we rushed into the stadium
to get to our seats.
The
seats could have been better, definitley, but they were still pretty good. We could still
make out who was who and such. Anyway, we sat through the opening act which to tell you
the truth I wasn't very impressed with. Maybe it's cuz I've never heard any of Beck's
stuff before, but I just didn't get into it. The guy did do some of No Expectations, but
then they went into their own song from there, so it's not like he did the whole song.
After
Beck we waited for about an hour until the lights went down and the opening movie came on
the big screen. After the movie was done I heard the opening riff to Start Me Up and I
promptly pissed my pants as the show began.
I guess
I'll use a song by song review from here since that's easiest...
Start
Me Up: Well the opening riff for this began, my legs knees began to buckle and I realized
I was in the presence of the Stones, the greatest rock 'n roll band in the world. Mick
came out donned in an emerald green jacket and started to sing and I was amazed by how
well his voice sounded. The whole band was tight on this song, as I expected. A great
freaking opener, definitley.
It’s
Only Rock ‘n’ Roll: I was expecting the opening chords of You Got Me Rocking
next, but they thrust themselves into an awesome version of IORR. Again, the band was
tight on this and Mick's vocals really handled the song well. Far better than the version
on Four Flicks.
She’s
So Cold: This was one of the highlights of the show for me, if not the highlight. I was
skeptical of how Mick was gonna handle this song when I first found out they were doing
She's So Cold this tour. I thought he was gonna do lots of ad libbing and botch the lyrics
somewhere, but man his vocals were amazing on this song. Keith and Ronnie were on fire
together on this one (as they were all night) and Charlie's drumming was top knotch, as
usual. I was completely floored by this performance. Mick was incredible on it as he was
on all the songs that night (I can't stress that enough).
Tumbling
Dice: I was still in awe from the amazing version of She's So Cold, so when Keith erupted
into the opening riff of my 5th favorite Stones song of all time, talk about a one-two
punch. This was a GREAT version of an already great song. Again, I was thrown off my feet
by them. Ronnie and Keith were both tight on this song!
Rough
Justice: Loud and dirty, just the way it should be. Keith was great on this tune, and
Ronnie's slide solo was on fire. Only complaint is Ronnie's slide was heard much beside on
the solo and in the beginning of the tune.
Back of
My Hand: Even better then the studio version on ABB. Amazing slide work by Mick. He's one
hell of a slide guitar player. Keith was lounging around on Charlie's drum, playing some
soft blues licks while Mick sang this awesomely. The song sped up a bit and Ronnie came
in, and it turned into an excellent blues jam. Mick even added a verse to the song. All in
all, amazingly done and better then the studio version IMO.
All
Down the Line: Was smoking hot with a great, visceral slide from Ronnie. Mick was
excellent and the back up vocals were even great on this, I must admit. Everybody was
tight.
(The
Night Time is) The Right Time: I've never heard this song before, so I didn't know what to
expect. Wasn't bad, but I couldn't really get into it that much. Amazing job by Lisa
Fischer, though. Once again I saw Keith lounging around lazily by Charlie's drums.
Introductions
(Mick says Charlie "Slasher"
The
Worst: I always loved this Keith song and he did a fine job on it. He shares the mic with
Bernard Fowler through most of it, I would have preferred Mick to be out there with him of
course.
Infamy:
Mick's harp was missing,but that didn't stop this from being a great performance. Keith's
voice was great on it and I loved his guitar on it. Very catchy.
Miss
You: I wasn't really sure of how I was gonna like this song, but I was surprised by how
good it was. Mick came out with a guitar and a headset mic and he sounded great on it. A
bit more uptempo then the studio version and Mick's falsetto was great. I also loved when
the stage started to move towards the B-stage. Great job on this one, I think.
B-Stage:
Oh No
Not You Again: I was really excited to hear this one, and it didn't disappoint. Everybody
in the band was on fire and even though Chuck was with them, I didn't hear any piano.
Great version, although Keith's rhythm didn't come out as much as I hoped.
Get Off
Of My Cloud: Brilliantly done. Keith and Ronnie are sharing some great licks and Charlie's
playing like a lion. The stage lights got real bright when they got to chorus, of which
the whole crowd sang along to.
Honky
Tonk Women: Great version and Mick's vocals were awesome, and the whole crowd was singing
along with him. Although Chuck Leavell just HAD to have a piano solo in it, which is where
the entire crowd got noticeably quieter. Horns came in at the end as the stage got its way
back to the main stage and the floral design tongue was a neat gimmick.
Back on
the Main Stage:
Sympathy
for the Devil: The whole stage was covered in red during the whole song and Keith's guitar
was as biting as it is on the studio version, if not more so. His guitar strums during the
chorus along with the flames erupting was really something. During the solo, I even think
i saw him slide on the ground on his knees at one point. He was on fire on this number.
Paint
It, Black: YES. This was the one song I wanted to hear and it didn't disappoint, that's
for damn sure. I loved Keith's ominous lead guitar and Mick handled the song well. Charlie
was also awesome.
Brown
Sugar: Great and rocking. Not much else to say. Sax solo was wonderful.
Jumpin’
Jack Flash: Another one that really rocked and the whole crowd sang along to. Mick says
goodnight at the end of this one, but we know it ain't over. Lots of lighters go up and
I'm clapping for so long, I think my palms start to bleed (if that's even possible).
You
Can’t Always Get What You Want (encore): Keith comes out alone and plays the intro to
his one peacefully. Mick comes out and starts to sing this one. He handles the song
beautifully and the crowd helps out with the chorus. Wonderful.
Satisfaction
(encore): Keith began with the opening riff to this one with a large smile on his face.
Amazing version. The whole band went beserk with this one. Mick was running the whole
length of the stage, back and forth screaming "Satisfaction!", Keith was really
getting into it with his guitar, Ronnie's playing was incredible and Charlie was out of
this world. However, it was bittersweet as I knew it would be the last song for the night.
But still, hell of a performance.
So
that's it. I had a hell of a time at this show. It was worth every penny. Hell of a show
by the best band in the history of time. I cannot express enough how much I love this
band. It was amazing. I hope they go on tour again so i can have another chance to see
them.
First Show (MSG)
By Rollingzeppelin87 (
Wow! This is so hard for me to put
my experience in words but I'll try. The hours leading up to the concert seemed like the
longest hours of my life. Right before we left to NY, I turned on the classic rock station
on IO our cable service, just when the beginning of Shattered played, talk about
synchronicity. I don't really want to get detailed about the hours before the concert
finding parking and walking through the city to get to MSG, let's just say alot of people
in NY are assholes. The only thing I'll say is I felt like we actually rushed to get to
MSG because the opening band was bad, it sounded like they played the same song over and
over again. We could of went to the Hard Rock Cafe instead we decided to watch that shitty
band. Anyway, in MSG as soon as the lights went down I was so excited to see them, I'm
actually going to see living legends! First riff of JJF and then Keith pops out, then Mick
runs out and then they get it rocking, wow, what an awsome way to open a concert, I also
had a good view of them to, section 203 row A, not bad seats. The 2nd song was either IORR
or LSTNT, IORR was really great, guitars are nice and loud, it's funny because when Keith
played the riff at first I thought it was Starfucker, right until Mick sang "If I
could stick a knife in my heart, spill it right on the stage" then I knew. I'm not
really a big fan of LSTNT but it was good last night so I have a new appreciatation of the
song. ONNYA was up next, a really great performance, I noticed I kept singing along with
it along with some people around my area so this is a good sign it may become a warhorse.
Here comes the best part of the concert, SWAY! I was surprised when Mick said they were
going to play it, I didn't expect a great version because I remember someone sent it
through this board of the first time they played it awhile back, I have to say though they
got it nailed down. I don't know if it was just me being there that made it better but I
know it was my favorite part of the concert. Ronnie didn't try to copy
RE: You
got one hell of show!
Zep, if that is your first... it
will be pretty hard to top. I have seen few shows in my career that I am putting before
this one... but only 2 and there are many other factors that come into play with that
judgement. That show on Friday had everything for me. It was really that great.
To put this in perspective, I
thought the biggest difference between Wednesday and Friday was the crowd. I thought the
crowd was that much more into the show on Friday. That and I got to stand the entire time
unlike Wednesday. But my experience isn't the case for everyone... if you read Keefer's
reports he didn't have the same luck on Friday.
One way I knew this show was so good
was that my buddy from college (Bill) was so blown away. He is not the huge fan of the
Stones we all are here. However, he has seen many of the icons I have at MSG. He has
certainly seen more shows there because he grew up just outside NYC. And even he could not
believe how alive the Garden was on Friday night. I don't know if he feels the same way,
but that was the best MSG concert (including the Who, Clapton & Bowie) I have ever
seen there. It was really that good and the energy was that high!
I could rattle off all the great
tunes from the night and I should probably be writing so many great things about
"Sway" so they will do it again. But no one song, not even "Sway" made
this the best show of the tour for me. It was a solid set list, high energy and a great
pre-game at Stouts that made this night so special. Now there were a bunch of little
things I loved and will mention. To start, I always love hearing a tune I have never heard
before... so "Sway" takes that honor! It was also great to hear "ATGB"
again. Why this hasn't been played more since they rolled it out in
As I have mentioned, I was more
please with Friday's show because of my ability to stand. I felt bad for the guys behind
me, but everyone in our section in front was standing so there weren't too many
options.... but to stand up! The only other uncool thing was the usher jumped right on me
when I started to "Gear Up" during JJF. I managed to get a nice buzz, but
PayPhone Al wasn't as lucky. It could have been worse, he didn't make a big stink and he
didn't say anything to the fact that we had SheRat as a guest in our 4 very full seats.
Unfortunately this early event made me go to the bathroom for Keith's set. "This
Place is Empty" is a wonderful song, but I heard it on Wednesday and being able to
take another hit was more important. It was timed perfectly... I had my choice of stalls
as the bathroom was almost empty when I entered and by the time I finished there was a
line out the door. I was back in my seat (the only time I sat) for the last minute of the
tune and I had a nice buzz for Happy (my favorite Keith tune).
We did managed to get "Geared
Up" at the end. It all worked for me and the two Columbian guys were so pleased when
PayPhone Al gave them an offering. We all seemed to be in the right mood for one of the
best versions of "YCAGWYW". Didn't get all the details, but those young
Columbian fans seemed to love their visit to NYC to see the Stones.
The over great thing about Friday's
show was that are seats were on the side (Ronnie's) and the speakers they flew off the
ceiling blocked part of the screen. This really made us focus on what was happening on the
stage. And being just a big closer did make a difference. I will say it one more time... I
can not believe Mick is 62! The moves that guy does are amazing. I am sorry I ever
expressed any doubts. Watching the energy coming off that stages was unbelievable. And
just like Wednesday (when were in the back of the "U") we still had a great view
of the entire arena. That place was jumping. And it was over-the-top with the b-stage
performance.
Unbelievable performance, but I
gotta start doing my own show here at work Ronnie
To read the entire thread, click here: https://www.keno.org/gasland/get.asp?M=182106&P=0&T=182106
30
Years Ago, My first show
by Fleabit Peanut Monkey (
Exactly
thirty years ago today I saw the Rolling Stones live for the first time. I was one month
shy of my 18th birthday, and had just graduated from high school. I was a curious
combination of naivety and hipness – I had grown up in rural PA where nothing ever
happened and I had a nagging sense that cool things (like Stones concerts) happened to
other people in other places and not to me. I’d been listening to the Stones,
seriously studying them, since fifth grade (1968) so my definition of what was cool was
ALL about the Stones. I grew my blonde hair to shoulder length, which was really extreme
for the time and place; I pierced my ear because Keith did; I took drugs because the
Stones did. I played a blue Fender mustang bass with a racing stripe through an Ampeg amp
because that’s what Bill played.
That
day,
Dan
Brown was a life-long mentor of mine, perhaps not always the most wholesome influence; he
sold me my first hit of acid, for instance. But he was the coolest, baddest kid in high
school, the one you were NOT allowed to hang out – and so of course the guy you
needed to hang out with to have any sort of “outlaw” cred. He was a few years
older than me and had seen the Stones on the ’72 tour, as well as Dylan’s
comeback with the Band in ‘74. So he outranked me by miles, and this trip to Philly
was very much in the way of Dan taking me under his wing and showing me the ropes. I’d
been to a few “important” concerts myself, notably George Harrison in Philly and
CSNY in
After a
few easy rides I was on
At that
point I think I’d only been to the City of Brotherly Love twice before, and I was
still somewhat daunted by The Big Dirty City. Very much the country mouse. Now we were in
front of the Spectrum watching a display of martial force as the Philadelphia Police Force
patrolled the area. Jesus, they were scary. All in black, from head to foot, with riot
helmets on. Black leather monsters astride growling motorcycles, atop black horses, and
scariest of all once I stopped to think about it, a big black armor-plated police bus with
smoked windows. That was scary because you didn’t know if it was empty, or crammed
full of Nazis.
I
remember that one topic of conversation as we waited for the doors to open was the price
of the tickets. I wanted to look at the stub last night, but forgot to, but I think the
ticket cost $7.50 – by comparison, my first concert, Ten Years After/Dr. John, had
cost $3.50 or $4. So there was a lot of murmurs of “who do they think they are?”
in the crowd. Dan dismissed all of that nonsense with a wave of his hand – he had
seen the show immortalized in the “Philadelphia Special” boot, one of the rare
occasions when they played an encore – “Satisfaction/Uptight Out of Sight”
with opening act Stevie Wonder. “You get what you pay for,” said Dan. “You
want the best, you pay for it.”
The
doors opened and the huge crowd funneled into the Spectrum. When I’d been there
before I’d had seats in the stands, but this time we were on the floor in the general
crush of humanity. We walked around, Dan being cool, me gawking a bit. The smell of pot
quickly became omnipresent and you could see clouds of smoke hanging in the humid air.
After
awhile the lights went down and the opening act started. We started working our way to the
front, but when we got there we saw that the opening act was the freakin’ Commodores.
We saw Lionel Ritchie’s horse face and then split for the rear again. I bought a tour
program for $4 or $5 and looked at it while the Commodores finished. The pictures in the
program were mostly from the ’72 tour.
It
seemed to take forever but finally the lights dimmed and the air became electric with
anticipation. We were far to the rear of the floor when we heard the opening chords to
“Honky Tonk Women”. We didn’t see the lotus stage unfold, if in fact it did
– some shows started with the stage already open. I’m not tall, maybe 5’7,
and I couldn’t see much of anything. Dan, ever the mover and shaker, grabbed me by
the shirt and started edging his way through the crowd. As we got closer, they finished
HTW and charged into “All Down The Line” Every so often I would catch a glimpse
of the stage. Mick was wearing what looked like pajamas – green pants and a white
jacket with green stripes over a short-sleeved white shirt, and a white sparkly belt.
Keith was all in black leather – black leather bell bottoms, a black leather jacket
over a blue t-shirt, and was playing his Zemaitis guitar with the knife and skull emblems.
Charlie had his hair cut very short, an uncharacteristic look in those days, and there was
a giant black man standing behind him – Ollie Brown. I didn’t pay much attention
to Bill or the new guy, Ron Wood, although I did think that Woody was really playing some
great stuff – the slide in “All Down the Line” was killer.
Of
course these calm reflections are the product of thirty years of time having passed. At
the time it was like being in the
When
Dan and all of his buddies had returned from seeing the Stones in 1972, I had asked them
what they thought about Mick as a performer. Jim Kramer, who was the high school’s
heavyweight wrestler and as straight as they come, grinned devilishly and said, without
hesitation, “I wanted to FUCK Mick Jagger.” Then someone else said “Oh
yeah, we ALL did.” Now I saw exactly what they meant. It wasn’t like it made you
gay or anything, it was just a fact of life. All of this flashed through my mind in a
split second as Mick batted his Tammy Faye’d eyes and exuded an animal magnetism that
was beyond anything I’d ever imagined. I pulled my crappy camera up and pushed the
button and took the picture which is today’s header. It’s certainly not a GREAT
picture, by any standards, and in fact over the intervening thirty years has been through
a fire and ravaged by age, scanned and doctored up and scanned again. But it has an
incredible amount of significance for me, because it’s a picture of the exact instant
that I went beyond being a big fan of the Stones and entered into the lifelong obsession
that so many of us share.
The
concert was really long and really great, although there were some sections of it I wasn’t
crazy about. I didn’t particularly like “Heartbreaker” and though Mick
looked dumb playing a guitar in it. “Fingerprint File” has never been a favorite
of mine, and it bothered me that they were switching instruments – Bill playing a
little keyboard you couldn’t hear at all while Woody played bass in a style I’ve
never liked. And then when Billy Preston did his mini-set I was actually pissed off,
because he had done the exact same songs the previous year at the George Harrison concert.
Dammit, I didn’t pay $7.50 to see Billy Preston! I was really disappointed that he
was the keyboard player anyway, because all of my buddies who had seen them in ’72
raved about Nicky Hopkins, and I was a big fan of his work.
But
after Billy’s set was over Mick came back out from doing his midshow blow and went
nuts. “
After
“Jumpin’ Jack Flash” they were gone, and we cheered ourselves hoarse, but
not hoarse enough for them to honor us with an encore. After a few minutes the house
lights came up and I stumbled out into the hot night air, changed.
Setlist:
Honky
Tonk Women
Epilogue
Dan and
I remained close friends and played together in a band that is still remembered in our
little rural PA community as just about the most fun anyone ever had there – every
gig was a party. In a place like this, you have to make your OWN fun, and nobody was
better at it than Dan. We played a LOT of Stones songs. After we broke up Dan moved to
In
’99 Dan came home for a visit and we got the old band together for our 20th
anniversary. After that we stayed in touch through email and were always planning the next
gig. We compared notes about shows we saw, and talked about seeing the Licks show in
I
couldn’t make it to
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RE: Ronnie, Mick T & Bill Together!
by
DownHomeGirl
(June 29, 2012)
Steve, I couldn't agree with you more: PROUD STONES FAN FOR LIFE. Well said!!
Here's why: I stood, transfixed, as the opening Bo Diddley chords of "Not Fade Away" rang out on WABC-New York Radio. Then I heard Mick's VOICE: "I'm gonna tell you how it's gonna be - YOU'RE GONNA GIVE YOUR LOVE TO ME." And I did. I was a goner. 12 years old in 1964, and I knew my life had changed irrevocably.
1965: I am thirteen. My bro is a budding rock musician, older than I, who manages to con someone with a car into driving us all into the city from New Jersey. We go to the old Academy of Music on 14th Street in Manhattan -- a very modestly-sized venue. The air is electric, the screaming is going on. Though I am a girl, I do not scream: I listen. And there, right in front of me, are Mick, Keith, Brian Jones, Charlie and Bill Wyman.
Mick rips into their wonderful cover of "Everybody Needs Somebody To Love," Even back then -- he was SO young, in May '65 he was still 21 years old, he's wearing nondescript pants and his old favorite striped sweatshirt -- man, he could work a crowd like no one else. He sings that song and starts to point to girls in the sudience with "I need YOU, YOU, YOU." He points to me. I do not scream, I blow him a kiss.
Brian is playing his famous white guitar (I think it was a Vox), grinning from ear to hair, his amazing blond hair shining in the spotlights. He and Keith are riffing and ripping. Bill stands like a statue and is part of the machine ('scuse me while I kiss the Who, & Hendrix!): the pounding, balls-on-accurate rhythm machine that is Charlie Watts and Bill Wyman, whose bass is always held nearly upright.
The audience goes insane. They play all the early stuff. The snotty New York critics predict that compared with the Beatles, "This scruffy, wild bunch of kids won't last long."
Betcha that asshole critic has been six feet under fertilizing the grass for some time now. HAH! And our boys are still with us, save the always-fragile genius, Brian.
48 years later I am still in love with them. Simply the best.