It's Only Rock'n Roll
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It's Only Rock'n Roll |
I just came back home after seeing the Stones at the Globe in Stockholm. And my brain is filled with what Mick used to call mixed emotions...
There's no doubt it was a great show. I saw the guys in Gothenburg a little more than a month ago, but it was much nicer in the "cosy" globe. Most songs worked better in the "small" arena. I especially enjoyed "Out Of Control" and "Saint Of Me". The crowd kept singing "Saint Of Me" long after the song had finished! ALL "Bridges To Babylon" songs are better than their "Steel Wheels" or "Voodoo Longue" counterparts.
Another thing I enjoyed was the seats. We were actually BEHIND the stage, but it made no difference. We could see the band extremely well, actually a far better view than on the opposite side of the hockey rink. The seats were probably the best value - a good view, cheapest seats. The four boys took a final bow just for us!
But.... after seeing the Stones in Gothenburg, I had hoped for more surprises. OK, we got three songs which weren't played in Gothenburg ("Let's Spend The Night Together", "You Don't Have To Mean It", "You Can't Always Get What You Want"), but those songs weren't really surprises. I had hoped for "Memory Motel" or "She's A Rainbow". And why don't the Stones ever pick up goodies like "Moonlight Mile" or "Fingerprint File"?
The centre-stage songs were identical to Gothenburg ("Little Queenie", "You Got Me Rocking", "Like A Rolling Stone"). Apparently they didn't remember what songs they played in Gothenburg. And they didn't even play the web-choice (I think it was "Shine A Light" or "Memory Motel"). And I actually find it a bit boring with the third tour in a row ending with almost the same line of songs...
Final verdict: A very well played show with a fantastic atmosphere, but give us something UNEXPECTED next time around!
Start time: 21:05 End time : 23:25
The set list:
First time ever I saw the Stones live was in 1973, Scandinavium, Gothenburg, Sweden, 11,000 people. Now 25 years later it felt like the circle was closed. Back to the smaller show concept, and back to Sweden.
The 360 degrees crowd with people even behind the stage makes the show even better. And the acoustics were good, the sound loud, may be not as intense as in Prague, but we had more air to breathe in.
Satisfaction felt fast and strong. During the last part of Satisfaction, Keith went up to the rightside front of the stage, slided down to a full split, (I mean the kind of full split they only do at the gymnastics!), and continued playing on his guitar. In fact Keith was very, very active and energic, playing a lot, good sound on his guitar as well.
Mick talked a lot in Swedish, not as good as in Gothenburg, may be he did not practice that much this time, as he thought he remembered from last time. Then he said that it was nice to be here, and it was nice to have the King and the Queen of Sweden in the crowd as well. I was much surprised, as I don't think they do that many rock shows. Later, I was told that they were seated among the rest of the crowd, not in one of the VIP boxes. Well, who want to be in a box when it's rock'n roll around?
I got really disappointed when they jumped right from Out Of Control into Miss You. They really took away one of the best parts of the show, the song that use to be the web choice. Tonight it should have been Shine A Light... Up to then everything had been perfect. And I really didn't enjoy Miss You as much as I use to.
They did You Can't Always get What You Want. Then Brown Sugar of course. A very, very good show, but not so creative setlist. As a lot of the fans at this show propably went to the Ullevi show earlier this summer, I think they could have added some more spice into the set list. But who am I to complain, I got another great show, and as my body is still ringing with the great versions of Paint It Black, Out Of Control, Saint Of Me and Gimme Shelter, then I guess I am just greedy...
I had a floor ticket, and arrived at approx. 20:30, and before the concert started, I was standing almost in the corner between the catwalk and the stage. When they moved to the small stage, I used Bj�rnulfs trick (thank you for the tip!) and moved closer to the main stage, finding myself standing on the fence support. For me, this was the ultimate Stones concert! They played SO good, I had a perfect view all the time, better than standing before the small stage in Oslo (This time I could both see AND hear. No small stage sound problems).
Inside that hall, standing in the front, it felt like I was attending a small gig (like Rockefeller in Oslo, for those who know it) , not a 15.000 people venue. This was like standing in front of the small stage ALL the time. No TV screens, no stage decorations, just the guys themselves. I couldn't have had a better time. Where I was standing, the sound was good and LOUD (my ears are finally back to normal today, two days after). You get a certain power and punch indoor that you don't achive outside. This was rock'n'roll at its best, and thay confirmed that this IS STILL the greatest rock'n'roll band in the world. You could see that the guys enjoyed playing, and when they do, they always do a great concert. It was a VERY friendly and positive audience, and you could see on Micks face that he was pleased with the crowd. For me, this was a perfect evening (Miss You, was as usually boring. I am not sure, but was it a little shorter than usual?).
I am glad it's 9 months before I go to Wembley, a stadium show sooner would be a downer after this!
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It's Only Rock'n Roll 1998 -
© The Rolling Stones Fan Club Of Europe |