It's Only Rock'n Roll
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It's Only Rock'n Roll |
"Es ist sch�n wieder in Hannover zu sein" (it�s nice to be back in Hannover) said Mick after "Let�s Spend The Night Together". The crowd (90000 - sold out!) was great and Mick appreciated that taking all the opportunities to tell us, i.e. "Ihr seid super" (You are so great) after Miss You etc..
"Saint Of Me" was the longest and best version I ever heard with us singing it to the max, though the song was finished already and Mick sang with us again directing the crowd. We got all the songs we wanted in this set with "Anybody Seen My Baby", "It�s Only Rock�n Roll", "Love Is Strong" (web choice) and "You Got Me Rocking" on the center stage - simply everything was perfect this night!
Start time: 9.15 End time : 11.37
The set list:
The reason why I didnt like it at all was the venue and the crowd. I was there with my father, and we were standing at about one third into the field, at the mixing tower on stage right. 99.999 tickets went on sale, and the gig wasn fully sold out, but in my opinion, there were close to 100.000 people there, which was way too big. Even at our standing point, nobody cared about the concert. People were yawning all the time, not singin or clapping along, and many left before it was over. I hated it, because I had come to see a concert and dance and sing and have fun, but it was not possible. And this was the case with most of the crowd. The people directly before the stage seemed to have fun, but this couldnt disguise the fact that the Stones failed to connect to most of the crowd.
The lowpoint came when I danced during Miss You and one girl advised me to stop "because I would hit here with my elbow". I was close to beating here. I mean, why do these people come to the gig, why do they pay a large sum of money? Just to stand there complaining about the bad and dusty acre they are standing in, that they can see a thing? They would be right. But that doesnt justify keeping people away from trying to have fun.
I mean, what do you expect from a crwod, that gives an absolutely astonishing performance of Gimme Shelter, my favourite Stones song, only polite applause, that doesnt do the Oo-Oos in Sympathy and even fails to sing along to Yeah-Yeah-Yeah-Whoo in Brown Sugar? OK, enough of complaining, every band has concerts that for some reason or the other are not as good as others and even the Stones fail from time to time.
After we had settled everything with my wife's aunt and uncle, we left for the tram that could take us to the EXPO 2000 area, which is more or less the area of the Hannover trade fairs. We took the line 1, not the line 8, which was crowded, but ended up south of the field. When we arrived at the concert place, more or less a parking lot for the trade fairs, the gates had just opened. so we ran again. :-)))))
As the people taking the line 8 were let into the site on the right side, there was no way to get into the Keith section, but running 800 m took us comfortably into the Ronny section. This time we were even nearer the stage than in Duesseldorf, only two or three people in front of us and about two to the right where the Catwalk is. Dieter Hoffmann had "pool position" on this side and he wouldn't give up his place.
The concert started late. Tickets said 7 pm, but an annoucer told us, that there were traffic jams outside, so the y would start an hour later. Which was not true, because next morning newspapers, which had very large pictures, stated, that traffic was really pretty low, not a lot of jams for people COMING to the concert.
Dave Matthews was on around 7.55 pm, doing about 40 minutes. He did some other songs than in Duesseldorf, was a bit more interesting, but again no band that works outside in the sunshine.
The weather was hot, windy after the sun had gone down and the wind was blowing onto the stage.
The Stones came on 9.15 pm, Keith and Charlie coming out together, Keith going to the front, posing until the rockets came out and then the concert got really going.
This seemed to be Ronnie's night, I could hear him play clearly from Satisfaction onwards, doing lots of bits and pieces, licking here and there or taking the rhythm part.
1) Satisfaction
Strong version, Ronnie in good mood, Keith really hitting bits, Jagger running round and showing the strength of his voice (again). Both glimmer twins right in the middle of the stage front for the ending, laughing and smiling.
2) Let's Spend the night together
Ronnie doing lots of rhythm bits, smiling at Jagger, Jagger smiling back, Both back to back, Richards moved a way from his mike, but also did some very nice backing vocals with some kind of tremolo in his voice I hadn't noticed before.
3) Flip the Switch
Keith messed up the first riff a bit, but got into it very fast, Jagger moving all over the stage, singing very strong. The Audience around us was singing every word to it.
4) Gimme Shelter
Absolutely strong version, Keith and Ronnie doing their "weaving" thing, interchanging notes and riffs. When Richards did the rhythm, Ronnie filled with lead riffs and vice versa. Lisa was not trying to be as prominent as she usually is, but did a real strong version with Mick. Rounds of applause for Lisa.
5) Anybody Seen my Baby
Back in the set again. I thought they were doing something else first, but the ASMB started. OK by me, some people did not seem to like it, but Bernard and Jagger did a good rap.
Ronnie was pretty strong again, his likc scould be heard very loudly in the mix and he seemed to enjoy it. Lots of encouraging from Mick and Keith by looking at him smilingly.
6) It's only Rock'N'Roll
At our side the first few rows started to sing the chorus before the song even started. Jagger noticed that and smiled at us. Then Keith hit the chords and off we went. Again Ronnie was heard very loud, "weaving" with Keith again"
7) Saint of me
We started singing "Oh Yeah" again when Jagger got his guitar, so he knew, we knew what was going to ome and he smiled again. Some girls a round us had taken some spare undies and bras and waved them throughout the song, which Jagger seemed to like. He and Keith pointed at our area at some time during the song.
The japanese couple that I had seen in Duesseldorf were inf ront of us again and held out their notes to Ronnie, he waved back.
8) Out of control
The "Oh Yeah" went on for a couple of minutes, so Jagger had to start OOC, to cool it down. Very strong version, lots of spasmo dance around the stage, very delicate trumpet this time, really, really good. Keith did a lengthy solo and moved all over the place like Mick did.
9) Love is strong
It did win at last. Mind, when I voted on Thursday, I gained 0,5 % with my vote. It had 21 % in the end. Jagger siad something like they had to do it now and had to rely on Ronnie, see if he remembers it. Ronnie laughed and Keith set off with the riff. It was a rather rough version, Mick missing out on some of the harmonica bits. It seemed pretty underrehearsed, maybe that's why they did not do it before. But it was a change from UMT and I liked it a lot, I had only heard it a couple of times on the last tour, so I was very pleased.
10) Miss you
The usual "Wollt ihr mitsingen?" at the beginning. This time Mick tried to lick Lisa's breasts, but she wouldn't let him. Keiht did smoke a cigarette in the middle, when everybody gathers in front of the drums.
11) Intro
Jagger, who mentioned Hannover a ccouple fo times before, introduced Blondie as "Being in Hamburg with us for the first time". Well, Hamburg will see the show in late August, Mick, this was Hannover. :-)
The Charlie-chant got under way before Ronnie was introduced, so Mick cut that short with introducing Ronnie and then Charlie. He got rounds of applause, but The cries for Charlie in Duesseldorf were more intense.
12) Thief in the night
Keith told us, that he did mean it when he said he liked to be back in Hannover. TITN was very laid back, Leah was doing backing vocals and dance again, Blondie on gutiar and Keith' guitar roadie did keybords with Chuck, shaking hands with him after the song finished. Nice solo by Ronnie Ronnie kept looking at Leah and she smiled back
13) Wanna hold you
Very uptempo, very fast, very good. Lots of licks from Ronnie again and the horns really kicking.
14) Little Queenie
Very fast again, both guitars loud and clear in the mix, Keith doing the low stuff, Ronnie the high notes, as far as I could see.
15) You got me rocking
Mick asked Ronnie"What's the next song Ronnie?, Ronnie?" And he mumbled YGMR. Very strong slide guitar playing by Ronnie, the other chords were played by Keith.
16) Like a Rolling Stone
Having seen that song about 18 times now, they could now play something else in that position, but nevertheless it was very strong. Mick doing some slight extensions on his harp solo, the odd note here and there, ok all in all.
17) Sympathy for the Devil
When they came back on the catwalk, the girls with the underwear started throwing panties and bras at Keith and Charlie. Both did not catch them, but Keith got some up and took it with him. Jagger usually comes down the catwalk in his "Sympathy" dress about 3 minutes later, when he is about to start to sing, he got some more underwear as well. In the song you could hear Ronnie again very loudly, licking here and there. Jagger moved out onto both sides, Keith did a very hefty solo, hitting the strings really hard.
18) Tumbling Dice
I like the bit on the Jumbotron during the solo, where they switch on The guitar camera on Ronnie's guitar, so you get the impression of a guitar neck with everything else around moving. Ronnie did not move that much this time, but Daryl tried to get into the picture as well. Keith and Ronnie interchanged licks again, very good song.
19) Honky Tonk Women
Keith started fast, but slowed down a bit, lots of girls on the video screen this time. Now the rest of the underwear was thrown onstage and Jagger picked it up to bring it to the drumset. He gave a boyish grin and seemed to like it. Keith did his piano bit again (which, having seen it for three tours not, gets a bit boring) and people were singing heavily.
20) Start me up
Again three starts to the songs, Keith seems to like to do it this way, lots or running and moving around. Very good version, although not as spectacular as before. Jagger went down all the way to stand in front of the front row, roughly one m away from me, all for the jumbotron.
21) Jumping Jack Flash.
Keith and Ronnie's Showdown for tonight, Keith came round to say byebye to us, Ronnie moved around, Jagger went to both sides of the stage, as did Keith. In the end, Ronnie took off his guitar and hit the stage with it for a couple of times, just like guitar heroes do. Jagger saw that and looked at him in amazement, Ronnie smiled back.
22) Brown sugar
When they came out again, Ronnie went to his side of the stage, where the stairs are and set down there, played on and on. He sat there for about 1 1/2 minutes. I have never seen him do that before. In the end you have Bernard and Lisa with Mick at stage center front, this time they did some more yeah yeah yeah oohhhs than usual. Great ending to a great show.
General remarks: They seemed to be happier on stage than in Duesseldorf, playing was much stronger (again), alhtough the crowd was not going that far as they were in Duesseldorf. My area was ok, but this was a field, more or less sqare, and lots of people did not really see them very good. There was less singing going on generally, although we did sing quite a lot in our area.
Lots of picks were thrown in the audience, I nearly grabbed one, but somebody hit my hand, so I lost it. Got someconfetti though. As the wind was blowing TO the stage, all the Brown sugar confetti got onto the stage, we were covered in confetti and the stage was covered as well, must have been very slippery up there.
If you ask me: Duesseldorf and Hannover were very strong shows. The music was a bit better in Hannover, Ronnie was twice as strong as in Duesseldorf, but the audience in Duesseldorf was better (Maybe because an arena has a different sound to a field, I don't know). 60.000 in Duesseldorf, 90.000 in Hannover, both sold out.
T-Shirts: I noticed they have got new ones there. I bought on in Duesseldorf, that had the first dates till on it (MAY: Berlin, Munich, Gelsenkirchen etc). Now they were selling a version 2.0, starting in June with Nurnberg, bu still having Milano and Bilbao on it, although all the other dates in right order. For Poland they mentioned Katowice now and Frankfurt, which was on the first version, is gone now.
I hope I did not bore you too much with this repot, Have lots of fun in Amsterdam, people going there should be in for a very good show. I don't know if I can make it to Amsterdam workwise, but I will be back in Munich. See you there.
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It's Only Rock'n Roll 1998 -
© The Rolling Stones Fan Club Of Europe |