It's Only Rock'n Roll
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It's Only Rock'n Roll |
Please email all your memories and reviews! Thanks!
As is becoming a favourite press theme, the local papers were talking about lack of ticket sales and how the Stones were far too old to be touring. This is so much bullshit. On the day the gigs are full, and Edinburgh was no exception. The crowd loved it and the press had to report 'satisfaction' again the following day.
Maybe this is just the British press, I don't know, but if BB King and James Brown can still perform, why shouldn't the Stones go on. It is just another case of putting people on a pedestal and then trying to knock them off when they get to big or become unfashionable in the critics, but not the punters eyes!
As for the gig itself, well it was wonderful to be in a more intimate environment than the bigger capitals like Washington, Paris and London. Rain during the day had cleared and we had a dry, mild night. Everybody was in a party mood and the front 20 feet were hassle free; no war zone in 'the pit'. The sound was excellent (from that position at least) and you really felt the power of the band on the extended jams during Paint it Black, Rambler, & Sympathy. You can feel the 'tightness' of the band in these situations. You know they love performing; damm it, why should they stop!!
True, it would have been nice to have had something closer to the No Security set, Edinburgh was quite similar to Paris 1998, but I was not disappointed. What the critics miss is just how much fun it is and how many people still enjoy 'the event', even outside of the music. For two hours everyone really is in StonesWorld and that is why we come back, and will keep coming back.
Start time: 20:50 End time : 22:55
The set list:
The stories circulating were that the concert had sufferied poor ticket sales I.E. only half the tickets were sold , but come the concert this story was un-true as murrayfield was more or less full to the brim
Mick was true to form , Keith was in heaven specially we Mick is on the Harmonica and even Ronnie was moving around and down the stage , overall the band were fantastic , tight and all seemed to be enjoying themselves !!
My next concert is wembley on Saturday and my only grip is the uk fans missing out on Memory Motel , Some Girls , Fool to cry , and even the old lion entance Get off my cloud . Concert highlights over the last 2 years .
Is it fair to get Angie , Ruby Tuesday etc again ?? Hope they a liitle more adventurious in London
Shortly before nine the video started with the Stones walking towards us down a long corridor. Then we could see Charlie and Ronnie in the backstage area, Charlie made a run for his seat and suddenly Keith was there and they were ripping into Jumping Jack Flash a great rough version. The crowd went nuts. Lots of excitement. Then came You got me Rocking, not my favorite but when it's followed by Live with me, Respectable, Gimmie Shelter, Honky Tonk Women and Angie, I can hardly complain.
Saint of Me and Out of Control fit in well, but I think it was a bit bright for the production effects of Out of Control to be at their best. Paint it Black was greeted with more Enthusiasm from the Scottish crowd, then Keith took over before the bridge led the band to the B-Stage. Route 66 was great to hear, but I had seen "mbler" on the perspex beside Charlie when the Camera was focused on the drum kit, so I knew my favorite was coming. Like a Rolling Stone followed, I know they had been playing Get off my Cloud, which I would have preferred, but Midnight Rambler made all the travel worthwhile. A fantastic version, great energy and I was right beside the B Stage for it !!
Sympathy for the devil making an early appearance highlighted the fact the Satisfaction would be back. The run in apart from that was as always. I left the field tired and happy ! - Unusually for an Irishman leaving Murrayfield with a victorious feeling.
Reality got in the way of being able to attend the Club show, but Wembley is beckoning on Saturday.
Anyway, before I could imagine, I was again front row (side of Keith). Ready for the kick off of the British Bridges to Babylon leg. Time now for the show.
I must say that I really enjoyed Sheryl Crow as special guest. Not only because she�s got a beautiful sexy body but in the first place because of her voice. Oh my lord, she sounded really clear (what a voice) �All I want to do, is have some fun� and I surely had some. Thanks Sheryl, I hope to see and hear you one day with the Stones onstage. (please!)
8.15 pm (Stonestime) No Satisfaction for the British fan but a steamy short version of JJF (without any horns). Keith was yet again first on stage, wearing a long black coat, green scarf and black sunglasses (cool). Mick on the other side was jumping around in a turquoise blue coat (no sign of a kilt girls!) Second one, You got me rocking (as rocking as always) At this stage, Mick was dancing around like a lunatic. �It�s nice to be back in Scotland�s capital, it�s fantastic you�ve waited so long to see us�
After this intro came Live With Me & Respectable. Perhaps to promote the No Security album! I don�t think the Scottish crowd went nuts for these tracks. I think they came in the first place for real classic 60's songs as Gimme Shelter (the 51 000 crowd in a fine singalong mood) & Honkey Tonk Women (It was very fine that Mick came all the way down to slap hands, including mine)
Angie was nice but I prefer the acoustic version. Saint of Me & Out of Control were well accepted although two persons from York were hoping to hear Flip the Switch (it�s perhaps on the slow selling NS album but the Stones will not play it live in Britain... they should have come to Europe last year! Paint it black (nice intro & for an American next to me, the highlight of the evening)
Again Keef was Cool! All About You = I don�t know why but this is a true ballad that I like a lot. And when Keith missed one line (it wasn�t �I�m so sick & tired but You�re the first to get laid�), he started to laugh (nice, really really nice) BTMMR (rocking his heart out)
The small stage? No sign of the Rolling Chairs (as they were called in a British magazine) It was 101% rocking & rolling (no enormous stage & no fire works) Route 66 (why not play Ruby Tuesday or Brand New Car once) Like A Rolling Stone (I must say that I like this song, thanks Bob) Midnight Rambler (oh dear, what a feeling, amazing...without no doubt the highlight of the night. It started at 22.01 and rocked Edinburgh until 22.12) Could you imagine that at that time, it wasn�t yet dark in Scotland)
Once at the main Babylon stage, they runned through the normal set list Sympathy for the devil (1998 version but shorter) Tumbling Dice (soul feeling) IORR (I like it) This song is r&r as usual. SMU (one of the best live Stones songs, kicking Murrayfield extremely hard) Brown Sugar (quite a long version)
Only falsenote : they did only one encore! I hoped for YCAGWYW but perhaps this is just a fact. You can already be happy to hear one encore... At least the Scottish fans had total Satisfaction (now with a long version)
Scottish people will remember this show as stony as ever. I�ll also remember my trip to Edinburgh. Saturday I waited at the entrance of the Balmoral Hotel when Mick came back from a restaurant. I received a nice autograph of Mick Jagger, signed �To Peter�. When I said that I enjoyed the show, he was happy and he started to laugh when I said : �Although I hope you�ll sing Some Girls & Bitch at Wembley because I know some around �. Thanks Mick 100 times (?should you ever read these reviews?).
I�m really looking forward to London (the convention, show, Sticky Fingers, ...)
Thanks to each and every one of you for supplying links to online newspapers, and reviews, of course!
Read all about the "No Security" and "Bridges To Babylon" tours of 1999 in the It's Only Rock'n Roll magazines. New issue IORR 36 out May 18, 1999.
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It's Only Rock'n Roll 1999 -
© The Rolling Stones Fan Club Of Europe |