It's Only Rock'n Roll
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It's Only Rock'n Roll |
But first I had to wait for the band to show up on the small stage, of course. First we had the Goo Goo Dolls. I'll tell you, that's a great band. They could be the Genesis or the Nirvana of year 2000. Great guitars, great songs and great rock'n'roll. And it seems like they are getting a great following by the Stones fans as well. My favorite song is the one done by the bass player. It's a killer song, and I just have to see him doing that one every night, it's like a bonus for me.
Twenty five past nine. I'm at my seat, by the small stage, the lights is out, and the Stones is on. Hartford is going mad, as they have the Stones in town for the first time in 18 years, since 1981. Great crowd, no security...
We are getting "Bitch". I was told they did a few takes of "I Got The Blues" at the soundcheck, but it did not show up at the show tonight. May be later on, may be it's just something they do for fun But "Memory Motel" was outstanding. I could not ask for more.
"Paint It Black". Great as usual. Keith is on. He says "It's good to be home", and also he says he lives in Connecticut, so he really feels like being home. "Silver" is great, and "Run" is rocking as usual.
"Out Of Control" is like a bridge for me. I know it's only minutes until they will be down here, by my front seat at the small stage. Some big guys from security have taken up seat 7 and 9 in front of me, but I am in 8 and I have a "touch hands" spot up here, so I'm fine. Then the band comes all down. Mick is first. I am all nuts by now, doing high five, and Mick is there, left hand, then right hand, what more can I ask for? Then Mick brings up a small pocket camera, kneels, makes a couple of "tourist" shots of us in the crowd, before the rest of the band arrives, and they do a terrific version of "Route 66".
I've been so close before. I've been on Keith's side, and I've been on Ronnie's side. But they are all a few feet away from the stage on this No Security setup. Now Mick is just one and half foot away from me at all times. Keith and Ronnie is walking up to me as well from time to time. I am in Stones heaven. They do "Get Off Of My Cloud". Then "Rambler". I am watching every step Mick is doing. Keith is a lot with Charlie, too bad. Ronnie is raving around, having a lot of fun, but is mostly deeply concentrated on the set and his playing. Charlie is smiling along all the time. I've got a perfect spot at him, as he is enjoying the show, playing his drums. And by the way, the sound is outstanding.
Then they leave us to finish the last part of the show. I am satisfied already, but the rest of the show is just as good as the first part. Perfect seat. perfect show.
Tomorrow it's a big basketball game for the Hartford fans. UCONN is in the finals playing DUKE down in Florida. They say the final is at 9pm, half an hour before the Stones are on for the 2nd show. Mick has promised to bring the score all along as their show is on. I just hope and pray that Hartford UCONN win their game, so that we get the perfect Stones show tomorrow. But anyway, win or loose, I will be there tomorrow, and hope for another fantastic show!
Start time : 9:25 End time : 11:25
The set list:
What a great tool is the Internet that allows us to meet people from everywhere with one thing in common: PASSION FOR THE GREATEST LIVE ACT IN THE PLANET. Keep on rocking everybody!
Before making this review, I read all the reviews of both shows in this site to avoid duplication of information. I will focus my review in features not mentioned or my particular perception of the show. Songs not mentioned were OK, but all commented previously or simply nothing to add.
What a great intro! This was my first show of the tour and it is a real cool intro: The light off, then the video while the crowd is going crazy and then Mr. Richards takes the stage wildly with JJF. Great version but not just that, it is just great to hear it as the opening. Sometimes in the regular place in the setlists on previous tours, neither the Rolling Stones nor the audience have the energy and enthusiasm that this classic deserves.
Bitch was just great, Mick with a lot of power, it rocked. I liked more this version that the regular on the B2B tour.
The versions of You Got Me Rocking and Respectable were SUPER. For me, the audience didn�t respond as expected. Memory Motel HYPONTISED the audience, we were in complete silence except for the Keith vocals in which we showed our great appreciation for him.
Some Girls was excellent, I was trying to catch the lyrics to see for any change due to Luciana and/or Jerry but I couldn�'t, he was so fast for my poor English, but thanks Scott Allen for including this in your review.
Paint it Black started with it's typical guitar solo with the audience watching in silence, then when Charlie played the first beat the crowd went crazy; it was cool, even that most of the audience remained seated. During this song somebody in my back threw something and did hit me requesting us to seat. We did it >:=((
During the intros and thank you's, I noticed something different: For the very first time (at least in my shows experience including recorded audios and videos) the audience gave the longest and louder applause and ovation to Ronnie instead of Charlie as usual. He of course deserved that but let me tell you �Charlie'�s good tonight�.
For the Keith singing section, he selected the best two songs from his own set-list in the current tour. For the first time I heard You Got the Silver, I was in an emotional trance during this long-time favourite of mine. He didn�t introduce the song saying �I got the silver� as in previous shows; maybe he�s broken.
Then LOL, Before They Make me Run was played without �rarities� in between (call them improvisations or slight �changes�, or out-of-tunes, words missed, etc) Great version it was like a cover of the original studio version. For the B-stage, I just want to mention that the version of Midnight Rambler paid my whole trip including all expenses. It was outstanding the best part of both shows (for me), saying this I am also saying that this version was better than the one in the second show.
For the rest of the show, IORR was great. But woo who! What a great encore we had, what a great version of Sympathy for the Devil. I simply closed my eyes and start singing a duet with Mick. I didn'�t open my eyes during the whole performance; it was a different experience that I cannot describe due to lack of words even in my own language.
At the end of the show we were trying to make a miracle, to have a second encore but we couldn'�t. So we were at The Hartford Brewery to meet and celebrate the end of another concert. Unfortunately this City has some �out of time� regulations and the bars there close at 1:00 AM... The city sleeps, somebody said to me when watching the city from the 20th floor �it looks like a graveyard with street lights�
Thanks to Ted Saxlid and 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 35 out Jan 20, 1999, and the complete No Security guide in IORR 36 is out April 23, 1999.
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It's Only Rock'n Roll 1999 -
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