Having seen Charlie drum with Ben Waters twice this year, and I've got some wonderful footage which I'll upload next week, I'm beginning to realise that Charlie has no trouble drumming energetically for an hour and a half - 2hours, so is the pace/energy actually controlled by Keith/Chuck/Mick? I thought they kept it slow for Charlie's sake, but am not sure now. Is this in fact really obvious?

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guyrachel
Is this in fact really obvious?

Is what really obvious? That in most bands the drummer is the timekeeper, while in the Stones, Keith is the timekeeper? Yes. It's obvious, and one of things that makes the Stones special and different.

I thought this thread was from 1969.

What else is new?

chuck is the timekeeper

I'm paraphrasing; can't quite remember the exact quote at the moment:

"This is the only band I know of where everybody follows the rhythm guitarist." -Bill Wyman

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loveyoulive75
This is the only band I know of where everybody follows the rhythm guitarist

Yes, that's what has made the Stones so special.

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Keep On Rolling

Keith USED to dictate the tempo of a song. He was the musical leader and everybody followed him, Charlie included. But in the modern era, the Stones started using click tracks on stage to help them start the songs off in the same tempo every night.

For example, in '73 they might play "Gimme Shelter" at a fairly fast tempo one night and a slower tempo the next. But in the modern era ('89 thru the present), "Gimme Shelter" is played at the same tempo every night.


The band's use of a click track on stage has been discussed many times on this board. I personally don't like it and think it makes every show sound basically the same, whereas in the pre-Steel Wheels tours, every show was different with a different energy of it's own.

Even in the later years some songs on the setlist had tempo KR -> So keith would be the one to follow, but since his decline, it's clicktrackchuck

in my eyes you have to have a click track. only if the band is in form and has a very very special timing and only in some nights and then only for some songs it might be better without, otherwise you need a click track.

This has been a long known fact. Bill Wyman said it all in a great interview some years back. And yes that is why they are different.

Can someone please explain how and when a click-track interacts with the band?





Using this clip as an example...Keith isn't looking at anything to guide him through the speed...nor does Charlie. I still see this as Keith setting the tempo with Charlie right from the get go. I've heard this click-track talk for a long time but really could not understand WHERE it actually showed up. Do they HEAR the click track? Is there a blinking light? What is it?

If anyone has any specific examples of the click-track in action...would be appreciated!

I've heard talk of the click track for years and it does seem like Charlie does look at something. I don't know......

Goddammit. They use the click, however it is, to START the song. From what I know, from 1989 on. After that it's all up to Charlie - who goes off Keith, who goes off Charlie.

What is so difficult about that? They don't USE the click through the whole song. What is so difficult to think that they don't need it? They didn't use it for songs before, especially for the entire song. Doesn't mean they do now.

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Tumblin_Dice_07
Keith USED to dictate the tempo of a song. He was the musical leader and everybody followed him, Charlie included. But in the modern era, the Stones started using click tracks on stage to help them start the songs off in the same tempo every night.

For example, in '73 they might play "Gimme Shelter" at a fairly fast tempo one night and a slower tempo the next. But in the modern era ('89 thru the present), "Gimme Shelter" is played at the same tempo every night.


The band's use of a click track on stage has been discussed many times on this board. I personally don't like it and think it makes every show sound basically the same, whereas in the pre-Steel Wheels tours, every show was different with a different energy of it's own.

word. youve heard one vegas-era boot, youve heard them all.

They don`t use any click track.Where are Charlies headphones? It`s a bullshit.Truth is that Chuck is counting tempo before song start.

Isn't it also tru the click track is in synch with the computers that choreograph the lights, start animations and even trigger fireworks?

i am quite sure they use a click for the whole song, maybe not in every song, for example in midnight rambler it wouldn´t work. but most of the songs i think are to a click and not just for the start of the song. they wouldn´t be so consistent as others also mentioned throughout the song from night to night.

and the days when keith made the tempo are long gone, he definately relies on his backing band.