In the 60"s and 70's Keith would stand on stage and not move much,yes he would go over to share harmonies with Mick,and at other times turn his back to the audience and stand by Charlie's drums,and groove to whatever he was playing.
Then imo starting with the 80's he became a showman just like Mick he would jump and run all over the stage also his guitar playing became more of a show than substance,he started doing what l call his "monkey moves"with his arms.
Anyway anyone has any input into this very important subject???.(just kidding).
Check out the video below and you will see my point.




"No dope smoking no beer sold after 12 o'clock"

81-82 tour IMO

I think its just his new way of grooving
he's still 'feeling it'
to me it just looks like he is rocking out, not really showing off

at least he isnt eating bananas and waving

ya know, I think through the 80's, and even into the Vodoo Lounge Tour, Keith's playing wasn't compromised by his posturing on-stage. One of the things I notice after that period is that his hands are less and less on the guitar when he's doing this stuff, which is a bummer because I think the playing suffers. In that footage from '89, he's still playing killer ryhthm and riffs...not so much lately.

Licks tour IMO.
During the 80's and 90's his playing was great, he posed on stage but the killer riffs were there and even in 1997 he was one of the coolest cats around...but starting with the Licks tour he became a parody of himself. The last tour was pathetic.

Talk is cheap.

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Elmo Lewis
Talk is cheap.

It certainly is. Put your money where your mouth is.

JumpingKentFlash

When they went wireless gave keith the movement to free himself. wasn't the first wireless tour ever 81?

The flailing and showboating has killed his ability to play effective rhythm guitar.

He seems more interested in being worshipped as the indestructible, elegantly wasted outlaw/pirate rather than as one of the best rock musicians in history. Are we just paying money to be in his presence??

His wild arm gestures leave gaping holes in his playing that's nothing short of appalling.

Nothing makes me happier than when his right hand stays close to the strings, and he's strumming hard and fast, laying down that relentless rhythm that made him a legend in the first place. Most versions of Midnight Rambler still feature this.

Sadly those moments have gotten fewer and fewer over the years.

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keefriff99
The flailing and showboating has killed his ability to play effective rhythm guitar.

He seems more interested in being worshipped as the indestructible, elegantly wasted outlaw/pirate rather than as one of the best rock musicians in history. Are we just paying money to be in his presence??

His wild arm gestures leave gaping holes in his playing that's nothing short of appalling.

Nothing makes me happier than when his right hand stays close to the strings, and he's strumming hard and fast, laying down that relentless rhythm that made him a legend in the first place. Most versions of Midnight Rambler still feature this.

Sadly those moments have gotten fewer and fewer over the years.

Exactly right, kr99. This all started with the "Talk Is Cheap" tour - as Keith had to be the front man/carry the show.

The Steel Wheels tour and all that have followed have featured less and less guitar playing and more trying to upstage Mick (impossible!).

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE it when musicians show energy onstage. Rock musicians that stand still and glower down at their fretboards for 2 hours don't do much for me.

Keith can balance his playing with some good showmanship, but he's gone so far over to the showboating that it's ruining his guitar playing...and with the deterioration of his abilities due to arthritis, he needs all the help he can get.

That video; he's actually pretty good. But it's true - towrds the late years, it/s too much pose.

December 18, 1943.

I see your point about it possibly affecting his guitar playing but....

Personally I love his "showboating"... I think it's sexy!

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keefriff99
The flailing and showboating has killed his ability to play effective rhythm guitar.

He seems more interested in being worshipped as the indestructible, elegantly wasted outlaw/pirate rather than as one of the best rock musicians in history. Are we just paying money to be in his presence??

His wild arm gestures leave gaping holes in his playing that's nothing short of appalling.

Nothing makes me happier than when his right hand stays close to the strings, and he's strumming hard and fast, laying down that relentless rhythm that made him a legend in the first place. Most versions of Midnight Rambler still feature this.

Sadly those moments have gotten fewer and fewer over the years.

Yep. What he said.

I just want to say that (especially when I see it all put together like that on a clip) Keith has TOTALLY developed his own style of showboating. Much like his playing, he has his own moves, poses, body language. He had been getting on my nerves because I miss his playing, but his moves are actually quite superb; and even interesting.
I mean again - like many facets of Keith, I go "What the f*ck? What was that? But..it is pretty cool; I got to apply this..."

I think he began 'performing' more after fronting the Winos on tour in 1988.

i'd say even in 1978 his stage moves was more like a performer, compared every tour to 1976. then, he got better tour by tour. sure new barbarians and his solo tours helped a lot

..Maybe somewhere around 1961 .... Bet Keith lurvs 'em....
......Sorta like the BusBoys of the 60's ....... It Will Stand .... Yeah rockin' Orleans stuff ... Edith will know...





ROCKMAN

Waowwwwwww!
He's wild, passionate, graceful...oh ooh so terribly SEXY!!!!! I need more, definitively!

Like Georgelicks mentioned : keith has become a parody of him self. I cannot take him seriously as a guitar player anymore. He was great for me until the 81/82 tour. But since the 89 tour it become less and less. And more posing and posing.
But that does not cover up the sad truth and that is that Keith is these days almost laughable to see on stage. And that is something I don't like to say about my former 'hero'

1963, he inspired Pete Townsends windmill

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kees
Like Georgelicks mentioned : keith has become a parody of him self. I cannot take him seriously as a guitar player anymore. He was great for me until the 81/82 tour. But since the 89 tour it become less and less. And more posing and posing.
But that does not cover up the sad truth and that is that Keith is these days almost laughable to see on stage. And that is something I don't like to say about my former 'hero'

well if you speak about guitar-playing you're wrong, keith during steel wheels to voodoo lounge tour was at his best for sure technically..
speaking of on stage-moving, posing and acting, sure i prefer too the 69-82 keith.

I sort of look at it another way. Prior to 1981 the tours were a much smaller scale. AS the days of major stadium tours came about, people expected a bigger show and to be entertained, not just with music, but with a show. Like it or not, I think it became more of a stage act to "wow' and excite the people who paid to see the show. Unfortunately there are a very small percentage of us music purists that could even sit through a "boring" stage show while listening to great music. The majority of the casual music listeners want to be entertained first with big stage effects, dancing, etc. This seems to fit that mold to me.

Wayne

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wetland10
I sort of look at it another way. Prior to 1981 the tours were a much smaller scale. AS the days of major stadium tours came about, people expected a bigger show and to be entertained, not just with music, but with a show. Like it or not, I think it became more of a stage act to "wow' and excite the people who paid to see the show. Unfortunately there are a very small percentage of us music purists that could even sit through a "boring" stage show while listening to great music. The majority of the casual music listeners want to be entertained first with big stage effects, dancing, etc. This seems to fit that mold to me.

Wayne

Yeah, that's very true...but let's also keep in mind that the Stones feature arguably the greatest frontman in the history of rock'n'roll.

What more does an audience need than Mick @#$%&' Jagger?

I definitely think Keith came to understand the value of showmanship when he had to front his own band in '88. Again, nothing wrong with putting on a show, but the music HAS to come first.

I mean, look at a guy like Angus Young (AC/DC). Duck walks, head bangs and runs around for 2 hours onstage and hardly misses a note. It's cool, IF you can do it...

...but if the music suffers because you're too busy showboating and acting like a rockstar, that's unforgivable.

Take it easy on Keith.He can still perform excellently.His playing may have deteriorated over the years due to many factors including some health issues but he did a great job on the two shows that I saw on the last tour.

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keefriff99
Yeah, that's very true...but let's also keep in mind that the Stones feature arguably the greatest frontman in the history of rock'n'roll.

What more does an audience need than Mick @#$%&' Jagger?

I definitely think Keith came to understand the value of showmanship when he had to front his own band in '88. Again, nothing wrong with putting on a show, but the music HAS to come first.

I mean, look at a guy like Angus Young (AC/DC). Duck walks, head bangs and runs around for 2 hours onstage and hardly misses a note. It's cool, IF you can do it...

...but if the music suffers because you're too busy showboating and acting like a rockstar, that's unforgivable.

You're a music purist like me!

But, most who attend concerts are not. Look at the top drawing acts right now on tour. Many of them put the show first and the music second, or third. It's not something I like, but the everyday music fan usually does. Sure we think Mick Jagger is the greatest frontman, etc. but try to explain that to someone going to see Justin Timberlake or even Madonna. It's a lost cause.

Wayne

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stones_serb
Take it easy on Keith.He can still perform excellently.His playing may have deteriorated over the years due to many factors including some health issues but he did a great job on the two shows that I saw on the last tour.

I always think the same thing when I read these Keith posts. Our most recent memory of Keith involves touring while recovering from a head/brain injury. Give the guy a break, let's see how he plays on the next tour.

Wayne

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keefriff99

I definitely think Keith came to understand the value of showmanship when he had to front his own band in '88. Again, nothing wrong with putting on a show, but the music HAS to come first.

I mean, look at a guy like Angus Young (AC/DC). Duck walks, head bangs and runs around for 2 hours onstage and hardly misses a note. It's cool, IF you can do it...

...but if the music suffers because you're too busy showboating and acting like a rockstar, that's unforgivable.

I'm pretty sure that Keith's playing did suffer much more from his arthritis (and maybe other health issues) than from the showmanship. In fact I think it's the other way round from what you suggest: I guess that maybe beginning with the licks tour he increased the showmanship (which had always been a sight to see) to detract from his diminishing abilities, which may be sad, but also quite understandable.



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 2009-07-16 18:08 by Greenblues.

Farawayeyes2 : I don't agree with you that Keith was technicall y better during the first 90-tours than say during the 78 tour. It was a different way of playing for sure but from VL on I strongly felt also technically Keith was getting worse and worse. He was also not good during the NS tour.