if you did what were they like?what was the atmosphere like?I was to young to go but this is when I bought Tattoo you my 1st stones album.can anyone who went to the shows give a detailed account of what it was like to be at one of these concerts please?

when you watch it on dvd its like WOW I would have loved to have been there

Feel The Fear
And Do It Anyway

I did!
Prince got boo-ed off stage
George Thorogood....was good
J Geils was good, but did nothing fron their brand new Centerfold LP
and the Stones were the Stones

my opening band was sreaming jay hawkins...didnt even know who he was at the time.

My first time seeing them. At the Pontiac Silver Dome in Michigan. Iggy Pop and Santana warmed up. Iggy came out in a mini skirt and people began pelting him with beer cups, full...so he lasted about six songs and left the stage. Then Santana did a full on forceful set with their entire percussion section blasting away.
The Stones came on way late. Being in High School it was a rush of adrenaline. I ignored the fact that Mick looked ridiculous in his warm up pants and football Jersey and the fact they sounded very sloppy. It was a rush. And I loved it. Not so much for the music, but the event.
Then when Still Life came out it was put in more clear perspective, that they traded their darkness for bright commercial fanfare of the 80's. And in retrospect this was one of my least favorite tours. . .

I saw the opening night shows at Madison Square Garden in New York (November 12) and the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland (December 7). They were both solid shows, with the Garden one being a notch better. The set lists were identical. Screaming Jay Hawkins opened at the Garden, Bobby Womack at the Cap Centre. The wait for the Stones seemed interminable, and the Stones seemed more friendly than threatening.

I saw them at Candlestick Park on Oct 17, 1981... the first concert held their since that band from Liverpool played there last ever offivcial concert... they opened with Under my Thumb... we were about 15 yards from the stage, center up... J Geils and GT opened... we came to see the Stones... it was great!

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gripweed
I saw them at Candlestick Park on Oct 17, 1981... the first concert held their since that band from Liverpool played there last ever offivcial concert... they opened with Under my Thumb... we were about 15 yards from the stage, center up... J Geils and GT opened... we came to see the Stones... it was great!

Saw both the 17th and the 18th @ the Stick....Opening bands rocked and so did the Stones! Even with all the plywood they put down the turf it was still a muddy mess.

I did! But we had to travel to Buffalo because Keith was persona non grata in Canada at the time.

The Stones were great! The only trouble was it was a windy day. Mick hit his mouth with the microphone (because of the strong winds) and he knocked the diamond out of his tooth. He tried to locate it on stage but he finally got back into the song and gave up.

Mick's dentist was flown in from NYC later that night to place a new diamond in his tooth.

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No Expectations

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gripweed
I saw them at Candlestick Park on Oct 17, 1981... the first concert held their since that band from Liverpool played there last ever offivcial concert... they opened with Under my Thumb... we were about 15 yards from the stage, center up... J Geils and GT opened... we came to see the Stones... it was great!

Saw both the 17th and the 18th @ the Stick....Opening bands rocked and so did the Stones! Even with all the plywood they put down the turf it was still a muddy mess.

I was there with you guys. Just a blast. LOts of traffic, lots of people and lots of Stones music from every corner of every parking area. Poor whitem8 up there must've been expecting too much and has never been pleased since if he thought this tour was commercially lousy. What a great time....even with Jovan!










Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012-08-25 19:38 by Munichhilton.

I saw them in '81 on the tour's debut gig - JFK Stadium in Philly; my second Stones show. It's gained a reputation as being a very bad show. They were rusty and nowhere near as good as they would get as the tour rolled on. Still, the atmosphere was thrilling and despite the mistakes, botched intros and all, the Stones still rocked and I had a great time right in front of the stage.

I saw them in Orlando, Fl on Sunday, October 25 at the Tangerine Bowl. $15 per ticket (man was that expensive).

The Henry Paul Band and Van Halen opened (could see Eddie's wife Valarie Bertinelli on the side of the stage). Was down on the field about in the middle and thought this will do. When the Stones came on, the field became a mob scene and could not see anything. Walked up into the stands and sat in an aisle (glad I had my Binoculars with me)! I thought it was a good show, but memory is fading from 31 years ago.

Came up on Saturday and hotel scene was a real party - all Stones fans.


Found this:

[therockfile.wordpress.com]


Some additional 1981 stories:

[www.iorr.org]

both seattle shows. it was an unusually quiet and peaceful atmosphere. very pleasant, i thought.

5 times that year. Twice in Boulder, Cedar Falls, and twice in K.C. Good memories!

Louisville - they played "Down the Road Apiece".
Of course, I thought they were awesome but the other people with me thought they sounded a bit rough...

My first Stones show was Orchard Park Sept 27th. Very windy day. Sound blew all over the place. Had to cut down the pastel design as it was acting as a sail. They made a new one for later in the tour. Played in Boulder without it. Missed Thorogood. Journey were pretty dire. Stones were ragged but right. Set was somewhat switched around from what it would be and included Down The Road Apiece and Tops. As they launched into Tumbling Dice mid show, they found theit mojo. By time of All Down The Line they rocked. Never forget Keith coming down stage left ramp behind Mick as a fan threw a leather jacket at his feet. Encore was Street Fighting Man. Also saw first Pontiac the one where Iggy did not wear the mini skirt. He still got pelted with debris. Stones were way more polished but less exciting than Orchard Park.

Saw them at Richfield Coliseum (now defunct), with Etta James opening.
Can't remember much about the music, just Mick in that cherry picker.
It was a fun night.

As i live in upstate, new York, I missed seeing the Stones in Orchard Park, Buffalo,which was early in the tour (and very windy from all accounts) but later caught them at the first of two shows at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, NY in late November 1981. Don't remember a lot of details other than the Stones were great. In my estimation, it was the last tour where the Stones (especially Mick), would demonstrate that menace and swagger that initially drew me to this band....

I was at the third show at the Capital Centre outside DC, December 9. Freezing cold night. I was beside myself the whole time. A friend tried to jump on the stage and got thrown out, without his coat. We found him shivering under the car when it was over.

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gripweed
I saw them at Candlestick Park on Oct 17, 1981... the first concert held their since that band from Liverpool played there last ever offivcial concert... they opened with Under my Thumb... we were about 15 yards from the stage, center up... J Geils and GT opened... we came to see the Stones... it was great!

The Stones put out, before the BIGGER BANG TOUR, a brand new shirt design (below) for that very date you saw. A pseudo-"vintage" shirt designed in 2005....for a 1981 show. I bought it in 2006 (same image but a different style shirt) and wore it to an MGM Grand, Vegas Stones show shortly after. Some older fans sitting near me were sort of perplexed. "You say this was designed recently? But it says 1981? Hmmm...." They finally understood "vintage" ain't always actually vintage.
Designed in 2005



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012-08-25 18:37 by Title5Take1.

My first Stones concert was at the Tangernie Bowl, Sunday the same one as 2000 LYFH attended. It was really magical to see them. The first time I'd seen any Beatles or Stones. I remember seeing a couple Hell's Angels and flower children in the audience. I too was down in the front but got so tired (we arrived 08:00) that I went and sat down after Shattered, which is how I felt. What a day!

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gripweed
I saw them at Candlestick Park on Oct 17, 1981... the first concert held their since that band from Liverpool played there last ever offivcial concert... they opened with Under my Thumb... we were about 15 yards from the stage, center up... J Geils and GT opened... we came to see the Stones... it was great!

Crap gripweed,I must have been right next to you! My first ever Stones show! And Munich Hilton and No Expectations were there as well! Right on!



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2012-08-25 21:31 by ChrisM.

Saw them Boulder 2nd day and Minneapolis. Boulder was outdoor big football stadium No seats on the field so we were cramed in the 4th row like sardiens. GT was great but Heart got booed. Stones rocked. Camped out with 50,000 stones fans and partied.
St.Paul civic center was 15,000 seat hockey arena with Stray Cats opening. Stones rocked again and it was cool to see them in different venues.

Wow, I can't believe how many opening acts there were. Were all there tours like this?

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BBstones
Saw them Boulder 2nd day and Minneapolis. Boulder was outdoor big football stadium No seats on the field so we were cramed in the 4th row like sardiens. GT was great but Heart got booed. Stones rocked. Camped out with 50,000 stones fans and partied.

You and I were part of the same 50,000.... we were up front too and it was not too tightly packed... I had a blast with you that day... crisp beautiful Colorado weather for a great daytime show. It was awesome. We also went the first day too... back to back Stones shows are happy days.... it was blast.. then we saw them 4 more times on that tour.

I did - in Gothenborg, fantastic consert by the greatest Rock ' Roll band with the best frontman ever.

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Title5Take1

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gripweed
I saw them at Candlestick Park on Oct 17, 1981... the first concert held their since that band from Liverpool played there last ever offivcial concert... they opened with Under my Thumb... we were about 15 yards from the stage, center up... J Geils and GT opened... we came to see the Stones... it was great!

The Stones put out, before the BIGGER BANG TOUR, a brand new shirt design (below) for that very date you saw. A pseudo-"vintage" shirt designed in 2005....for a 1981 show. I bought it in 2006 (same image but a different style shirt) and wore it to an MGM Grand, Vegas Stones show shortly after. Some older fans sitting near me were sort of perplexed. "You say this was designed recently? But it says 1981? Hmmm...." They finally understood "vintage" ain't always actually vintage.
Designed in 2005

Great! Looks homemade too.
Let me guess $45?

I did... Philadelphia 1st show of the tour.
Bad show, lots of mistakes. A total mess.
WORST PERFORMANCE BY THE STONES (OR ANY BAND) EVER.

i did too

buffalo ny, ticket stub says sept 27 1981 first time (outside) and December 1 1981 at the Silverdome in Detroit (inside)

buffalo show had journey (puke) open up first, then thorogood. (or maybe other way around, cant remember). it poured until thorogood was almost done his set; was so windy they didnt put up the silk screen artistic stuff on the set. that i do remember.

people were chucking stuff at journey, cans, bottles etc. i am not sure they even got through their set





inside show at pontiac mich. had santana open up, who i remember was great

wolfgangs vault has this show on file to listen to

[www.wolfgangsvault.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012-08-25 20:11 by pinkfloydthebarber.

syracuse-carrier dome henry paul, molly hatchet opened.good show

I saw them in Louisville, got there after back up, found seats just as house lights dimmed , and even if the 81 Tour is not one of my favorites, remember the show as one of the best ever. I was living in Indianpolis at the time. So next I convinced a bunch of people to head up to Detroit for the shows, picked up added cars at Fort Wayne , and somewhere along the way at a rest stop, a tiny waif of a girl, Georgia, scored a large handful of mind expanders that everyone in all 4 cars shared. I remember Iggy Pop was there in some sort of leotard, Hell it might have been panty hose, people were booing and throwing things at him. The Stones hit the stage and the rest of the night seemed magical, but it may have been highly subjective when I listen to the boot leg. After the show we drove back, and the most hard core of us managed to make it to our classes in the morning , gathered at lunch and decided what the Hell, swallowed what was left, piled into my old dodge and barely made the second show. To be 100% honest, the details of that show with no sleep seen through a haze of marijuana smoke and the the big pupils of acid drenched eyes kind of blur into the firt show. Ahhh the stupidity of youth