Standing on Keith's side at the front and watching him come out and play the opening to JJF is one of the musical highlights of my life. JJF is simply the greatest.

They should open with Doom And Gloom. In 1969 JJF was still new since they didn't tour in 1968. Brown Sugar in 1972/73. Since then nothing new.

Of course, since then they have opened with songs that weren't current singles (Brown Sugar, Satisfaction, Start Me Up, JJF, Honky Tonk Women, SFM, You Got Me Rocking) or hits (Under My Thumb, Dead Flowers or Let It Rock). So really only two tours featured a relatively fresh single as the opening track.

Funniest thing is seeing that they released STICKY FINGERS and then never toured after it's release for the LP but did open the EXILE tour (and GHSoup tour) with Brown Sugar.

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Ladykiller
"Start Me Up" is in my opinion, the better opening song. As last song, they should play "The Last Time" instead of "Satisfaction".

The Last Time? terrible song live.

No, its a great song. Every concert can be the last one. You don't know!

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Ladykiller

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Ladykiller
"Start Me Up" is in my opinion, the better opening song. As last song, they should play "The Last Time" instead of "Satisfaction".

The Last Time? terrible song live.

No, its a great song. Every concert can be the last one. You don't know!

I'd love to hear The Last Time - still haven't heard it live.

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carlorossi

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Doxa
They started the COUNTING tour with interesting choices ("I Wanna Be Your Man")

It was a great choice. I looked forward to seeing that song get better and better over the weeks. Not that the first performance was bad at all either. Pity!

i wasn't surprised that they only played it twice in 2012 and only once as an opener. it just didn't work that well and live it became plain obvious that it was always just a half-baked song (sorry john&paul) i think it was meant as a symbolic 50-years-thing and never considered a regular concert opener.

and i think they would have done this with "come on" if it wasn't what it is: too fast, driven by a harmonica that isn't micks, plus the band already hated it in 1963

Why not Rocks off? Or All down the line? Mercy Mercy?

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Redhotcarpet
Why not Rocks off? Or All down the line? Mercy Mercy?

Agreed.

I think Jack Flash works better later in the show, because that's the part of the show that's really cooking, the part of the show with the big finish that sends the audience home on a high point. Jack Flash is when Keith's guitar gets turned up really super loud, so this effect works well with another later in the show number like Sympathy, for which Keith's guitar is also gloriously loud. When you're being sent off with that fuzzy warm post-concert buzz, you're going to recall most clearly those last few high-energy numbers that gave you that high point, and Jack Flash will--and should--be among those. When they use Jack Flash as the big opener, sure, they're winning the crowd over right away from the first opening chords, but they're also sacrificing a choice slot for the effectiveness of the big finish, those up tempo chestnuts that have helped you hit that high point and is the feeling that will linger with you for hours after the show has ended.

Dark stage. Spotlight goes on to reveal Keith with an acoustic guitar. He strums the first chords of Wild Horse. Second spotlight comes on just in time for Mick to start singing "Childhood living...". That's it until the chorus when the full band kicks in, starting with Charlie's drum fill.

Now THAT would be a different kind of opening.

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71Tele
Dark stage. Spotlight goes on to reveal Keith with an acoustic guitar. He strums the first chords of Wild Horse. Second spotlight comes on just in time for Mick to start singing "Childhood living...". That's it until the chorus when the full band kicks in, starting with Charlie's drum fill.

Now THAT would be a different kind of opening.

It would work! They should try it and see.

They seem to be rotating "Start Me Up" and "Jumping Jack Flash" as openers depending on what they used as the opener on their previous 2006 or 2007 stop(s) in these cities.

So,we can expect "Start Me Up" as the opener in Vienna and then "Jumping Jack Flash" as the opener in Dusseldorf.

This is assuming that "Get Off of My Cloud" is finished as an opener.

Well put, is there anyone on the planet who would'nt trade Start me up for Street Fighting Man EVERY night???

not even close. JJF

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michaelsavage
not even close. JJF

AGREED

Same here, JJF is the quintessential Stones song, the song that brought them back to life in 1968 and started that glorious 1968-1972 golden run. Opening with it is the right thing to do! Besides it just keeps in "driving", while SMU has some "gaps". Finally Keith's been known to mess up the intro of SMU so that might put a bit of a damper on the proceedings ;-)

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IORR Links : Essential Studio Outtakes CDs : Audio - History of Rarest Outtakes : Audio

Just listened to the Vienna recording and sure enough, the intro got "rearranged" by Keith on the spot, not as much as at HP1/HP2 or earlier on the Euro Tour, but he still did it ;-) Has to be the nervers because I don't remember similar problems when SMU is played in the final run?

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IORR Links : Essential Studio Outtakes CDs : Audio - History of Rarest Outtakes : Audio

I thought SFM opening the PPV LICKS show (the Madison Square Garden show on FOUR FLICKS) was brilliant and the best sounding one since GYYYO!

Street Fighting Man was a cool opener no doubt, wish Ronnie hadn't used that sitar guitar for it though.

Start me up I think the song is more suitable to open a concert, but I also loved in Not Fade Away VLTour.

everything's turning to gold

I miss the long version of JJF with the horns and Micks running, perfect ending to a show.
If we want a song over with/as tight as possible, Why not a super tight miss you? :-)