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DEmerson

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KeithFnRichards
Great review of Fonda show by Bob Lefsetz

That is a great write up, I assume you need to be on Facebook to see it (but maybe not). Kind of puts you there - although sort of not. Would like to hear more about the atmosphere, the crowd etc. Guessing those reports from the VERY lucky few will come.
I'm a bit saddened to see RS.com say it's a one time only set list - makes me think this could be the only time they play all of SF - but we shall see - soon!

We shall see how the setlists will look like in the few weeks from now. I have fantastic floortickets for Orlando & Nashville but if they are playing the same kind of set they did in Europe last year with only minor changes i´m not to sure to fly over from Europe three weeks from now. I have heard and seen that "miss you" set over and over again for the last couple of yeras since 2012. I wont complain since it´s fantastic that they even are touring at this Point, but i don´t know if it´s worth the money to fly over from Europe for the "same" stadium set as usual? Already got some fantastic shows since 2012, the O2 gigs, Hyde Park gigs, Waldbuhne and so on. Please convince me it will be worth the trip to go

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RnT

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DandelionPowderman

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onlystones
It's 4am LA time, I'm back in my room. This is my perspective. I know this is the best I show I have ever seen. Bottom line is that flew to LA. Got a nice hotel room, and then bought a ticket then partied before and after the show with my own money. No favors from anyone, which is the only way I travel to Stones shows. I am just a fan. I have been to many shows. A count or a list of them is not needed. If you want more details, ask on this forum and I'll tell you whether or not I will answer them. They are now only war stories. I am truly only about the Stones music and performances.

As for the performance, they are better than ever. I think it is because the whole total unit works better than ever. Bitch (L and G/STP) was my favorite performance until now. I know there was no Bobby or MT but it rolled hard. Moonlight Mile was truly moving. I did have a tear in my eye. Sister morphine is too personal to comment on for me. I just stood there in awe. I could go blow by blow on the rest of the set, but let me make it easy...OUTSTANDING!!!

My next show, as of now, is Atlanta, LD's with my aunt (followed by ORL,Nashville and Raleigh). Gold Rings on you all.

I will stay on for awhile if anyone cares to give their perspective.

How did You Gotta Move go down? Did Keith sing back up vocals on it?

I'm very curious about You Gotta Move too. I guess it was more like the Sticky Fingers version than the way it was played in 75/76, or what?

According to the write-up it was the highlight of the show!

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KeithFnRichards
Great review of Fonda show by Bob Lefsetz

This is how it reads:-

*** READ REVIEW BY BOB LEFSETZ***

START ME UP

"You make a grown man cry"

Like the one out front, who offered four grand cash, so he could take his ten year old son to see the Stones. I saw the green. But today it's all about experiences, not possessions, and there's no amount of money that will prevent you from having a peak that may never come again, like the Stones in a small venue.

It was Jan & Dean who sang "They're coming from all over the world!" but Jan is gone yet his fellow stars from the "T.A.M.I Show" are still doing it so it was amazing who came from far and wide for this event. I haven't done this much business in one night since MusiCares. But this time there was no riff-raff. Ha!

And the band started on time and they were not over-loud and by beginning with the obvious opener...THEY BLEW MY MIND!

And that's what it was, a band. A relic from the sixties and seventies. When there were no hard drives and ELO was put out of business for performing with tapes. There was no fakery, no smoke and mirrors, just a few lights and a bunch of fellows with instruments and amps.

This is the way it used to be. When the British invaded and changed our world forever.

WHEN THE WHIP COMES DOWN

My second favorite track from "Some Girls," the first LP that fully integrated Ronnie Wood, who, like Charlie, was really good tonight.

Up close and personal he's a mere wisp of a person, but on stage Ronnie is a giant, a full-fledged Stone, he's never been better. You could see all the way back to those Rod Stewart records, where he switched from bass to lead.

I think it was on this song that Mick first played guitar.

ALL DOWN THE LINE

This was the first stratospheric moment, when Keith opened with the signature riff.

Despite the recent accolades, "Exile On Main Street" was an overlooked album. Number one while the band was on tour soon after its release in '72, it fell off the chart almost instantly thereafter.

But if you put in the time, "Exile" reveals its magic.

And I always thought "All Down The Line" was a throwaway romp, especially compared to "Let It Loose," "Ventilator Blues" and "Casino Boogie." But tonight I got it, because of Keith and that guitar.

We know those legendary sounds, they came out of the car speaker, through the KLHs and JBLs, into our headphones. And it used to be that you went to see the Stones and the sound was not exactly the same. But tonight it was, as if Keith channeled '72.

Made me grin from ear to ear.

SWAY

So that's the gimmick of this tour, the playing of the '71 classic, "Sticky Fingers," from start to finish.

But they still might not. Because there are so many slow cuts. Will the people tolerate them? After all, the Who performed "Tommy" and always left a couple of numbers out.

This was not the first time the band did "Sway" live. It was good to hear, but not transcendent.

DEAD FLOWERS

They locked into the groove.

That was what was surprising about this entire gig. How good the boys were. They're famous for being ragged, not quite as bad as the Grateful Dead, but there are always moments when it's not quite jelling. But not tonight!

I like "Dead Flowers" on record, I LOVED IT TONIGHT!

WILD HORSES

The same, yet different from the record.

You see Mick was selling it more.

It's hard to play live gigs. No matter how famous you are, you only get the benefit of the doubt for the first thirty seconds. After that, you've got to prove yourself night after night.

Ever since he did that solo turn on the Grammys a couple of years back, Mick has upped his game, he's as good as ever, if not better. He's comfortable with himself, his patter is cutting and insightful.

For example, you can't perform "Sticky Fingers" from start to finish, because then you'd have to begin with "Brown Sugar" and you'd end up squandering your momentum. So Mick said they were going to play it in the order from the 8-TRACK! You remember 8-tracks, don't you? Unwieldy cartridges where the songs were rearranged to fit the four sections of tape? Needless to say, Mick was lying/making a joke, but even better was his tossed off aside that next time they're going to do "Satanic Majesties" from start to finish!

But my point is it's Mick who's keeping it under control, everybody else is just playing, he's moving, prancing, not as much as in the seventies and eighties, but in more of a refined fashion these days, and this toned-down version works.

And during the breaks between numbers, the audience talked, but Mick soldiered on.

It's all about being a professional.

SISTER MORPHINE

And here's where it starts to get really good. When you start to hear songs you'd never think you'd ever hear live.

They were albums, and you played them from start to finish. And in the middle of "Sticky Fingers"'s second side was this magical track with that acoustic guitar and then wailing electric and the despair of a late night druggie. I always loved it then, and it was sensational hearing it tonight.

YOU GOTTA MOVE

The PIECE-DE-RESISTANCE! The highlight of the show, the moment I could not get out of my head.

So Mick says they're gonna sing a song they didn't write. Unlike so many of his brethren, he credits Mississippi Fred McDowell and then says Keith is gonna play the 12 string.

And from the wings a roadie comes out with an acoustic, Keith sits down and starts fiddling, smiling those pearly whites all the while. AND THEN HE STARTS TO PLAY!

Forget the record.

On "Sticky Fingers" "You Gotta Move" is a throwaway. Tonight, it was a thread from what was to what is and will always be. The essence of rock and roll, the blues!

Having not performed these album tracks on a regular basis, the Stones rehearsed the hell out of them. These deep cuts were better than the rest. And, "You Gotta Move" evidenced a groove not even touched on the record.

If you were a fan, if you know the Stones catalog, THIS IS AS GOOD AS IT GETS!

BITCH

Listening to them play "Sticky Fingers" you realize how few hits it had. This was the album's second most famous cut, and how famous is this?

It was a different era. Where it was about the LP, listening to our favorites over and over again, the radio was secondary to our collection.

"Bitch" was good.

And is this the moment to say how Keith seems to have recovered from his fall, from his mental hejira? Not only was his guitar-playing on point, so were his background vocals!

CAN'T YOU HEAR ME KNOCKING

Mick Taylor's tour-de-force.

Alas, Mick is not on this tour.

But what put this over the top was the instrumental section, featuring Karl Denson in the place of Bobby Keys. They changed it up just a bit, improvised just a bit, and that made all the difference.

For those who weren't born back then, "Can't You Hear Me Knocking" is seven plus minutes long, it was a journey to the center of your mind and back. And when you hear it today you're connected with back then and your whole life makes sense. It's not about money, but art.

The Stones are the last of a dying breed. Sure, they're making beaucoup bucks, but there are scores of wet behind the ears techie-punks who make much more. Instead of chasing what cannot be caught, the Stones are laying back into who they are, merging with their legacy, being first and foremost musicians, not stars. Tonight was all about the playing. You could tell they were having fun. And that's the reason we do it, right?

I GOT THE BLUES

Almost as good as "You Gotta Move." A track that never resonated with me on wax, "I Got The Blues" was exquisite perfection tonight. The groove and Mick's delivery. This was when he had the audience in the palm of his hand. He even had the assembled multitude singing along with and without him at the end.

You go for the hits, but it's the hidden gems that get you, that keep you coming back.

MOONLIGHT MILE

Just a bit faster, not quite as ethereal as the album-closing track, tonight's "Moonlight Mile" worked on its own terms. It dragged not at all, yet still had you pondering those nights lying in the grass looking up at the stars as your mind was blown.

BROWN SUGAR

So let me paint the picture.

The Beatles had broken up. Despite the career peak double-whammy of "Beggars Banquet" and "Let It Bleed" there were no hit singles, the Stones were an album band, a big one, but their days on the hit parade were behind them.

That's right, "Sympathy For The Devil" was too dark for AM radio.

And as haunting as "Gimmie Shelter" was, you'd never hear Cousin Brucie introduce it.

And then this.

"Gold coast slave ship bound for cotton fields"

Not that we could make that out. The lyrics were buried in the mix, it was all a sound, one that dominated the airwaves for most of the seventies. The party did not begin, the weekend did not start, until someone dropped the needle on "Brown Sugar" and we threw our hands in the air and sang "Yeah, yeah, yeah, WOO!"

And we did tonight!

ROCK ME BABY

B.B. King's first hit.

And the first encore.

The Stones were devotees, historians, they had roots, which they extended deep into history. They were not just stars, but blues acolytes who filtered what once was to create something new that infected the entire hearing world.

"Rock Me Baby" is a song everybody knows, even if they think they don't. A great way to put a capper on the evening.

JUMPIN' JACK FLASH

A 1968 summer smash with an indelible riff that burned itself into our collective brains.

And I'd like to tell you it was as good as the "Sticky Fingers" stuff, but it wasn't. Because they play "Jumpin' Jack Flash" every night, they didn't have to rehearse it, they didn't have to make sure they got it right.

But it was great to hear it!

I CAN'T TURN YOU LOOSE

The finale.

Mick says they're gonna do this one really fast. Reminding you that they're a band, not locked into hard drives or click tracks. It was just ragged enough to evidence humanity. It was done for them, they seemed not to care what we thought, which made us care that much more.

And then they were gone.

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DEmerson

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KeithFnRichards
Great review of Fonda show by Bob Lefsetz

That is a great write up, I assume you need to be on Facebook to see it (but maybe not). Kind of puts you there - although sort of not. Would like to hear more about the atmosphere, the crowd etc. Guessing those reports from the VERY lucky few will come.
I'm a bit saddened to see RS.com say it's a one time only set list - makes me think this could be the only time they play all of SF - but we shall see - soon!

I guess the writer of this review meant Jagger first played guitar 'live' for 'When The Whip Comes Down'..but that's forgetting 'Fingerprint File'

in any case its a good review, emphasizing the musicianship and appreciation for a working band

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duke richardson

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DEmerson

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KeithFnRichards
Great review of Fonda show by Bob Lefsetz

That is a great write up, I assume you need to be on Facebook to see it (but maybe not). Kind of puts you there - although sort of not. Would like to hear more about the atmosphere, the crowd etc. Guessing those reports from the VERY lucky few will come.
I'm a bit saddened to see RS.com say it's a one time only set list - makes me think this could be the only time they play all of SF - but we shall see - soon!

I guess the writer of this review meant Jagger first played guitar 'live' for 'When The Whip Comes Down'..but that's forgetting 'Fingerprint File'

in any case its a good review, emphasizing the musicianship and appreciation for a working band

He might have meant that it was the first song of the show where he played guitar?

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DandelionPowderman

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duke richardson

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DEmerson

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KeithFnRichards
Great review of Fonda show by Bob Lefsetz

That is a great write up, I assume you need to be on Facebook to see it (but maybe not). Kind of puts you there - although sort of not. Would like to hear more about the atmosphere, the crowd etc. Guessing those reports from the VERY lucky few will come.
I'm a bit saddened to see RS.com say it's a one time only set list - makes me think this could be the only time they play all of SF - but we shall see - soon!

I guess the writer of this review meant Jagger first played guitar 'live' for 'When The Whip Comes Down'..but that's forgetting 'Fingerprint File'

in any case its a good review, emphasizing the musicianship and appreciation for a working band

He might have meant that it was the first song of the show where he played guitar?

yeah ..maybe, DP..

but it reads more like he thinks Jagger first played guitar for a Stones song on 'Whip'..

>>I think it was on this song that Mick first played guitar<<

Oh that explains it, I was puzzled that he wouldn't remember when Jagger first played guitar during the club show ;-)

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

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duke richardson

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DandelionPowderman

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duke richardson

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DEmerson

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KeithFnRichards
Great review of Fonda show by Bob Lefsetz

That is a great write up, I assume you need to be on Facebook to see it (but maybe not). Kind of puts you there - although sort of not. Would like to hear more about the atmosphere, the crowd etc. Guessing those reports from the VERY lucky few will come.
I'm a bit saddened to see RS.com say it's a one time only set list - makes me think this could be the only time they play all of SF - but we shall see - soon!

I guess the writer of this review meant Jagger first played guitar 'live' for 'When The Whip Comes Down'..but that's forgetting 'Fingerprint File'

in any case its a good review, emphasizing the musicianship and appreciation for a working band

He might have meant that it was the first song of the show where he played guitar?

yeah ..maybe, DP..

but it reads more like he thinks Jagger first played guitar for a Stones song on 'Whip'..

>>I think it was on this song that Mick first played guitar<<

Well, it was an excellent write-up, so we'll forgive him any possible minor errors

I so wish we would all be able to hear this set list live. Ah, well.

~"Love is Strong"~

Always enjoyable to read bjornulf's critical reviews of shows.
What i heard on the brief YouTube thing it sounded awful.
Awful as in "last good show was in 1981/1982".

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gotdablouse
Seems like you've become the biggest fan now Roller99, quite the turnaround isn't it since last week when you told us you were not that much of a fan ? Yet you managed to cook up a story about SF that you got you selected for an interview and thus a ticket ?...Care to explain that miracle of sorts ?

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NEWMAN
Hmmmm.... Mick on the snippet of Moonlight Mile sounded, well not very steady.

That's what it looked like to me too...nice guitar though, reminds me of Ronnie's Zematis :

OK, yes, I did say I wasn't that big of a fan. What that meant was that compared to most of you here on IORR I am nowhere near as big. I do love the Stones, I've listened to them since about 1967, how could anyone not? They played them all the time. But as far as memorizing which songs have never been played, etc, no. That kind of fan I am not. I've been going to Stones shows for a very long time, but I guess in 2013 I became a much bigger fan.

I did not miraculously "cook up" a story about SF, I had a true story, something that really did happen, and I got called up earlier yesterday to come down to the Fonda to tell it to the documentary crew. For that I got a pair of tickets. And I do have an "inside" connection to sometimes get into these kinds of gigs, but that did not work out for me. You can be the most connected person in the world sometimes and still be watching from the sidelines.

30 years ago I was one of those "insider" people. That was how I shot all those photos and got backstage, etc. Now, I'm at the whim of luck like the rest of you.

I tell you one thing: We should all be very grateful to BV for all the work he puts into this site, his level of respect for the band, and for all of us. Keeping a site like this going is a huge amount of work. I met him yesterday, he is a very nice guy.

How fortunate we all are that our most favorite band is still working, getting better with age, and starting on another tour. Congratulations to bv and the lucky few at the club gig last night. Thanks to Mick, Keith, Charlie and Ronnie for making this a rocking Summer!

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gimme_shelter
Always enjoyable to read bjornulf's critical reviews of shows.
What i heard on the brief YouTube thing it sounded awful.
Awful as in "last good show was in 1981/1982".

What exactly was it that sounded awful? The one note Mick sung flat on MM?

Talk about being under constant scrutiny

BS sounded excellent to my ears. So did the instrumental outro to MM.

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DandelionPowderman

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gimme_shelter
Always enjoyable to read bjornulf's critical reviews of shows.
What i heard on the brief YouTube thing it sounded awful.
Awful as in "last good show was in 1981/1982".

What exactly was it that sounded awful? The one note Mick sung flat on MM?

Talk about being under constant scrutiny

BS sounded excellent to
my ears. So did the instrumental outro to MM.

You know DP, always something:-)

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bobo

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DandelionPowderman

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gimme_shelter
Always enjoyable to read bjornulf's critical reviews of shows.
What i heard on the brief YouTube thing it sounded awful.
Awful as in "last good show was in 1981/1982".

What exactly was it that sounded awful? The one note Mick sung flat on MM?

Talk about being under constant scrutiny

BS sounded excellent to
my ears. So did the instrumental outro to MM.

You know DP, always something:-)

Yeah, but they get paid well, so they'll have to handle it

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DandelionPowderman

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gimme_shelter
Always enjoyable to read bjornulf's critical reviews of shows.
What i heard on the brief YouTube thing it sounded awful.
Awful as in "last good show was in 1981/1982".

What exactly was it that sounded awful? The one note Mick sung flat on MM?

Talk about being under constant scrutiny

BS sounded excellent to my ears. So did the instrumental outro to MM.

I agree with you DandelionPowderman. Constant scrutiny and a very heavy legacy of so many legendary shows in more than fifty years of live music. Of course if someone comes back from the show with a:"It was awful". I consider it. But that's the whole point with a stones show 40, 20, 10, years ago and now: being there in the audience makes the difference. We here should know that veeeery well. And more often than not that difference it reads: GREAT!

OK, so some of you commented wanting to hear some sort of "review" of the show. I'm sure it's been already dissected by "critics", but hey, reviews are just one person's opinion anyway....

I got my pair of tkts and wristband early in the day, went home, relaxed, got there around 5p, even though we were told no lineups until 5:30. The 40 or so assembled were cool, so they let it be. Then they separated the line into people with green and people with pink wristbands. Luckily, mine was green, so we got moved to the front. Then someone wrote "19" on my wrist. When they finally let us in, I expected to find the first 30 rows taken by industry people. Nope. Empty. No rushing. I walked to the front. First row? No way! Way!


So if you've seen the setlist, you know they opened with Start Me Up. It actually sounded kind of fresh to me. I think the whole arrangement and the mixing of the show started off sounding fresh. I've never heard MJ sound so great. He defies age in the way he moves. The band was really tight.

On "Whip", wow. Very syncopated, biting. Exactly what you would want.

For me one of the highlights of the show was "You gotta move". KR ATTACKED the 12-shooter. If Keith came to your house with a stack of amps and played with it cranked, this is what it would sound like. For any doubters who think KR can't play as well any more, they should hear what he did last night. Pure clarity. And unlike 2013, he was completely engaged. Smiling, moving around, totally immersed in what he was doing.

Now, there will always be the comparisons of CYHMK with 2013 and MT, and such. I don't get that. We've had 40 years of Ronnie playing the MT part and it was always a treat, but in 2013 MT comes out and plays it and that's what everyone compares to. I don't. Ronnie is a massively talented player, that's why he has the gig. I thought they rushed through the middle part a bit, but it's a club gig, it's a condensed show.

For a couple of songs, the bass/drums were a bit heavy, but they do this so the people in the back can feel it. Hey, you can't make it sound perfect in every single spot.

It was a bit strange seeing a show where they didn't roll out the usual songs, and instead stuck mostly to one album. But everyone has their own dream setlist, and if SF is your dream, there it was last night.

Overall, the band killed it. Spot on. Hardly any mistakes. Tight.

I would really love to just hear "you gotta move" from last night have any recordings emerged?

[www.youtube.com]

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roller99

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gotdablouse
Seems like you've become the biggest fan now Roller99, quite the turnaround isn't it since last week when you told us you were not that much of a fan ? Yet you managed to cook up a story about SF that you got you selected for an interview and thus a ticket ?...Care to explain that miracle of sorts ?

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NEWMAN
Hmmmm.... Mick on the snippet of Moonlight Mile sounded, well not very steady.

That's what it looked like to me too...nice guitar though, reminds me of Ronnie's Zematis :

OK, yes, I did say I wasn't that big of a fan. What that meant was that compared to most of you here on IORR I am nowhere near as big. I do love the Stones, I've listened to them since about 1967, how could anyone not? They played them all the time. But as far as memorizing which songs have never been played, etc, no. That kind of fan I am not. I've been going to Stones shows for a very long time, but I guess in 2013 I became a much bigger fan.

I did not miraculously "cook up" a story about SF, I had a true story, something that really did happen, and I got called up earlier yesterday to come down to the Fonda to tell it to the documentary crew. For that I got a pair of tickets. And I do have an "inside" connection to sometimes get into these kinds of gigs, but that did not work out for me. You can be the most connected person in the world sometimes and still be watching from the sidelines.

30 years ago I was one of those "insider" people. That was how I shot all those photos and got backstage, etc. Now, I'm at the whim of luck like the rest of you.

I tell you one thing: We should all be very grateful to BV for all the work he puts into this site, his level of respect for the band, and for all of us. Keeping a site like this going is a huge amount of work. I met him yesterday, he is a very nice guy.

how about a review, Roller..

or a few casual observations..

is that one of Ronnie one of yours?

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gimme_shelter
Always enjoyable to read bjornulf's critical reviews of shows.
What i heard on the brief YouTube thing it sounded awful.
Awful as in "last good show was in 1981/1982".

the guitars sounded very good to me. as far as mick, his singing has definitely changed a lot over the years, in my opinion he is actually singing now vs. what he did in the 70s which was more like calling out the lyrics, sometimes almost sarcastically, but i can see that it might not be for everyone.

Nice reviews. It's always fun to jump on IORR the night after one of these.
Thanks for taking the time to write and report on the show.

Spoke to a friend this morning who did not go to the show but did know someone involved;
There were less than a thousand inside total; capacity cut down due to cameras, board etc.
Allegedly 3-400 tix went on open sale, another 60 or so to the SF story people, 100 for band use and the rest went out to industry.

of all the clips they could post--they shot the whole show--why include that BUM note in MM by Mick? I cringed when I heard it. And in a 1:30 clip why go to such trouble to show celebrities? Show may have been great. Clips are totally lame. Overly polished and Vegas.

Was great to wake up and read all the reviews! Thanks everyone!

Look, I'm not that enamored of how they sound anymore, but I tried like hell to get tickets for last night's show. It was ballsy to break out of their Tumblin'JJFSympathy rut. Here's to the Stones.

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wellalright
of all the clips they could post--they shot the whole show--why include that BUM note in MM by Mick? I cringed when I heard it. And in a 1:30 clip why go to such trouble to show celebrities? Show may have been great. Clips are totally lame. Overly polished and Vegas.

that clip is essentially a promo for the rest of the tour, so showing the celebrities tries to send the message that the band is hot, they are a hot ticket, you should go out and get your ticket and you can see the stones just like jack nicholson. it's just marketing. same reason they put models in the front row. i don't like it either, but i understand why they do it. to make money.

Oh, and one of the other highlights of the show is when MJ announced a tribute to BB King and played Rock Me Baby. I've played this myself a hundred times at gigs and the band usually nails it, but watching The Stones play it was something else. They really nailed it!

Thanks for your review roller99, and I can say I also don't consider myself a big fan in the environment of IORR.
I love the band and their music, seen them about 25 times, but don't collect Stones stuff, couldn't tell you all the right tracks on SF, let alone all the other albums.

To my friends who may like other music, I am a big fan, but I get your drift of what you mean.

Also good luck on scoring tix ,and must admit,if I had an interesting SF story to tell,I would elaborate it a bit ,if it meant getting into a gig of a lifetime. Not saying you did that,but I probably would.

interesting set list, not many "warhorses" that people here like to complain about. it'll be interesting to see what get played in San Deigo Sunday night and how the set list will (or may change) during the tour. not sure how some of songs will work in the stadiums vs the theatre but we'll see