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Hairball
Is it a Rolling Stones t-shirt exclusive to the Nijmegen show?
If so, wish I would have bought one!

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Hairball

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DandelionPowderman

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Hairball
Of the 12 (or maybe was it 13?) shows I saw that tour, both Hollywood Bowl shows were the best with the L.A. Forum show as runner up mainly due to having a 3rd row seat and being in the comfort of the classic old Forum vs. the sterile Staples Center. And special mention for the Nijmegen show.

*As I haven't listened to the boots in ages, opinion based on all around experience and memories vs. performance alone.

Isn't Nijmegen regarded as their nadir, perhaps together with Werchter?

I have only seen the fvck ups on video + a couple of videos here and there, though. But I remember the fuss about those shows back in the day..

It's nice to see Nijmegen mentioned as a good show, though, despite the incident with Keith on Happy. The overall experience counts the most

Perhaps you're remembering wrong, or confusing it with another show? I don't recall there being much "fuss" except mostly maybe about the weather.
And while it certainly wasn't the best show ever (yes there were screw ups as always), by no means was it their nadir of the tour by any stretch, at least not from my perspective. Of the 12 (or 13?) shows I saw during the ABB tour, I'd say Oakland Coliseum show was probably the least favorite for a variety of reasons, but there were probably other shows over the entire tour that made that look and sound like the best ever.
Take a look at the mostly positive reviews of Nijmegen from those who were there to jog your memory (as I did earlier today after writing my initial post above) and/or to get a better perspective.
Based on these, from what I'm reading seems like it was a pretty good show - rain and all. And listening to the boot right now while reminiscing - it sounds pretty darn good!

Nijmegen

Some select random quotes compiled from the above link:

- The crowd was wet but very happy. Too bad they had to finish. A great show indeed.
- great concert of one of the greatest bands in the world.
- I think the Stones went back to their hotel (or plane) in good spirits, 'cause they had given a good show and left a happy crowd.
- It was a special night, and the Stones delivered. They are just the best.
- Tonight was Keith's night, with sizzling solos -- aided and abetted by Ronnie -- on "She Was Hot," "Can't You Hear Me Knocking," and especially "I Wanna Hold You."
- Ronnie played very tight and worked hard and Keith had a very good night too. Charlie is always a steady force, just as Darryl, but the man who really deserves a compliment is the man in front: Mick Jagger.
-sound and the setup in Nijmegen was far better than any concert I have attended, and The Stones were clear and crispy. Keith was sparkling, Mick full of unknown energy, and the band showed us their pleasure and guts.
- Seeing Mick and Keef, or Keef and Ron trade licks, in the same frame on the video screen was just one of those shivers up the spine moments that don't happen very often
- Where Keith seemed a little bit in a different world in Werchter, he was sharp in Nijmegen.
- I had the impression they gave some extra for the many fans who stood there, most of them soaking wet after heavy, heavy rain, thunder and lightning.
- A good show and a great atmosphere. We loved it.

And finally, the full review from the well respected Dean Goodman - always nice to read Dean's honest and often humorous reviews - warts and all:
(I didn't realize he was at this show! Seems we've been to many of the same ones throughout the years):

Review by Dean Goodman

This is what passes for a nice summer's day in Holland - torrential rain, thunder and lightning. I'm sure there will be plenty more shows like this.
And if the weather drives the Stones to the glorified heights that they reached in Nijmegen, then fans are in for a great tour.

God bless Van for cutting his set short midway though about the 4th song. No one was paying any attention, because we were huddled under giant plastic sheets -- some of us unfortunate enough to be suffocated by smokers. The early stop allowed the Stones crew to get ready, while I was bracing myself for a painful couple of hours in the rain and cold.

Fortunately, the rain stopped just as the show started, and then my pot brownie started to take effect, so I was feeling great.

Mick had a slow start, constantly looking back at guidance from Chuck for "Start Me Up," and evidently forgetting every part of "You Got Me Rocking." He was about to sing a chorus until Chuck pointed out that it was the time for Ronnie's guitar solo.

Tonight was Keith's night, with sizzling solos -- aided and abetted by Ronnie -- on "She Was Hot," "Can't You Hear Me Knocking," and especially "I Wanna Hold You." The latter seemed like a completely different song from the never-ending one performed at Werchter. I have to admit I had no idea what song Keith was playing next until about 30 seconds in. It seemed he was playing every riff in his songbook before locking on the one for "Happy." I also had that feeling at the end when he came out to the spotlight solo and started on what would eventually be "Jumpin' Jack Flash." My only advice -- no more sleeveless shirts. His upper arms, pockmarked and wrinkly, are not a pleasant sight.

"Sweet Virginia" was another highlight. When the song was clearly over, Mick asked everyone to sing the chorus again, a capella. And I thought we did a great job. But then I had one of those drug-induced moments of paranoia where I thought I was the only one singing and the stadium was completely silent.

The only real issue I have is that the backing vocalists are still too high in the mix, and Chuck's keyboards are now threatening to dominate "Start Me Up."

Once again, transport afterwards was a hassle. With the show starting about an hour early, the buses weren't waiting for us at the close. I was lucky to get one of the first ones out, but thousands must have been left cooling their heels for some hours.

____________________________________________________________________________

After reading through all that, seems unreasonable to say this show (perhaps together with Werchter) was the nadir.

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TheBlockbuster

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DandelionPowderman


Isn't Nijmegen regarded as their nadir, perhaps together with Werchter?

Nadir? The Werchter show was great, which is evident in this video: video: [www.youtube.com]. The shows I saw in 2007 was better than those I saw in 2006. The band sounded more rushed and unfocused in 2006 IMO. Keith was a bit on and off and unpredictable (perhaps due to mediction) in 2007 like when he messed up ''Happy'' in Nijmegen, but overall his playing was good I think.

It was a long tour with several different legs between Aug. 2005 and Aug. 2007, and would be near impossible to single out one or two shows as the nadir.
Unlike the mini No Filter tour I and II with a total of only 28 shows (?) where the general consensus from those who saw multiple shows is that Hamburg was probably the low point.
But of course there are those who think it was great regardless of the mostly poor reviews, and maybe for them it was.

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keefriff99
I saw the East Hartford show in August 2005...it was the first time I saw them that didn't absolutely floor me. It was a fine show, but it felt a bit rote and by the numbers.

Maybe I saw them too many times on the Licks tour but the magic wasn't there.

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NeverMakeASaintOfMe

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Hairball

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NeverMakeASaintOfMe
Also I forgot about McAfee Coliseum, Oakland, 2006. That one REALLY rocks and there's a great audience tape of it. Good show with an even better set list containing songs like She Was Hot, Dead Flowers, Bitch, Streets Of Love, Connection, and Just My Imagination! I forgot all about this shows existence until now and it's a great one. I recommend those who haven't heard it to go and check it out.

Hmmmm...the tape might be good, and yes it was a decent setlist (despite Streets of Love), but the show itself definitely wasn't one of the best in comparison to all the others I attended, and not that great in comparison to dozens of boots from other shows that tour. An overall average show at best, and in fact it was my least favorite. But just goes to show, varying opinions and a variety of different perspectives makes it impossible for everyone to be on the same page regarding what makes a particular show good or bad.

Very true! In the end it's all just a matter of taste.

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NeverMakeASaintOfMe
I honestly don't get the hype with Saitama 2006. It seems decent at best.

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RaiseTheKnife
I think many of the negative comments about their playing back in 2007 was because people were still comparing the shows to the Licks-tour which far superior. Nowadays our expectations are lowered quite a bit and a No Filter-show can't be compared to how they played 15 years ago.

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Hairball

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RaiseTheKnife
I think many of the negative comments about their playing back in 2007 was because people were still comparing the shows to the Licks-tour which far superior. Nowadays our expectations are lowered quite a bit and a No Filter-show can't be compared to how they played 15 years ago.

I'd have to agree with all of the above - overall the Licks tour was far superior to ABB. It was during and especially after the ABB tour where I'd come to the point where I felt I'd seen them way more than enough. At least that's how I felt, but then the 50 and Counting Tour was announced with Mick Taylor, so away I went to see more shows (but only six and all within driving distance). When Zip Code was announced with no Mick Taylor, I went to only one show and that was more than enough. Saw them twice at Desert Trip as they were part of the package deal, but they were far from the best act both weekends. And then *Vegas '16 which was a fluke show - happened to be in Vegas for my wife's B-day right after Desert Trip, and to surprise her bought a pair of floor seats on stubhub the day of show 75% off face value. Even at that heavily discounted price, not a great show by any stretch with Mick being sick and all. All the recent No Filter shows (even the Hamburg show) that I've seen and heard via youtube and boots were better than both Desert Trips and *Vegas which is encouraging, and would hope to see them again some day. If they return to the States, no doubt I'll see them again as it's become tradition (and how can I NOT see them?), but will keep it down to one or two shows max. Fingers crossed...

By the way, is it just me or does Keith look better today than he did back in '05? While his playing and stage presence is nowhere near what it used to be, he looks healthier and happier today than he did back then.

Here he is as at the press conference performance 2005...

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keefriff99
He was still cocaine-sknny back then and had that nervous, twitchy energy.

He's slower, grayer and a little bit heavier now, but he looks healthier and clearer than he has in a loooong time.

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Hairball

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keefriff99
He was still cocaine-sknny back then and had that nervous, twitchy energy.

He's slower, grayer and a little bit heavier now, but he looks healthier and clearer than he has in a loooong time.

I think the grey hair suits him better than the phony hair dye he used to use, and his subtle stage presence today seems more appropriate. Remember he used to flail his arms about and kick at the air alot which could sometimes be detrimental to what he was actually playing - maybe part of that was due the nervous twitchy cocaine energy you mention. That said, his playing today has sort of become slow motion and minimal with Ronnie becoming the head honcho. And he looked quite a bit wrinklier back then, so maybe quitting the booze and coke has reversed the aging process?

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RaiseTheKnife
I think many of the negative comments about their playing back in 2007 was because people were still comparing the shows to the Licks-tour which far superior. Nowadays our expectations are lowered quite a bit and a No Filter-show can't be compared to how they played 15 years ago.

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Gazza

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RaiseTheKnife
I think many of the negative comments about their playing back in 2007 was because people were still comparing the shows to the Licks-tour which far superior. Nowadays our expectations are lowered quite a bit and a No Filter-show can't be compared to how they played 15 years ago.

Not really. Either (and sometimes both) of the guitarists were simply very inconsistent. Their lifestyles, age and health had caught up with them on quite a few shows.

The Licks tour was the best Stones tour I've seen (been going since '82). The shows I saw this summer were the best I've seen them do since 2003, despite the fact that the setlists have been pretty dull for many years.

Whilst it had some great moments and I enjoyed all of the 13 shows I attended, I didnt feel the need to revisit the recordings of the shows too often afterwards - and that was a first. The ABB tour at the time ranked for me as their weakest tour along with 1976.

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RaiseTheKnife

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Gazza

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RaiseTheKnife
I think many of the negative comments about their playing back in 2007 was because people were still comparing the shows to the Licks-tour which far superior. Nowadays our expectations are lowered quite a bit and a No Filter-show can't be compared to how they played 15 years ago.

Not really. Either (and sometimes both) of the guitarists were simply very inconsistent. Their lifestyles, age and health had caught up with them on quite a few shows.

The Licks tour was the best Stones tour I've seen (been going since '82). The shows I saw this summer were the best I've seen them do since 2003, despite the fact that the setlists have been pretty dull for many years.

Whilst it had some great moments and I enjoyed all of the 13 shows I attended, I didnt feel the need to revisit the recordings of the shows too often afterwards - and that was a first. The ABB tour at the time ranked for me as their weakest tour along with 1976.

Interesting opinion and I understand if you enjoy the Stones more now than 10 years ago. For me though, ''musically'' they're lacking too much now. Nowadays the tempos are just too slow on many songs and the energy is a bit lacking, while in 2007 they still played songs like JJF and IORR at good exciting tempos, and everyone except Ronnie played better. It was a different band back then IMO. Even though they might play with more feeling and effort today (knowing the end is near), it's hard to look away from how ageing affected their playing (and singing).

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DandelionPowderman


But what is "good and exciting tempos" for IORR and JJF?

Both the LYL-version of IORR and the Rock'n'Roll Circus-version of JJF are slower than today's versions. Yet they are my absolute favourite versions

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Lorenz
I think it was the tour with Belgrade, Budapest and Brno right?

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Milan

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Lorenz
I think it was the tour with Belgrade, Budapest and Brno right?

Yeah, Budva & Bucharest too... lot of B's.

"Love is strong" from Brno was pro-shot:

[www.youtube.com]

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straycatuk
Saitama, Japan from March / April (?) 2006 just before Keith's accident was a great show and officially recorded for TV. This year was the nearest they have got to that level again.

sc uk