Did you experienced the joy of getting people into the Stones, who weren't rather into them before and see how they turned to new fans, followers and sometimes even addicts?

My most stories about this happened during gigs where I took people just with me.
My last story is just 3 month old, happened in Berlin, when I took a 29 year old colleague to the show in Olympia Stadium. He was like "Can they really still play good in this stage of age?" Two hours later he danced at the front of the T-Stage in Golden Circle shouting his lung out of his body, out of his mind, shaking his head, yelling things at Mick, wasn't unstoppable for the rest of the night.

Tell me your stories.

Had a similar experience with a friend in Vegas (97).
We were in town for something else, had to talk him into going, including buying him a ticket.

Ended up finagling our way to the front of the B-stage, he went absolutely crazy for them and has gone with me on stones road trips many times since.
Also had a work buddy that I had to do some talking into in 1981, who also has joined us on a few stones trips including several Zip Code stops, Quebec City etc.

Love convincing friends who haven't seen them into checking them out live,
blows them away every time.

-



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2018-10-07 23:46 by Stoneage.

Great Topic!

The first time I recall doing this was in 1998. I had arrived into Nuremberg the night before the show and gone to my hostel (Coolest hostel ever - a Castle on a hill). There I ended up rooming with a couple of American guys who were just travelling around Europe. Told them I'd come from NZ to see the RS. They didn't even know the RS were in town...and had no plans the following day. On show day we cruised into town and asked anyone with an RS shirt on if they had spare tickets and eventually found our way to a music store that had some spare tickets - so off we went to the show. The 2 guys had never ever seen the Stones before but slowly got involved in all the hype of the queue and by show time these were fizzing...and had the time of their lives.

Perth 2014 - (2nd night). My best friend had moved to Perth from NZ several years ago...we had known each other for 25 years and over that time he had had to endure many RS tales from me...so I convinced him to come to the show. (He is more of a Smashing Pumpkins type of fan) He had never really wanted to see the RS...but I was able to find a spare Pit ticket so it was hard to say no, however it was a bit above what he wanted to pay, but as I really wanted him to see this part of my life, so I stumped up for the extra cash.

He knew it would be a good show....but as always it takes them by surprise - just how good they really are!! So rather than watching Mick & Keith arrive on stage I watched his face and could see the share delight in his eyes of his first RS show.... and being so close to the stage. He totally loved it and was blown away by it - as we all were the first time we went :-) He then spent the rest of the night with us at the RS hotel sharing stories of those magical little moments during the concert - welcome to my world Norman!!

Cheers
Richard - In Another Land

I don't care anymore ....
If they wanna live like an old granny then that's their problem .....

As Mr Zimmerman said -- I use ta care but things have changed ....



ROCKMAN

I make offers to friends to come along, then let them decide on their own... that way the undertow catches them on their own terms!!

Took a work buddy back in '97 at Ohio Stadium, there were 9 of us total in the group. He was a Deadhead from days gone by, and into Dave Matthews as well, so he knew the fanatic's routine.

He was blown away! Got my Toronto '98 tix from his in-laws, who couldn't attend the make-up date after the ice storm postponed the gig. He and I later saw The Stones in Chicago in '99...

We had lost touch somewhat since the early 2000s, but reconnected on FB a couple years ago. He asked me in February what they were up to, as their clock was ticking... I said UK and Europe this Summer, announcement forthcoming... So, we rendezvoused in London, then rolled up to Coventry for the gig, he went back to London and on home to Jacksonville, and I stayed for a solo show in Manchester. Epic trip!!

We now wait patiently for 2019, and beyond...

Quote
Rockman
I don't care anymore ....
If they wanna live like an old granny then that's their problem .....

As Mr Zimmerman said -- I use ta care but things have changed ....

So true, Rockman. If they don't get it, get new friends.......

YEAH ELMO .....

I'm a' honest man
I'm a' honest lover
Don't tell my friend
Don't blow my cover

…………….. Honest Man -- Jagger/Richards

Can't wait for treacles reply ….



ROCKMAN

Quote
Elmo Lewis

Quote
Rockman
I don't care anymore ....
If they wanna live like an old granny then that's their problem .....

As Mr Zimmerman said -- I use ta care but things have changed ....

So true, Rockman. If they don't get it, get new friends.......

Meh.
Always nice meeting new people, friends, co-workers, younger fans etc., that are casual fans that haven't experienced them live, or those that haven't in a long long time, and sharing the experience with them is great!

My aunt and uncle were comped free tickets to see the Stones at Dodger stadium in 2005, and they couldn't see what all the fuss was about.
Keep in mind they were over the hill old fogies though - older than the Stones, and would have been happier staying at home watching tv.

*An inside joke between my uncle and I; he knew I was a fan and had seen them many times both here in the US and abroad.
For years when I told him I'd be traveling out of town for whatever reason, his automatic reply was "where you going, to see the Rolling Stones"?

_____________________________________________________________
Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......

Turning friends into the Stones is hard work and an ungrateful task...

Luckily, the Stones's catalogue is vast musically.

From experience: The hair glam metal pop-fans of the 80s tend to like Dirty Work. The prog/experimental guys seem to like the less accessible stuff on TSMR.

The main criticism I get from my friends regarding the Stones is that the music is too predictable, too straight-forward and not challenging enough.

Listening to the same chords for a number of bars, to notice the swing sound greek to them

None of my non-fan friends are impressed by the Stones's guitar playing. That go for all guitar players, btw...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2018-10-08 14:52 by DandelionPowderman.

Years ago I contacted a friend to let her know i was coming to her city to see the Stones, and asked if she and her husband wanted to come. She was polite and said she would ask him, but I by her lack of enthusiasm I didn’t expect to hear back - they never go to shows. Three minutes later, my phone rang. She had never known that her hubby is a Stones fan. Seems he plays them at work, not much at home. He was VERY keen to go, so they joined me. I got the tickets, floor seats by the B stage. I’ll never forget the look on his face when the mini stage lifted and Charlie and the lot of them moved down the arena and plopped down beside our seat. That visit cemented our friendship and hubby insists I visit often!

What has happened to me a couple of times that some acquaintances will finally see the light, and go to the shows, or otherwise get into them, but then - come back and start preaching to me about the Greatest R&R Band in the World. TO ME! Grrrr...

It happened to me! I was (and am) a huge Beatles fan. There was an opportunity to see Let it Be again and that's what I was planning to do. A very wise friend advised me to see Ladies and Gentlemen, which was playing at the same time. That was it. I like to say I immediately "went over to the dark side."

I turned my wife into a big-time Stones fan! Early in our relationship I took her to an IMax theater in NYC to see Shine a Light and she was instantly mesmerized and hooked! Over five years later when they finally went on that initial mini tour and played Brooklyn was one of the most exciting nights of our lives. Had seen them myself already about ten times at that point but something different being there with the love of your life. Her favorite song is Emotional Rescue and we went off the rails when we saw it live in Boston in '13!

A woman I work with just caught Crossfire Hurricane steaming somewhere and started talking about it with me.

She knows I am a major fan, but kept reciting bits and pieces, and I was like "I know, I know..." I felt bad not hearing anything shocking or new from her, but it was cool that she was enthused for a few minutes!

I have a few friends who've seen The Stones with me in the past who tell me they wanna go again, but then the price point comes into the conversation, and they rethink it...

Quote
FeelinRealWell
I turned my wife into a big-time Stones fan! Early in our relationship I took her to an IMax theater in NYC to see Shine a Light and she was instantly mesmerized and hooked! Over five years later when they finally went on that initial mini tour and played Brooklyn was one of the most exciting nights of our lives. Had seen them myself already about ten times at that point but something different being there with the love of your life. Her favorite song is Emotional Rescue and we went off the rails when we saw it live in Boston in '13!

This is a beautiful little story.

Aside from the fanatical Stones fan friends I've met here and on Shidoobee throughout the years, the rest of my friends and relatives are casual fans at best. The only exception would have been my late older brother who took me to my first Stones shows, who I had a listening party with the day Some Girls was released, and so on. But even he thought I was nuts to see them multiple times during the Licks tour, and when he heard Don't Stop all he could do was laugh (as many of us did). At times in the past, I've gone stealth and "undercover" when sniffing out Stones tickets, and attending multiple shows etc. to hide the obsession and avoid having my sanity questioned. As my uncle used to always say when I had travel plans "where you going, to see the Rolling Stones again"? lol Again, the rest of my friends and relatives are casual fans at best, and while they might enjoy listening to Hot Rocks, they wouldn't understand or relate to discussing the intricacies of any of Keith's solo albums or the differences between setlists for No Filter and the ABB tour, etc., etc., as we do here.

_____________________________________________________________
Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......

Turned my roommate in college to a big Stones fan (and Graham Parker). In turn, he got me to appreciate Todd Rundgren/Utopia. He was also a huge Bowie fan, I already had Bowie albums but probably listened more due to his influence.

I still remember us arguing about Let's Spend the Night Together, he thought Bowie's version was far superior ... it's not bad, but Stones version blows it away!

... anyway back to the topic, he had me record all my stones albums onto cassette which he then played often.

Quote
Rockman
I don't care anymore ....
If they wanna live like an old granny then that's their problem .....

like an old granny or with their old granny?

YEAH Bill she didn't actually live with granny but like
a horror dream she let go of my hand and morphed into her before my eyes …….



ROCKMAN

i remember having conversations something like this years ago, and many of them.

other person. what music are you into.

me. im a stones fan.

other person. the stone roses, i like them too.

me, no the rolling stones,

other person. i like them but prefer the stone roses.

me. did i say the @)&% stone roses.

I sense folks who casually listen to music don't take The Stones seriously... they've heard so many clichés and old-fart jokes that they remember only that...

I feel like the reason for that is they have been around for so long, and we are thankful, that people take them for granted... They've been around for the majority, or literally, all of a person's life at this point!

Folks remember them from a period in their own lives, which could be up to 30, 40 or 50 years back, but never paid much attention after that...

Only when the inevitable happens will their legacy and true impact be seen for how massive it has been in entertainment, whether folks were into them or not.

I'm glad to have been in on the secret for so long now!

ever since i became a fan in 1987, and when discussing them with many people, its the same reaction. are they not all dead old,

they were in their mid to late 40,s back then, and whats age got to do with it anyway, one cannot choose his age. we are born, we get no choice when it happens.

the stones recent concert performances were fantastic, despite the age.

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buttons67

me. did i say the @)&% stone roses.

good comeback.

Quote
TKinOH
I sense folks who casually listen to music don't take The Stones seriously... they've heard so many clichés and old-fart jokes that they remember only that...

I feel like the reason for that is they have been around for so long, and we are thankful, that people take them for granted... They've been around for the majority, or literally, all of a person's life at this point!

Folks remember them from a period in their own lives, which could be up to 30, 40 or 50 years back, but never paid much attention after that...

Only when the inevitable happens will their legacy and true impact be seen for how massive it has been in entertainment, whether folks were into them or not.

I'm glad to have been in on the secret for so long now!

Yeah, for the most part it's been a blast even without a new album of originals in 13+ years, and the subpar (imo) albums from the last few decades. And that might be part of the problem for me when trying to convince other friends how great they are. If I played them A Bigger Bang, or Bridges, or Steel Wheels (or the new tunes from 40 Licks, etc), it would be a difficult case to prove. So instead, I used to always say how great they are live, but not sure how convincing that would be anymore...especially when their setlists are made up mostly of "greatest hits" that are decades old resulting in a nostalgia fest. All that said, I did take my niece to see them during the 50 and Counting Tour w/Mick Taylor (she was only 15 at the time), and she had a blast hearing all the oldies/ Pretty sure she's still a "fan" of the band, but only the first 20 years of their catalogue, and even then she's a casual fan at the most. If nothing else, she'll have bragging rights for the rest of her life - she got to see the Rolling Stones with Mick Taylor.

_____________________________________________________________
Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2018-10-09 04:32 by Hairball.

The one person I could never convert was my old dad .

He always said they

"...make a right bloody racket [and should get a hair cut] ! "


I had to agree...but that's always been why I like them.

It's easier than turning Stones fans into friends...

Turning friends onto the Stones? The hardest battle was turning my 10 year-old daughter on to them after being a confirmed Beatles fan since watching Yellow Submarine at the age of 3.

But luckily I got unexpected help from Ronnie.

My daughter goes to school directly opposite Ronnie's house and 6 months ago he visited, bringing his wife and his 2-year-old twins.

It was during the school break and by chance, the headmistress grabbed my daughter and asked her to give them a guided tour around the grounds. We took her to see the Stones in Coventry this summer, and now she is a confirmed Ronnie and Stones fan.