It's Genuinely Thrilling to Still Be Able to See The Rolling Stones Live

Cory Garcia | July 28, 2019


Jack Gorman

The Rolling Stones are human like the rest of us, but it's hard not to see them as some of the fundamental archetypes of rock and roll. Mick Jagger is the handsome, charming, engaging frontman; Keith Richards is the wild creative who has lived more lives in one life that most of us can imagine; Charlie Watts is the quiet one, the humble one, the guy who does his job in the background and is pleasantly surprised when people cheer for him; and then there's Ronnie Woods, the showman and class clown. You've likely seen one or more of these archetypes in every concert you've ever attended, but the ones that took the stage at NRG are the real deal.

It's a lot to process rationally or objectively. This is a show that ended with the following run of songs: "Paint It Black"; "Start Me Up"; "Brown Sugar"; "Gimme Shelter"; and "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction." If a band had written literally any one of those songs, they could have lived the rest of their life in pure comfort based on the royalties from it alone, not to mention continued concert tours. The Rolling Stones wrote all of them. They still play all of them splendidly. "Gimme Shelter" is the type of song that should give anyone hearing it in person chills.

But what sells the performance is not just the fact that these are some of the best-written songs of all time or that all the people performing them are talented musicians; it's the authenticity that they bring to the table. However big of hams you might think Jagger and company to be, there never feels for a moment like they're trying too hard, even when they probably are trying too hard. When Keith Richards looks down at his guitar in either pain or wonder, it feels like the most natural thing in the world and not the product of growing up watching music videos on MTV. When Watts cracks the rare smile to show he's thinking, "oh, this is pretty neat what we're doing," it really feels like he's discovering it for the first time. When Mick Jagger moves like Jagger, you realize the absurdity of anyone else trying to do so.

It's amazing how they make the whole thing look so simple to the point of almost being mundane like it's just another Saturday night for them. But watching it, you know deep down that every single show The Rolling Stones perform at this point is special, because we have no idea if this is going to be their last trip around the globe or not.

There is a playbook that most rock bands follow live. If you were asked to describe what going to the average rock show is like, you could probably do a pretty good job laying out everything that's going to happen. The hot opener; the band introductions; someone getting a solo; the acoustic break; the deep cut/bathroom break song; the singer leading the crowd in a call and response; an extended jam on a well-loved song; the fake goodbye before the encore. Adherence to this playbook swallows some bands alive; because they're slaves to the formula, their show becomes an uninteresting slog, like watching a bad cosplayer trying to redo a famous movie on Youtube.

But The Rolling Stones helped write the playbook, and they run every play in it like a well-oiled machine. It's almost like seeing a miracle in real life. One hundred years from now people will still be discovering The Rolling Stones and wondering how one group could write so many good songs. "Were they really real?" they'll wonder. And the shame is we won't be there to tell them, "yes, they were real, and they were glorious."

[www.houstonpress.com]

@Stoneage, you are completely right. They don't play better than between 1972 & 1973 till 1982. I saw them first time in Antwerp 1973, meanwhile till now maybe 50 concerts in Europe. At this moment I don't want to see them anymore. And at this moment, I buy every bootleg dvd and cd from 2012 till now. Reason: I can't work with all that downloading.

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bye bye johnny
The Rolling Stones rock Houston with unforgettable, satisfaction-filled show

By Johnston Farrow
Jul 28, 2019

... The Stones pulled off the perfect one-two shot encore with the mind-blowing “Gimme Shelter,” back-up singer Lisa Fischer (sic) stealing the spotlight. ...

[houston.culturemap.com]

Did she really make an appearance or is this just lazy journalism (or I am just lazy myself - haven't read through the first 5 pages)?

Getting names wrong is just an indication of the quality of the review. Is Houston Culture Map even a newspaper?
Generally, I think the quality of reviews has declined since decades. You get the feeling they are written by tourist agencies or PR bureaus. Like in this case...

When we left the show it occurred to us...Keith didn’t smoke a cigarette the entire show, nor did Ronnie...did they quit?

the shoot 'em dead, brainbell jangler!

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rattler2004
When we left the show it occurred to us...Keith didn’t smoke a cigarette the entire show, nor did Ronnie...did they quit?

He has a little smoking table at the back where he takes a few puffs during the beginning of Miss You. Did you see him on stage then?

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DandelionPowderman

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rattler2004
When we left the show it occurred to us...Keith didn’t smoke a cigarette the entire show, nor did Ronnie...did they quit?

He has a little smoking table at the back where he takes a few puffs during the beginning of Miss You. Did you see him on stage then?

Ronnie quit when he had his tumor removed

Vids getting loaded here from PIT 2 closeup so can't see Mick sometimes but super close sometimes. New-ish camera takes higher res video than my old one so vids are taking a while to get posted.

[www.youtube.com]

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dnewton99
Vids getting loaded here from PIT 2 closeup so can't see Mick sometimes but super close sometimes. New-ish camera takes higher res video than my old one so vids are taking a while to get posted.

[www.youtube.com]

great job dnewton99 thanks

After seen them the first time in 1973: I'ts a living jube Box. +/- 50 shows I've seen them in Europe.

here's a MR, lateral view

video: [youtu.be]

More going up. higher res than old camera - slow uploads [www.youtube.com]

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Cooltoplady

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DandelionPowderman

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rattler2004
When we left the show it occurred to us...Keith didn’t smoke a cigarette the entire show, nor did Ronnie...did they quit?

He has a little smoking table at the back where he takes a few puffs during the beginning of Miss You. Did you see him on stage then?

Ronnie quit when he had his tumor removed

I was referring to Keith

Cory Garcia | July 28, 2019

Seldom has I read such a compact positive review. This writer seems to know it all. He`s talking about a playbook. So all the wannabees out there are just crap? Those suburbian second, third and fourth generation rockers who want to do the same thing? Everything from Bon Jovi to Guns And Roses might just be predictable posers? Well, that doesn`t bother me. I`m fine with that. -But are The Stones now better than ever?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2019-07-28 18:44 by noughties.

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dnewton99
More going up. higher res than old camera - slow uploads [www.youtube.com]

thanks dnewton99, terrific quality, also is priceless to look so close at mick's face expressions and keith's work

Keith now does good job on SFTD!

[www.youtube.com]

Thanks great work.

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dnewton99
Vids getting loaded here from PIT 2 closeup so can't see Mick sometimes but super close sometimes. New-ish camera takes higher res video than my old one so vids are taking a while to get posted.

[www.youtube.com]

<But are The Stones now better than ever?>

Didn't see that statement in the review?

Just watched Out of Control from last night and then from No Security in 1999. Honestly think it was better last night!!!

Keith was right on last night. Just because he doesn't move as much I think means he is focusing more on his playing - and also getting used to playing virtually without drugs and alcohol! Now that has to take some getting used to, but it shows in his and Ronnie's playing!

Can't wait for Seattle

I loved the spot for Mick closeups but you can't see the band much.. I loved it though. I have been in PIT before but much further back on catwalk with broader view but less of Mick's nostril hair.. HA

Yes Keith is fine and that is very cool!. See the work in Tumbling Dice here.

[www.youtube.com]

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sarahunwin
Just watched Out of Control from last night and then from No Security in 1999. Honestly think it was better last night!!!

Keith was right on last night. Just because he doesn't move as much I think means he is focusing more on his playing - and also getting used to playing virtually without drugs and alcohol! Now that has to take some getting used to, but it shows in his and Ronnie's playing!

Can't wait for Seattle

people complain about the stones playing the same old war horses,but last night I got it, most of the people sitting around us last night, were at their 1st stones show,and to see their faces and how the reacted to sfd, paint it black, etc. was priceless,and by the way bishop gunn u aint going to get any love on this sight for damn sure, but I loved ya playing in a venue this big for the first time, opening up for the rolling stones,u showed no fear.

Houston band intros....HB to Mick..

[www.youtube.com]

They quit the drugs, stopped smoking and drinking. What's next? The boys are going to tell us they found Jesus?

I'm hallucinating to read some things here. Better, better, better...
It's scary.

***
I'm just a Bad Boy Boogie



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2019-07-28 21:01 by powerage78.

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jumpingjackflash5

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maumau
is this supposed to be so average for a rs fan that he or she should impromptu react with a "yaaawn no way closer to 1976..."
?
video: [youtu.be]

Very good audience recording that, Maumau. Sasha is a big improvement in the quire. Doesn't wail as much. Sir Michael is fine and Ronnie is enjoying himself.
Some of Keith's licks bothers my ears though. I don't know if it's timing or tuning though. Or both.

The Stones are still rolling... across the USA....GOOD TIMES.

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

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powerage78
I'm hallucinating to read some things here. Better, better, better...
It's scary.

why dont you bother to give your opinion on, let's say, some of last night performace so brilliantly recorded by dnewton99, instead of trolling people's "betters"?
it would be interesting, at leasr I will be interested

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Stoneage

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jumpingjackflash5

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maumau
is this supposed to be so average for a rs fan that he or she should impromptu react with a "yaaawn no way closer to 1976..."
?
video: [youtu.be]

Very good audience recording that, Maumau. Sasha is a big improvement in the quire. Doesn't wail as much. Sir Michael is fine and Ronnie is enjoying himself.
Some of Keith's licks bothers my ears though. I don't know if it's timing or tuning though. Or both.

thanks Stoneage.
I think I know what you are referring to about Keiths rhythm (or missing of...) hard to explain in english for me but there is a rhythm part in the middle in which he seems to go "against" the flow so to speak. it's clear if compared with notorious performavces of the song as that in msg 2002 filmed on live licks. he has played that part this way for a while now. cant figure out if it is on purpose or it is a "deterioration".
overall I still find MR a thrilling part of the show and i think it shows in the video



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2019-07-28 21:35 by maumau.