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jbwelda
At the Oakland show in 69, shows actually, they never effectively cleared the crowd after the early show (running hours late due to equipment problems along with the typical general tardiness), so those from the early show who wanted to, stayed around for the second show and seat surfed. Presumably many of the late show ticket buyers gave up and went home before they were allowed in because even with the two crowds together it was only lightly packed except up front. If I remember right, the second show started about 2 or 3am with an advertised start time of 10pm. The sun was coming up as we left the place afterward. And I had to be at work at 8am, thats why I had bought an early show ticket.

jb

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Valeswood
The two shows at Louisiana State University on 1st June 1975 will be the longest in a single day.

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Doxa

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Valeswood
The two shows at Louisiana State University on 1st June 1975 will be the longest in a single day.

That's true - and I need to say, I have totally forgotten that one - that's the opening day for the tour. Damn, 45 songs performed that day altogether, having about 8 new songs and a new guitarist (and some other dudes). That probably is something like four hours on stage...

What was the deal back then? I mean they performed at Dunkirk Hall of Louisiana State University. That sounds like a rather low profile affair. Was that a kind of warm up gig for them still? To rehearse the new set in action, etc. They did not do any two-gig dates after that one.

Now can't recall any bootleg of those gigs. Do they exist?

- Doxa

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Doxa
This is an issue also occured to my mind as listening BRUSSELS AFFAIR a lot lately again. Yeah, we have now a kind good representation of both shows of the day thanks to the official version of the famous bootleg. I think as a concert act that day back then in Brussels was the busiest and most energy-consuming day in their life. Taken how damn well they play in both concerts - so focused and full of energy, sounding like to me giving in both all they got - it is just.. how can I describe it.. mind-blowing.

One could say that of playing altogether about two and half hours and 30 songs is not that physically over-exhausting since they have done that since then 'as older' (and many musicians do that every damn day...), but I think that view doesn't quite give justice for the physical and mental energy playing an individual show asks for. A Stones show already then weas a kind of drama consisting of different phases. I mean, you start like fresh, with a right concentration and focus - not just continuing from once you stop but starting it all over from the scratch again - start with a dramatic bomb, reflect the audience, build up the tension and atmosphere, highs and lows, ending up with a high-energetic flow... It is not jamming or playing through emotions, but making about every tune like a show highlight one gives maximal effort - since that what the Stones sounded like back then. They were so bloody tight and concentrated - and most of the songs were arrangewise compact pieces, with not much room for never-ending extended, loose-jamming versions yet (even though they, especially Taylor, were able to do incredible things within those tight formal conditions). Surely the routine helped, for example, by the time of Brussels shows, so they were in a kind of autopilot by being so familiar with the set. But still...

I especially wonder how Jagger as the ring-master was able to do all that twice a day. Listening BRUSSELLS AFFAIR he really doesn't give himself easy-time - he really hadn't that kind of trained professionalism yet - but seems to give all he has for about each song. Even with the slower songs - such as "Angie" and "Can't Always Get" - he sounds like really putting focus and effort to his vocals, not faking anything. And singing incredibly well (like Richards decades later mentioned when judging the bootleg). And this is just what we hear - not see him performing. Listening to the hottest version of "Street Fighting Man" ever alone makes one wonder how on earth he could start it all again in just a few hours...

Altogether, I think in that very day - 17th of October, 1973 - The Rolling Stones truely were the greatest rock and roll band in the world, setting the record so high that it is impossible to reach for anyone ever, even for themselves again (even though we probably could say this of some other, not so-well documented two-set days during European Tour as well, but you get the point).

Of those 'explanations' saltoftheearth above mentioned, I think the first one - they were much younger back then and had lots more energy - is the best one I can think of. Add there a suitable consumption of dope....

- Doxa

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saltoftheearth
There were some reasons for the double-show concept:

- They were much younger back then and had lots more energy. For insstance, Mick Jagger sang quite 'natural' without much effort up until 1973. Only on the last number Street fighting man he pushed to the limit.
- There were some ballads in the setlist (eg. Love in Vain, Prodigal son, Angie).
- The setlists were rather stale so after two or three concerts they were used to it.
- Generally the shows lasted for 75 minutes so all in all they performed for two and a half hours. This is not too much for a bunch of young guys, and it is not longer than a normal show during the last years when they were over 70(!).
- As for drugs and alcohol you do wonder how artists managed to remember the chords and the lyrics. But even a heavy alcoholic like Eric Clapton gave great concerts while drinking huge amounts of alcohol (as you can read in his autobiography. Playing guitar is one thing but at reading his book I Always wondered that he did not confuse or Forget the lyrics and that his voice was in pretty good shape (contrary to Jagger on the 1975 US tour).

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Doxa
This is an issue also occured to my mind as listening BRUSSELS AFFAIR a lot lately again. Yeah, we have now a kind good representation of both shows of the day thanks to the official version of the famous bootleg. I think as a concert act that day back then in Brussels was the busiest and most energy-consuming day in their life. Taken how damn well they play in both concerts - so focused and full of energy, sounding like to me giving in both all they got - it is just.. how can I describe it.. mind-blowing.

One could say that of playing altogether about two and half hours and 30 songs is not that physically over-exhausting since they have done that since then 'as older' (and many musicians do that every damn day...), but I think that view doesn't quite give justice for the physical and mental energy playing an individual show asks for. A Stones show already then weas a kind of drama consisting of different phases. I mean, you start like fresh, with a right concentration and focus - not just continuing from once you stop but starting it all over from the scratch again - start with a dramatic bomb, reflect the audience, build up the tension and atmosphere, highs and lows, ending up with a high-energetic flow... It is not jamming or playing through emotions, but making about every tune like a show highlight one gives maximal effort - since that what the Stones sounded like back then. They were so bloody tight and concentrated - and most of the songs were arrangewise compact pieces, with not much room for never-ending extended, loose-jamming versions yet (even though they, especially Taylor, were able to do incredible things within those tight formal conditions). Surely the routine helped, for example, by the time of Brussels shows, so they were in a kind of autopilot by being so familiar with the set. But still...

I especially wonder how Jagger as the ring-master was able to do all that twice a day. Listening BRUSSELLS AFFAIR he really doesn't give himself easy-time - he really hadn't that kind of trained professionalism yet - but seems to give all he has for about each song. Even with the slower songs - such as "Angie" and "Can't Always Get" - he sounds like really putting focus and effort to his vocals, not faking anything. And singing incredibly well (like Richards decades later mentioned when judging the bootleg). And this is just what we hear - not see him performing. Listening to the hottest version of "Street Fighting Man" ever alone makes one wonder how on earth he could start it all again in just a few hours...

Altogether, I think in that very day - 17th of October, 1973 - The Rolling Stones truely were the greatest rock and roll band in the world, setting the record so high that it is impossible to reach for anyone ever, even for themselves again (even though we probably could say this of some other, not so-well documented two-set days during European Tour as well, but you get the point).

Of those 'explanations' saltoftheearth above mentioned, I think the first one - they were much younger back then and had lots more energy - is the best one I can think of. Add there a suitable consumption of dope....

- Doxa

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mosthigh
One word: cocaine

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schillid
I was twelve in 1969. My mom and my friend's mom planned to take me and my brothers and our friends to see the Stones in Philadelphia at the Spectrum.
We originally had tickets for a 4:00 pm matinee show which was cancelled just a few days before the show.
On the day of the show, we were dejected.

A Happy Ending, After All!
The night of the concert, our much older cousin had gone down to the Spectrum, hoping to buy a ticket. A few hours before the show, we got a call from him outside the Spectrum. He had found this guy with dozens of tickets to that night's show. He even got the ticket guy to talk to us on the phone. Ticket Guy tells us that he is sympathetic to the plight of people who had purchased tickets to the cancelled show, and he is willing to swap tickets from the cancelled afternoon show for tickets to the sold out evening show. He'd redeem the cancelled tickets later at the box office for face value, he explained. He promised to save eight tickets for us. Imagine this nowadays.

We piled frantically into the car, and drove to the Spectrum, 45 minutes away. We were going to see the Rolling Stones after all! Our entourage was comprised of the two moms plus six boys, ranging in age from ten to sixteen.

We found our cousin, who introduced us to the generous Ticket Guy. He was surrounded by many people, all eagerly buying tickets. Not surprisingly, he had raised his price a bit since we had spoken to him. He was now asking for $10 for the tickets. Imagine that. For us, however, Ticket Guy kept his word, exchanging the tickets at face value: just $7.50.

Imagine any of this nowadays!

I remember thinking at the time, that we must be an odd looking group... We probably looked like a lot of people you'd see at a Stones concert nowadays.

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Mr. Jimi

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schillid
I was twelve in 1969. My mom and my friend's mom planned to take me and my brothers and our friends to see the Stones in Philadelphia at the Spectrum.
We originally had tickets for a 4:00 pm matinee show which was cancelled just a few days before the show.
On the day of the show, we were dejected.

A Happy Ending, After All!
The night of the concert, our much older cousin had gone down to the Spectrum, hoping to buy a ticket. A few hours before the show, we got a call from him outside the Spectrum. He had found this guy with dozens of tickets to that night's show. He even got the ticket guy to talk to us on the phone. Ticket Guy tells us that he is sympathetic to the plight of people who had purchased tickets to the cancelled show, and he is willing to swap tickets from the cancelled afternoon show for tickets to the sold out evening show. He'd redeem the cancelled tickets later at the box office for face value, he explained. He promised to save eight tickets for us. Imagine this nowadays.

We piled frantically into the car, and drove to the Spectrum, 45 minutes away. We were going to see the Rolling Stones after all! Our entourage was comprised of the two moms plus six boys, ranging in age from ten to sixteen.

We found our cousin, who introduced us to the generous Ticket Guy. He was surrounded by many people, all eagerly buying tickets. Not surprisingly, he had raised his price a bit since we had spoken to him. He was now asking for $10 for the tickets. Imagine that. For us, however, Ticket Guy kept his word, exchanging the tickets at face value: just $7.50.

Imagine any of this nowadays!

I remember thinking at the time, that we must be an odd looking group... We probably looked like a lot of people you'd see at a Stones concert nowadays.

What a wonderful read that was. Thank you for posting. Just harkens back to a wondrous period of time that is now gone forever.