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Palace Revolution 2000
So, Maneskin did not get an opening slot in Italy?

That's a shame, as I had really expected them to get a gig somewhere in Europe if not at least their own home country.

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VoodooLounge13

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Palace Revolution 2000
So, Maneskin did not get an opening slot in Italy?

That's a shame, as I had really expected them to get a gig somewhere in Europe if not at least their own home country.

Totally agree.

Have Ghost Hounds been officially announced as the Milan opener? I must have missed it.

Yet the stones official but GH official facebook.

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corvonero

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Oriongalaxy
Does anyone know support band for Milan? I must have missed the announcement..

Ghost Hounds

Is this really confirmed? Has Thomas Tull really taken the Milan gig too for himself?

If so... Wow. What a shameless operation the Stones organization has become with its opening acts.

The Ghost Hounds appear to almost never play gigs they headline themselves. All that I can find so far are just 2 in a Pittsburgh grill, one in a P'burgh cafe, and one (possibly as the headliners) in an Austin club. I believe this is because (1) Thomas Tull wants to do his guitar-hero-ing on the biggest stages that exist; and (2), even more importantly, the GHs don't actually have a real fan base of their own -- and they know it. They can't tour or stand-alone gig in any significant venues and pull in audiences on their own.

If that's wrong, it's long past time for them to show us. Let's see Tull's band, on it's own, put on a show in even just a 1000-capacity venue and fill it. With real paying customers, not lots of people admitted free, and not with people hoping to meet Pittsburgh Steelers stars. So that means outside of Pittsburgh where Tull, a billionaire, is a leading local philanthropist and is treated with care by the local press. Nor in LA, where as former head of Legendary Entertainment he has lots of connections and must have lots of favors he can call in. Pick your city outside of those two, Ghost Hounds, and let's see you stand on your own. Fill 1000 seats, while not riding on the coattails of another band that is providing the crowd. Surely any rock band that has legitimately earned 10 or 11 spots opening for the Rolling Stones must be capable of doing at least that.

But they haven't toured without a name band providing their audience, and I'm betting they won't. With no hit songs, popular albums, or popular songs, it's hard to imagine what their pitch could even be, other than, "Come Out And See The Band That Opens For The Rolling Stones... The MOST!!!"


The Rolling Stones' 2019 - 2022 PREFERRED OPENING ACT: Thomas Tull's GHO$T HOUND$

1)   03.07.2019 - Washington DC

2)   30.09.2021 - Charlotte

3)   04.10.2021 - Pittsburgh

4)   09.10.2021 - Nashville

5)   14.10.2021 - Los Angeles

6)   29.10.2021 - Tampa

7)   20.11.2021 - Austin

8)   23.11.2021 - Hollywood, Florida

9)   13.06.2022 - Amsterdam

10) 17.06.2022 - Bern
(Switzerland: a highly suitable location for a GH Stones opening. The vast majority of its very high per capita Gross Domestic Product coming as it does from helping many of the richest people in the world hide their money from their home nations' governments and escape taxation that others pay. Switzerland is beautiful and all, but, sorry, I'm not at all a fan of how the biggest part of its posh economy works.)

And now...

11)  21.06.2022 - Milan

...too? Which I agree that Maneskin defintiely should have gotten if they wanted it.


Yet even 3 1/2 years into this over-the-top wish fulfillment adventure, the GHs still don't attempt gigging on the strength of their own music because negligible numbers of people are seeking out their off-the-shelf, by-the-numbers blues-rock. What their band of professional musicians needs is exceptional songs, which would require exceptional songwriting. And they just do not have that.

Has any act in the history of rocknroll ever chased so hard after the reflected glory of a great band? I'm asking seriously, because I can't think of something like this ever having happened before. It strikes me as unprecedented, and one for the music history books.

In the more immediate term, though, the whole sorry scheme cries out for a hard look from somebody in the music press who's experienced, hard-nosed, and has a built-in bullsh*t detector. I'm just a Rolling Stones fan who recognizes that I've been taken advantage of twice. My $500+ pit tickets didn't buy me all that it would have on prior tours, or at different shows on the same tours. Others got to see legitimately deserving opening acts. Acts many people actually want to see. (Two nights ago I finally saw St. Paul and the Broken Bones. You want to do right by a stadium full of Stones fans paying too much for their tickets? Give them St. Paul and the Broken Bones.) I had something lesser passed off on me. I got stuck, twice, being the audience to what I regard as a rich guy's very grand, unbelievably self-indulgent ego trip.

What this very weird situation needs is investigative journalism. If pursued in depth I'm sure it would make a hell of a magazine article.

Nine times in the last nine months? Good God!!! How disgusting.

I feel the same way. You know the answer is $. The answers to many questions are either “money,” or “people are stupid.” It’d be nice to hear what the band has to say.

Support act Gelsenkirchen: ZUCCHERO


[m.facebook.com]

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satisfaction2
Support act Gelsenkirchen: ZUCCHERO


[m.facebook.com]

Fantastic! There will be a duet with Mick for sure!!!

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satisfaction2

Support act Gelsenkirchen: ZUCCHERO

[Twitter.com]

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Stoneswolf

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satisfaction2
Support act Gelsenkirchen: ZUCCHERO


[m.facebook.com]

Fantastic! There will be a duet with Mick for sure!!!

Might be a good chance for as tears go by / con le mir lacrime

Not sure if it was mentioned already, but Bilderbuch are going to open in Vienna. They could fill the venue on their own, not everyone likes them, but I think they are a fantastic band.

Do we know yet who opens Lyon and Berlin?

Berlin being not a postponement of the Bern date, but a new concert in its own right, I'd think the Stones wouldn't have to use Bern's contracted opener, Thomas Tull's Gho$t Hound$, if they don't want to.

The day after HP #1, I moved to Birmingham to catch Rammstein at the Building Society Arena (formerly Ricoh Arena) in Coventry. As I walked towards my hotel near city centre around four o’clock, I encountered a queue of young people, about 50 meter long, sitting on the pavement by the road. Mostly teenage girls. It turned out they were waiting for the door open for Phoebe Bridgers at the O2 Academy — they were there to secure the space for the all-standing floor at this early hour.

Her support role for the Stones on Saturday was, along with The War On Drugs who followed her, one to watch. And on the preceding Friday, her set stirred a sensation in Glastonbury. From efestivals forum (go to p.9 onwards):

[www.efestivals.co.uk]



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2022-06-28 08:06 by RisingStone.

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RisingStone
The day after HP #1, I moved to Birmingham to catch Rammstein at the Building Society Arena (formerly Ricoh Arena) in Coventry. As I walked towards my hotel near city centre around four o’clock, I encountered a queue of young people, about 50 meter long, sitting on the pavement by the road. Mostly teenage girls. It turned out they were waiting for the door open for Phoebe Bridgers at the O2 Academy — they were there to secure the space for the all-standing floor at this early hour.

Her support role for the Stones on Saturday was, along with The War On Drugs who followed her, one to watch. And on the preceding Friday, her set stirred a sensation in Glastonbury. From efestivals forum (go to p.9 onwards):

[www.efestivals.co.uk]

Now try to envision a similar scene for the Stones' "favorite" opener since 2019, Thomas Tull's Gho$t Hound$. You can't. No one can. They don't have a following. The band is one extremely rich dude's outrageous ego trip... a fantasy band camp adventure for him.

I believe he's up there pay-to-play. We'll never be able to prove that, Tull will never release the details of his contracts for the 2019, 2021, and 2022 Stones tours, and his own people surely must have all signed NDAs, so they won't spill. But there's no other explanation for them opening for the Stones ten times, the GHs are a non-factor in the music market. They're incapable of drawing their own crowd.

I travelled to see Courtney Barnett's tour in February. I'm contemplating doing so to see Sam Fender in September.

Coming up next on the SIXTY Tour, after War On Drugs and Phoebe Bridgers Saturday, the Hyde Park 2 audience gets Courtney and Sam both. Londoners get to see them as part of the deal with their Stones concert.

Meanwhile a lot of us have gotten stuck with a band few people would walk down the block to see for free.

And if that's not true, let's see the Gho$t Hound$ tour under their own name and on the strength of their own music only.

They won't. The result would be too embarrassing. And more to the point, too unsatisfying. In that getting one guy onstage in front of huge crowds that name bands have drawn is, I believe, what they exist for.

Ghost Hounds are a joke.

Let the IORR Band open and play songs The Stones won't.

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NashvilleBlues
Ghost Hounds are a joke.

This.

Anyone know anything about Nothing But Thieves?

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NashvilleBlues
Let the IORR Band open and play songs The Stones won't.

oooh yes please

Alhough I expect the IORR band were surprised when the Stones played CYHMR at Hyde Park 1, "Why are they are playing one of our songs?"

Never heard of Nothing But Thieves before, but at least they seem to be a legit band:

[en.m.wikipedia.org]

Yes very good band.

I've learned a lot about Thomas Tull since spring 2019... given lots of "listens" into his world to try to discern who TF this guy is, and am sure I now know more about this billionaire than I've ever known (or will ever want to) about any other.

He comes across well in most contexts. By "well" I mean, while of course sufficiently ruthless to become a self-made billionaire to begin with, also being someone with a functioning conscience, who leans towards doing the right thing in a range of areas. (With a predeliction for what's cool and grandiose. A freshman dorm hallmate of mine whose musings I enjoyed when we were both 17, geneticist George Church, is trying to de-extinct wooly mammoths. Tull, the financier of Jurassic World, is helping him with $.) So either that -- he's overall one of the "good guys" -- or he's just smooth and has duped me. But I'm going with the former. Here, give a listen to this particularly favorable impression given by the builder, owner, songwriter, absolute czar, and 2nd guitarist of Gho$t Hound$, from Feb. 2021: [finance.yahoo.com]. He is brilliant at making money. (Writing great songs? IMO not so much.)

So I continue to wonder why he doesn't grasp how wrong it is to be pushing his way onto Rolling Stones stages that his band hasn't earned, thereby taking valuable opportunities from bands that both have earned it, and are simply better. Why this blind spot?

Thursday in Amsterdam Thomas Tull, IMO, should close their set by saying, "Thank you. This [his 10th] is the last of these Rolling Stones opening slots we'll be taking up."

And then go have as much fun with his band as he wants to. But getting onto stages the way others must: by earning and deserving them.


But, Tull shows no signs of such an epiphany yet.


SO, in the meantime:



Dear Rolling Stones Inc.:

For your only remaining support act spot still open, Berlin, I urge you to choose
DREAM WIFE

On this thread I've not just argued at length against the mediocre-musically Hey-Everybody-Look-At-Me-With-The-Rolling-Stones-I'm-Not-JUST-A-Billionaire-I'm-THE-COOLEST-Billionaire!!! stunningly selfish vanity project which goes by the name of Gho$t Hound$.

I've also advocated for real, no-shit, properly-paying-their-dues, BETTER bands and acts that, in contrast to Gho$t Hound$, actually dare to tour on only their own music, and actually deserve this once-prestigious opportunity, on merit, but are unable to just buy it away from the super-rich.

I've advocated this tour for
Fontaines DC
Wolf Alice
Maneskin
Samantha Fish
Amyl and the Sniffers
Hind
Yard Act
St. Paul and the Broken Bones

...and indicated approval of 2022 openers
War On Drugs
Phoebe Bridgers
Courtney Barnett
Sam Fender

2019, 2020, and 2021 I also advocated for Dream Wife, and somehow neglected to bring them up again this year on this thread. Shame on me.

Only a couple of days ago I was surprised and very pleased to see something I hadn't even realized happened. That, while Dream Wife wasn't booked for it initially and wasn't approached for Hyde Park 1 until it looks like about June 21, they got an unexpected call to appear on the small stage June 25th. And of course they jumped on it.

Their post:

Dream Wife
Ignivik [which has to be Icelandic for "June"] 22 at 06:20  

Unexpected turn of events: supporting the The Rolling Stones this Saturday !! Amazing! Yes all of our parents, grandparents & their book clubs have been notified & are freaking the fuuuuuu out! We’re very excited for this!
[and gaga-eyes, tongue out emojis]

A few of the replies (leaving the many emojis out)

* Immense! What a massive step in your journey

* Wow! When Maneskin supported them Keith Richards said to them he hadnt a clue who they were but they must be good to be booked as support to RS. So take some [new?] music to give the band!

* Oh my god. U really have made it. Awesome awesome time u guys

* OMG! I was considering buying tickets for the Stones, but this settles it! Can’t wait!! 

* What the hell!? That's insane!! Congratulations

* Do you have a stage time? You’re not yet mentioned in the lineup on the BST app and we don’t want to miss you.

* Some very fortunate Rolling Stones' fans

* [from a transit unionist I assume:] no strike on this day. I'm gonna sell my soul and come down.

* you are in for a treat, dream wife are AMAZING, especially live 

* Good gig for exposure. Watch that Ron Wood, he likes the young girls

* WOWSERS… The Rolling Stones fans are in for a treat.. we’ll done!!

* COOL! If you read one of my early FM messenger messages to the band, I compared DW to the early Stones and compared Rakel's stage presence to Mick Jagger. I am sooo happy for the band!

* Just reminds me of the days when Iggy and Prince got booed off the stage opening for the Stones in the 80s. Hope the audience can handle it.

* [the Wives celebrate "bad bitches". someone posted an audio link to "Bitch"]

end of fan reply samples

So apparently somebody inside the RS machine figured the HP1 line-up could use a shot of girl punk energy and relevance, maybe one of their daughters(?) pointed them to the Wives, and somebody championed them on the inside. Whoever that was, THANK YOU!



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2022-07-07 07:40 by TheBluesHadaBaby.

advocacy for a real, working band for Berlin, cont'd


From Simon and Charlie Emmerson's IORR posted review of HP 1

"One of the support bands Phoebe Bridges were on. This LA based blonde singer and guitarist (who is easy on the eye) apologises for her fellow Americans and plays a type of morose Fleetwood Mac rock.

"...For me a far more entertaining band are the Dream Wife punk band who remind me of the Slits. Well worth checking out. They are performing on the smaller stage. Most entertaining and humorous [me: ...um, what you might be trying to say is "fun"? high energy, physical, and fun. but "humorous", I think no ] with songs about budgies [me: ... what? I must not be up on my Brit slang, I thought budgies are parakeets ] and bodies not been play grounds.

"War on drugs back on the main stage warm us up nicely before our Super heroes appear on stage...."

end of that blurb

I'm very big on Dream Wife. Saw them in a DC club their first time around over here as headliners, late September 2018. ( [parklifedc.com] ) They do loud, exciting shows. And are nice kids... got a few words with them all at the merch table. Told the drummer, Paves (the only guy), that across the arc of female punk bands they're significantly better than the Runaways, who opened a 1978 Ramones Rocket To Russia Tour show that I saw. I wasn't bullshitting - Runaways were something of a stunt band, and didn't have good songs. (Where Joan Jett found her place was with the Blackhearts.) Dream Wife has a number of strong songs, several of them real ass-kickers.

The Wives have something to say, too. There's a lot that's well worth being pissed off about in the world. Art, and in music, rocknroll in particular, have histories of being vehicles for venting some of that discontent. The Wives are your women if you're willing to let some of that rip in Berlin.

OTOH, Gho$t Hound$, to my ears, sings re-shuffled cliches and retreaded platitudes. (And some of their vids are visual pablum.) Berlin might not be the best stage for them. Some Stones fans at some point I believe are going to start sensing the extent of calculatedness of that whole enterprise. And a lot of German music fans know their schitt when it comes to American music. If audiences ever start picking up on that underlying inauthenticity, it could start there.

Whereas I suspect a number of Berliners will go for these young Wives. A city especially hospitable to Lou Reed and David Bowie I think might be a good fit with the talented, clearly inspired, a little bit "out there" art school product that is Dream Wife.

Book the Wives in Berlin and you get some legitimately excited young fans, most of them female, attending a Rolling Stones concert for the first time, when they wouldn't have otherwise. (The Stones of course will win them over.) And you get an exciting show of new rocknroll... with feminist punk flavorings... that will definitely wake up the crowd. The Stones have had Alanis open for them, they're not afraid of a little feminism.

Transact with Thomas Tull to let him commandeer his ELEVENTH Rolling Stones stage, and I'm thinking the celebration of that announcement will be limited to employee/bandmembers dutifully congratulating the big boss on his latest big score. With nobody else, except their families, interested. (Thomas: Those online music rag writers you talk to? They've never interviewed anybody as rich and successful as you. They're pandering to you, writing puffery.) After which the 52 yo billionaire gets yet another reflected-glory trophy night, to later bask on the memory of in one of his large mansions.

Granted, Dream Wife's contract to play Berlin won't make RS Inc. richer. So there is that factor.

Go with the more exciting new band anyway.

Or if not Dream Wife, then another legit working band that has earned it.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2022-07-07 07:49 by TheBluesHadaBaby.

Was wondering if RAMMSTEIN is open for the Berlin show.

No, dammit. Aug 3 (&4) they're in Belgium finishing up their own European tour.

Might've been a challenge accommodating their set production on the Stones' stage. I wonder if that could've been worked out?

What a night in Berlin that would be... Rammstein + The Rolling Stones.

Anyway, Amsterdam's done. It's time for Tull to unlatch his Gho$t Hound$' lips from the teat of the Stones' audiences. Long past time.

Any news on the support act for Paris?

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monkeymantoo
Any news on the support act for Paris?

Ayron Jones

I came to Amsterdam to see the Ghost Hounds and got the Rolling Stones as a bonus.

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NilsHolgersson
I came to Amsterdam to see the Ghost Hounds and got the Rolling Stones as a bonus.

Wouldn't tell that to TheBluesHadaBaby