Hi everyone, I'm looking for the Sympathy drums used on LIVE tour. Thanks.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025-08-07 17:00 by bv.

2024 Hackney Diamonds Tour?

The literal physical drums used for a tour?

Possibly the most confusing post ever!

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bmandolini
Hi everyone, I'm looking for the Sympathy drums used on LIVE tour. Thanks.

Last I heard they were seen touring the mental asylums of Italy. I think the best course of action would be to check yourself into one. Pronto.

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bmandolini
Hi everyone, I'm looking for the Sympathy drums used on LIVE tour. Thanks.

I've tried to find them myself but nothing - I tried with a drum machine, but my programming skills suck. Best I could do is sample a couple of seconds from start of Devil form the Shine a Light movie.

C

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bmandolini
Hi everyone, I'm looking for the Sympathy drums used on LIVE tour. Thanks.

Not sure what you're after, but here's some 50 seconds of a live recording, with some piano etc. eventually.

[www.dropbox.com]

The first ten seconds is the percussion loop only:

[youtu.be]

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lix95
2024 Hackney Diamonds Tour?

Complete percussion track: [www.swisstransfer.com]

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lix95

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lix95
2024 Hackney Diamonds Tour?

Complete percussion track: [www.swisstransfer.com]

Thank you, where did you get that one from?


C

Fascinating stuff. And quite a good groove. Is this someone's approximation of it? Is it isolated from an actual Stones performance? Does technology allow you to do this even without having access to multi tracks perhaps by isolating frequencies?
It would be also fascinating to track how they have done smpathy across the tours since the automated intro of 89' onwards. At some stage the automated track fades out I guess and Charlie takes over?

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jonnylamar
Fascinating stuff. And quite a good groove. Is this someone's approximation of it? Is it isolated from an actual Stones performance? Does technology allow you to do this even without having access to multi tracks perhaps by isolating frequencies?
It would be also fascinating to track how they have done smpathy across the tours since the automated intro of 89' onwards. At some stage the automated track fades out I guess and Charlie takes over?

I think it was one of the BANG tours when Charlie took his headphones off and left the stage. The drum machine/program kept going. It was posted here and talked about but that was a while ago.

The drum track always keeps playing throughout the whole song and some tech members stop it when the band finishes the song.
For each big tour, they worked on a new drum track, up until 2012. From 2013 onwards until 2019 they always used the same track, and 2013 was just a slight variation of the 2012 drum track. Then with Steve Jordan they introduced a new one, which has been the same since 2021.

No Security also kept the drum track from the Bridges tour.

The first gig of the A Bigger Bang tour in Boston 2005 had a very different intro, with organ when Mick began singing, and with less backing track, a loud cow bell and loud drumming by Charlie, also introducing a new beat to it. But for the second gig at Fenway Park they started it off with a louder drum track, and no organ, kinda going back to normal.

Ottawa Canada August 28, 2005...I was there about 7 rows back...very strange at the time...I believe he told them he was having heart palpitations....returned in 2 minutes or so, and the show continued on

here's a link to the long intro caused by charlie going backstage....

audio youtube of Ottawa 2005 when Charlie left the drum kit



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2025-08-10 00:37 by mrpaulincanada.

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mrpaulincanada
Ottawa Canada August 28, 2005...I was there about 7 rows back...very strange at the time...I believe he told them he was having heart palpitations....returned in 2 minutes or so, and the show continued on

here's a link to the long intro caused by charlie going backstage....

audio youtube of Ottawa 2005 when Charlie left the drum kit

This is a great show! Crowd crowd too. Great atmosphere...

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Stonesfan2146
The drum track always keeps playing throughout the whole song and some tech members stop it when the band finishes the song.
For each big tour, they worked on a new drum track, up until 2012. From 2013 onwards until 2019 they always used the same track, and 2013 was just a slight variation of the 2012 drum track. Then with Steve Jordan they introduced a new one, which has been the same since 2021.

No Security also kept the drum track from the Bridges tour.

The first gig of the A Bigger Bang tour in Boston 2005 had a very different intro, with organ when Mick began singing, and with less backing track, a loud cow bell and loud drumming by Charlie, also introducing a new beat to it. But for the second gig at Fenway Park they started it off with a louder drum track, and no organ, kinda going back to normal.

So odd. In general, it's sounded the same since 1989. So they made some changes but it's always been so pedstrian.

The previous live albums had SFTD on them and they were completely different. From FLASHPOINT onward they've all (basically) sounded the same.

That's a really long time.

Yeah, I know, they either can't or won't play it with actual rhythm like they did. Things change, evolve.

Yet they've played Midnight Rambler in miniscule different ways. Monkey Man. Gimme Shelter. Maybe a few others - Bitch, with different speeds/tempos.

Why did SFTD get the mall music version? It's consistent. Limited guitaring. Appeasing the HOT ROCKS crowd.

Enter more (here).

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GasLightStreet

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jonnylamar
Fascinating stuff. And quite a good groove. Is this someone's approximation of it? Is it isolated from an actual Stones performance? Does technology allow you to do this even without having access to multi tracks perhaps by isolating frequencies?
It would be also fascinating to track how they have done smpathy across the tours since the automated intro of 89' onwards. At some stage the automated track fades out I guess and Charlie takes over?

I think it was one of the BANG tours when Charlie took his headphones off and left the stage. The drum machine/program kept going. It was posted here and talked about but that was a while ago.

Yep, that happened in Frankfurt didn't? Or was it Lyon? Ahh Ottawa it was! Could've sworn it happened in June 2007 too....



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2025-08-10 11:45 by MadMax.

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MadMax

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GasLightStreet

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jonnylamar
Fascinating stuff. And quite a good groove. Is this someone's approximation of it? Is it isolated from an actual Stones performance? Does technology allow you to do this even without having access to multi tracks perhaps by isolating frequencies?
It would be also fascinating to track how they have done smpathy across the tours since the automated intro of 89' onwards. At some stage the automated track fades out I guess and Charlie takes over?

I think it was one of the BANG tours when Charlie took his headphones off and left the stage. The drum machine/program kept going. It was posted here and talked about but that was a while ago.

Yep, that happened in Frankfurt didn't? Or was it Lyon? Ahh Ottawa it was! Could've sworn it happened in June 2007 too....

LOL at some point someone will know!!!

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Swayed1967

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bmandolini
Hi everyone, I'm looking for the Sympathy drums used on LIVE tour. Thanks.

Last I heard they were seen touring the mental asylums of Italy. I think the best course of action would be to check yourself into one. Pronto.

It's a very astuce question.
Truth is SFD had some backtrack since 1989, and made so much the news that the Stones had a row with Der Spiegel about the 37/1995 issue

[iorr.org]

Now, from the musical point, I see a couple of questions
1) Was Charlie happy with the idea?
2) Was the loop different from 1989 to 2023?
3) Is it indeed running during the whole song, and not just a few bars, so it means the band can hear it the whole song?... As for the audience, I don't know.
So yes, a smart question.

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Swayed1967

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bmandolini
Hi everyone, I'm looking for the Sympathy drums used on LIVE tour. Thanks.

Last I heard they were seen touring the mental asylums of Italy. I think the best course of action would be to check yourself into one. Pronto.

It's a very astuce question.
Truth is SFD had some backtrack since 1989, and made so much the news that the Stones had a row with Der Spiegel about the 37/1995 issue

[iorr.org]

Now, from the musical point, I see a couple of questions
1) Was Charlie happy with the idea?
2) Was the loop different from 1989 to 2023?
3) Is it indeed running during the whole song, and not just a few bars, so it means the band can hear it the whole song?... As for the audience, I don't know.
So yes, a smart question.

I don't think SFTD is the only number where loops, click tracks or additional recorded instruments are added.

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Stoneage
I don't think SFTD is the only number where loops, click tracks or additional recorded instruments are added.

Now you are starting a rumor without proof :-(

Other than a cowbell track on HTW I can't think of any others. For a band playing stadiums they're one of the more live bands out there still.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025-08-11 19:43 by Ket.

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Ket
Other than a cowbell track on HTW I can't think of any others. For a band playing stadiums they're one of the more live bands out there still.

The cowbell was sampled to have 3 different notes due to temperature/climate for 1989-90 and 1994-95 (it disappeared at the first chorus). They haven't always used it, though, or an actual cowbell at all (1969-1982). Blondie played it for the BRIDGES tours.

Aside from SFTD using samples the only other song played live with a sample, or a program, is the harmonica in Miss You from 1989.

All the horns have always been real.

They haven't used a real piano onstage since 1982 as far as I recall so technically those are samples ie keyboard(s) but they're played by a person.

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GasLightStreet

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Ket
Other than a cowbell track on HTW I can't think of any others. For a band playing stadiums they're one of the more live bands out there still.

The cowbell was sampled to have 3 different notes due to temperature/climate for 1989-90 and 1994-95 (it disappeared at the first chorus). They haven't always used it, though, or an actual cowbell at all (1969-1982). Blondie played it for the BRIDGES tours.

Aside from SFTD using samples the only other song played live with a sample, or a program, is the harmonica in Miss You from 1989.

All the horns have always been real.

They haven't used a real piano onstage since 1982 as far as I recall so technically those are samples ie keyboard(s) but they're played by a person.

OMG. Bravo! This is where you understand IORR is the most knowledgeable RS source on earth. I mean: who would know that on earth? Even the band is likely to have forget it after 36 years, apart from Chuck.

You would't have a sample of the different versions, by chance? Sounds we should ask some cows for their opinion,and their favorite tour.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025-08-12 13:11 by The Joker.

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GasLightStreet

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Ket
Other than a cowbell track on HTW I can't think of any others. For a band playing stadiums they're one of the more live bands out there still.

The cowbell was sampled to have 3 different notes due to temperature/climate for 1989-90 and 1994-95 (it disappeared at the first chorus). They haven't always used it, though, or an actual cowbell at all (1969-1982). Blondie played it for the BRIDGES tours.

Aside from SFTD using samples the only other song played live with a sample, or a program, is the harmonica in Miss You from 1989.

All the horns have always been real.

They haven't used a real piano onstage since 1982 as far as I recall so technically those are samples ie keyboard(s) but they're played by a person.

<All the horns have always been real.>

I thought so, too, but on Bitch from Atlantic City 1989 it looks like the keyboards are playing them.

Isn't Chuck playing the cowbell now? And the synth harp has been back (Matt) for a few tours

Chuck playing cowbell in 2022:





[www.youtube.com]



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2025-08-12 13:28 by DandelionPowderman.

Inspired by this thread (and thanks to the link provided), I read the the infamous DER SPIEGEL article from 1995. I don't recall ever reading it in total before, only referenced and quoted.

They seemingly try a bit hard to reveal something suspicious there... Classical investigative journalism to reveal how people are fooled, how the almigthy Stones is cheating people there... Not that they quite rightly recognize that the nature of modern stadium show is drastically different than the concerts once were (people still talk about it here and miss the old days) - the show aspects, technology, lights and all of that - but they simply get carried away and go over the top. Some evidence to support their shocking conspiracy theory is simply funny: such as Chuck Leavell - a keyboardist, not a guitarist or drummer or even the frontman - counting the songs is a sign of the band using playback or 52 years old Mick cannot run and sound that good or - this is best - Salman Rushdie (!!!) reviewing their show as crystal clear or something. Yeah, they do have some harder evidence, for sure, based on the songs resembling too much each other from show to show but I really can't make much sense of their arguments there. Their 'expert' do not sound that reliable or convincing.

A year later they admitted that the band actually played live. But they only refer to "Rock & A Hard Place" and admit they were wrong there. But nothing about "Tumbling Dice" and other songs they refer and other claims they make in the original article.

But in the end it is not that black and white. The Stones seemingly denied everything, that every note you hear in their concerts is live, but as we know they did use indeed playbacks. Not that to that extent - jeez, not even near - DER SPIEGEL ridiculously claimed but they did use some. DER SPIEGEL was not totally clueless.


- Doxa



Edited 8 time(s). Last edit at 2025-08-12 14:34 by Doxa.

Yes DP, on Bitch the horn section is not on stage. Some claim they were behind stage - but that would be a bit odd. Bitch was also played in a furious tempo.
The same tempo every time. Seems to me they used click tracks, set tempo and sampled horns. Pity, I think.

Usually Chuck starts the cowbell but when he's playing piano Matt takes over. You can clearly see this on Havanna Moon.

Chuck counting off the BPM is established during rehearsals.

In 1994 they had the Virgin remasters with them and would listen to the track, then play along with it, then... get it down, speed it up or slow it down.

You can listen to various performances from the 1969 tour and the pace of every song is similar to any other performance.

Which, of course, is what they do and always have.

Listen to Bitch. The keyboards are clear. The saxophone is clear. The horns are clear. You can even hear them dip their notes.