Now that they've played their last show for a couple of months, I think it's time to sit back and reflect on what we've all seen or heard on this tour so far. What does everything think about the overall standards of the set list? What does everything think of the length of the shows? What does everyone think of their performance and how do we feel about their sound? Are they loud enough for you?

Having only heard couple of shows, my opinion isn't fully formed. I'll reserve that 'till the Twickenham shows, but from what I've heard and from watching the Buenos Aires show, I'm very impressed. The mix seems to be a lot better this time round. Ronnie HAS improved, where as Keith is slipping in my opinion. I think we are getting a fair number of songs per show on this tour, though I am worried about the length of the shows. Were getting gigs under two hours sometimes. That would’ve been unheard of a tour or two ago. I'd like to see the set lists mixed up a little more and although seven A Bigger Bang tracks have been aired so far, only 2 have stated the whole time. Rough Justice and Oh No, Not You Again. This Place Is Empty replaced Infamy and Back Of My Hand was replaced with Rain Fall Down. We need 7 or 8 songs every night, but we all know it the likelihood is slim.

Overall, I'm very happy.

Just I´ve just see them opening in Boston and was really 2 great shows... then, from boots and and DVD´s, I think they are doing a great tour.. lot of energy, Buenos Aires (incredible), Rio, MSG... fantastic tour....

I´m excited of think than for my next show in Barcelona, they will be stoped for2 months.... cause I expect really a HOT show....

So, I think this is been a GREAT TOUR, of course we all can complain about set list, cause we all want some other Bangs songs and some good varieties on the set-lists..... but from Boston till now..... what´s I can say?? If you tell m me last September than I can catch As Tears Go By, Sway, Ain´t Too Proud, Love Is Strong, Get Off, Memory..... (I¨ve not got this songs in any of my 12 shows by now)... I could think you are crazy..... so, I´m really optimist...

be HAPPY

>What does everyone think of their performance and how do we feel about their sound?

the sound is better than it has been on previous tours. At those prices, its long overdue so its not as if its something people should fall over themselves with congratulations. The MIX however is much better, with the guitars more up front than they have been in a generation. The performances have mostly been fine. As good as can be expected I suppose considering their age and health. I've seen and heard them better - but at the same time I've seen and heard worse.

>Are they loud enough for you?

a Stones show can NEVER be too loud!



>What does everything think about the overall standards of the set list? What does everything think of the length of the shows?

you take it, Gazza...I'll drink it...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2006-04-20 17:33 by T&A.

The sound and the mix are better than ever before, but as pointed out, it is about time at these prices. Ron is less animated but more musically alive than he has been in decades,, which is good. Also, since I have caught him on shows as far apart as October and April, I have to say he is improving, and I hope that continues.

I have seen the debut of As Tears Go By, gotten Lets Spend The Night Together, missed every performance of Sway,and have to admit at times I wish for more variety in the set list.I also have to say I have not come out of a show yet feeling short changed, even the infamous 18 song Shanghai show. I cannot say that of any other tour, there has alwasy been at least one show that somehow sat badly with me. Now I admit that could happen yet this summer.

Most impressive for me, even with all the talk about the motivation being the money versus the music, is the band's attitude on stage. Hey, I have been following these guys since 1975 on tour, and I have never seen them seem to enjoy it more than they do now. Mick's face is hilarious at times as he mugs his way through songs, Keith wonders over to Ron's side to be close to him as much as he stands on his own side of the stage. There does not seem to be much tension between the Glimmer Twins at the shows I have been to, and they often sem to be egging each other on, and enjoying private jokes here and there.

I guess the bottom line is I am happy with what I have seen so far.

They have been on fire since the Xmas break. The shows were much stronger than the Fall shows both setlist-wise and performance. They show no signs of aging!

After seeing the LA Forum show, I wish I had saved the money I spent going to Boston for the August opener and went to MSG and Boston arena shows instead.

the 2006 leg has definitely been an improvement on 2005, for sure

However, I think things started to pick up as early as November from around the Hollywood Bowl shows on. The last few 2005 shows (Houston especially which IMO has been the best show of the tour that I've listened to) were certainly very good.

Content wise, they havent added much to the show of note in the last 3 months (ie since MSG) however, although the performances have been generally solid. Hopefully there'll be a few shake ups in Europe, especially in the 2nd half of the show which is far too predictable. As its an exclusively stadium tour however, I wouldnt bank on that.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2006-04-20 18:37 by Gazza.

Gazza how come do you think can stand perform the same couple of tunes every night over and over again? Does he even care?

As I wrote some time ago:


*The sound quality is outstanding.

*The stage is just fantastic.

*Great set lists. They play a lot of diffrent songs. And who could imagine Sway and As Tears Go By to be played that often?

*They tour with a new album - a good album. New songs like Rough Justice, Oh No Not You Again and Back of My Hand are all highlights of the show.

*Reduced use of horns.

*Jagger's voice is amazing. Maybe the best since 72/73 tour.

*Charlie Watts is, as Don Was said before the tour, drumming like a lion - which is amazing after his throat cancer.

*Ronnie may had a headless start of the tour, but now he seems to be playing better and better.

*Keith IMO plays better than the last tour, and his finger ilness doesn't seem to bother him that much.

sixesandsevensandnines Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Gazza how come do you think can stand perform the
> same couple of tunes every night over and over
> again? Does he even care?



If your referring to Jagger, than no, I don't think he cares. I think he view Stones concerts as a show and I think that is maybe why he's not too fussed about mixing up the setlists. When changes do occur, it's because Chuck has really pushed for it, or Mick’s bored and fancies a change. The Stones don’t pander to big fans, such as ourselves.

the guitar distortion and overall mix is the best since 1981-1982. it is the entire reason to go.

the mixing up of the setlist night to night is the 3rd best ever, behind the NS arena tour and the licks tour. they still lean way too heavily on the warhorses and don't take any chances, but i saw at least 32 different songs at the 3 shows i attended. as a comparison, in 1989 SW tour, after i saw one show that tour, the other 5 i went to only yielded about 1 different song a night.

ronnie is still great on slide, but his ADD makes every non-slide solo/lead break a nervewracking and usually unsatisfying affair. keef is still awesome but his arthritis continues to make inroads and interfere with some of his chord playing. his voice and single note guitar runs are still great. while they are both fine enough to finish this year out, they WILL have to augment the band with an extra lead guitarist for any future tour. seriously.

jagger/watts are unstoppable, is mick really peaking as a rock vocalist/performer in his 60's? unbelievable. for me, listening to boots, only the 1973 vocals are better than this tour, probably because he had the melodic creativity of preston and taylor to push him. i will never forget the screaming parts of SFTD at DC arena 2005. it made the screams on the BB studio version seem quaint.

in short, you must see them at least once this tour, for THE SOUND alone. no more plink, plink, plink or guitars buried under sterile piano mix (1989-2003).

For me its hard to say many positive things about this tour. The sound is better and the guitars are more up front in the mix, but don't think we should be praising them for that. The lack of creativity for the set lists is pathetic. People say how they have done 7 songs from the new album buts its often the same three every night, then the whole bag of hits and not just hits but the same exact ones they do every tour. I saw them 5 times but didn't get to see them play As Tears Go By, Sway, Get Off My Cloud or anything that surprised me... I guess She's So Cold was the only surprise and it was great to hear.

I have seen the Stones more than 30 times and the only 5 times I have been disappointed have been on this tour. And it wasn't so much the playing but more of the static song selection and how the band seemed to just coast on those songs like they were saying lets get this over with. It makes me question their motive when I see them go out there and phone it in with the same songs again and just ignore so many songs that they have written. Do they really think fans want to hear You Got Me Rocking every single night..

I was at 3 shows this tour.

Soldier Field
Incredible stage and spectable
Highlights- Ruby Tuesday,Night Time,Out of Control, and Oh No Not You Again

Columbus
Highlights- Debut of Sway of course,Mr. Pitiful,All Down The Line and Back of My Hand (I got high 5's from Ronnie twice during Shattered by the bstage)

United Center (2nd show 1/25/06)
This one was special.
The entire first half was amazing.
Love is Strong, Memory Motel, Rain Fall Down and the best Midnight Rambler I have heard in the modern era (post 89).

I hope they continue to play on and on.

fair and balanced, winter. you may have a seat at my table, sir.

Great Shows! I want to see more. I hope they release some sort of "live" recordings but think "outside of the box" like Stripped. I Just wish I could get my grubby little fingers on The Atlanta and last Vegas Shows!!

Go Dawgs!

Well- I haven't been to any of the shows yet (I have a ticket for Berlin), but I can't believe people are saying Ronnie is playing BETTER!. I've either downloaded or bought many of the shows & Ron's playing has been pretty consistent (ie terrible) on most of them!.
I agree about the 2006 shows (well- from Houston onwards) being an improvement & the mix & guitar sound is 'in yer face' which is great, but however much I love this band (& that's alot!)- they sound like a band creaking towards their last gasp to me- dragging a huge haul of our money behind them. There have been so many performance f*** ups on this tour. Remember the bootleg of terrible performances "13 Nervous Breakdowns", well if there is a 'volume 2' it could be a box set & taken entirely from this tour!

My Reflections on ABB:

1) An uneven tour... guess that's the number one impression...

2) Some good nites, some great nites, some so-so nites...

3) Most nites some un-eveness, some songs very memorable, some not so much so...

4) The most memorable aspect of this tour... SOARING BASIC ROCKERS... Satisfaction is so much better this tour than B2B when they opened with it. Jumpin' Jack Flash (not the intro version, but when they played it as an encore earlier on)... heavy major rockers were done so well this tour...

But song-for-song, sort of uneven. Stadium gigs better than arenas, overall for me.

A very major standout: Night Time... in some ways the singlemost highlight of the tour so far.

"It's just that demon life has got me in it's sway..."

Doolittle Wrote:
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> Well- I haven't been to any of the shows yet (I
> have a ticket for Berlin), but I can't believe
> people are saying Ronnie is playing BETTER!.

depends what youre comparing it too. No doubt his skills have declined in recent years - despite a return to form on many of the Licks shows - but his nadir for me was on BTB and especially No Security when he played so little and mugged so much that the Stones were almost literally a one guitar band. He's said since that he has done tours that he cant remember. Thats one that springs to mind.

It's just a dream, but couldn't they just unplug Ron & have Mick Taylor playing behind the 'curtains'? (wink)

Vibrato X Weavers, again and again....


Please!