It seems people on this board generally refer to the Stones' best era for live shows as being the same era following the great albums of '68-'72: i.e. "Get Yer Ya Ya's Out" or "Brussels Affair."

I think the shows between '94-'98 are strong contenders for two reasons: a) the catalog of songs to choose from in the nineties was immense (27-song setlists early in the Voodoo Lounge tour). Even if you didn't really like albums like Black and Blue or Goat's Head Soup, the Stones were playing good cuts from them, like Memory Motel or Star Star; b) The prices were affordable compared with '99--present. And I know a lot of people think the setlists were horrible in 2005, paying the highest prices ever.

I fondly remember moments like the Stones ripping through an amazingly-good rendition of "Crazy Mama" on the B-Stage of an unseasonably warm October evening in Madison, Wisconsin in 1997. The song was just humming and the stadium was buzzing. At that moment, I asked myself: Was it ever any better than this?

Good points all.

I will say this..since the great ticket inflation (started in 89 IMO), the Stones have strived to ALWAYS put on a good show. You have to appreciate the professionalism and consistency of the product.

My first two shows were in 78, and were both crappy. But..I only paid $15 for each.

P.S. Madison is a great city!

My favorite period also. Especially end of voodoo tour( stripped e.t.c) and B2B american leg ( B2B DVD is awesome ).

Philly '78 sucked too!

I saw them in 94 at the geargia dome great show but I was far away.BUT in 97 I drove to Vanderbilt stadium in Nashville and got blowed away by Sister Morphine and Little Queenie.Did anyone else see this rare daytime start show ,I believe they came on around 6 clock

No Security was a very good one in 1999. Nice atmosphere (only arenas), excellent setlists (You Got The Silver, Moonlight Mile, Some Girls,Shine A Light, Route 66, Fool To Cry, Imagination, Undercover etc.), band in good shape musically...
What do you think?

I think NO security ranks with the classic era tours PS where can I get a video of them doing Fool To CRy? ,I heard they did it in 95 and 99 once or twice

keefed Wrote:
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> No Security was a very good one in 1999. Nice
> atmosphere (only arenas), excellent setlists (You
> Got The Silver, Moonlight Mile, Some Girls,Shine A
> Light, Route 66, Fool To Cry, Imagination,
> Undercover etc.), band in good shape musically...
> What do you think?


Positives : Good and courageous setlists, some warhorses dropped at long last, an arena tour for the first time in decades

Negatives : it was the 'millionaires watching millionaires' tour where the greed finally took over with regard to ticket pricing and has continued unabated until the present day ; plus it was also Ronnie's nadir performance-wise.

Gazza Wrote:
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>
> Negatives : it was the 'millionaires watching
> millionaires' tour where the greed finally took
> over with regard to ticket pricing and has
> continued unabated until the present day ; plus it
> was also Ronnie's nadir performance-wise.


I am not a millionaire but I managed to attend 5 shows on that tour

But yes I agree that ticket prices started increasing on that tour. On Bridges Usa '97 I bought front seats for 70 US dollars and on Security the same seat would have been 350 officialy. Within 15 months...

well..the "millionaires watching millionaires' tag was a media term, not mine, I have to admit!

it was actually less than 15 months as the BTB shows in America went to spring 1998 and the No Security tour went on sale in November

BTB shows had an average price of $65 or so..for No Security it was $109, with a range from $40 behind the stage (effectively not much different than the ludicrously named 'On Stage' ones this time) to $350 (I think in Vegas they were over $400). Most tickets were in the $90, 125 and 150 ranges

1994-1998 is not the golden era of live performances, for instance because:
- Woody already a shadow of his former self
- No Ian Stuart/Ian Mac/Nicky
- Songs sounding the same from show to show
- Energy level reduced
- To clean sounding
- Last but not least, boring Mich Jagger vocals; saving his voice. Still sang great and rough and raw with lots of energy on record, but in concert very boring and on a different planet energywise. So there!

yes - I think the "golden era" can only be put with 1969-1973 era.

sure there are other very good times, but this period outshines all...

Gazza Wrote:
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> an arena tour for
> the first time in decades


I think they played Pontiac Silverdome on that tour. Isn't that an arena, or is it an indoor stadium?

JumpingKentFlash

JumpingKentFlash Wrote:
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> I think they played Pontiac Silverdome on that tour. Isn't that an arena, or is it an indoor stadium?


An indoor stadium, and also what they call "a dump".

"A dump"? Like a bad place you mean? It looks pretty cool in the Wrestlemania 3 video.

JumpingKentFlash

A huge concrete shoe box with terrible acoustics, located in a bad neighborhood.

Can I ask: Is it the same with the L.A. Forum? I mean, a bad neighbourhood?

JumpingKentFlash

I really don't know.

I wasnt at any of those shows. the first one I saw was in 02. but from the DVD's ive seen it seems like if you compare voodoo lounge to bridges, on the bridges tour they got better at making it seem like a more intamate setting. that may have started on the 95 stipped tour. ive hardly seen any footage of that tour though.

1997 was mostly,if not all,large stadiums/venues.In early 1998 they did a handful of arena shows.

1999 in the U.S. was all arenas.The show at the Pontiac (near Detroit) Silver Dome was in 1997.In 1999,they played at The Palace Of Auburn Hills (also near Detroit) arena.

In my opinion,the '90's was an excellent era but,the playing was not on the '72/'73 level.That would be very hard to expect.I believe that Wood was at his worst,in general,during the 2003 tour of Europe.He has stepped it up some recently.Hopefully,he continues to improve.

1997/1998 was the peak of Keith's modern playing

'99 as well.Check out the first show in Europe.

keith philly 94 da rain show ! looks dry here , but like mick said next day " it was sooo *uckin wet



nice period 4 me was c n dem 3 yrs. in a row
1997 - philly Vet stad. & Giants stad.
98 - msg & syracuse carrier dome
99 - philly 1 & 2

philly 99 pic i took , whered keith go

The '95 european tour among their all time best.