Well, just back from the show. I am not going to give my "it was horrible" review, because it wasn't. There were 50.000 (it certainly wasn't sold out) people having the time of their live, so who I am to judge. It wasn't really good, and it wasn't really bad. I personally found it all a bit boring, and that's most probably only because I have seen it and them too much. To me, there were no real high lights, but also no really low lights. I hate to say it because I HATE the song, but Streets of Love was maybe the best song of the evening, and As Tears Go By was quite nice too. I really enjoyed Slipping Away, I thought Keith was singing really well. Low points to me where all the songs with a Ron Wood solo -the guy simply has become a horrible lead guitarist. Especially in the echo dome of the Arena, his screeching and feeding back out of tune bends were horrible. Sway wasn't good I thought (I even thought Keith played the intro and bridge wrong), I hated YCAGWYW for Wood's solo's and Jones' slapping bass. Brown Sugar was bad as well -Keith didn't remember the chords, and Jagger forgot the lyrics, and Night Time is the kind of Vegas song I don't want the Stones to play. All other songs were o.k., nothing more in my very humble opinion. I thought it was all getting a bit pale.

It was o.k., that's it. It will be my last show ever. There just isn't any reason for me to go see them again. After 16 years of live Stones shows, it's enough for me.

Mathijs



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2006-08-01 01:00 by Mathijs.

Haha, you went there again!
Agree about Streets Of Love, dunno why but live it is just great.
Very fair review all in all, for your standards

Thank you for your quick review Mathijs.
How bad was the sound? (acoustics)
I already heard spooky stories from some friends today who were at the b stage and barely couldn't hear them during those 3 songs. They told me the stones had a hard time hearing themselves also during the b stage part.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2006-08-01 01:04 by barbabang.

sorry for you guys, really. In Milano it was the same kind. But I was in Paris, different story...

and was it really filmed ? no dvd based on this show I guess if it was just average.

I was standing about 5 meters left to th B-stage, and the first 5 songs had horrible acoustics, all I could hear was kick and snare, and Jagger. Then it got better, but it never was really good. Especially te guitars were always low and echo-y. During the finale I already headed out (sorry about that), and noticed that in the far back the sound was much better as it was much drier. What I thougth was worse was the fact that especially the stand out moments like guitar solo's or Lisa Fisher's part during Night Time where ear-shattering, just really unpleasent to listen to.

Mathijs



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2006-08-01 01:11 by Mathijs.

Which was the source from this dvd story I wonder. I wouldn't be surprised If this story 'leaked'out just to boost the sales (it stil wasn't sold out)
But I hope I'm wrong! I rembember vividly what Cohl said in the countdown minute just before the show in paradiso (2nd show) quote : "Be enthousiastic because the whole concert will be filmed and released" (not the exact quote, but in the end only 2 or 3 songs appeared on stripped documentary)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2006-08-01 01:19 by barbabang.

Still can not figure out why they prefer the ArenA instead of De Kuip

__________________________

It seems that it would be better to make a DVD with the Paris show. Wouldn't it?

Mathijs Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> It was o.k., that's it. It will be my last show
> ever. There just isn't any reason for me to go see
> them again. After 16 years of live Stones shows,
> it's enough for me.

I hear ya loud n clear bro. I've seen every tour from '75 on but everyone has their breaking point. Mine came during the Bridges to Babylon tour when I realized that I only really dug 2 or 3 songs of the whole show. The rest of the songs were so-so or simply just bad. That was my wake up. Lifes too short and I'll spend that money on other things. Mathijs, you are indeed a man of Wealth and Taste. Welcome back to reality.

NICOS Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Still can not figure out why they prefer the ArenA
> instead of De Kuip


It is a business decision pure. Mojo has a stake in the ArenA (how much I don't now).

It is pure for the money I think.

Did the Watkins amp have a comeback, or was it the mint looking Twin?

nice to hear you went and have a mild review on 'em

Georges Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It seems that it would be better to make a DVD
> with the Paris show. Wouldn't it?


oh yessssssss !!!!!

but i just saw one louma cam and the usuals others. Is it enough ? maybe but i dream of multi cam shoot with one on the roof, one in the crowd, one ....

we want this dvd and now ! not in a couple of years. And we don't want to hope like for the 99 security show supposed to be released (San Jose)

Yeah it keep your Mojo working

__________________________

Mathijs Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Well, just back from the show. I am not going to
> give my "it was horrible" review, because it
> wasn't. There were 50.000 (it certainly wasn't
> sold out) people having the time of their live, so
> who I am to judge. It wasn't really good, and it
> wasn't really bad. I personally found it all a bit
> boring, and that's most probably only because I
> have seen it and them too much. To me, there were
> no real high lights, but also no really low
> lights. I hate to say it because I HATE the song,
> but Streets of Love was maybe the best song of the
> evening, and As Tears Go By was quite nice too. I
> really enjoyed Slipping Away, I thought Keith was
> singing really well. Low points to me where all
> the songs with a Ron Wood solo -the guy simply has
> become a horrible lead guitarist. Especially in
> the echo dome of the Arena, his screeching and
> feeding back out of tune bends were horrible. Sway
> wasn't good I thought (I even thought Keith played
> the intro and bridge wrong), I hated YCAGWYW for
> Wood's solo's and Jones' slapping bass. Brown
> Sugar was bad as well -Keith didn't remember the
> chords, and Jagger forgot the lyrics, and Night
> Time is the kind of Vegas song I don't want the
> Stones to play. All other songs were o.k., nothing
> more in my very humble opinion. I thought it was
> all getting a bit pale.
>
> It was o.k., that's it. It will be my last show
> ever. There just isn't any reason for me to go see
> them again. After 16 years of live Stones shows,
> it's enough for me.
>
> Mathijs

Thank you, Mathijs, for this quick review. It confirms my personel point of view: I will never pay for the same songs again, songs that I ' ve been listening to for years again and again. Yes, the usual "customer" now wants to hear the "warhorses, because ... - what ever. Me not.
The Stones are my favourite band - but they deliver the nearly same "package" on every tour - except one or two songs that are not played everywhere. The audience has changed, too. The prices , too. The relation between price and "product" isn't fair these days, I think. They even sell their songs to telephone companies. What the hell!
Maybe I would do the same - maybe...but I don't walk in their shoes.
So it is a point of money that you can spend or not spend.
If someone wants to go to concerts - go. I can live without paying tons of money to hear them live. I can even enjoy the music better on record or cd or in a dance club. Time waits for no one.
have fun.

"when I travel coast to coast
you' re the hook I miss the most
feel on, baby"

Agree with Mathijs. SOL is great live IMO. I have seen them 56 times now and it is getting a little bit boring indeed.

Setlist Amsterdam:

1. Jumping Jack Flash
2. It's Only Rock "n Roll
3. Oh, no, not you again
4. Bitch
5. Sway
6. As tears go ny
7. streets of Love
8. Tumbling dice
9. Night Time
10. Slipping Away
11. Before they make me run
12. Miss you
13. Rough Justice
14. Get off of my cloud
15. Honky Tonk Woman
16. sympathy for the devil
17. Start me Up
18. Brown sugar
19. YCAGWYW
20. Satisfaction

not a good show imo, jagger and wood had huge fights onstage.. and with huge i mean really everyone could see jagger was really pissed of at wood

Let Me Down Slow

It is quite interesting that people who I meet say this show will be the last show they ever saw by the Stones but on the next tour, and even the next one after that one, they keep coming and talking about the show. Is it an addiction, or simply lack of the free will?

Bjornulf

Holy crap! It seems like this entire situation is falling apart for the Stones. This is exactly what I saw and felt in Cologne...and I complained bitterly about the lack of creativity in the song list, and even more adamantly about Ronnie Wood's horrific presentation. And now I read these preliminary reactions to the Amsterdam show [which are usually fantastic] nd it sounds all so familiar...and I feel as if the Stones are reaching a precarious point where things are beginning to fall apart. The momentum is slowly dying - because of greed and intellectual laziness - and even their long time fans are turning on them. I will see them in Stuttgart and REALLY observe the dynamic on stage. What I read here confirms my worst fears...

Diamond rings, Vaseline, you gave me disease, well, I lost a lot of love over you.

bv Wrote:
Is it an addiction, or simply lack
> of the free will?

An addiction it is! And will always be. See you on the next tour Matthijs...

hey mathijs, despite the boomy sound at a'dam arena, did you at least get to hear how the guitars were dirty and upfront for the first time since 1981/82? that was my real reason for enjoyment for the 3 shows i saw this tour.

i found that ronnie was only competant on slide guitar, maybe because one is forced to pay attention more when on slide. they need to start looking for a new lead guitarist now for any future gigs and cds past 2006.

if you haven't seen the band this tour yet, i still highly recommend it simply because of the overdriven guitars and the mix. obviously, this didn't happen in the bad acoustics of a'dam arena. but i truly treasure the blasts of distortion and the low-volume piano non-antiseptic mix i heard at the 3 shows i saw. (what is frustrating is that the sound should have been like that on the 1989-2003 tours!!)

i hope everybody who went last night had a great time and some sort of luck with the sound. this was the 1 european show we tried to go to (we made it to ahoy 2003) and i would have heard 3 songs in a row that i've never heard them play.

bv Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It is quite interesting that people who I meet say
> this show will be the last show they ever saw by
> the Stones but on the next tour, and even the next
> one after that one, they keep coming and talking
> about the show. Is it an addiction, or simply lack
> of the free will?

Well, there can be different types of Stones addicts. Those like Mathijs who swore they were done, yet had a 1 show relapse and those who continue to see dozens and dozens of shows per tour, seeing essentially the same thing over and over again. Who's to say which addict is worse? Most people in society would probably choose the latter, but to each their own.

""Is it an addiction, or simply lack of the free will?""

Hey BV, why don't rather argue that it is due to the unique magnetism of the magical eternal unbreakable Rolling Stones? Now in your urge to defend the Stones, you are offensive to Mathijs and nevertheless you forget to sing their praises.

I'm just amazed how their popularity (concert wise anyway) in Holland and Germany has dropped so dramatically.

Goes to show that they're probably flooding the market by touring too much not to mention (even tho I will :0) charging too much.

The setlist looks good to me although that Arena I've read more complaints about than any other I can think of.

It is a combination of things, I think. The fact that the tour was delayed took a lot of air out of it and left a lot of fans sore...the creeping realization that many of the songs being played have been played and flayed and over-displayed for the last 30 years...that fact that the show presentation is no longer fresh [what the hell is Blondie Chaplin still doing onstage? Along with the other 20 people trhere?!]...the entire concept is no longer fresh...and the fact that they refuse to release a viable new single and/or video from ABB...so there is no 'buzz'...there are so many potentially good songs left on that album to play in concert...and the realization that Ronnie Wood has been sinking the ship more and more with his erratic and often unprofessional playing...and finally, the ticket prices, which are quite expensive...though I think if the Stones had presented a newer and fresher song list, and pared down the band to the essentials, and basically pushed ABB more, and approached this tour with more care and concern for the fan this would not have happened. They coasted into Europe as if they could take it all for granted...and are finding out now that they can't.

Diamond rings, Vaseline, you gave me disease, well, I lost a lot of love over you.

It might not have been sold out, but from my vantage point FOS, I couldn't see very many empty seats, and there certainly were'nt any open sections.

drbryant, how did you find the sound? boomy, or could you hear the overdrive in the guitars?

monkey man wrote : "I'm just amazed how their popularity (concert wise anyway) in Holland and Germany has dropped so dramatically."

Actually, this isn't popularity's decrease (look at ABB sales- they are good). This is just a kind of unavoidable satiety, after 43 (!) concerts in Germany and 23 (!) in Holland since 1989. And this summer the situation in Germany, when Football World Cup took place recenltly, was much better than France 1998. Then had been canceled 3 out 4 shows- only Stade De France I happened! But that doesn't mean the Stones were in 1998 less popular than nowadays, i guess ...

Monkey man, count all the factors and first of all the high frequency of the tours and the huge number of gigs in "Stoneslands", in the last years. According to your logic, in 1998/99 the Stones were much more popular in Holland than they had been there in 1990 (8 shows in 1998/99, only 3 in 1990). More popular than 1995, too (5 stadium concerts + Paradiso). Do you consider this method as a real popularity's counter? I don't...

Sticky if I'm not mistaken you've agreed with my point. I know sales in Holland are good and if I'm not mistyaken SOL was even a # 1 single?

I specified 'concert wise' the decline in popularity as I know their albums still sell well in both Holland and Germany.

I also sited the reasons being saturation due to the amount of shows they had played ie "Goes to show that they're probably flooding the market by touring too much".

"Do you consider this method as a real popularity's counter? I don't..."

Well yes I do.

If an act plays 5 or 6 shows in 1998 or whatever it was and then fails to sell out even one show at the same venue in 2006, how else is there really to read it?

People are either growing bored with them or think they're not worth the money they demand.