Just back from the farm. We walked to find a taxi after the show, which finished around 30 minutes past midnight. With a hotel in Leuven we figured out 10 km is worst case two hours of walking. After 1+ hour of walking and less people around and still cars going our direction there were still no taxis not one but then there was a sign saying Werchrer AND Leuven in the direction we came from. When you have been walking for 1+ hour you just do NOt turn back. We went walking. After another hour we saw a sign saying Leuven 15 km so at least we knew we were lost, that is a good start. Soon after there was a crossing and all cars went one direction but the Leuven sign said the other direction. Then we gave up, started hitch-hiking, and within 5 minutes a very kind local concert goer stopped and drove us into Leuven. He had been looking for his car for two hours and was pretty frustrated for that.

Well, what can you say. I got to buy a MAES at 4am in the morning in Leuven. I have posted the set list, and even a report, and some of my photos turned out ok. I saw the first IORR T-shirts. Tomorrow I will see my family for the first time in two weeks. Belgium have been great and even if this first show was a bit rusty and may be not as perfect as we dream about, it will take them a week, and by the time they hit Frankfurt people will read great repprts and regret they stayed at home watching soap series.

Bjornulf

It was my 90 th. concert from the stones between 1973 and now.
this was one of the best I ever hear. fantastic sound.
very nice setlist

The Stones started great in Werchter, Belgium.
It was not easy to go Werchter. There were huge traffic jams all around. On the highway I was anxious and wondering whether I was going to get the place of the gig on time. At last I arrived exactly when Van Morrison came on stage to make the first part of the evening. I could relax waiting for the Stones. The weather was fine after having been stormy and rainy the week before.

The Stones came on stage at 10:10pm, a very long while after Van Morrison’s gig.
The bigger bang burst out again with the first Keith’s riffs in a terrific sound. The Stones started with Start me up. Shattered was second on the set-list; the sound and the rhythm were quite great. So it was with Rough justice.
After Rocks off, Mick said a few Flemish words, which was appreciated by the local audience. Mick did it several times in the evening.
Some girls was played, which is not usual on stage. It sounded different than the original version and was interesting.
Then came Waiting on a friend and a great Can’t you hear me knocking. Ronnie did a great solo.
Tumbling dice was played as expected with every gig.

The Stones made a tribute to James Brown. The played “I go crazy” for the first time.
Then after introduction, the highlight of the show was Keith himself. He looked as if he was drunk or something like that. His voice and his way to move were so different than they were last year. But, anyway, he played as good as usual. Keith is the greatest performer in the world. He sang I want hold you and Slipping away. He got a great ovation.

The rest of the show was also absolutely great:
It’s only R’n’R, going to B stage, then It’s all over now, Satisfaction, and Honky-tonk women going back to main stage.
Then Paint it black, JJF, Brown sugar.
And for the first time, the encore was Sympathy for the devil.

I really enjoyed the whole show.

Now I am going to see them in Paris and Lyon, both in the golden square.
See you...

Georges

What about Keith? On another thread, two fans reported that he was bad, maybe "completely drunk", while Mick, Ronnie and Charlie did their best. What's your opinion about this?

BowieStone Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Just got back from the show.
>
> It was an aweful night, because of one man: Keith
> Richards. Completely drunk, didn't play one good
> note all night.
> Satisfaction: I never heard them (Keith) that
> bad.
> He completely messed up Paint it black, Sympathy,
> his own set, nearly everything.
>
> On the bright side: I was pleasantly surprised
> with Ronnie. He played good. His solo on Can't You
> Hear Me Knockin was great. Actually he played
> great all night. They should have turned his
> volume up and Keiths down. Ronnie looked really
> sober and focused. Great to see.
>
> Mick... ofcourse... excellent.
>
> Charlie missed some beats, but I can understand if
> you have a guitarist who ruines everything.
>
> The James Brown song was real fun. Heartbreaker &
> Can't You Hear Me Knocking were the highlights.
>
> But damn... Keith Richards...

Yes, unfortunately Keith played a bad show. Ronnie was great but was too low in the mix. The choice of songs was refreshing. Shattered and Some Girls were played very sloppy indeed.

Keith had a couple of tough nights on the US leg last fall, but then played better at other shows. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

> and by the time they hit Frankfurt people will read great repprts and regret they > stayed at home watching soap series.

you mix something up here. It's not the people's fault. You can bet your ass if the prices have been fair enough they will get sold out shows. This time they really went a step too far. And selling field now for 65 Euro instead of 190 pisses all those people who have paid 190, including me!

On paper it looks like a good setlist (besides Slipping Away, Keith has better songs). Sympathy as an encore was done on the No Security tour and the first ones in Europe in 1999 as well... was it with horns again?
Looking forward to the show in Nijmegen on Friday, what time the gates open there anyway? I hope traffic throughout Germany is not too bad.

sjouke

Why they started so late,i am 100% sure this was not the intension...

Keith to drunk ?
The traffic jams ?

just a small report, came home at 7 in the morning, still cant get no sleep...after all its the Stones man!!!! the sound was great crystal clear, the band was a bit shaky but thats normal at Stones opening shows. indeed as been reported by others Keith was not in his best form (not even in normal form) so it could have been absolutely wonderful with this great setlist but you just cant make up if a guitar player like Keith is ""missing in action""! setlist was astonishingly amazing and differed from set as rehearsed in Brussels (see my nephews post on page 1 of this thread - you can find it under my name). indeed I missed some more ABB songs (well not really because I did not expect a new ABB song to turn up after Brussels rehearsals) after all its ABB tour but who am I to complain? as it was, the setlist was simply great *despite* the lack of more songs from ABB.

Oh boy, even the paper reviews say the concert was great but keith was an absolute horror

<gee do ya think, he is only 64 years old

I meant for the occasion.

FWIW I would have been happy with that set list, 8 songs I have never seen them do live (I am only a 4 show man so far).....bring on O2 I & II.

Keith and Slipping away ...

I didn't catch the exact words, but Keith did make a remark before doing Slipping away ... to the effect that "I have to do Slipping away now, it's first night and the other guys are nervous, I just don't know what about ... (with a big grin)" - anyone else hear this?
He definitely made it sound like this part of his set wasn't HIS choice at all!

I don't know whether he was really drunk or not, I for my part got the feeling he was impersonating Johnny Depp impersonating Keith Richards in a very tongue-in-cheek sort of way. Just my impression, though.

Setlist looks great, Mick will sort Keith out :-)
Paris here we come!

Oily.

I love the set list, can't wait to my first show now!

Took this one last night (boys on the way from main to b stage).
Great show, chaotic organisation. After the show almost 3 hours in the car to get to me place which is 10 miles from Werchter.....

To tired to write more...

Chris from Belgium

Ay link to what the papers wrote ? Cant find nothing here in sweden so far

It´s Only Rock´n Roll

Keith asked : "What shall we play ?"

I screamed : "Ventilator Blues"

Keith said : "I have to do Slipping Away now + ..."


I also think he didn't like to play Slipping Away but he had to ( Keith had to ... ? )




Niels

? how about CARAMBA ?

Just back in Milano after two hrs sleep.

Overall I enjoyed the concert a lot, it was worth it!

Quite a pain in the neck to reach the venue: luckily enough I decided to go hunting for alternative roads (being Italian helps in these situations), so I was able to avoid the traffic jam, and I can now say I know every inch of Brussels eastern country side.

Unfortunately I did not make it to the FOS section. First time in ages. Quite an experience to see them from distance.

Place was completely packed. I mean, completely. 30,000 my fat ass!

Great sound and loud too, perfect from this point of view.

The set list was good. I missed some more ABB numbers though. Rough Justice was a true highlight of the evening. Devil as last song does not work well.

Keith's performance seems to be the big issue here. Well, I don't find that he played that bad. Actually he was quite brillant for most of the show. Some new chops too! That said, true he missed some changes, true he posed for most of Sugar, true he should pose more on Devil and Satisfaction ...


C

[www.demorgen.be]

[www.iht.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2007-06-06 11:57 by maumau.

no black girls in Some girls :-)

According to newspapers here, there were 50.000 in Werchter. Is that a correct number?

fantastic setlist (shame about lack of ABB material, but minor complaint)

...new hair colours / weaves,obvious from the photos is very impressive, too

Numbers are 33.000-50.000. (According to BV: 45.000)

DandelionPowderman Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> According to newspapers here, there were 50.000 in
> Werchter. Is that a correct number?

According to other news: 38.000. I think this is a more correct number

Absolute low point of the evening according to "De Morgen" was both Keith's songs

Never ever have I seen a stones show with such an outstanding sound, to me it was like listening to a soundboard bootleg at a superb stereo-equipment.
Ronnie was very good,very concentrated, but Keith was a little poor, it's getting difficult to take him for seriously these days, must have been falling from the upper palmtree leaf !

Great show, great weather, setlist OK, I got more than I could ask for........

Yes, the sound was crystal clear!

mandrack11 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Yes, the sound was crystal clear!

Not always! The speakers cracked (?) sometimes on Keith's side