It's Only Rock'n Roll
|
|
It's Only Rock'n Roll |
|
Stones
NEWS |
Tell Me Forum |
Hackney Diamonds |
Tour 2024 |
Mick Jagger |
Keith Richards |
Charlie Watts |
Ronnie
Wood |
Band 2
Tim Ries |
Warmup : Razorlight
Paris, Friday July 28th 2006, 9:25 p.m., the Stones came on stage with an outstanding JJF. The sound was excellent. We had been waiting for the Paris gig since so long! Mick said in French: �il vaut mieux tard que jamais� (�late is better late than never�). Keith was absolutely great from the beginning till the end of the show. Keith is definitely the greatest performer in the world. When he was introduced by Mick, he has been cheered loudly and lengthily.
As I expected, Midnight Rambler was the highlight of the show. I really wanted to hear it and I really enjoyed all the show. It was a great night. Two shows in Paris would have been appreciated.
The boys were in great form and the only disappointment is the sound which in my opinion does not make them (rough) justice, maybe it is because a stadium is not adequate for music (any sound engineer to comment ?) but I thought the mix was wrong : the bass and drums too loud and the guitars too low, some of the solos by Ronnie sounded awfully distorted .
But on with the show, they were all smiles and Mick and Keith did touch each other a number of times which is always a good sign. There was even a moment when Keith ended up on the far left when the song ended and Mick came to bring him back and they exchanged high fives.
I do not have the set list in front of me so I�ll just comment on what was the most striking. Most were played very well except 3:
JJJ , IORR and especially Sympathy were off (it looked as maybe Keith had trouble with the guitar).
But for the rest here are the highlights from my memory
Paint it black: powerful and deep
Midnight rambler: perfect version
Honky Tonk woman on B stage
Start me up on B stage
Brown sugar : very energetic
Tumbling dice: perfect
The night time; Ah Lisa�..
As tears go by with Keith on the 12 strings�..
Streets of love: Mick was into this one�
Satisfaction was a perfect ending for what could be their last big tour (but I am hoping they will tour small joints until they drop dead like bluesmen would do�..???)
Overall they were all very happy to be here , even Charlie joked around a lot.
Keith was all smiles and is usual self (good to be here good to be anywhere) and the cocotier was mentioned by Mick !
And Mick was � Mick all over !
Finally the crowd was great , dancing and singing all the time (much better than Bercy at Licks where you could not stand up �)
Except� pour les quelques connards qui ont lanc� leur lumi�re sur la B stage (Stop throwing those lights said Mick), auraient ils �t� content qu�un des Stones le re�oive dans l��il et arr�te le concert � ?
Good to have been there
So yesterday ? First, a very good weather, perfect for a rock concert after the terrible �canicule� ! The Stade de France is really wonderful, what a beautiful stadium. Was in the place with my sister at 18h45.
The stadium was far from sold out (good news for some Stones aficionados, because we see some of them getting tickets near the SDF for 30 � each, yes) ! In the beginning of the concert, Mick seemed a bit disillusioned at first, but after he was purely in the show, working the audience in French like the true professional he is. It surprises me that Paris was not sold out and so many tickets were for sale (I try on ticketnet 6 hours before the show), but yesterday lots of people were on the road for the holydays� and I know lots of people who have bought their tickets for the 2 cancelled shows with the travel in train or plane and did not come yesterday evening. Impossible for us to spend money again !
Fantastic JJF intro, no other rock�n roll title can give such an effect ! The set list was perfect for me, with Midnight Rambler (a good version), As Tears go bye, and Paint it Black. No surprise really that�s true (no Gimme Shelter), but a good set list for sure. The band ? Mick is still the greatest performer, professional, talented, purely brilliant. I love him ! Keith, what a joy to see him, he was happy to be there, smiling like a child. Some errors in the intros, some riff missed, but no importance, he was there ! The rock�n roll man, fascinating character. Paris love you Keith ! I really enjoy the 2 titles he sings. Charlie was perfect, as always, a true metronomist man ! Woody ? Well, I was agreeably surprised. Good during Paint in Black and Rough Justice for example. But he completely missed his solos on Tumbling Dice and Sympathy for the Devil.
I really enjoy to see the Stones playing on this small stage. The audiance was better than in 2003. Two other personal highlights were You can't alway get what you want and Satisfaction. But they could have easily avoided Streets of love !
My real deception is about the sound mix� again : we didn�t hear enough the 2 guitars, like in 2003 ! It is really a pity that Stones do not give more power to their sound, and to the guitars in particular ! Stones do not have a strong sound ! On this subject, my young sister told me that the sound was far better and powerful for the ACDC concert in 2001 and even U2 last year (and I don't really love U2) !
But anyway, what a good concert, the Rolling Stones are still there, and I really love this band !
The crowd was fantastic as well, and the band responded with AMAZING versions of Midnight Rambler and Night Time. I have seen Night Time 4 times on the tour before, but holy shit they nailed this one in Paris. I was thrilled and amazed by the swinging groove, and Lisa of course did a hell of a job. Midnight Rambler was my highlight of the concert. Only The Stones can turn a giant stage on a giant stadium into a little dirty rock'n'roll club. Rambler sounded like an angry, dirty, rocking and rolling rythm'n'blues band playing live on a tiny club stage, with raw harmonica and guitars. Mick danced, ran, clapped, and sang. He was on fire, the band was on fire. It was impossible to avoid tramping my rocking feet thru the stadium floor.
Keith sings better and better. Tongiht it was almost perfect(rock'n'roll is not supposed to be perfect, so almost perfect means it could not have been better). This Place Is Empty was a great surprise, and he sang loud and clear - also on Before They Make Me Run. From there, the hits pleased the crowd and the played very well, but the first half of the show they were the greatest rock'n'roll band in the world.
At about 21.20 the stadium exploded JUMPING JACK FLASH. We were jumping indeed. Oh man! Followed by It�s Only Rock n Roll. Oh I love that song! She�s So Cold ,I am too hot for her, but sheeeeeeee�s so cold. The stadium exploded and was like a bleeding volcano!!!!!!!!! It was clear within 15 minutes: The Stones were in great form and this would be THE European tour gig to date. Beauties like As Tears Go By and Streets of Love (actually I don�t like Streets Of Love album version but played live it�s really viable! Tumblin Dice: Honey I got no Money (EURO ,- a beer in Stade the France�..) but whe Got the whole world! I love this song! Over and over again.
By the way, the sound in Stade the France was excellent! (which we do not expect in the horror Arena in Amsterdam. And that while we have the KUIP in Rotetrdam in Holland �but Okay With the Stones it�s good to be anywhere..! )
And what to think about MIDNIGHT RAMBLER. The best ever live song ever performed by I band in my opinion! Why do they not ALWAYS play this smashing beauty? Stade the France in extacy and Mick�.What he did was incredible. He showed that he has still not lost any inch of his edge! Quality. Incredible.2 of my friends who never attended the Stones before were really astonished by the performance of this 63 year old Top sports man. The Stones clearly still attract new fans. Keith songs: Empty without You and Before they Make me Run. Nice! Before Keith started his songs, the crowd went mad and kept on screaming, Keef kept looking into the audience with a big smile! And the referred to Mick�s birthday and his phrase Good to be anywhere.
Although we were standing on the left Ronnie side of the stage Keith was coming all the time. Man, we love that! And he was good tonight indeed. Excellent! Right Time, Night Time with Lisa, Nice but not very special song. Jagger kept on keeping the stadium in his pocket. Briljant. Moving stage: Miss You (not played as groovy during the Voodoo Lounge tour. During this tour Miss You was a high in the set) was allright. Honky Tonk Woman. Made me think: OOh NO Not HTWoman Again... Keef thought the same so they followed with this very good A Bigger Bang song. Start me Up followed. Brilliant. The Stones were really in great shape and maintained the high level during the whole concert!
After Sympathy The Stones gave us the usual FINALE. What an evening! Personally I think it would be nice to change the Finale with a some more surprises (suggestion: Midnight Rambler in stead of Satisfaction at the real end�)I missed Street Fighting Man, Dangerous Beauty and Soul Survivor (when??), my personal favourites after Midnight Rambler, but Ok The Concert was really one big party. Quality and Fun, groovy and rock n Roll. Thanks Guys, Still Going (very) strong. Hoping to see you Monday in Amsterdam in the same unbelievable shape. Rmarkeble is that the Stones alway keep their very best performances for Paris. (I was there in Bercy in 2003 and in the rain in Parc des Princes during the voodoo lounge tour: 3 milestones ,3 x top of the world)
After the gig we went back to our Hilton hotel, took a deserved shower and visited The Metropolis huge disco to dance (Stones gave us new energy and still got the adrenaline going)on a Miss You disco version. Six o clock in the morning we found our bed and fell asleep with a big smile.
Well..I saw the Stones several times on every tour since 82..and I saw every Paris gig since 95....but I never ever expected to witness one of the best Rock`n Roll shows this planet has ever seen, folks.
From the very first second till the last chords of satisfaction I saw a high energy show with:
A perfect sound..I was in FOS..position between main and b-stage and I do not think that you can get a better sound at all..cristal clear and LOUD guitars...both could be heared well..Micks voice made me shiver....
They were on top of their game... They had fun, they got the crowd from minute one till the end...a crowd which was mixed with young and old...Stade de France was near boiling point last night. The sensation: Streets of Love....a fantastic live song..the double punch Rambler & Night time...awesome and tremendous...Keiths set...such a cool ballade followed by a perfect rocker with super guitar interplay between Keith and Ronni.
The warehorses have been playd as if their live would depend on it... and Paint it black fits in superb in the last songs...I mean...every song has had its highlights,..even the mistakes and the things which went wrong were funny...
Ronny was so on fire tonight..after an almost absent performance in K�ln he was so focused and concentrated and his solo on YCAGWYW was brilliant .
It was a 2 hour 5 minutes trip in Rockn Roll heaven...you can not expect more and if I could choose a dream gig in my fantasie....Paris could be my first choice.
After being sceptical after the K�ln gig, the Stones , once more, proofed that they perform in a league on their own. I will always remember the Rolling Stones Paris show 2006 !
See you next sommer folks.
There was an incredible atmosphere surrounding the Stade de France like I have never seen. It seemed like there were far more than 4,000 people in the FOS section. We were really jammed in, sweating and dancing. Mick's French was not very understandable to me but the crowd seemed to enjoy it. They hooped, hollered, clapped and sang along with every song they could. They waved their red and green light sticks that Renault Auto provided to everyone outside the stadium. When Streets of Love was played, they kept perfect time with all the notes. My friends were sitting in the nosebleed section up on the side and they said it made a magical sight while Mick sang away. They had never heard the song before and they really enjoyed it. I had to admit that it was better than 5 nights before in Cologne.
Midnight Rambler was a very happy surprise. It was simply just an incredible version. Where do they get the energy!
Keith changed up his section with the slow number first, followed by Before They Make Me Run. It was really great.
The B-Stage was highlighted by the return of Start Me Up. The crowd around me went ape while it was played.
Some may think that people who send in reviews only rave and never criticize. That isn't true. If I saw something that I didn't like I would comment. That must be said now because I don't know where Keith was or what he was doing doing Sympathy For The Devil, but he didn't show up for his first solo. He tried to redeem himself further on in the song but I thought the moment had been lost and they didn't truly recover. This letdown was more than made up however, when they started Paint It Black. Is it the Parisian's favourite? I couldn't believe their reaction. They were going ape! It was pretty special. Ronnie's sitar was extremely well-done and Keith went over and thanked him for it at the conclusion.
Then the jets of fire went bang and we were into 7 or 8 minutes of Brown Sugar. The singalong section was especially good here.
A 2 minute break before the encore preceded a great version of You Can't Always Get What You Want. The crowd's singalong was exceptional, just like Paris had done it for the Stones back in 1976 on Love You Love. Ronnie's solo soared and I don't care what anyone else says, I thought everyone enjoyed it in the crowd and that is all that matters.
Satisfaction put the crowning touch on an outstanding Rolling Stones concert that I will be remembering for a very long time. Thanks to the band. With shows like this still in their hip pocket, the rest of Europe and North America are in for another fantastic five months until Christmas! For now, Happy Birthday Mick! See you again soon.
The arrival on JJF is phenomenal, I�m already crazy. I am happy, the band is very good, and Jagger well, not easy to find the fine words: he is the greatest performer of the rock'n'roll music, THE one. Brilliant, he�s tewenty years old !. Keithhhh is there, smiling, rock'n'roll man pirate. Charlie I love you. Ron is discrete, but concentrated more than in 2003, to be honest, it�s not difficult. After JJF, the sound loses its power, the sound of the guitars is less present, but hopefully we don�t hear the keyboard than in 2003.
The set list is very good, just rock�n roll. Superb versions of �Oh No Not You Again� with a super solo of Keith, a good version of She' � so cold with an wonderful Jagger, but an average version of Tumbling Dice, with a solo massacred by Ron Wood. I�m so glad �As Tears Go Bye�, but �Streets of love� is purely boring.
Midnight Rambler yes, terrific, but I always have in memory the version of 69 and the guitars of the Richards-Taylor fight. Band presentation, "this evening, it is Jagger and the coconuts" say Mick. Huge ovation for Keith, I lose my voice. Beautiful set of Mister Richards, moving and perfect Keith. Technical problems on Honk Tonk Women (bad solo) and Sympathy for the devil, no Keith sound during a long moment ! Atomic final with Brown Sugar, You Can' T Always Get What You Want (I love this one), even if Ronnie suffer during the solo, but no matter, and Satisfaction.
A good show, much better than in 2003, good audience, awesome Mick Jagger, Keith what a man ! Charlie is always good. Disappointed by the sound, not always good and enough powerful, especially the guitars.
But come back in Paris dear Rolling Stones. I want my friends absent yesterday see them !
2 months of waiting, with stress and the result was fantastic, I hope to see them in 2 or 3 years, they must never stop because after that, what we are going to see in concert, James BLUNT... and marketing people, changing all the year.
I have prefer during concert Jumping with the introduction (explosion), Midnight Rambler, the 2 songs of Keith, I like always this moment, Sympathy, and the very good SATISFACTION with Mick running from the right to the left after 2 hours.
The press said they make that for money, what small boys, they must come and after that interview the band, and run after 2 hours. Some of them will go at the hospital or hospice.
Thanck you for the pleasure and emotion you gave me. Long life to you.
Some impressive ones:
But (as a long time Stones aficionado I feel authorized to list my disapointment remarks:
The last one addresses to the Tour Management team: Paris concert is a re-schedule of 2 former dates: so they had to grow the "Gold Field" square, since the expensive tickets sold for it were twice the number. As a result, the remaining field space was much smaller and far much remote from the stage.
They have been told working some tenths of numbers to prepare the tour. And they still play the same "Ten Top", adding a handful of others including one or 2 new album titles, a good antique, and an appreciated tribute to Ray Charles. Mick, for next time, please bring out some others from the drawer. You have tenths - not to say hundreds - of them...
With satisfaction somehow...
Speaking as someone who has seen the Stones in a club and in several smaller arenas, I must say that i do still enjoy the huge spectacle of the stadium shows. I agree that the sound often is not as good, and the set lists often aren't as varied or as interesting as the smaller shows, but I still find them enjoyable, and the Stones really are the masters of the stadium show. Their stages are always innovative and awe-inspiring to look at, and I truly believe that the band succeed most of the time at turning a huge stadium into a small club.
Now, in terms of the show itself... I tend to agree with some of the other posts on this site which have said that the introductory music and video on this tour aren't as exciting as on previous tours. It doesn't really build up to anything... the video starts, and then all of a sudden Keith is playing over the top of it. A big bang like the opening of the Steel Wheels or BtB tours would be more effective. But this is a very minor criticism.
Jumping Jack Flash is a great opener. The sound from the outset was good, although Keith's guitar could have been a little bit louder (it did get louder as the show progressed). The vocal sound was excellent - Micks vocals were crystal-clear. He sang brilliantly all night, adding improvised flourishes and just showing how much he was getting into it and enjoying it. Keith played solidly. He was a little bit subdued, but I actually prefer that. Its nice to see him concentrating on his guitar playing rather than continually hamming it up for the cameras, which is what he seemed to do all through the Licks tour. I was also very impressed with Ronne's playing. I have been critical of Ronnie's playing on this tour, as, especially in Melbourne, I did not think he was pulling his weight. However, in Paris he played superbly. I was particularly impressed with Ronnie in Sympathy for the Devil. In that song, Keith had some trouble with his guitars. Keith started off playing his big white Gibson, but from the very first chord there was a problem and he immediately had it replaced. But then his replacement guitar also caused him trouble, and he took it backstage to get fixed. It was getting close to solo time and it was looking like Keith's guitar wouldn't be fixed in time for him to paly it, so Ronnie stepped up to do the solo, and I think he did a great job. Charlie was rock solid throughout the show, as always. It was also nice of Keith to wish Mick a happy birthday - Mick and Keith seemed very close all night, laughing and joking around together - it was great to see.
This was the first time that I'd heard Streets of Love played live and I really enjoyed it. The band played it brilliantly, and I think Mick sang it with passion and feeling. I actually preferred the live version much more than the studio version. This seems to be a very popular song in Europe, and the crowd were really into it. In contrast, I was again disappointed with Rough Justice. I love this song on the album, but it loses something when played live - and this time I think the main culprit is Mick. His vocal on this song on the record is brilliant, but when he sings it live he makes no effort, and so it is dissapointing for me. I'm also not impressed with Oh No Not You Again. I think its actually one of the weaker tracks on the album, and so I don't know why they persist in playing this one live. I also don't think they play it particularly well (and, given the fact that they've played it on almost every show on this tour, you would expect that it would be starting to sound a bit tighter by now). She's So Cold sounded tired and sloppy also. This song works in a smaller venue, but in a stadium it seems to drag. I also think they played it too slow - its the sort of song that would sound best played in a sweaty club at 100 miles an hour.
These are minor criticisms - of all the Stones shows I've seen, I would rate the Paris concert as a fairly solid 8 out of 10 In general, it was a very well played, very entertaining Stones show, with a fairly interesting set list (for a stadium show, at least). I am looking forward to seeing them again in London and Glasgow in a few weeks time.
Please send your show reviews and comments by e-mail to:
[email protected].
The reviews will show up here soon!
Thanks!
It's Only Rock'n Roll 1980 - 2006