It's Only Rock'n Roll
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It's Only Rock'n Roll |
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Stones
NEWS |
Tell Me Forum |
Hackney Diamonds |
Tour 2024 |
Mick Jagger |
Keith Richards |
Charlie Watts |
Ronnie
Wood |
Band 2
Tim Ries |
Live pre/post show comments:
Maybe it was the emotion and anticipation, but I actually enjoyed this version of Start Me Up, which did just that. The packed crowd was sending back the energy early on and the Stones all took note. Was very pleased to have Get Off Of My Cloud in the 2 spot as the oldest song performed for the night.
This version of Like A Rolling Stone was great, especially Mick's work on harmonica, and the crowd was into it. My first time seeing it since the Bridges Tour so I was happy to get it. Getting Far Away Eyes was also a treat, and the crowd actually did better with it than I thought. Ronnie was amazing on slide guitar, making this a highlight.
Having heard Bite My Head Off during the soundcheck was a nice surprise, and I wasn't sure we would get it. I loved Mick's intro of "We kept saying we would do this, so now we will have done it" and there was a solid version that would have you believe they have been doing it all tour (instead of only at the Racquet Club gig). After thinking it would replace Mess It Up, it was a nice surprise to then get Mess It Up, although I prefer the earlier tour versions.
Keith's set was a major highlight. The crowd gave him the 'more than usual' extra round of applause and he responded with what could be the greatest version of You Got The Silver I have ever heard. The guitar playing with him and Ronnie was spot on, and it was wonderful that Keith clearly thanked Ronnie at the end of the song. The vocals, the feel, everything, as we, the audience, got the gold. Little T & A continues to be a highlight, with Before They Make Me Run closing out an excellent set.
Keith was totally focused and this was one of his best performances of the tour yet. He also stayed within the engine room area for the entire night, with the only exception being walking out on the ramp during the band introductions, and staying to show his appreciation for the (well deserved) extra rounds of applause.
As expected, they could have only done Midnight Rambler followed by Gimme Shelter and I would have considered just that to be worth the high cost of admission. Another Rambler to die for, and this one was tighter in the middle than some of the more recent versions, which worked excellently. Shelter continues to be the highlight of the tour, especially with how it comes out different every night.
JJF was one of the tighter versions of late. Sweet Sounds was a nice touch after all that rocking. I'll admit to spending most of Satisfaction taking in the moment and hoping this experience will continue for years to come.
Usually, at the end of a tour, I have my clear favorite among multiple shows I saw. This time, it's a 3-way tie among the shows I saw in person between this one, Chicago 1, and Cleveland. My 84th show, and, yes, Mick, I can get Satisfaction!
Silicon is the material used in electronic circuit components colloquially known as “chips” and the first ones were made here in the 1950s. Those early companies spawned so many companies, major ones such as Intel, Facebook and Apple, and literally thousands of smaller ones. So Mick was sort of correct: that tech industry was well established, although not named as such, when the Stones first visited. He also mentioned an early venue, the Cow Palace, visible as you drive up Highway 101 into San Francisco. He could still remember the smell from when the Stones played there in 1966 and 1975. Now the show is in the 10-year-old Levi Stadium in the centre of the Valley: no smells except for the heavy traffic fumes. I wonder what the German-born founder of riveted denim jeans would think of the Stones playing to 50,000 ecstatic fans in a stadium named after him?
Ecstatic? Well, I think so, because we had yet another excellent show. A great, revised, set-list with 2 songs new to the Tour, and 5 changes from the last show. Faraway Eyes won the song vote: before the show the Instagram vote showed a very close result, and I think the result declared was the best one. We also had Bite My Head Off, making 6 from Hackney Diamonds on the tour – like the good old days of break-even touring to promote a profit-making album.
Mick mentioned that this was the first time they have played it live (not exactly correct as it was played in New York last year), and that they kept intending to play it this year and finally got around to it! It was worth the wait, with its punk rhythms, searing guitars, and pounding drums and bass. The band seemed to enjoy it and the pogoing crowd was reminiscent of seeing the Clash in 1977.
Faraway Eyes featured lovely backing vocals from Keith, Chanel and Bernard; and very good pedal steel work from Ronnie. As ever Mick was the star, hardly using the autoprompter, rattling through the semi-spoken words without any hesitation. I’ve heard it three times live, and it has been a real pleasure to hear each time. The references to California cities got a good audience response. At the start, as he adjusted his acoustic guitar (out twice tonight), Mick mentioned something about playing a folk song – well this was country, pure and simple.
A song “written for the Stones by a Nobel Laureate” (to quote Mick) also had a super audience response. The chorus of Like a Rolling Stone featured most of the 50,000 crowd, and onstage Keith was noticeably up in the mix. Look-up the lyrics: they are lengthy. Mick seemed to remember them all perfectly. This is one of only two covers played by the Stones on this Tour – which, if anyone doesn’t realise, just shows the depth of their opus.
The traffic in this area is notoriously heavy, and the sound check overran by 10 minutes. Inexplicably the fans expecting doors to open at 5:30pm had to wait for an hour before finally being allowed to enter the stadium. No apology or explanation from the stadium organisers. Mick did mention traffic, and self-driving cars, but didn’t link this to the late start. However, the 2 hour long Stones set finished promptly 5 minutes before the local curfew: I hope the residents appreciated that.
The crowd appreciated, whether they realised it or not, the excellent sound in the stadium. The geometry helps, but the choice of equipment and expertise of Dave Natale makes the aural experience so, so good. The video delay still seems wrong to me at times – ideally delayed for people outside the back of stadium… where the sound during sound check was excellent.
The crowd itself was a real mix of people from this area, from ageing hippies to slick IT Industry types. Near me they were uniformly well behaved and friendly, although several had enjoyed the liquid or smoking refreshment to excess judging by their vertical instability. I heard afterwards of some fighting elsewhere – love and peace departed from its home for a period.
The first half of the show rattles along at speed. There is hardly any time for comments from Mick; concise versions of all songs; and plenty of fast numbers in this section. With three Hackney Diamond selections it was a new album showcase, complemented by golden oldies like Get Off Of My Cloud and Dice. It can be hard to take it all in, such is the almost overwhelming experience.
As YCAGWYW started a lone cameraman appeared on stage with one of those gyrostabilised cameras that look as if they are floating. He was following Mick and Ronnie down the catwalk, circling the stage, and sometimes moving backwards. In what must have been a rare break of “royal” protocol, Mick had to dodge out of his way once and he also knocked over Mick’s microphone stand! Clearly there is some future video production being prepared, although why only one song gets this treatment is unclear to me.
Keith’s vocal section was almost perfect. You Got the Silver was not well known by all the crowd, but the acoustic guitar work from Ronnie and Keith was great. Little T&A changed the pace dramatically, even if a few words were mumbled. Before They Make Me Run, for the second show in a row, was excellent. Keith’s use of horns (Tim and Karl), help from backing vocals, and I assume insistence of strong drums and bass really fills out the sound.
As the air cooled, helped by the venue’s proximity to the southern end of San Francisco Bay, we listened to the greatest hits section. Here Keith’s guitar comes to the fore with another super Sympathy (solo and power chords) and of course Rambler. On the latter Mick’s harmonica solo was more positively creative than usual, and he mixed vocals and harmonica responses at one point, which I have not seen before. Those Hellhounds are still chasing him!
Shelter was another delight, a showcase for Keith, then Mick, then Mick and Chanel. Keith and Ronnie applauded Chanel at the end of this apocalyptic classic: well deserved again. Paint It Black had perhaps less of a flamenco feel than earlier, whilst JJF was belted out to cheers from all around. The end of the sixties saw so much great work delivered by the Stones, now still being performed 55 years later.
Sweet Sounds seemed a little curtailed tonight, but I may have been mistaken – I take no notes at shows; no time records; only checking when listening later. The sound is heavenly: the keyboards, the guitars, the vocals from Mick and Chanel. So good. Satisfaction, with its very simple riff, risks being a dirge… but of course never is. I guess they need their most famous song, the one that really set them apart from the other bands in 1965, as a finale.
In some respects Satisfaction is a bridge to the final bows, where initially all the eleven musicians take their well-deserved applause. Then the Big Three stroll down the catwalk a little further, arm in arm, to bathe in the adulation and respect of the audience. Mostly the audience stands in awe, not moving until those Big Three disappear backstage to be rushed to their transport for the police escort away from the stadium.
This was billed as the end of the Tour, but someone clearly received an offer that they couldn’t refuse, and we will head to southern Missouri for the final gig on Sunday. The weather omens are mixed; the natural (ish) auditorium looks beautiful; the tour crew will be smaller as the venue has a stage; the travel logistics looks challenging. I’m sure we’ll get a tour finale to remember!
Are these the guys I never dared to take for granted, but somehow expected to give concerts that rightfully prove that they are the greatest rock and roll band in the world? Not fare, but still. Mick once (eons ago) said “I hope they don’t think were are a rock and roll outfit”. Well, sorry Mick, but we not only think you are, no, you are indeed the greatest!
The Stones have surprised so many fans during this tour (just read IORR’s reports) with unexpected songs on the setlist, so also today they did! The premiere of Bite My Head Off is yet another big surprise. The first time during this Diamonds Tour and a very powerful rendition it was. While closing my eyes I could see Paul McCartney, which Darryl can read as a big compliment! Great solo, by the way, Ronnie!
Far Away Eyes, always a beauty, was a great choice by the Californian fans! The lyrics are sooo American, it isn’t difficult to imagine you’re out there on the road in this great American State when Mick sings the song and Ronnie gives it that special mood with his pedal steel guitar. And the other surprise tonight was Like a Rolling Stone! Written by BD, the Nobel prize winner, as Mick made us aware. It’s the ultimate Rolling Stones trade mark song and again another diamond in the pocket of this great concert. Mick strong as ever on the blues harp!
Is Keith’s three songs intermezzo his new concert trademark? Also tonight he did three songs, and it was a joy to watch him putting his typical Keith passion in all of them. No objection from me and surely many with me, Keith.
Keith also must have thought “I can do it even better than before”, because he began sitting in front of Steve Jordan’s drum set, making sure Gimme Shelter started off perfectly. Mick and Chanel were a great team once again.
Mick blew his harp with great passion, both at the start and even more so during Midnight Rambler, yet another bright star that makes this Hackney Diamonds tour shine beautifully. Honky Tonk Woman is off course Keith’s riff song, but let’s not forget that the lyrics are Mick’s ultimate way of saying “I am not just anybody”. Chuck Leavell, he, still after so many years, every time manages to add little extras to his piano solo. It’s subtle but it’s there! Sweet Sounds from Heaven - I don’t have words anymore for this - is, as far as my opinion counts, already a classic song. It filled the stadium with many thousands of mobile lights. Beautiful! The fans are aware it’s a great addition to the impressive repertoire of the Stones. Satisfaction? Yes, once again! Great Satisfaction.
I hope to share time with you guys again in Europe, or anywhere on this planet! Thanks, once again and good luck with your final concert on this tour!
Just when I thought they couldn’t improve on Chicago, they come to Los Angeles and blow expectations out of the water. Then they pop into the Bay Area last night and finally - finally! - play a new track off Hackney Diamonds, the well-rehearsed “Bite My Head Off” (or “Bite Your Head Off,” per Mick’s intro). “F**kin’ ’ell,” he exhaustedly exclaimed after the energetically punk 3:20 outing, explaining that the Stones had always meant to perform it on the tour, but never got around to it and now they have. Better late than never. I suppose there’s a good chance it will never be played again, which would be a shame.
The other shame — if I can call it that — is that Keith continued to bench “Tell Me Straight,” depriving us of an opportunity to boast that we had heard five Hackney Diamonds songs in one gig. Mind you, it must be a relatively rare feat to play two new songs in a row — “Bite My Head Off” and “Mess It Up.”
Speaking of which, I noticed a Steadicam operator on stage during “Mess It Up” and “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” and he even followed Ronnie along the catwalk during his guitar solo on the latter tune. Then, during Keith’s threesome, two roadies rolled up the carpet on the catwalk and carried it away like it was moving day. All a bit distracting, but maybe it was for a good cause.
“Far Away Eyes” was another special treat, with Mick again (see “Fool to Cry”) reworking the phrasing to give the satirical comedy a new patina. I don’t believe I’ve heard this since 2013 (May 13 at Staples Center), and the song felt a little special since I’ve made two pilgrimages to Bakersfield in that time, possibly running a few red lights to keep it authentic (or at least thinking I should).
“Like a Rolling Stone” was a broad crowd-pleaser, but took up valuable real estate. “Midnight Rambler” was a tour de force, as were all the songs and the performances, with one exception: "Satisfaction" was rather unsatisfactory. Mick seemed to have trouble with his in-ear monitor and was constantly adjusting his control pack as he sang "pitchy" on the choruses.
There’s really not much I could wish for at this point. Levi’s Stadium was certainly a better venue than the SoFi, although the long entry lines meant some people were cutting it awfully close to find their seats before kick-off. The exit, for me, was lightning fast and the Light Rail left towards SJC shortly after I jumped on, allowing me a thrilling seven hours to twiddle my thumbs at the airport.
We arrived from great days in Los Angeles. Warm and nice. The valley was a bit more chilly, windy, and San Francisco a bit colder. Show day there was no more touristing, just focus on the show. In 2019 I stayed at the Hyatt, now we were at the Hilton. Both hotels right next to Levi's Stadium. The Hilton hotel had a special Stones menu show day. See picture on these pages. It was including the "Beast of Bourbon" drink, the "Sweet Taste of Heaven" dessert, also "Mess It Up" fries and "Jumpin' Jack Flash" pizza.
A quick walk 20 minutes from the hotel to gate F. Then waiting. Then we see the Stones cars driving by, escorded by police motorcycles. They are running late, but they are here. Then shortly after we hear "Tumblig Dice" from inside the stadium. Next is "Like A Rolling Stone". Then "Bite My Head Off". Rehearsed a few times on soundcheck days, also at the LA rehearsals April 3x last two weeks, so now I am sure, we will get it live on stage tonight! Then "Far Away Eyes"; most fans don't get this gem many times, I am spoiled, and know Ronnie will be there on the pedal steel, I do remember one time I got this great song live at the LA Forum, which is now a chuch, what a great place to play the "gospel", and now, most for sure, we will get it again tonight! Then "You Can't Always Get What You Want". I wonder why they rehearse a song they do every show, but later on I realize those who really needed the rehearsal were the special "on stage" camera people, who made an unique visual recording of the song during the show. Then quiet. Are they done? No. Just like several soundcheck times before, Mick is playing the harmonica - Midnight Rambler bits, with Steve Jordan on drums, for those who listen carefully it is four minutes of the Rambler harmonica parts, so the set list of tonight is building up. Then the band is on for a brief minute of Angry, and the soundcheck lasting for 38 minutes is over.
Fans expected the gates to open 5:30pm. At 6pm the queues at the gates were building up quite far. Then some fans started to get really impatient, they demanded information from those poor guys who simply minded the gates. Then at 6:13pm all our worries were gone, this was nothing like Amsterdam 2022, when the show was cancelled late show day after doors opened. They were on, and we were into Levi's Stadium!
Then after 3.5h of talking to friends, meeting fans from all over, including Texas, Chicago, Toronto, Los Angeles, also many countries in Europe, including Norway, UK, The Netherlands, Germany, also Argentina and so on, they were on at 8:54pm, with lots of time to finish before 11pm. "Start Me Up". Cameras and hands in the air, lots of ligts, probably the hardest song to make proper pictures on, but it is The Rolling Stones on stage, it is a miracle every time it is happening these days! Bernard is still strong in the backing vocals, from behind the stage, on the first songs they want focus on the core band on stage.
"Get Off Of My Cloud", early on the tour a regular, now luckily back. Mick is welcoming anyone from the Bay Area.
"Far Away Eyes". Keith on backing vocals. Mick singing and the band backing. I wonder why they don't play it more often. Such a great song. May be it is too slow. May be they like "Wild Horses" more, at other shows.
"Like A Rolling Stone" is a crowd pleaser. The lights go on all over the stadium every time the crowd is due to sing their part of the song.
Mick is announcing two "Hackney Diamonds" songs. We get "Bite My Head Off" - great work on the bass Darryl! Then "Mess It Up", no complaints, my favorite is still WWW...
Then "You Can't Always Get What You Want". An "on stage" gyro camera guy in black dressing is following Mick everywhere, doing panning visuals, like you are on stage when you see the video. More camera crew is working on this song, we will get a special release with this recording some day.
Keith is doing his songs while the carpet workers are busy, Later on I think I saw stage manager "Dale" on the Ronnie side wing being busy, they are working hard on the technical side to do a special visual recording of this show, not just audio, not just regular visuals, on stage experiences we will unique when they are released.
The rest of the show is turned up in volume, of course. We get a fantastic "Midnight Rambler", another great "Sympathy For The Devil", and at exacly two hours after they walked on stage, we hear the final chords of "Satisfaction" fading out. That was a great show to end the trio of shows in California. In the 90's I had wine tasting in Napa Valley, north of the Golden Gate bridge. Now I had Stones tasting in the Santa Clara. We were served 20 great songs tonight. Thank you for your songs, Stones, and thank you for your wine, California!
Without a roof (like SoFi), the sound was great in the rockers and the ballads. You could hear every detail or just listen to the well woven tapestry of sound that you can only experience at a live show.
As I saw it, this was a Mick show. No knock on the others, but it seemed like Mick was overcharged with energy from beginning to end. The people I was there with pointed out that while he no longer sprints from end to end, he absolutely still "moves like Jagger" even at 80.
Song highlights for me start with Tumbling Dice. The backing singers and horns make their first appearance and with the full band now on stage, we get that trademarked big Rolling Stones wall of sound. It's glorious. After another strong rendition of Angry, we get the vote song, and to my surprise we get Far Away Eyes! First time on this tour and it's always a highlight. I was chatting with a security guy at the back of the pit who told me that he loved country music. When I saw that Far Away Eyes had won the vote, I leaned over and told him, "you're gonna like this." He had a shit eating grin for the whole song. More Stones joy.
Next highlight for me: Midnight Rambler. I missed it in LA and it's my favorite live Stones song. Theatrical, bluesey, and powerful. "Well, you heard about the Boston... Bam!" That sound gets me every time and with the great sound quality at Levi's, the impact was huge! Then they hit it again on the next line. And then when they hit it three times as they always do, I had gotten my moneysworth.
Finally, it's hard to describe how strong Gimme Shelter is on this tour and this show was no exception. Starting with Keith sitting for the intro all the way to Chanel channeling Merry Clayton, it's a tour de force. The show goes through its usual paces to the end, and it was incredible how energized Mick was way out on the catwalk all the way to the very end. Just unbelievable.
I would have preferred Wild Horses or some other hit from the golden era instead of Like a Rolling Stone and I would have been thrilled with any other rocker from the Sticky Fingers / Exile era, but I don't get to make the setlists. I got Monkey Man in LA, and I got Rambler in Santa Clara. I'm good.
My Stones concert journey goes all the way back to 1969, when I was 15 and saw the very late show at the LA Forum. Last night was my 30th and maybe last Stones concert. It boggles my mind that I have seen them in seven different decades going back to the 60s. Going to Stones shows has been a passion of mine since way back then. I've only met a few of you who frequent IORR, but it's been awesome sharing this crazy ride with all of you.
“We’ve played for the Stones twice,” a guitar playing, singing Beaches band member said. Not the one bouncing around the stage in red high-top Converse tennis shoes. After The Beaches’ energetic and lively performance, a PA announcer’s voice welcomed the main attraction loud and clear:
Ladies and Gentlemen, the Rolling Stones !
With an about to be full Moon overhead, and jet planes from the nearby San Jose Airport flying in the night sky above Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. Mick Jagger, the 80 year young Englishman rallied the Rolling Stones music-making ensemble in high-minded Duke of Wellington fashion.
Leading his troops, Mick Jagger set a full-speed ahead rhythmic pace as the Rolling Stones took the stage. To open the show, with the Stones’ badass delivery wind at his back, all fired up Mick sang start me up, start me up. I never stop. The solid soulful music made all the dead men in the audience crawl. A night party with the Rolling Stones was in full swing, and people were happily digging it, with no grown men crying.
Welcome Santa Clara. Welcome Bay Area, Mick greeted a packed stadium of enthusiastic fans, young and old, tattooed, ring-nosed , puttin’ on the pounds, wheel-chair-bound, or whatever, asking the brave concert-goers:
Anyone from Santa Clara ?
Anyone from San Francisco ?
San Jose ?
Sacramento ?
During the show, Mick Jagger mentioned Nobel Prize in Literature winning Robert Zimmerman ( aka Bob Dylan ) as the Stones covered Dylan’s hit song Like a Rolling Stone: How does it feel ? How does it feel ? To be on your own, like a rolling stone ? With no direction home ?
In the tune, Jagger soulfully blew the harmonica into a hand-held microphone. The dramatic beauty of the Stones’ musicality descending to the earth like The Sounds of Heaven, a number from their new Hackney Diamonds album.
Rolling Stones singer Chanel Heynes teamed up with Mick Jagger heart and soul in a moving rendition of Gimmie Shelter. The duo brought the vocal magnificence of What’s Love Got To Do with It Tina Turner to mind. Chanel’s powerful voice a reminder of singer Lisa Fischer’s many past elegant duets with Mick Jagger on various global Rolling Stones tours. Ah, great art that takes your breath away. Mick Jagger, a rock’n’roll monarch in motion. A Solomon Burke vocal doppel-ganger. A mighty melodious force and presence. An Officer and a Gentleman.
How are the Rolling Stones holding up ? you might ask. The proof is in the pudding. Tonalities coming at you every which way like pleasant falling rain drops. With the same honesty and vigor of Jackie Wilson’s Lonely Teardrops. The strength of song lifting always suffering us up in the face of human agony and pain. Angry, a new song by the Rolling Stones. A Staples Singers sermon delivered to the Levi’s Stadium crowd. Solo, fit-looking, guitar in hand, Keith Richards did 3 songs in a row. I gotta keep going, Keith said. T & A among the trio. And You got the Silver. You got the Gold, an offering to the appreciative audience with his tried and true calm strength, allowing Mick a backstage breather before the Rolling Stones finale
To close the show, Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones sang I can’t get no Satisfaction. I can’t git me no Satisfaction. There was a moon out that night. But there was no drowning in useless information the Rolling Stones did declare all night long.
Keith’s set was awesome, his voice and guitar strong and clear and a brilliant version of You Got the Silver. He looked happy and focused and was interacting with the crowd with a smile. Mick’s harmonica pierced my soul in Midnight Rambler – one of my all-time favorites live – and Chanel kicked ass on Shelter. Sweet Sounds of Heaven should be played at every live performance in every country from now on! Listening to Mick and Chanel and the gentle guitar, keyboards and drum work and looking around the stadium at all the lit up cell phones just confirms the versatility and talent of this amazing band. Satisfaction was not even a question and both the band and the audience left joyously, cradled in the arms of the after glow of the best ever band to have existed. Enjoy Missouri everyone and I pray for Europe next year where for the first time I would have the opportunity to travel by train from gig to gig!
Weather was nice for this outdoor stadium show. As Mick said from the stage this stadium is 10 years old- officially opening to the public exactly 10 years ago on July 17, 2014. The Atlanta, Vegas and Los Angeles stadiums on this tour are newer and have some newer design features but once the lights go down the Rolling Stones are the experience. While the San Francisco 49ers play football in this stadium, the stadium is located in the city of Santa Clara and much closer to San Jose airport then San Francisco airport. A late train was running that did take fans up to San Francisco.
Mick introducing Ronnie called him the Picasso of Palo Alto and the Basquiat of Berkley. Mick also mentioned waymo from the stage. Waymo is a driverless car I witnessed driving around the area. Mick also said maybe the 49ers will win the Super Bowl next year and England will win the World Cup. Mick also mentioned the band's 1st show was 59 years ago in the area when there was no silicon valley. Mick said he can still smell the venue, the Cow Palace.
This was a wildly successful great tour with no cancellations or postposted shows. Thanks to everyone!!
The energy before the show was palpable, you could tell that this one was about to be another unforgettable experience. No seats on the floor means normally a more engaged audience. You don’t remain on your spot for hours if it doesn’t matter. The Beaches, a four girl combo, was the opening act. It was refreshing to see some female musicians that were not concerned with twerking but just playing honest rock.
Keith kicked of proceedings with Start me up, and although this time was not him but Steve Jordan who happened to be slightly off tempo in the intro, they delivered the most powerful and tight Start me up I ever heard. And from then on it kept going at the highest level of quality, both sound and playing, that I witnessed over the last years. It was a high octane show, with tight, crispy and powerful delivery of the more energetic numbers, and beautifully crafted delivery of the slower ones. From the first lot, I would highlight Bite my Head off, which made its debut. I closed my eyes and it was impossible to believe that the energy coming through was not from a bunch of furious and unruly teenagers trying the first songs of a newly formed rock band. Daryl followed Macca’s steps and played his solo with the same sound than on the album. From the second lot, I would highlight the vote song. I lost my Sweet Virginia to Fareway eyes, and that at the end was fine by me. This is the one I used to manually skip when the world was on vinyl. But after driving all the way from Las Vegas to Santa Clara, the story of preachers on the radio and truck drivers resonated so much that, after so many years of ignoring it, it took its well deserved full meaning. It was due to Mick, who sang it beautifully.
Mess it up is rapidly turning into a classic. Mick decided to preserve his voice and was more economical, resting more on Bernard and Chanel, who covered almost seamless. It is on these occasions where you can notice the high quality work that they put in supporting Mick.
Honky Tonk Women was again a big party. It sounds much better now than in previous tours. Reaching almost Buenos Aires’ levels of enthusiasm. Midnight Rambler was again epic. Steve Jordan‘s playing is so powerful that he managed to turbo Watts’ restrained approach into a muscular version of the original, forcing the rest to keep up. I guess that part of the Stones’ longevity has to do with having younger musicians around them.
With Keith in top form, Ronnie doesn’t need to do all the heavy lifting these days. He interacted a lot with old friends in his surroundings, looking at them, smiling and throwing a few picks for them to catch.
When things are fluid at his back, Mick can also relax more and this inevitably translated into a top performance. The quality of his singing keeps on improving. Only Mick can be at the top of his powers at that age.
There were a couple of times where the band slightly disconnected, but nothing that they couldn’t gracefully managed without compromising their professional delivery.
Keith solos in Sympathy were particularly powerful, of 1969 quality. Short and sharp blasts of electric discomfort. How he can get any sound out of those hands of stone, ironed by time and other stuff, is anyone’s guests. It is inspiring to see how someone can manage decay and adjust his playing to get the original meaning, now marinated in time. So beautiful and unique.
I agree with my son. Another memorable show. As long as the Stones keep going, the sunshine will never bore the daylight out of us. Thanks for the wine and the Stones, California.
Photo by Bjørnulf Vik
Photo by Bjørnulf Vik
Photo by Bjørnulf Vik
Photo by Bjørnulf Vik
Photo by Bjørnulf Vik
Photo by Bjørnulf Vik
Photo by Hans Kjølen
Photo by Hans Kjølen
Photo by Hans Kjølen
Photo by Jordan Samata
Photo by Jordan Samata
Photo by Jordan Samata
Photo by Jordan Samata
Photo by James Crowley
Photo by James Crowley
Photo by James Crowley
Photo by James Crowley
Photo by Mark Seidman
Photo by Mark Seidman
Photo by Mark Seidman
Photo by Mark Seidman
Photo by Mark Seidman
Photo by Mark Seidman
Photo by Hendrik Mulder
Photo by Hendrik Mulder
Photo by Hendrik Mulder
Photo by Hendrik Mulder
Photo by Hendrik Mulder
Photo by Hendrik Mulder
Photo by Hendrik Mulder
Photo by Hendrik Mulder
Photo by Hendrik Mulder
Photo by Hendrik Mulder
Hilton Santa Clara memories - Photo by Bjørnulf Vik
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