Well it took me a while to decide whether I wanted to pay £225 for a Rolling Stones concert ticket on level 4 of the O2 arena in
A quick video guide to different people’s view of the Stones aged 50 (including Iggy and
The stage (in its giant tongue shape) lit up as what seemed like a hundred or so drummers belted out a mighty beat as they moved around the crowd. A mighty roar followed as the lights dimmed and the boys launched into ‘Get off Of My Cloud’. No fireworks, loud bangs or explosions - just the band, just the music. Mick said that Sunday was great but tonight they were more relaxed and the consensus of people at both shows seems to be that tonight was better paced.
The Sixties was the tone for most of the evening. 'I wanna be your man’ was a surprise early on (I had not looked at a set list form Sunday’s show) and by the time Florence Welch stepped on stage to perform a blistering, ‘Gimme Shelter’ with Mick, the band were well into their stride.
The next surprise was ’Lady Jane’ after which Eric Clapton followed with a bluesy version of Champagne and Reefer, with Keith and Ronnie sparring with the great man. The Seventies got a look in with ‘Miss You’ after which the band let rip into a couple of new tunes recorded for the Grrr 50th anniversary collection: the tasty 'One More Shot’ and the stellar ‘Doom and Gloom. It was all non stop: the band may not be quite so fleet of foot these days but Mick can still do a sprint at the drop of a hat!
Bill Wyman returned from exile on 'Its only Rock n’ Roll’ and a pulsating ‘Honky Tonk Women’. Keith-time next with the man at the mic and not too many people drifting off to the bar. Keith’s voice is as gravelly as ever on ‘Before They Make You Run’ and the gloriously timeless ‘Happy’.
There are many highlights tonight but if I had to pick just one, then it would be ‘Midnight Rambler’ with added Mick Taylor. There are lots of smiles around the stage, and darker lighting adds to the intensity as the riffs churn around the arena. It’s magnificent. Then it’s just classic after classic to the end of the evening.
Two choirs appear for 'You Can’t Always get What You Want’ and storming versions of 'Jumping Jack Flash' and 'Satisfaction' close the evening. An absolutely fabulous show and great to see the band alive and kicking and with so many smiles.
Yes, it was very expensive, and if they do any outdoor shows next year you would expect £60 a ticket would be closer to the mark. So tonight was a one-off and I think we did, actually, get what we wanted!
Hyde Park 2013?
Pete
Set list
•Get Off My Cloud (single, 1965)
•I Wanna Be Your Man (single, 1963)
•The Last Time (single, 1964)
•Paint It Black (single, 1966)
•Gimme Shelter (with
•Lady Jane (from Aftermath, 1967)
•
•Live With Me (from Gimme Shelter, 1969)
•Miss You (from Some Girls, 1978)
•One More Shot (from GRRR, 2012)
•Doom and Gloom (from GRRR, 2012)
•It's Only Rock ‘n Roll (with Bill Wyman) (from It's Only Rock ‘n Roll, 1974)
•Honky Tonk Women (with Bill Wyman) (single, 1969)
•Band Intros
•Before They Make You Run (Keith Richards vocals) (from Some Girls, 1978)
•Happy (Keith Richards vocals) (from Exile On Main Street, 1972)
•Midnight Rambler (with Mick
•Start Me Up (from Tattoo You, 1981)
•Tumbling Dice (from Exile On
•Brown Sugar (from Sticky Fingers, 1971)
•Sympathy For The Devil (from Beggars Banquet, 1968)
Encore
•You Can’t Always Get What You Want (from Let It Bleed, 1969)
•Jumping Jack Flash (single, 1968)
•(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction (single, 1965)