ex-President Clinton introduces the band
The Rolling Stones (Forty Licks Tour), ex-President Bill Clinton 2/7/2003
The Staples Center, Section 112, Row 2, Seat 6, 8 (13 rows from the stage)
ex-President Clinton introduces the band
Keith & Ron Wood jamming
Group photo
As a Rolling Stones fan, I'm obliged to try and report on how the Stones sound and perform on stage on their 40-year anniversary tour, to point out the good along with the bad, as they are in their sixties, and surely a band that has outlasted them all has lost its edge. I'm glad to report that they haven't, however I don't have much of a reference point to compare; the only real footage I've seen of them perform in their prime 60's/70's glory. I suppose compared to the 'old' days as it were, they don't have that sort of fresh look to them, of just coming out into the rock and roll landscape ready to take prisoners as the anti-Beatles. And yet, along with seeing this concert on television, I also was blessed with seeing them live on this tour in 2002, and it surely didn't disappoint. My seat was approximately 13 rows from the stage at Staples Center (the first time I had ever been there.) Sure Mick Jagger is not quite the singer he once was, but he puts himself into his performance and presence on stage with a lot more energy than in the performances I've seen from the 'old' days (in fact sometimes he is very funny, maybe unintentionally). Keith is Keith as always, giving the audience two great renditions of "Thru and Thru" and "Happy". Charlie Watts is also, like Jagger, unintentionally funny, as he his job has the least and most amount of energy required in the performance (as Jack Nicholson once said, that right foot of his made them a lot of money). So basically what you'd expect from the hardest working rock and roll band around is what you get, and you get many solid, awesome 'best-of' songs, many my favorites ("Monkey Man", "Midnight Rambler", "Can't You Hear me Knocking", "Jumping Jack Flash"). In fact, over the course of two hours, there is barely a song that they don't play that you haven't heard, and it has a very good variety. None less than ex-President Bill Clinton introduced the band.
Show time: 9:40 - 11:55 p.m. Highlights for me were "You Can't Always Get What You Want," "Can't You Hear Me Knocking," "Satisfaction" and "Midnight Rambler," the latter performed on the small stage, which reached almost to the end of the floor. I don't think a single undergarment was thrown during the set - must be a record. Remy Kabaka helped out on assorted percussion for several songs, beginning with "Sympathy for the Devil," as he did in Anaheim. Start Me Up: What a riff and what a song. Keith was smiling, when he is smiling that means that it is going to be good. Street Fighting Man: I closed my eyes and I was back in '68, that crazy Winter of "Beggars Banquet" and they did it letter perfect version. You Got Me Rocking: Mick's song, Keith and Ronnie doing the weave and the Jag strutting like a rooster. It swung like Tarzan through the trees. Don't Stop: I have never seen the Jag so animated while he was playing the guitar as was on this song. He was doing some of the Chuck Berry moves. Like the song says, I hope that the Stones don't stop. All Down The Line: So much of "Exile" had that L.A. feel, so it felt right to hear this loud, sloopy and great version of this song. Wild Horses: Somewhere up in Hillbilly heaven, old Gram was smiling down especially when the mics went dead for a minute and the crowd kept singing. You Can't Always Get What You Want: Two slow ones in a row and the people were still standing and they sung along on the cherry soda part. Bitch: Evil, positively evil. My heart was beating like a big bass drum. Tumbling Dice: My favorite Stones song and they nailed it to barrom floor, the Jag came out on the run and the crowd went nuts trying to touch the hem of his garments. Slipping Away: Keith's song and it was simply beautiful, sung like an old gunfigther. The boy's got soul. Happy: What can be said, this one cooked, false start and all. took me back. Sympathy For Devil: Menacing, gone are '75 conga lines, this version meant business. It was a keeper. Remi Kabaka joined them just as did many, many moons ago. Gimme Shelter: But the they did, started off sloppy but mid way through they were hitting that note. Can't Hear Me Knocking: Ronnie B. Goode ran the ghost of Mick Taylor right out of the building. This was the highlight. The Jag blew some mean harp too. Honky Tonk Women and Satisifacion: Two monster songs, great versions. This is Rock and 101. It's Only Rock and Roll: Keith, no one plays it better. When he does his version of the duckwalk....... damn. Midnight Rambler: Lean, clean and bluesy. They stretched out the long song. Brown Sugar: No matter how many times I hear this song, when it goes wooooooo with the Jag, it puts a lump in my throat because right then we are one with band. A mean version tonight. Jumping Jack Flash: All I can is Charlie was good last night, Charlie is good everynight and so are the Stones, at least for me. |
