I Saw The Stones Tonight

RocknRollDave

You shouldn’t have to make excuses why the band you have shelled out good money to see can’t cut it live.
If Keef and Ronnie can’t play live (and, even speaking as a fan of the band: they can’t) they should not be on that stage.

TeleMaster

RocknRollDave said:

You shouldn’t have to make excuses why the band you have shelled out good money to see can’t cut it live.
If Keef and Ronnie can’t play live (and, even speaking as a fan of the band: they can’t) they should not be on that stage.

Well this is what I was thinking going into the show a bit, having watched a lot of live footage from this tour I knew they were gonna be ropey, and I'm not gonna lie, there were a few times where it was hard to watch. In particular during She's a Rainbow, they zoomed in on Ronnie and he was fumbling around trying to find a chord at the end. Or when Keith was playing live on the screen there was often literally no sound coming from his guitar whatsoever.

But regardless of that, we had a great time and so did everyone else. About 5 people in the audience noticed, and everyone else thought they were smashing it. So really, who cares if they're a bit sloppy? The songs sounded great because the rest of the band are picking up the slack and that's what they're there to do.

Sassafras

RocknRollDave said:

You shouldn’t have to make excuses why the band you have shelled out good money to see can’t cut it live.
If Keef and Ronnie can’t play live (and, even speaking as a fan of the band: they can’t) they should not be on that stage.

Rightly or wrongly, they've become legends that still command high ticket prices. People go to see them, not cover musicians.

Offset

stickyfiddle said:

What they do have is a monster rhythm section, plus keys, horns and multiple backing singers to fatten out the sound. 

Rock 'n' roll eh...

RocknRollDave

TeleMaster said:

RocknRollDave said:

You shouldn’t have to make excuses why the band you have shelled out good money to see can’t cut it live.
If Keef and Ronnie can’t play live (and, even speaking as a fan of the band: they can’t) they should not be on that stage.

Well this is what I was thinking going into the show a bit, having watched a lot of live footage from this tour I knew they were gonna be ropey, and I'm not gonna lie, there were a few times where it was hard to watch. In particular during She's a Rainbow, they zoomed in on Ronnie and he was fumbling around trying to find a chord at the end. Or when Keith was playing live on the screen there was often literally no sound coming from his guitar whatsoever.

But regardless of that, we had a great time and so did everyone else. About 5 people in the audience noticed, and everyone else thought they were smashing it. So really, who cares if they're a bit sloppy? The songs sounded great because the rest of the band are picking up the slack and that's what they're there to do.

To be fair to Mick Jagger, he carries a lot of the show on his shoulders, and he carries it well.
Whatever you think of his singing and dancing, he is a commanding presence on the stage and I’d love to have half of the energy he has got.

TeleMaster

RocknRollDave said:

TeleMaster said:

RocknRollDave said:

You shouldn’t have to make excuses why the band you have shelled out good money to see can’t cut it live.
If Keef and Ronnie can’t play live (and, even speaking as a fan of the band: they can’t) they should not be on that stage.

Well this is what I was thinking going into the show a bit, having watched a lot of live footage from this tour I knew they were gonna be ropey, and I'm not gonna lie, there were a few times where it was hard to watch. In particular during She's a Rainbow, they zoomed in on Ronnie and he was fumbling around trying to find a chord at the end. Or when Keith was playing live on the screen there was often literally no sound coming from his guitar whatsoever.

But regardless of that, we had a great time and so did everyone else. About 5 people in the audience noticed, and everyone else thought they were smashing it. So really, who cares if they're a bit sloppy? The songs sounded great because the rest of the band are picking up the slack and that's what they're there to do.

To be fair to Mick Jagger, he carries a lot of the show on his shoulders, and he carries it well.
Whatever you think of his singing and dancing, he is a commanding presence on the stage and I’d love to have half of the energy he has got.

I have ADHD. You should see me go. Especially circa 1992 in the golden years when I was 8 before I was medicated. 

BillDL

I'm curious, but I don't want to start an argument.  Did they play Brown Sugar?  The song has obviously had a lot of bad press in the last few years particularly.

Teyeplayer

BillDL said:

I'm curious, but I don't want to start an argument.  Did they play Brown Sugar?  The song has obviously had a lot of bad press in the last few years particularly.

Thought they decided to drop that from the set last year.

In response to the other posts, this has made for an interesting read. I saw them at Hyde Park the last time they played and my observation was that it was Ronnie who held the band together, he was a lot better than he is given credit for and  clearly looked to by the rest of the band for signals. Keith was, Keith, wheeled out, defrosted, amazing in his caricature way and no doubt put back in the freezer for the next show. Although, that said he did take the odd solo still, would have been interested to see how far that had altered. 

One thing I’d consider though is that they were always a loose band, that’s how they roll (and swing). I wonder if we are so used to everything being ‘tight’ to utter perfection that we’ve forgotten the soul of bands like the stones doesn’t come from being tight, it comes from finding the groove and sitting in the pocket.

stickyfiddle

BillDL said:

I'm curious, but I don't want to start an argument.  Did they play Brown Sugar?  The song has obviously had a lot of bad press in the last few years particularly.

setlist.fm says no

https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/the-rolling-stones/2022/hyde-park-london-england-3bb59c98.html

**
Overall, I really have no time for the haters. These guys are all pushing 80 and still at it. Of course they're not as technically able as they once were, but everything I've seen still looks and sounds like a great show.

Tannin

I saw them in 1995 - clearly past their best, but still kicking arse. Happy not to see them again. If you gave me a time machine to so that I could slip back and see them in their pomp back around 1970 ... well, I'd love to, but I reckon I'd "accidentally" slip in to see The Who by "mistake".

Just the same, nice to see that they are still going around. Jagger is awesome! Keef .. well, he is just Keef. And Woodie is still kicking arse. Long may that continue.

TeleMaster

Teyeplayer said:

BillDL said:

I'm curious, but I don't want to start an argument.  Did they play Brown Sugar?  The song has obviously had a lot of bad press in the last few years particularly.

Thought they decided to drop that from the set last year.

In response to the other posts, this has made for an interesting read. I saw them at Hyde Park the last time they played and my observation was that it was Ronnie who held the band together, he was a lot better than he is given credit for and  clearly looked to by the rest of the band for signals. Keith was, Keith, wheeled out, defrosted, amazing in his caricature way and no doubt put back in the freezer for the next show. Although, that said he did take the odd solo still, would have been interested to see how far that had altered. 

One thing I’d consider though is that they were always a loose band, that’s how they roll (and swing). I wonder if we are so used to everything being ‘tight’ to utter perfection that we’ve forgotten the soul of bands like the stones doesn’t come from being tight, it comes from finding the groove and sitting in the pocket.

I've listened to a lot of their live albums, and I don't know if they did much editing in post production but you wouldn't put them in the super loose category on Get Yer Ya Yas Out, Love You Live, Still Life etc. And it's not so much about being loose as not being able to play the stuff well. Like an actual technical ability caused by well, old age and physical impairment. 

Listen to Stripped from the 90's. Again, I don't know if there's lots of post production but there's barely a wrong note on the whole thing.

I'm not hating. I hope they continue as long as they want to. Again, we had a great time regardless of anything else and my opinion was different at the end of the show from the beginning where I was expecting to feel a bit sorry about the whole thing. 

westford

I saw the Stones on Saturday and the Eagles on Sunday. Thoroughly enjoyed both.

hywelg

I never saw the Stones when I was younger but Ya Ya's is my absolute favourite album of all time. I really wouldn't want to see them in their declining years.id prefer to remember them at their nadir.

I saw Peter Green on his comeback tour with the Splinter Band. Once at a small club type venue and thought this is promising then at a big concert hall on the next tour and walked out at half time, I felt so sorry for him. Again I prefer to remember him at his best. 

Jalapeno

EricTheWeary said:

Watching bits of the Glastonbury set on YouTube it’s a) 9 years ago, bloody hell and b) better than I remember. I wonder if there’s a bit of post production or if my memory is just being unkind. Even so some sense that Keith’s playing role was quite minimal even by then. 

And ... the first hour and a half wasn't televised at all - it was an awesome 3hr gig, best thing I've been to at Glastonbury.

lustycourtier

Ive just been searching for the Hyde park footage from 2013 where Keith starts Start me up in completely the wrong key, yet theres no trace of it anymore.  

Fortheloveofguitar

It’s a shame but these guys are old now. 

Same with Aerosmith. I love Joe Perry but it’s painful to watch him now he’s riddled with arthritis. Missing notes and out of time 

roberty

Tannin said:

I saw them in 1995 - clearly past their best, but still kicking arse. Happy not to see them again. If you gave me a time machine to so that I could slip back and see them in their pomp back around 1970 ... well, I'd love to, but I reckon I'd "accidentally" slip in to see The Who by "mistake".

Just the same, nice to see that they are still going around. Jagger is awesome! Keef .. well, he is just Keef. And Woodie is still kicking arse. Long may that continue.

That must have been the Voodoo Lounge tour. My old man took me to the Auckland show. This was before line arrays took over. My ears were ringing for days afterwards

Caffeine_Vampire

Curious. There were issues with the mix at Anfield at times but both guitars could be heard clear and present and I could see clearly that it was Ronnie and Keith playing with nothing discernible going on backstage. The tones I heard were stunning, Ronnie's LP was particularly tasty. Regarding Keith's playing, he's adopted the 'less is more' approach for some time now and while I don't doubt arthritis has played a large part in that I think it's also the evolution of his playing, I'm finding myself reaching the same conclusions. I wouldn't say they're being 'carried' by the keys and brass as much as they've learned how to play in a larger band, it'd be awful if they were all up there treading on one another's toes. Yes, there were beats dropped all over the place but nothing you can't hear in Stones bootlegs going back forty years.

Roll on gentlemen. 

TeleMaster

lustycourtier said:

Ive just been searching for the Hyde park footage from 2013 where Keith starts Start me up in completely the wrong key, yet theres no trace of it anymore.  

Yea I was there and I noticed that. Absolutely happened. 

stickyfiddle

@Caffeine_Vampire agreed on Ron’s Les Paul. That was my main revelation seeing them in Abu Dhabi around 2014. That whole show was great, but the sound of that guitar on You Can’t Always Get.. was just incredible.