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| glencar |
quote:
GotToRollMe wrote:
Nice work, Meg! 
Gazza and Bjornulf look like two very happy Stonesians (and very cute too!)
Personally, I can't wait to hear "Streets Of Love" this fall. If they'd only done something different with the instrumental break it would be a helluva song. There I said it. 
I like it too. I'll be seeing it about a month from today. |
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| PartyDoll MEG |
Found some more. Jeep where are you. I miss you
another Ronnie Face
Rest of pictures are here if interested:http://www.berlinonline.de/
[Edited by PartyDoll MEG] |
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| Gazza |
Just got home a couple of hours ago. Thanks to Meg for holding the fort and to Charlotte for texting me just in case things didnt work out (odd that some American texts can get though, but others cant..anyway..it seemed to work out in the end)
After only having seen stadium shows for about my first four Stones tours, the last ten shows I've attended have all been indoors, many of them in quite small venues, so it was a bit strange being at a stadium show again, as I never wanted to go to any more - unfortunately in Europe this year, the only alternative is to sit at home. That said, I'm even more sure than ever that after this tour is over, if the Stones are to tour again, its theatres or nothing for me.
Anyway, back to the event itself. I had FOS tickets, so didnt have to go too early. Spent the afternoon drinking in a bar near the stadium with various friends and acquaintances from down the years plus several people whose names were familiar to me as a collector for over 20 years but who I'd never had the pleasure to meet before now. It was nice to meet folks like (amongst others) Gary Robertson, Bjornulf Vik, Martin Ellliott, Johannes Delmere, Nico Zentgraf and Axel Schumacher, whose first words to me were "I've been instructed by Voodoo to say 'fuck you Gazza, will ya'...". It was also great to meet sssoul the night before (at the Stones hotel, no less) , who later joined us for dinner.
We were joined later on the day of the show by a couple of friends from IORR, open-g from Berlin and Tim from Montana (with wife and 2 young kids in tow) and then jostorm made it back from her day at the zoo to join us just in time to head off to the stadium.
Incredible feeling walking up to that arena, seeing the Olympic rings and thinking about the history of the place. Only maybe Wembley can top it for historical significance, and even thats debatable when you bring the non-sporting history into the equation.
The FOS arrangement is quite confusing. We entered the pitch from the back of the field and were quite a bit away, before realising that you have to enter the FOS area at a little opening to the side of the stage, where they give you a wristband. Once inside, it was quite pleasant - plenty of room to move around, and it extends quite a bit back if you want to get a wider view of the stage. The sound was a bit iffy for the first few songs with the guitars not being loud enough but when we moved a bit further back and over towards the centre, it sounded OK to me. It could and should have been louder, however.
The Stones came onstage at about 8.50 and played for two full hours (not 1hr 50 as mentioned earlier in this thread). Performance wise, I thought it solid, but not that spectacular. I've seen them better, then again I've seen worse. No real lowlights, I just thought it was a consistent and steady enough performance, with sporadic highpoints. Ronnie and Keith both did well enough - a few bum notes here and there, but nothing to give those critics ready to announce their musical demise any ammunition. I thought the band LOOKED well too, considering all the shit some of them have been through of late.
Mick didnt repeat the "world champion of tree climbing" intro for Keith, but the ovation for him that followed could probably have been heard in Moscow and seemed to move Keith quite a bit. Some smartarse in the crowd was waving this huge palm tree, Keith noticed it later and seemed quite amused by it.
He followed it with an absolute incendiary of a version of 'before they make me run' which for me was the highlight of the whole night. Yeah, he missed a few words or notes here and there, but the sheer passion just poured out of him. And it was during that song, specifically when watching Keith and Ronnie standing side-by-side duelling away on the solo just like the old days and realising that seeing both of them being still around to do this defied some kind of medical logic, that the occasion got to me a bit and gave me that 'golfball in the throat' moment that they still manage to inflict on me from time to time.
'Sway' was the only song that was a genuine surprise - they did it reasonably well. 'Angie' was the local crowd pleaser, dedicated to a "German lady", no doubt Angela Merkel, who had tried to use it as the theme for successful campaign to become Chancellor last year. 'Streets of Love' started with Mick playing guitar and went down pretty well. Ronnie played a nice solo and Mick went apeshit with some pretty emotive singing towards the end. "Night Time" (performed appropriately just as the sun went down) was superb as always, the first time I've seen them play it as they dropped it at the 2 MSG shows in January.
'Honky Tonk women' was the best of the b-stage part and 'Sympathy' was another one of the highlights of the night - it always seems to be at every Stones show I've ever seen it. Its one warhorse that I dont mind being played at every show because they always do it justice. 'Brown sugar' was surprisingly good as well - not as fabulous as the version at Juilliard that kicked things off 14 months ago, but better than it usually is.
The usual 2 song encore closed things off (Christ, those flames are hot - even when youre 40 yards away) and at 10.50 pm that was it.
As far as the tourist side of things are concerned, it was my first time in Germany and in a city I've been fascinated by since I was a kid. Berlin didnt disappoint in any way. The Holocaust Memorial and Information Centre is a place that everyone should visit at some point in their life and literally rendered me speechless at the experience. An incredible irony that Hitler's bunker is located less than 200 metres away and is underneath what is now, of all things, a children's playground.
A wonderful 3 days. Thanks to jostorm and her friend for getting me a place to crash and to everyone I met for being fun to hang around with.
[Edited by Gazza] |
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| Strange_Stray_Cat |
Cool review! Thanks! You are right about the holocaust thing.
I visited "Buchenwald" when in Highschool. Very impresive. |
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| LadyJane |
Nice review, Gazza!!
Reminds us "armchair quarterbacks" who like to sit here and whine that being there and experiencing this thing live is still one of the greatest thrills on Earth.
Those "golfball in the throat" moments are gonna get us all in the Fall.
LJ.
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| Strange_Stray_Cat |
quote:
LadyJane wrote:
Those "golfball in the throat" moments are gonna get us all in the Fall.
LJ.
Including me! I will go to the States  ! |
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| LadyJane |
quote:
Strange_Stray_Cat wrote:
Including me! I will go to the States !
REALLY!!!
GREAT!!!
You shall be greeted. Where are you planning?? New York City???
LJ.
PS...Bring Angie with you. |
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| Strange_Stray_Cat |
quote:
LadyJane wrote:
REALLY!!!
GREAT!!!
You shall be greeted. Where are you planning?? New York City???
LJ.
PS...Bring Angie with you.
Yap. I would love to go to NYC if I can get some decent tix. |
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| PartyDoll MEG |
quote:
Strange_Stray_Cat wrote:
Including me! I will go to the States !
Well, hopefully, it will be at a show I'm attending. Yes, we want you to bring our ROCC sister with you!!!
Oh.......And great review Herr Gazza!
[Edited by PartyDoll MEG] |
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| Gazza |
quote:
LadyJane wrote:
Reminds us "armchair quarterbacks" who like to sit here and whine that being there and experiencing this thing live is still one of the greatest thrills on Earth.
well, I didnt experience anything that I havent done before. It was a good enough show, but it hasnt changed my opinion on anything that I'd held before I went. |
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| GotToRollMe |
quote:
PartyDoll MEG wrote:
Great pics, Meg, but this one just reached out and grabbed me. WOW! (Note to self: Alternate avatar!)
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| GotToRollMe |
Wonderful review, Gazza! Welcome back! |
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| Bitch |
Gazza, Thanks for the fine review - it's always a great experience meeting the people in person that you've been reading and posting with for years! That's as much fun as the concert sometimes! Before They Make Me Run, and Sway, the highlights of the setlist - sweet!
I know what you mean about Stadium shows verses Arena shows, the sound is never as good, there's so many distractions, and the stage is high up and far away. Next time around, I'm going for the indoor venues.
Looking forward to meeting some of the ROCKS OFF people in the FALL return to the US! I only know one guy from RO, Riffhard, and he's very cool, he plays BITCH on the radio for me alot.
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| FotiniD |
Great review Gazza! Glad you had such a good time. And I knew it'd get you See, they're not half as bad as some people want to keep exclaiming.... Damn, they're not bad at all.
And I'd reconsider the decision about theaters or no show at all if I were you... I mean, something is always better than nothing! Even if it's a stadium.
[Edited by FotiniD] |
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| Gazza |
Arenas maybe - but it would have to be a different approach to the music than it is currently.
Every show has at least one moment where it grabs me by either the throat or the nutsack. It'll always be like that. You cant be a fan for 30 years and just emotionally detach yourself from what has been a huge part of your life for decades - but it has to be more than a few 'moments'. |
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| Gazza |
Forgot to mention that when a group of us were sitting in the bar (the same one where the pic on page 3 of this thread is taken). a camera crew from the local Berlin Tv channel (BBS? Not sure of the name) came by and filmed us. Apparently, some of us were shown on the local news later that night. So, maybe someone out there taped it.
and as it doesnt seem that anyone else posted this article, heres another funny little snippet from something that happened in Berlin last Thursday.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2006330752,00.html
looks like we shouldnt have waited until Saturday to do our sightseeeing!
[Edited by Gazza] |
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| jostorm |
No, thank YOU, Gazza, for being my Berlin body guard for four days and for accompanying me to my very last Stones show. Personally, it took me until "Sympathy", song number 16 !!!!!!, to get into the groove and dance (certainly a "first ever" for me!!!), and I have to say (whether people reading this like it or not is totally irrelevant to me) that the Dutch coverband FTS was a lot better on their farewell gig than the Stones were in Berlin. I suppose that sums it up , and it's only the way I personally feel about it, but I've reached the end of a very long road. I'll still love their old music and there will always be a part of my heart that belongs to them, but they have quite simply become a parody of themselves.... I MAY be tempted to go to a clubshow in a few years time, who knows, but this is it for me for the time being...And I'm not even sad about it.
Hope everyone has a blast at any future shows!!!!! |
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| Gazza |
Bodyguard? Moi? |
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| Jeep |
Photos Kölner Statdt Anzeiger :
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| VoodooChileInWOnderl |
Gypsy sent me a bunch of great pictures that I will post later as I'm going to the office |
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| ListenToTheLion |
quote:
jostorm wrote:
No, thank YOU, Gazza, for being my Berlin body guard for four days and for accompanying me to my very last Stones show. Personally, it took me until "Sympathy", song number 16 !!!!!!, to get into the groove and dance (certainly a "first ever" for me!!!), and I have to say (whether people reading this like it or not is totally irrelevant to me) that the Dutch coverband FTS was a lot better on their farewell gig than the Stones were in Berlin. I suppose that sums it up , and it's only the way I personally feel about it, but I've reached the end of a very long road. I'll still love their old music and there will always be a part of my heart that belongs to them, but they have quite simply become a parody of themselves.... I MAY be tempted to go to a clubshow in a few years time, who knows, but this is it for me for the time being...And I'm not even sad about it.
Hope everyone has a blast at any future shows!!!!!
Thanks for your honest comment. |
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| Saint Sway |
I'll take Sway at any show regardless of the rest of the set.
I encourage the band to play Sway on the b-stage |
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| sssoul |
>> great to meet sssoul the night before (at the Stones hotel, no less), who later joined us for dinner. <<
the lovely Jostorm *and* the legendary Gazza actually addressing me from the heights of their lovely legendariness - now that was something! :E excellent dinner too - thank you both for a great evening
and it was a beautiful show - especially Keith's set, Sway and the encores. the guitars! the guitars! the guitars!
- july 21st 2006, courtesy of Jeep
[Edited by sssoul] |
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| Gazza |
Pleasure was all mine - and thanks again for the photo |
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| VoodooChileInWOnderl |
Some pix, more later. Thanks again to Gypsy!!
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| VoodooChileInWOnderl |
quote:
Gazza wrote:It was nice to meet folks like (amongst others) Gary Robertson, Bjornulf Vik, Martin Ellliott, Johannes Delmere, Nico Zentgraf and Axel Schumacher
Now we are talking, that's CLASS
This is Nico and Gazza by Axel
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| Gazza |
I was about to bow down at that point , 'we're not worthy'- style ...Nico is THE authority on all things Stones.
[Edited by Gazza] |
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| open-g |
quote:
Gazza wrote:
Forgot to mention that when a group of us were sitting in the bar (the same one where the pic on page 3 of this thread is taken). a camera crew from the local Berlin Tv channel (BBS? Not sure of the name) came by and filmed us. Apparently, some of us were shown on the local news later that night. So, maybe someone out there taped it.
I found a small real player snippet from that local tv RBB
http://www.rbb-online.de/suche/suche.jsp?text=rolling+stones&submit.x=0&submit.y=0
go to:
Multimedia (Abendschau Video): Rolling Stones in Berlin, 21.07.2006
right now it's position #3
this is my first post on this board, so I'd like to say "hello everyone" |
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| Gazza |
how did you manage to tape it when you were sitting at the same table as me?
Good to see you posting over here..thanks for the link, I'll try and view that when I get home. I think Axel said that the only one of the foreign fans that he saw on any report was Gary Robertson, however. |
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| VoodooChileInWOnderl |
Check this video provided by Axel
http://www.rbb-online.de/_/abendschau/beitrag_jsp/key=rbb_beitrag_mini_4516692.html |
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