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| Ken |
August 16, 2002 a date I wont soon forget.
Not much to tell about how I found out about the gig. I knew since the Press Conference that somehow some way I was going to make this party. Sure
as this week begun I was getting a little nervous but by late Tuesday night I
was in! The Rock and Roll Gods looked upon me and smiled.
There is a lot of stuff between Tuesday and about 1040 on the 16th that
I'd love to share but I can't and it would bore some of you anyway, so on
with the show.
Michael Cohl enters from stage left (Ronnie's side) approaches the mic
and Introduces the band, 'The Rolling Stones'
The crowd roars as they take the stage, and the Stones all look very happy and eager to take the stage. They open with as you all know IORR. I must say this is one song I wish they would drop from the setlist, but on this night I'm glad they did not! For me it turned out to be an excellent choice to open this show. It didn't have the same sound or feel as it did when I last heard this on March 16, 1999. The guitars came to life. In fact the first thing I noticed was how well Keith's fingers were moving up and down the frets of the guitar. Then I looked around and I noticed a new keyboard player, Tim Reese was on Piano. Chuck was there too but it was still an added dimension. The TUNE ROCKED, like it should, like it's meant to, unlike the last half dozen or so times I've heard live.
Sad Sad Sad.This song kind of quieted the crowd at first. But it was played at a blistering pace which I thought brought most of us back into the fray, singing along.
Sad Sad Sad may have lost some of the crowd but only momentarily. Next up was
'If You Can't Rock Me' the entire joint must have been dancing and singing. If my memory serves me this was the first song were I noticed any real trouble. They hit that point were the song needs to change and it wasn't real smooth. They gravitated
to Charlie a look here a nod there and bang there off and running. It was a thing of beauty. This is what I come to see. How can anyone get tired of that?
Stray Cat Blues, Another crowd favorite and couldn't it be I was hanging with Stray Cat Dave. But honestly I thought this was the first song that still needed some work.
Some was off. Micks lyrics were hard to understand and the song just basically had a bad feel musically. Emotionally I loved it.
Hot Stuff, Luke warm with the crowd. The band seemed to be feeling there way through this one. But at about the half way point it turned around. Mick was especially good on this. His moves, his mannerisms, attitude, he was in rare form.
I really enjoyed watching him work on that one.
Don't Stop, Please Stop
Honky Tonk Women, let's face it's a fun tune. One they don't have to rehearse
they played it great. Keith starts it off just picking the strings with one hand.
The crowd really enjoys it, it's a keeper.
Torn and Frayed Keith broke out a new guitar just for this one. I believe it may have been an Anderson. It appeared brown with a marble effect from my vantage point.
The song worked. But even in this intimate setting I could tell now that there were lots of tourists.
Wild Horses, fantastic the guitars, the piano, Mick. This song was just done beautifully. It nearly brought a tear to my eye.
Happy, Keith's turn. Happy is/was one of my choices for Keith to bring back this tour. Ron sat and played the pedal steel and Keith played his classic style. He missed a few queue's with the vocals, but hey it's the first night and Keith can do no wrong in my book. But I really really wish Mick could stay on stage and sing back up for this tune. This not because I don't like Keith's singing. It's because I love this particular song with both of them singing it.
Can't Turn You Loose, a fun song by Otis Redding, they played it wonderfully the whole band jammed well to this one. Mick pranced all over the stage. The crowd responded well. I'm guessing this will be in the theater sets.
Heart of Stone again Mick shined on this. I think this would be one of those times where Keith would say he reinvented a song. It's a keeper.
CYHMK, The most anticipated song of the night for myself and a couple of my neighbors. They truly didn't disappoint. Keith started this song out perfectly.
The lyrics the guitars were great. It seemed a tad slower then other versions I've heard but this works! The lead switches to Bobby Keys who is flawless against
Charlie's steady back beat. While Bobby's blowing on the pipes Keith and Mick gravitate towards Ronnie, they are all standing just to Charlie's right they become part of the crowd Mick shaking the Maracas....... Bobby turns it back over to Keith the transition is near perfect Ronnie steps up next to Keith a step behind him and joins in. They got this song almost nailed! I would only ask for the jam to go on a little longer.
This must have set the stage for Jumping Jack Flash. These guys must have been on some kind of high after acing CYHMK and they delivered a powerful JJF.
Brown Sugar was the encore and as soon as it started I headed for the back of the hall. I was completely exhausted. And need to cool down. Had it been a different song I would have stayed put, but I've heard that one a million times.
There are so many little details that as they were happening I wanted to remember
so I could talk about them here. But the show just took me away and I couldn't be bothered with thinking about all the little things. It was a fantastic night and a fantastic show! They were very loose, here's for hoping they stay loose the whole tour!
Ken |
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| F505 |
Great report. Thanks! |
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| stonedinaustralia |
thanks for that
i guess i could ask heaps of questions, as could most of us yet i can appreciate you'd rather not sully the pure emotion of it all by having to scrutinize and analyze the whole thing
if you'll allow me one question though (well a few but all on the same topic) - you mention a new pianist - who is he? what's his background? i've never heard of him - how did he and chuck baby share the duties?? was he any predominant style e.g. heavy on the boogie woogie did he use other keyboards as well, i read something about a hammond organ on another post...some booker t. sounds maybe?
anyway, congatulations on making one of THE landmark gigs in the stones history (imho) - to witness them that early in the process of pulling the show together and in such a setting is ,as they say, probably as good as it gets
cheers |
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| Mathijs |
Tim Reese is a jazz saxophonist brought in by Charlie and Mick for the 1999 NS tour. He also played some piano on that tour (if I am not mistaken Memory Motel and Thief in the Night). I thought he played on jagger's Goddes album and the El Reye show.
He was interviewed in a Jazz magazine in 2000, and he was asked when he first met the Stones. He answered: one week for the start of the tour I received a phonecall asking me to play on certain songs. I practiced the parts with a tape sent to me by Chuck Leavell, at home. The first time I met the Stones was on stage during the sound check for the first show. The first time I met Jagger was 2 minutes before the show. When Jagger announced me on stage, he prenounced my name as Reise. I thought that was funny".
Mathijs |
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| luxury1 |
Tim Reese is one of the horn players, who occasionally switches to keyboards |
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| stonedinaustralia |
thanks for the response |
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| Maxlugar |
Thank you Ken for that refreshingly unbiased report. That other review, IMHO, was a little too easy on them. I mean come on, Don't Stop easily going to be as great as any of their classics? Good Lord.
But I don't mean to put down ANYONE providing details. It was just good to see another point of view.
I saw the beginning of CYHMK on Fox News last night and it seems Keith played the opening with chords instead of the biting fuzz tone picking on the album. It sounded good though but not as mean. I'm sure they'll work that out. What a set list!!!
In honor of all this news, I am going to put Schnapps in my morning coffee. Fuck yup! Vacations are MAD fun!
See ya later. Drunk.
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmaxy! |
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| nankerphelge |
Fuck Yup!?
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| Maxlugar |
You like, Nanky?
I'm thinking of dropping Frig' Yeah! for Fuck Yup!
Thoughts?
Developing.......... |
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| Sir Stonesalot |
Frig' yeah, fuck yup is better! |
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| Sir Stonesalot |
BTW, Ken....thanks for the review! Great job.
Now what can you tell us about the after party?
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| Martha |
Ken,
Thanks so much for the review. I really appreciated your thoughts and the details overlooked by others who wrote about the gig.
I got to see a tiny bit of the gig on Entertainment Tonight AND Access Hollywood late last night. AH used CYHMK so I heard/saw a bit of that historic moment....which thrilled me ot no end...fuck yup! ET used a clip of Brown Sugar.
What boots are coming out of this show? I cannot access the downloads..my computer is too old. I haven't got to hear the new song yet ..:-( wahhh!
Thanks again Ken...glad you got to go!
peace, love and rock and roll!
martha |
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