| 26th November 2006 07:28 PM |
|
|
| Dan |
please note this is a general journal entry and not necessarily targeted to Stones fans
-----------------------------------------------------
The Rolling Stones made yet another stop in Southern California on the expanded and seemingly endless "A Bigger Bang" tour. Except minus rumors of a 2007 leg, it was the second to last show of the tour. The venue was Dodger Stadium, and the show was taking place 4 days after the originally scheduled date.
This time it felt a little anti-climatic and I didn't feel much excitement. The last gig at the Forum was unsurpassable by almost any standards and I have seen them so many times, I felt like I was going out of habit. An expensive habit that often has me chasing the first and perpetually illusive high.
Also holding the show the night before Thanksgiving has the potential for alienating family members since it would put my trip to the homestead in the high desert in jeoopardy. But I see my family all the time. I have only seen the Stones 29 times and even after a intense month long concert binge including events the previous 2 nights, I felt like I really needed one more.
My original plan was to hit the parking lot and get a cheap ticket, cheaper than the $20 I paid for the faster selling Anaheim Stadium show last year. However, the postponement put a damper on those plans because anyone holding extra tickets could just return them for a refund. Tried to get enough people together for the special 4 pack
offer of 4 tickets and T-Shirts for $200. Luckily a few weeks prior I pulled a single in the 4th row to the far side on Ticketmaster for $99.
I left work right at 4:30 and intended to get there in time for the dreadfully early start time to see Bonnie Raitt. Didn't plan on hitting the Shidoobee pre-party but walked right by it on the way to the stadium. Was there for about 10 minutes chatting with Waterpup and Stonebeatle and walked in to the gig with a few people I just met including the guy in the Dodger's helmet. Cool people and conversation. Ended up hearing Raitt mostly from outside stadium but it still sounded loud and clear. She sounded really good and was an appropriate warm up, but going onstage at 7:00 is just obscene!
Inside, the lines for overpriced concessions and the restrooms were almost non-existent and it was like that even right before the Stones went on. The wait for the band however was painfully long. My original theory was it was to sell more beer but it turned out the start time was
delayed due to nightmarish holiday traffic. It was the second time this month where I heard traffic was so bad some people were never able to make it to the show at all. Not sure if our local infrastructure can even support large events anymore though the solution may lie somewhere
between mass deportations and a pandemic. Thankfully I have the option of riding a good distance underneath the traffic on the subway then walking past the traffic for a bus home.
At one point it struck me hard right in the gut that the one thing I had forgot to do all day was eat. While staring the Panda Express way up on the third deck, all I had to settle for on the floor was a cold and clammy Dodger Dog. Quite possibly the most disgusting thing I have ever ate, even worse than escargot on a dare. It didn't help that the usual condiments of jalapenos and hot salsa were unavailable. My prevailing fear was that I would feel the urge to pass it during the show. Luckily I forgot all about it once the lights went down.
Finally the video montage started with fireworks shooting out of the top of the massive stage as Keith strolled to center stage and kicked off with "Jumpin' Jack Flash." I will spare any of the "so much energy for their age" cliches and say that both Keith Richards and Ron Wood
turned in very competent performances on the guitar in spite of recent much publicized setbacks and Ron's rumored recent hip injury. Mick's vocal delivery was forceful and unwavering while Charlie was steady as always.
Like most shows of this tour, the setlist was heavy with hits but sprinkled with a few gems, most notably "She Was Hot" off the underappreciated and underrepresented Undercover album. Mick nailed the vocals and the guitars, especially toward the end, were really sweet. There was also a higher proportion of Brian Jones era songs than usual.
Bonnie Raitt joined them on vocals only for "Dead Flowers." She came in just a little late but otherwise it was pristine. Best version of "All Down The Line" yet. The first time I heard it live in 1994, the guitars sounded like they were playing it for the first time off sheet music but it has improved with every tour to near perfection now, especially Ron's slide guitar solo, and they stretched out the jam at the end a bit while Mick worked the ramps.
Once again, the absolute highlight was a 12:30 rendition of the classic tale of rape and murder, "Midnight Rambler," attacked with the same kind of brutality present in the lyrics. Mick blew the harp, ran the side ramps and down the center catwalk while Keith and Ronnie jammed and weaved and even threw in a few fills I haven't heard before. Mick did the howl and response calls with the audience during the extended breakdown in the middle before the song picked up again.
For Keith's 2 song lead vocal slot, he acknowledged his New Zealand brain surgeon Dr. Andrew Law who was in attendence before singing "You Got The Silver" minus guitar letting Ron and Blondie Chaplin handle all
the duties. Next was a barnstorming version of "Connection" which prominently featured the whole extended band with the exception of Mick who was still offstage. Wish Keith would have showcased another song
and dueted with Mick like the original studio version but I was glad to hear it in any form.
I followed the moving the B stage to the end of the field during a slightly lackluster rendition of "Under My Thumb." I would have rather they did "Miss You" like the other shows but since I was busy staking out a spot on Ronnie's side a few feet away from the destination, I
didn't have a chance to pause and appreciate the song anyway. Charlie shined on "Oh No Not You Again" while "Start Me Up" brought the whole crowd to life, I could hardly hear the band over the entire stadium singing along. First time I saw it on the B stage and now I think it belongs there.
As the stage moved back during "Honky Tonk Women" I turned around right into a potentially volatile scene of an inebriated woman refusing to get off a chair and a security guard screaming for her to get off and someone claiming to have been struck by someone else. I successfully navigated my way away from that and headed back to the 4th row.
"Sympathy For The Devil" has graduated from a dark and ominous tale to an upbeat show tune even missing the "Who killed the Kennedy's line," though it was removed long before this fateful anniversary. Keith nailed the famous solo and flames shot out of the top of the stage but
otherwise it was a rather pedestrian reading. But it was followed by a dark and driving version of "Paint It Black," possibly the best I have ever heard it. Keith slightly altered the opening riff of "Satisfaction" and it was reminiscent of the "Steel Wheels" version and had more in common with the Otis Redding cover than the original studio version. Mick told the crowd they were a great audience and wished everyone a happy Thanksgiving.
The encore was "Brown Sugar" which was dragged out to 8 minutes and had Mick running to ends of both ramps twice and all the way down to the B stage area and back. The song and show ended with the usual massive blasts of fireworks intense enough that some hot embers were
hitting my eyeballs. After the final bows, Mick and Keith walked off arm in arm. For the last time in L.A.? It's possible, but I don't really think so.
It didn't quite match up to the Forum or San Diego but it exceeded all my expectations, which based on previous reports was a tiring band on a victory lap limping to the finish line.
The crowd was much larger than originally imagined when this show was announced. Though there were plenty of comps and some price reductions, it was a warm and beautiful night and the longest lines I saw anywhere were walk up sales at the box office. There were quite a few scattered empty seats even up front in the floor but no tarped over
sections as reported in other cities. However, the crowd really should have been a lot smaller. A lot of people simply did not deserve to be there and had no appreciation of the gift that was bestowed upon them.
Even in the 4th row. Right next to me two guys were chatting with each other throughout the entire show. I heard them loud and clear before the lights went out to know what they were talking about and enough of it permeated the atmosphere during the first songs to start
really grating on me. Thankfully security was lax and I found an empty seat a section over. Security was so lax that people were passing joints at each other inches from their face and they only time they even approached fans was they wandered far enough out in the aisle to block their view of the stage. Looks like they were just hustling a free concert out of Staff Pro. I just love these end of season shows! I probably could have knocked a couple of heads together without their interference or any worry since judging from the menopausal nature of the offenders' conversation, even a scrappy ten year old could have take them both out but I just wanted to enjoy the show without any drama.
Also someone was wearing too much cologne. These are the people who should be stopped by security at the entrance. People who wear a lot of fragrance to a concert should be stripped and thrown against a wall and worked over with a firehose before being taken to the merchandise stand to buy brand new clothes. This is the one thing that clogs my nostrils even worse than cigarette smoke but at least I remembered the nasal spray.
The downside of a few empty seats that close and even right next to where my seat was is that I really wanted to get a pair. So in spite of having a good seat for myself there was still a bit of frustration over the way ticket sales were managed. Unless they were still in traffic but I should have been able to bring a friend in on standby like at the airport.
This show was a great send off. Even though at the beginning of the tour, my interest was marginal at best, it ended being the most fun I ever had on a Stones tour. From crashing the Bowl to partying across the upper deck of Anaheim Stadium to a coveted spot in the onstage box
in San Diego to a dreary Greyhound trip to a great seat in Fresno to what I thought was the climax at the Forum at the top of the arena with 2 people crammed into a one seat row against the wall simulating a mini skybox, I always met cool new people, enjoyed the gigs to the max and
the Stones always cranked it up a notch when they hit L.A. And one more thing, I still don't think it's over!
And as a postscript, I was able to make it for Thanksgiving. |
| 26th November 2006 07:41 PM |
|
|
| sweetcharmedlife |
Hey Dan, good detailed description of the events that night. The only thing I would have to add is that I did not experience short lines anywhere. Plus I was sent to the wrong side of the stadium to enter by the asshat people they have working there. I ended up walking around the stadium, twice to get to my seat. The traffic nightmare was well documented. As for the show itself. No setlist surprises. Bonnie Raitt coming out for DF was cool. Espicially after mick made the crack about her being back at the hotel sipping champagne. My only problem with the show is that at this point it comes off as a well polished production, rather then just a kick ass rock & roll show. |
| 26th November 2006 08:07 PM |
|
|
| chevysales |
" I felt like I was going out of habit. An expensive habit that often has me chasing the first and perpetually illusive high."
addiction...
|
| 26th November 2006 10:58 PM |
|
|
| sweetcharmedlife |
Me too. Now where do I get my fix? |
| 26th November 2006 11:19 PM |
|
|
| cantturnyouloose |
did u notice anything weird between keef and mick during this show? |
|
