It's Only Rock'n Roll
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It's Only Rock'n Roll |
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Stones
NEWS |
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Hackney Diamonds |
Tour 2024 |
Mick Jagger |
Keith Richards |
Charlie Watts |
Ronnie
Wood |
Show start : 8:50 pm Show end : 10:50 pm
I have seen the Stones many times and although I did not have that same anxious butterfly in my stomach feeling as I did many times before one of their concerts, I was nonetheless in the end blown away!
They played very tight and Mick's voice was exceptional. The stage was enormous which lent itself to spectacular pyrotechnic flashes of fire during Sympathy for the Devil, Mick running like the road runner, and a great fireworks show at the end.
I thought the audience was great. People were dancing in the aisles and at times really went wild. Mick even commented on the crowd being the best yet!
Although I prefer to see them in smaller more intimate venues like Madison Square Garden, the concert at Giants Stadium was truly spectacular!
I'm certain that as they move further along into the tour, they will sound even better. Can't wait to see them at the Garden in January.
I have always told people that even if you are not a die hard fan, you MUST see the Stones once in your lifetime.
It is a concert like no other!!!
Last night was without a doubt their best performance ever. Everyone played better than ever, interacted with the crowd better, music sounded better. It was fantastic. We saw them Tues. at the Garden and thought it was good, but this was GREAT. Guess outdoors works for them -- it sure worked for us.
The best rock and roll band in the world!! Who cares how old they are -- they rock!!
No big surprises on song selection but the boys were clearly energized and Ronnie "Raving Mad" Wood (as Mick introduced him) seemed to be particularly fired up and his lead solos were blistering hot.
From the opening notes of Start Me Up through strong versions of You Got Me Rocking, Shattered, Tumbling Dice etc the Stones were energized and seemed thrilled to be able to get the show in without rain. At one point Jagger declared "no rain tonight, not one drop", and so the weather held up.
To me one of the great moments was Night Time is the Right Time with Mick and Lisa Fischer doing their usual courting dance and Ronnie Wood ripping through a hot lead guitar.
Out of Control was also a pleasant surprise as the band brought an energy to the song I had never quite heard in any other live version I have seen.
Keith's Infamy had a great beat and rhythm and this is clearly one of his best songs in years. As the band played Miss You the moving stage to the B Stage section was mesmerizing and Giants Stadium was rocking.
The usual lineup of closing songs were like a series of left right combinations as Jagger imitated a champion boxer with his punching jabs.
Mick in the center of Giants Stadium leading the crowd on to Satisfaction with seemingly everyone in attendance clapping their hands was one of the highlights of the closing numbers. He looked like the king of the world out there.
Overall, I would rate this a top 4 of Stones shows I have seen ( I have about 20 under my belt going back to 75 at MSG) as this was a truly magical night in the Garden State.
The set selection worked really well, with Ruby Tuesday and You Can�t Always Get What You Want beautiful sing alongs. Mick seemed especially appreciative of the crowd, at one point saying �Best time yet�, an indication that he thought the show was going as well as the crowd thought it was. The version of Shattered was great, the best I have ever seen. While playing it in the Garden earlier this week would have been overkill, it was perfect in Giants Stadium. For the first time on this tour, Mick did not skip the �All over Manhattan� punchline lyric. The B-stage effect was fantastic, as the Stones rolled out toward us while playing Miss You, which has gone from the lengthy (slightly tedious) song on the Babylon tour to a delightfully exciting piece with the band in motion on the moving stage. A surprise was She�s So Cold being played on the B-stage, and it nicely saved Satisfaction for later in the set. The highlight of the B-stage is still the new song Oh No Not You Again, which the band seems to be thrilled with. This is simply one of the best songs the Stones have ever done, and it is a pleasure to have in every show.
Back on the main stage, Out of Control started the progression of classics, made stronger now with Satisfaction the last song before the encore. While the Stones always deliver a solid show, there are many nights where the vibe is elevated so the experience is extraordinary, Even beyond that there are shows like this, with that extra kick that floors even those of us completely spoiled by the consistent excellence.
Keep On Doing It!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Start Me Up - From the opening chord it was clear that the show was going to be amazing. Sounded great
You Got Me Rocking - From Start Me Up, they went straight into YGMR, and a good version at that.
Shattered - Sounded great, although Mick messed up the lyrics in the beginning of the song. No matter though.
Tumbling Dice - Tumbling Dice really got the crowd going. Guitars wailing.
Rough Justice - Mick sure knows how to suck up to the area fans. In between Tumbling Dice and Rough Justice, he said "You know it' great to be back in a football stadium after playing all these shows in arenas. As you know, we're playing halftime at the Super Bowl. I figure it's going to be Giants vs. Jets, right?" Rough Justice sounded good, althought it isn't exactly my favorite track.
Ruby Tuesday - Surprise of the night. Everyone went absolutely apeshit, deservingly so. Amazing.
Heartbreaker - Excellent
Night Time Is The Right Time - "This next song was written by a man who was a huge influence right around the time when we were starting out." Lisa sounded great. Despite her age, she sure still packs a powerful set of lungs.
**Introductions** - Ron "Raving Mad" Wood. Keith, Charlie, and Lisa got the 3 loudest ovations, respectively.
The Worst - I was disappointed by tonight's version. Not a terrible version, but I've heard better.
Infamy - Pretty good version
Miss You - Got the crowd going again. Mick was really into it
Oh No, Not You Again - Sounds great, they all seem to enjoy playing it very much.
She's So Cold - Mick was singing his heart out, and it got a surprisingly good crowd ovation.
Honkey Tonk Woman - Best ovation of the night. 70,000 people singing every word.
Out of Control - Amazing version. Included Kent Smith playing trumpet in the background. Gave it a nice bluesey feel. Better than the studio version.
Sympathy for the Devil - Another great crowd ovation after a minute long Charlie intro
Jumpin' Jack Flash - Keith runs to the front. Audience goes crazy and sings every word. Enough said
Brown Sugar - Good hard rocking version
Satisfaction - See above
You Can't Always Get What You Want - There were a bunch of people yelling that they spotted Bruce Springsteen walking around backstage, so I was hopeful that he'd join them for the encore. No such luck, however YCAGWYW killed nonetheless. Extended the song about 3 minutes, using the time to have the crowd sing.
It's Only Rock N Roll - Immpecable way to end a show. Sent everyone home happy.
Still the best rock 'n' roll band on the planet.
Mick, Keef, and the gang are still on top of their game. And Charlie seems to be in very good health, with powerful drumming throughout the evening. Earlier this week, during a phone-in interview with fans, the Stones were asked how they have maintained this staying power.. �Clean living� asserted Keith, while Ronnie added �we shag often�.
What hurt the show is their sticking to a fairly set formula of relatively common songs, with just a few musical �treats�. What helped the show is how they really performed some of these classic numbers near 100%.
In the following set list, I am listing two ratings: the first is the caliber of the selection, while the second is the execution of that song. (on a scale of 1 to 10). So, for example, a relatively poor song like �Emotional Rescue� might be rated a 3, but if the Stones played their heart out on it, they might get an 8, thus 3/8 would be the rating. Conversely, a poorly played �Midnight Rambler� might garner a 10/5. And with Keith songs, there is the obligatory grade inflation that takes place.
The �On Stage� tickets were two floors of seating to the left and right of the stage, in front of outer projection screens. A single, central giant projection screen made very ticket in the house a decent one. Although seated in the Mezzanine section, I was not happy with the boomy sound of the speakers that are part of the stadium�s infrastructure. The Stones� supplied speakers usually give much better sound to the other areas of the stadium.
Single tickets were being bought and sold (scalped) prior to the show, although pairs were more difficult to get. These transaction were occurring at or below face value.
Set list
Start me up - Rating 6/6 - I guess a logical show opener, but certainly one of the weaker songs from Tattoo You
got me rocking - Rating 7/7 - Good guitar work by Ron Wood
Shattered - Rating 8/6 - Mick mentioned NY, Brooklyn, and NJ before the song - The �Central Park� lyric drew cheers
Tumbling dice - Rating 6/6 - Nothing outstanding here
Rough justice - Rating 6/7 - From the new Bigger Bang album - Sounds better live than in the studio - Lots of fans first decided to hit the restrooms or buy refreshments
Ruby Tuesday - Rating 8/9 - First outstanding song - Keith on acoustic guitar - Chuck Leavell with excellent piano work
Heartbreaker - Rating 8/9 - Mick mentioned that Giants/Jets could meet in the Superbowl, when the Stones will be playing halftime
Night time is the right time - Rating 6/10 - Ray Charles classic - Played with EXTREME enthusiasm by the whole band - Lisa Fischer does her best blues singing
The Worst - Ratings 6/6 - Introductions took place before this song - Keith has his usual �Pirates of the Caribbean� look - Only highlight from song�Ron Wood�s pedal steel guitar
Infamy - Rating 7/8 - From Bigger Bang - Most of the fans seemed to barely register this song as Keith announced he would be playing it - Spirited, relatively hard rocking�better sounding than studio
Miss you - Rating 7/7 - Mini-stage (called B-stage) moves from main stage to mid field - Decent performance of a good song, but I�ve heard better
Oh no not you again - Rating 7/7 - From Bigger Bang - Mixed reaction from fans, some love it, some hate it
She�s so cold - Rating 6/8 - Relatively weak song from Emotional Rescue, played pretty well
Honky tonk women (moves back to main stage) - Rating 7/8 - Big inflatable lips - Many ladies in crowd all cheered the lyric �I laid a divorcee in NYC�
Out of control - Rating 9/9 - Musical juggernaut from Bridges to Babylon played with the usual intensity - Keef�s heavy, hard guitar riffs at the end
Sympathy for the devil - Rating 9/9 - Great song/great performance
Jumpin� jack flash - Rating 8/9 - Powerful, drawn out ending
Brown sugar - Rating 8/8 - Very good
Satisfaction - Rating 8/9 - Almost as good as the 1989 Steel Wheels era Satisfaction - Mick once said he couldn�t see himself singing this song past the age of 40, but it still sounds great today
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Encores:
You can�t always get what you want - Rating 9/9 - Ronnie Wood improvised his guitar work nicely during the song
It�s only rock and roll - Rating 7/8 - Spirited performance of a decent mid-70�s era Stones song - Mick ran around to the left and right of the stage at full clip, faster than any 62 year old man on this planet.
Ronnie and Keith were dead on all night and as hot as I've ever seen them including the legendary Atlantic City shows of '89. Mick's voice has never been better and he was in command of the whole stadium. The whole band seems to enjoy playing with each other as much as we enjoy watching them. And finally, Lisa!!!! Why don't you guys quit bitching about the backups, Chuck, and the horns and just enjoy the beauty of it ! The Stones have been a 12 or 13 piece band with mostly the same members for many years now and they've never sounded better!
I'm a few years younger than the band and they make me feel pretty good about getting older. It's four months till my next shot and who knows, maybe they'll even mix up the set list by then. Don't miss this show!!! Sell your clothes, give up beer, whatever it takes, just see them!
It started with a blast of fireworks and Mick came out in typical Mick fashion wearing silver sequins tails. The crowd went wild and 45,000 people were on their feet singing and dancing for the next 2 hours. It was truly amazing to watch Mick out there at age 62 jumping around, running and skipping as if he were 18 years old. The energy was electrifying. I had seen the Steel Wheels tour at Shea in '89 and when they did Sympathy For Devil it was teaming rain and Mick came out on a platform high above the stage wearing a purple full-length rain slicker, with the wind blowing�a perfect scene. They couldn't have planned that if they tried. It was so memorable. So of course I was anticipating Sympathy for the Devil at this show.
Well, what a bang! The pyrotechnics were incredible. All the entrances at the top of the stadium behind the stage burst into flames and again Mick came out on a platform high above the stage. The sides of the stage had tall flames shooting out and at one point it looked like the stadium could catch fire. It was intense and exciting. I can't stop taking about it. I loved it. The Stones ROCK!!!
I wondered what Mick was thinking upon seeing us all. Surrounding me was my family and neighbors as well as the New York City divorcee spirit of my ex-girlfriend who was not invited while the Stones paid her tribute with the eternal "She's So Cold" from the B-Stage. Mick was looking at us collectively: a genuine cross section of the national and world population that reflected age integration as I have never bore witness to in this city and its environs. Under 10 group, AARP members, everybody was there and nobody felt like a fixed entity. Age was not an issue and you almost got the impression the Stones were making a sociological commentary just by their example. Yes, the music and showmanship are incredible but some may argue it is even surpassed by the generosity of ageless spirit that shines through. While John Glenn had to go to space to remind the world that the senior population is an untapped resource in our country obsessed with superficial youth, three grounded Stones and one skipping frontman catapulted us to take giants leaps to the glorious moon enveloped with flower power stars at East Rutherford, New Jersey. To borrow from the excessively casual lexicon utilized by one fan in the stands, "we are in freaking' heaven." How right he was!
I know that takes place during every song, but for some reason I noticed it reaching a new level during that song.
So, much has been said already on this page, so for those of you who have scrolled down this far, I thank you for reading my words and I won't rehash the whole show AGAIN, for you. I will offer this piece of advice, though. If you have yet to get a ticket go to a stadium show (the set lists are not varying to much from arena's anyway) and buy a ticket in the parking lot. I paid $100 for mine thru ticketmaster, but the guy i went with waited to scalp and got in for TEN BUCKS. The old line about how you should be patient for Stones tickets because everyone who wants one gets one, is still true. Even if you dont want to sit upstairs, there were floor seats available for $100 in the lot. I dont yet have a ticket for MSG in January, but I may take the wait until the last minute approach for that show!
We had good seats in Sec. 131, 50 yard line for football. Opening act Alanis Morrisette was rocking..She is a great singer, great voice. The Stones came on and the packed stadium was on its feet. After Start Me Up and You Got Me Rocking set the tone, we got our first taste of NYC themed songs with a blistering version of Shattered. Mick let the cat out of the bag early in the show and said that the Stones will, indeed play Super Bowl halfitme this year !!! He joked that maybe the Jets would meet the Giants for the title. Ruby Tuesday and Heartbreaker were great treats in the middle of the set. The crowd loves Ruby Tuesday. Heartbreaker was a great rendition. The Ray Charles classic Night Time was, once again, smokin'. We even got an extended ending to the song...
Keith took over for The Worst and Infamy.. two of my favorites. Keith did his usual, "great to be here, great to be anywhere". But then he looked to the sky with a smile and you could tell he really was savoring the moment.. still playing, still rocking, still together with the boys! He introduced Infamy as a new song from "A Bigger Bang..or a bigger boom..or whatever" another classic Keith moment.
Miss You was more rockin' with more guitar right at the start..very nice. The stage moved out to the b-stage location and we got an awesome version of Oh No Not You Again...this song is just so good. And the band continues to improve it each time I hear it live. Great surprise to have She's So Cold on the b-stage, and Honky Tonk Women brings us back to the main stage.
Out of Control was top notch again, with Kent Smith's trumpet and Mick's energy and harp. Sympathy for the Devil was very powerful especially with visuals. Great pyro, including flash pots in the upper deck of the stadium behind the stage. By the time the song was in the home stretch, the whole stadium was filled with smoke and fog, very eerie..very cool. Jumping Jack Flash, Brown Sugar and Satisfaction were rocking and ragged at times...The encore was terrific. Mick went all the way, and I mean all the way down the catwalk to the very back of the b-stage during You Can't Always Get What You Want. The crowd was eating it up. As he held the crowd in the palm of his hand, we had a great view of him emersed in the middle of the field, surrounded by thousands of fans. A great picture that will stay in my mind... An icon. It's Only Rock 'n Roll was a great finish...Keith's guitar work was wild and fiery. As always, Charlie stoked the engine with great results. Ronnie hit some high spots on solos. Another great show.... We come to expect it. and they always deliver. So glad I got to see a stadium show in New York/New Jersey.
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It's Only Rock'n Roll 1980 - 2005