Rolling Stones deliver plenty of satisfaction at Adelaide Oval for 54,115 excited fans
NATHAN DAVIES Sunday Mail (SA) October 25, 2014
THEY were a dangerous band once, these Rolling Stones.
The anti-Beatles, the bad boys of rock and roll. Hard-drinking drug-taking, womanising, tax-dodging reprobates who dominated the front pages for all the wrong reasons. They famously hired the Hells Angels for security at Altamont and a young man lost his life. Two concerts in Adelaide in 1973 turned into two nights of rioting, cops versus kids on the streets around Memorial Drive.
How things change. Who would’ve thought, all those years ago, that the Queen would bestow Mick Jagger with a knighthood? Or that the State Government would stump up a wad of taxpayers’ cash to secure the Stones as the new Adelaide Oval’s opening act in March.
Tragedy, of course, meant that never happened, but if tonight’s crowd was anything to go by plenty of people held on to their tickets.
The hip and the hip-replaced, young and old, good old fashioned bogans and inner-city sophisticates — they all turned out in force to witness what’s still, 50 years on, the biggest show in rock and roll.
The lights go down, a cheer goes up and Charlie takes his seat. It’s time to rock. Those familiar chords ring out — Jumping Jack Flash gets proceedings underway.
The band looks amazing — the combined BMI must be about 19 — and they’re full of energy as they launch into Let’s Spend The Night Together.
“We’re sorry we kept you waiting so long,” Mick, resplendent in a green sequined jacket, joked.
“At least the concrete’s had time to set in your new stadium.”
Only Rock and Roll is next, followed by the rollicking Tumbling Dice. Mick makes some footy small talk while Ronnie sucks down a quick dart, then it’s time to tone it down a little with Wild Horses.
Mick straps on a Fender Telecaster to rip through Doom and Gloom, then it’s a cover of Bob Dylan’s seminal Like A Rolling Stone, as requested by fans on Twitter. It rocks, and we’re even treated to a Jagger harmonica solo.
“Thank you Bob Dylan for writing that song for us — he’s such a sweetheart when you get to know him,” Mick jokes.
The slinky Out Of Control is next, with the Rasta-headbanded Keith and pirate-like Ronnie applying some wah-wah.
Honky Tonk Women marks a return to the classics, then Keith takes to the mike and belts out Happy and the jaunty I Can’t be Seen With You. He would’ve made a pretty decent frontman, old Keith.
Mick’s back, and he’s bought another Mick with him for Midnight Rambler - the legendary Mick Taylor.
Taylor, who’s clearly off the Tolling Stones diet, wails like only he can.
This is rock and roll folks.
Or is it disco? Miss You has everyone grooving next.
Gimme Shelter - the Stones’ true masterpiece - allows backing singer Lisa Fischer to truly shine. Man, what a voice!
Start Me Up sees Mick turn the strut up to 11, before donning the feather cape for Sympathy For the Devil.
Brown Sugar’s next, and anyone hoping for a set of hits must be smiling widely by now.
Then bang, that’s it, lights out. But of course it’s not. Here comes a 12-piece choir - “you can’t always get what you want” their angelic voices tell us, but we’re inclined to disagree at this stage.
A stage invader interrupts the show, but only momentarily as he’s swiftly taken down by security.
“All part of the show,” says Mick.
Satisfaction - of course - wraps up the night.
They’re might not be the youngest band in the world, and they’re not always the tightest, but godammit, they know how to rock. And we like it.
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Adelaide Oval 25 October 2014 - setlist, photos, updates (Read 9,427 times)
