Ok, so i fully realize that i’m the only one who cares about this sort of thing. But it’s been a very good week for Stones fans. They did two 50-year anniversary concerts at O2 this week, one show earlier, and another on the 29th. Tickets cost way too much, as they do for the shows in Brooklyn and Newark upcoming next month, i won’t be there and won’t be sorry not to be either. Youtube is good enough for me.
Still, there’s plenty to make a diehard fan smile. The second show on the 29th seems a lot better than the first one – they’re a lot sharper. Mary J Blige joined them for Gimme Shelter on the 25th – great voice, decent job, but not a patch on the 29th show. I’ve heard a few Florence and the Machine songs, don’t remember them doing much for me. But she kills it with Gimme Shelter. Great rock pipes, charisma to rival Mick’s. Pretty stellar job there actually. And Keith actually manages some really decent guitarwork too.
Another high point – and one to make diehard Stones fans either weep, smile ear to ear, or both – Mick Taylor joining them for Midnight Rambler. Again, much better, more focused and together on the 29th than on the first show.
Still, star of them all is still Mick J. 68 years old, looks fantastic, can play the harp, jumps around like a teenager for 2 1/2 hours. Voice isn’t what it was, but that’s a small gripe here.
Ok then, as you were.
I can get bootlegs of the O2 shows, if you want.
Bootlegs? Hmmmmm, interesting.
Sorry, my bad – it’s only the Nov 25 show, which for some reason is posted twice. Here’s Tumbling Dice so that you can hear the quality – it’s an audience recording not a soundboard.
Have you got box access, Carole? I’m happy to download and put it in the box for you. Or I can just send you the link, if you know how to do it yourself – it’s not one of the very complicated hosts.
Bootleg of Nov 29 2012 at the O2 has now surfaced – anybody want it?
Tfd, you bad girl!
What i forgot to mention in my post is that as far as the music goes in those shows, it sent me right back to my own bootlegs from the early 70′s. I’m addicted to those live versions now as gold standard, so chances are i would never even listen to these shows.
Carole, if you want some bootlegs from the early 70′s, i can box them.
It’s been a good couple of weeks for Stones fans on BBC TV too, we’ve had the re-edited (completely overdubbed it seems) version of Rock n Roll Circus, Crossfire Hurricane documentary and a live concert from 1967! I was really excited to read that Mick Taylor would be joining them on stage, I’m a smile ear to ear person with a small tear because if he hadn’t left he might have died, but the music they’d have made…thanks for posting
“I’m a smile ear to ear person with a small tear”
Me too, watched it with a big stupid grin on my face, and the tear came from the one on the 25th where they were all hugging on stage and he was so happy to be there and they were happy to have him. His guitar playing was much better in the one i posted here from the 29th though…
I think Mick J’s voice isn’t quite as good as at his peak, but he can still sing and as a performer, he is still hypnotic
Poor Mick Taylor, he hasn’t aged as well as the rest of them has he? What’s your opinion on Bill Wyman, he wsa back too wasn’t he?
Yep, Mick J is still totally hot!
No, Mick T hasn’t aged well at all, and he’s quite a bit younger than Mick and Keith too. I’ve seen some of his solo stuff on youtube, problem is that he has an awful voice.
yep, Bill was back too, but i didn’t really notice it being all that big a deal in the music – would have loved to see them do Bitch with him.
Here’s a couple more -
And your favorite i believe…
I do love Paint it Black, you’re quite correct. If they’d do all of Sticky Fingers I’d be even happier, but I’m glad that they’re enjoying themselves. Ta for posting these too.
Have you ever seen them live?
Twice. Some Girls tour in ’78 in Philly, that was insane, like Altamont almost
But they were still a long way off from peak form in the early 70′s. And no MT then either, obviously. Again in NYC 10 years or so later for the Steel Wheels tour. It was a bit too civilized by that time. Had a chance to see them in San Francisco for the Voodoo Lounge tour in the mid 90′s, we blew it off, which seemed to be a good call, when i saw the set list it was all mostly new stuff and stuff i didn’t care about hearing. Don’t care about these big stinky anniversary concerts, but if they somehow played Glasto, that would probably be awesome – they might let loose a bit more.
ooh, jealous! They are another one of those bands where you want time travel though, aren’t they? If I could go back to, say 1971, they played the Colston Hall in Bristol twice, Mick Taylor and Nicky Hopkins, relatively small venue, great set list.
Webby saw the Hyde Park concert. Talk about jealous…
my Mum was going to go to the Hyde Park concert, but they went to the cinema instead.
I saw them in the mid-70s somewhere in Staffordshire…I enjoyed it, as I recall, though I’ve never really been a fan except of their very earliest stuff.
so.much.fun
I saw them 1 June 1975 at the LSU Assembly Center in Baton Rouge–both shows; 2 friends from out of town took me to the first one as a birthday present and the gal I was dating at the time took me to the second show. They were the warmups for the tour that officially started a few days later in San Antonio, the (funky) Meters opened (with cowbells and a cappella versions of “Hey Pocky Way”), and I was just kinda blown away…I’d seen the Allman Brothers three weeks before and it just wasn’t even a fair fight.
Will you be posting tracks here?
ps I was once told there was a fair-to-middling boot called something like Whores in the Louisiana Night of the two shows…if anyone has any info…
Some great stuff there. Really liked Mick Taylor’s appearance and Florence did OK.
I saw them in 1976 at Knebworth, the sound was awful, they were late on and I don’t think they played well.
I have the Box, if anyone wants to drop stuff.
It’ll take a while, because they’re FLAC files.
I’m uploading a bunch of stuff – going to take awhile…
you lovely people, am listening to some of it now xxxx
Beth -
Just tossed something else in there for you – will take a few minutes.
I have got the Stones files now.
I used to have Rock and Roll Stew on tape, I think.
since you’re all such pros, you folks probably know about this…sound’s a little iffy and I don;t know about the website: http://bigozine2.com/roio/?p=1280
Not at all bad for a bunch of old codgers with bus passes, eh? Loved the Mick Taylor jam. Bill Wyman clips good too. But the energy – astonishing. It doesn’t matter if the voice ain’t what it was. Mick’s still got the magic touch. I don’t think I would have paid the price of the ticket unless I was seriously flush, but it would have been a good audience with all those young kids who were just blown away by these gods of rock and roll.
Great post, Amy.
Nah, they can fuck off with the ticket prices.
http://www.ticketliquidator.com/tix/tickets.aspx?evtid=1978203
For even the cheapest all the way in the back, you’d be watching it on the big screen there, no point in that.
However, Glasto could be a real blast…but i couldn’t possible be that lucky. They might even let loose and play some deep tracks, which is what i’d rather hear than greatest hits through the years. (Gimme Shelter and Midnight Rambler being the exceptions that i’d want to hear at any show).
The Nov 25 concert is now uploading into the box – apologies for the delay, but I had a rubbish connection all weekend. I’ve changed the FLAC files to .mp3s but I still have the FLACs in case anybody wants them.