Powderfinger

Id say most definitely, Sabbath had been touring “the hits” for years and while it was great to catch those gigs it was even better as a fan to hear new Material, The recent Stones tour was more exciting than the last 5-6 tours they’ve done also because there was new material, Black Ice was a great album after what felt like a longish break and what an opener rock n roll train was!! Yeah new Material is always gonna draw folks in.

I can’t think of anything I like that I don’t also dislike in some way. Most bands I like have some crap in their discography, most sports teams I follow win fuck all, most of the food I like is not good, some of the vices I enjoy are not good for me. Whatever it is I enjoy also comes with another side. For me GnR are great and shit all at once. The world is more grey than black and white…..

Who’s Axl contemporaries at this point? Brian Johnson is the closest I can think of that has that singing style.. There’s a lot of singers sounding better than Axl who are in their 70s and Jagger who is 80. But none of those singers sang like Axl. Johnson is the only “screecher” I can think of whose still doing it.

I met Slash, he was smaller than I thought.

I have no clue how many LDs they put on per show maybe 3-6% of the tickets would be my guess. BC place’s capacity for last Fridays gig is listed at 60,000 on IORR but I think normal capacity is 55,000 so I’ll go with that. I’m guessing somewhere between 1,650 - 3,300 of those were LDs that’s 3-6%. But I’m just speculating here as I have zero clue. @Powerage5may have the info?

Even though I was hoping they wouldn’t play Miss You, I was OK if they did due to your comments. The interplay between Jordan & Daryl is something to behold for sure. Steve has brought a dirty funk to it where most of that in the past came from Daryl rather than Daryl & Charlie. I was well pissed off the tickets I pulled in the LD meant I couldn’t see Steve other than the screens. He’s just a killer drummer and a legend in his own right. Were you in BC Place for GNR last time round Dissident? I was ground floor and it was about the best sound I’ve heard there outside of McCartney a few years back.

I watched a few vids of the gig this evening and I was probably overall too harsh in my review, like I said it’s my own fault. I think you probably had better sound that few rows over than I did. (I tried to get into the Pit but failed, made it through 2 checkpoints and failed at the 3rd… This man’s soul wouldn’t rest if he didn’t try…) They’ve been playing pretty great versions of Off My Cloud this tour also which would have made it a better pick in that slot. IORR can be ropey at times live though on balance I’ve heard more good versions than bad. I’d have had either no problem instead of LSTNT even though I don’t mind that track. I had a bunch of odd (Stoned) thoughts during the gig but when they were playing it I kinda laughed thinking that they on Ed Sullivan all those years ago had to change the lyrics to “let’s spend some time together” talk about different times!! It’s one thing I forgot to mention in my thoughts on the gig, but I’m pretty certain this is the only time I’ve gotten a 3 song set from Keef. I’d have to check myself but It was a real treat and honestly should have been the way of it for the last 40 years live. It gives Mick a good 20 mins almost to recover for the second half of the show. There’s a whole Rolling Stones show in my head of Keith tunes with Keith on vocals I’d kill to hear…. It’s something I noticed and wasn’t sure of but seeing as you mentioned it…@Powerage5 Is it my imagination or has Rambler changed from being conducted by Keith/Charlie to more Mick now? I heard him cue Jordan for a change Friday night and I never remember him doing that with Charlie, there was a few other subtle bits going on from Jagger. It hasn’t really had an impact on the song but it just seemed Mick is now the conductor. Keith still drives a lot of it but Mick seems more involved in some way. Like I said could be my imagination…. (running away with me) I was looking forward to seeing Steve Jordan, he’s a killer drummer and I honestly didn’t hear him make a slip all night. He has a lot more in his tank he could bring to those songs but he’s stayed faithful to Charlie. Maybe that’s why Charlie picked him on that tour he couldn’t make, he knew Jordan could play drums but he also knew Jordan could play drums for THE STONES which takes a musical drummer to play with you have to be more than just a great drummer.

Caught The Stones Friday night. It was a 6/10 show. Most of this my own fault. It was my 14th gig and I’ve heard some songs live one too many times… Start Me Up - You can never tell if Keef will fuck up the intro or how Ronnie will play the solo but it sounded great. Let's Spend the Night Together - Pretty great, but how great would Get Off Of My Cloud or It’s Only Rock N Roll have been which have been played second a few times on the tour. Bitch - Pretty good version, though I groaned inside when it kicked off I knew I wouldn’t be getting Rocks Off. Angry - Really enjoyed it. The album version is pretty great but it really works better live, some added guitar work between Ronnie & Keith makes it a great live song. Street Fighting Man - The song vote, I’d hoped for All Down The Line or Heartbreaker. Having seen the Stones open with this at least 3 times IN Sleepy London Town it’s ruined the tune for me anywhere else in the set. I also expected Jordan to kick the shit out of the ending like Charlie did as a young man but it didn’t happen. I heard Keef trying to drive it towards that at the end but Mick wrapped it up with a couple of looks and nods before it could hit that pounding ending. Wild Horses - I’ve heard this a lot and Friday nights was as magical as any of them. Keith’s backing vocals were brilliant and there was some lovely weaving between Keef & Ronnie during it. Mess It Up - I’d have taken other Hackney Diamond’s tunes over this, but I would definitely have taken this over Miss You pre gig, it Worked well live and I far far far prefer it to Miss You if they have to play a dance track. Tumbling Dice - Good, but I’ve definitely seen better versions. You Can’t Always Get What You Want - Shitty. I’m fed up with this tune live anyways but Ronnie’s solo was pretty shit, Keef shot him a filthy look and immediate laugh at one point and Mick shot him a look near the end also. It was probably better than I thought it was. Tell Me Straight - A highlight for me, slightly ramshackle and endearingly so. I’ve seen Keith get a little emotional during his set over the years and there was definitely something rumbling under the surface during this tune Friday night. The most “intimate” moment of the evening. Little T&A - Hate it, always have, tried my best to just hear the music but the shit lyrics kept buzzing their way through the music. I kept thinking of the last tour which I missed and Keith was playing Connection… Before They Make Me Run - If he played Happy here or BTMMR I didn’t care, I like both and seen Keef do both brilliantly over the years. Friday nights rendition held its own amongst the others I’ve seen. Keith put a bit into this and you could see it in his eyes. Sympathy - It’s been played every single Stones gig I’ve been to and loses more power each time. Keith’s solo was acceptable which isn’t always the case. It can be a car crash tune this but it was ok Friday. Honky Tonk Women - This is an odd tune for me, I’ve probably heard Country Honk more times listening to Beggars than I have heard this tune listening to a Stones compilation. It’s never let me down live and I think it’s because of that unfamiliarity. Great tune on the night. Midnight Rambler - A highlight of every Stones gig I’ve been to but the first song of the night Charlie’s really missing on for me. Him and Keith had a telepathy during this number that Steve Jordan is still vibing out. It was still a great version but the turnarounds didn’t have that same graceful transition they had with Charlie. Seeing Mick Taylor guest on this tune in the past also slightly ruined it for me but it was a highlight of the night still. Gimmie Shelter - I’ve heard better versions of it in the past, there was a hypnotic groove missing Friday night that I’ve heard previously but that chick Chanel Haynes has a serious power to her voice. I think she’s a better singer than Sasha for sure but Lisa Fischer rivalled even Merry Clayton’s vocal live over the years and I still measure against that. Chanel held her won but still not Lisa. Definitely a good version of the tune on the night though. Paint It Black - Slightly different arrangement and vocal delivery from Mick than I’ve heard before, again I was hoping Steve Jordan would pound this one out but he kept it pretty light. Still sounded great though. Jumping Jack Flash - Can’t remember anything about this really so it must have been pretty good! Sweet Sounds Of Heaven - Standout tune of the evening for me. Epic and intimate all at once. Chanel is an essential part of this song and drives Jagger to another level also. In all the Stones album tours I’ve seen since the mid 90s this tune got the best reception I’ve seen any new Stones song get. There was a sustained clapping and cheering after this tune that brought a genuine look of pleasure on Jaggers face. I think even he was blown away by the reception. The album version is just OK now after seeing that Friday night. Fucking Spiritual. Satisfaction - Good but I’ve heard way better from them live in the past, Keef is either into it or not at times and his solos Friday night were just ok. It made me think of Charlie in London a few years back and the look of surprise on his face when the first chorus kicked in and the crowd drowned out the band for a few seconds. IF I hadn’t seen these songs live a bunch of times already I wouldn’t be reviewing the way I have, it’s kinda my own fault. Aside from the songs. Jagger is phenomenal. During Rambler he dropped to all fours on the snare shot and it was sexual as when he used to whip the stage with his belt 50 years ago. Most 80 year olds I know would be in hospital if they hit the deck like he did Friday night. His vocals were to my ears perfect and he covered quite a lot of the stage. Just unbelievable for a man who is 80 in a few weeks. His harp playing is as good as ever also, just wish we’d heard more of it on an even longer Rambler! Keiths quitting of various things over the last few years has helped him for sure. I’m guessing his stronger backing vocals and quitting smoking a few years back isn’t a coincidence. It seems worst he does now before a show is have a toke. The booze seems to have almost totally gone from his pre show ritual. He’s still the boss of the band musically, the looks the cues the reprimands are all still there, and as with every single Stones show I’ve been to Keith quickly steered the band after Mick came in late. He’s always watching Mick and saving his bacon when needed. True partnership. I thought overall his playing was maybe better than Ronnie’s on the night. There was a really cool moment at the end of Satisfaction where Keith leaned against the Video screens like a man at the end of a days work proudly looking at his fellow workers and still playing the solos. Most guys his age would be learning against it fucked tired, Keith I got the impression felt the thing was only starting to get cooking and would have played another hour if he could. Based on this bands age and based on the strength of the new material played 60+ years into their career I should really be giving this an 9/10 it’s my own fault it’s a 6/10.

He’s behind Adler & Brain for me.

Slane Castle 1992 was my first time to see them. There was a LOT of cops at the gig, I’ve never seen as many at any other show anywhere else since. Given Bob Dylan fans had wrecked the Slane cop station in 1984 they had good reason to suspect GNR fans would act similarly in 1992! Faith No More and an Irish band opened and then it was almost 2 hours of Nine Inch Nails being played over the PA before GnR hit the stage. I still have my bootleg shirt from this gig though it’s a long long time since it fit me.

I was at this gig and snagged the setlist! Axl barely moved from the drum riser once they came back on but his vocals were definitely strong that night. It was a weird gig… It seemed that people around me were pissed off that they were almost 90 mins late and then got even more pissed off when Axl threw the mic pack at the sound guy during the first tune. That’s when I remember the first green plastic bottle landing onstage, he issued a warning or two and then they were gone after 3 songs from what I recall.

I was at this gig, I wouldn’t say it was terrible there were a few dips in the set but Axl sounded great… I was more shocked that they came on a little early (from what I remember) I’d barely left the tent Therapy? were playing before GnR were suddenly onstage. That was a fucking hot hot day. (was the Metallica gig a few days later the St Anger tour or the tour where they played all Master of Puppets? I was at both those gigs)

It can’t be coincidence that every Stones gig I left was up there with “the best one” I’ve seen. Glad you had a good time Brother and I’m sure you’ll walk out of the Cleveland gig thinking the same as East Rutherford.

Not necessarily. Know yourself before correcting another.

Thats the key to hanging onto anything you get at a gig, drum sticks, microphones, setlists, neck of a guitar, I shoved a lot of crap into my pants and continued to “look” for it with everyone else once quickly done!