|
DC SHOWS
This is my second visit to the USA and I must say it has been great until now.
I’m staying with some great people and they took me to the DC shows last
weekend.
I met some old friends again (Hi Will, hi Fred).
For the first show on Sunday we had great tickets (10th row,
Ronnie’s side). After the Corrs finished we went inside the arena and I looked
at the open stage for the first time (as this is my first No Security concert).
I got this feeling of being at a concert back in the seventies because of people
sitting beside and behind the stage.
There was nothing on the stage, but the drum kit and the amps. The sound
system and the lights were almost completely hanging over the stage. There were
also one big and three smaller video screens hanging on all sides above the
stage.
The Stones opened at 9.15pm. with "Jumpin’ Jack Flash", a great
version! They played fast and short, the way it should be played. There were
hardly any breaks in between the first 5 songs. In a fast tempo followed
"Live With Me", then "Respectable" (Ronnie was good on this
one!), "You Got Me Rocking" (Lisa, Bernard and Blondie come up) and
"Honky Tonk Women".
After that it slowed down a little with a sensitive "Memory Motel"
(the next day we read in Washington Post that it was called "Memory
Mile"—so maybe tomorrow we will be treated on "Moonlight Motel!! J )
and "Saint Of Me"! "Some Girls" was played for the first
time for me and the start was great but then Mick started yelling the lyrics. I
think that was a shame. Then one of my highlights of tonight’s show was
"Paint It, Black". This was very good, very fast. Again, it really
gave me the feeling of being at a seventy concert! The new sax-player of the
"horny section", Tim Reese plays the keyboard on this one.
After the band introductions Keith did a marvellous version of "You Got
The Silver", my first time for this one too). Keith and Blondie were on
acoustic guitar and Ronnie playing the slide.
"Before They Make Me Run" was next. Although this is not my
favourite, I liked the way it was done. Then before going to the center stage
they did an awesome version of "Out Of Control"! Mick pops up out of
the stage from below like he did at the Voodoo Lounge shows during "Sympathy",
only faster.
At the center stage they did "Route 66", which very much sounded
like the way it was played by Chuck Berry (a little slower...). "When The
Whip Comes Down" was great too and last but not least "Midnight
Rambler", one of my all times favourites, which kicked ass!
I’m was so glad they put this one in again. For me it was 4 years ago that
I heard it last.
The sound at the center stage wasn’t too good; you could only hear the
sound coming from the main stage.
The speakers in the back above the b-stage did not work at all.
Back on the main stage the Stones gave us the grand finale with "Tumbling
Dice", "It’s Only Rock’n’Roll", "Start Me Up" and
"Brown Sugar". "Brown Sugar" lasted much too long IMHO.
The encore: "Sympathy For The Devil" was added with the horn
section, which – for me – didn’t add anything to this song.
After a little less than two hours, my first No Security show was over.
It was a great experience!
The next day (Monday) we spent a great deal sight seeing in Washington, DC.
What a beautiful city!
We did miss the Corrs again. I was lucky enough to see them open for the Stones
last year in Prague and Mannheim. So let’s hear it for the Stones!!
Monday night we sat in section 106, which was pretty good. Just a little
behind the small stage. From here we had a nice view and the sound was
incredible! It sounded much better than it was the day before. Especially the
small stage set came out real good.
There were some nice and unexpected surprises this night.
After an even better "Jumpin’ Jack Flash". Mick got his red
guitar and started "Respectable". So "Live With Me" was
skipped for the first time this tour. "All Down The Line" came third.
It was very good and Ronnie was playing the stars out of the sky.
The whole band was playing great this night. There was a lot more energy in
every song.
We got "Moonlight Mile" the second night which was real nice. I had
been wondering how it would sound live. Now I know....
"Some Girls" sounded much better now that Mick was actually singing
the lyrics in stead of yelling them.
"Paint It Black" and "Out Of Control" were outstanding!
The night before I thought they could not be done any better...but they could!
Keith played two different songs than the night before "Thief In The
Night "and" You Don’t Have To Mean It both with Lead Wood on backing
vocals.
On the small stage "When The Whip..." was changed to "Just My
Imagination" which was a great version too. Even the grand finale with all
the well-known songs was good. What a show! What energy! We got five different
songs compared with the first show.
I surely hope that this show will be out soon on CD..
I don’t think it’ll get any better than this, but as Ronnie said, "every
show is better than the last one". So we’ll see what Pittsburgh will
bring us...
Dirk Snapper
|
