 MGM Grand
Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada
on Saturday, March 4th. 2006. The Rolling Stones gave a great show
on Saturday evening, it certainly was the evening for Keith and his fans, he
simply was so much on fire.
The photo to right is the final bow, note that Keith is winking and sending a
greeting eye to our photographer, Blue Lena.
Set list:
Jumping Jack Flash - It's Only Rock'n'Roll - Let's Spend The Night Together -
Oh No Not You Again - Tumbling Dice - Beast Of Burden - Bitch - Midnight Rambler
- Gimme Shelter - Intros - This Place Is Empty - Happy - Miss You - Rough
Justice - You Got Me Rockin' - Honky Tonk Woman - Sympathy For The Devil - Start
Me Up - Brown Sugar - You Can't Always Get What You Want (encore) - Satisfaction
(encore)
Reviews:
Another Night at the MGM Grand
From the Tour Diary of Blue
Lena
I had arrived in Vegas on the evening of
Thursday March 2 and being jet lagged and tired, all my husband and I could
muster was to eat at the Flamingo buffet and go to bed early! We must be getting
old. On Friday we spent the day shopping & dining, the all you can eat sushi
buffet at Todai in Desert Passage is delicious. I also picked up my tickets at
the MGM, and was delighted to discover I had scored front row on Keith’s side!
Wooo Wooo! This was going to be my third Stones show at the MGM Grand, but my
best seats ever by far.
My friend E flew in on Saturday
afternoon and the three of us made a trip to Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum,
where I got a great picture with Hugh Hefner, hahaha. They have the most awful
wax rendition of Mick I’ve ever seen! We cruised through the Venetian and then
headed back to the room to change for the show. Since this was Vegas, we got a
bit more dressed up than usual and E splurged by bringing a bottle of Dom
Perignon in her bag, which we sipped before leaving the hotel room.
Friday afternoon at the MGM I had
checked out the Grand Garden Arena, and discovered they had walk through metal
detectors and tables set up for searching bags. This concerned me because I was
hoping to bring my camera in. I had only taken photos at a few other shows this
tour and since was near the end, I wanted to squeeze in a few more shots. I
called the MGM box office to clarify, since the tickets did not say “no
cameras” this time. The lady at the box office said cameras would be allowed,
no video. Great!
Upon arrival at the
Grand
Garden
, the line was already forming and an old lady security guard
was shouting “no cameras, no cameras of any kind, even small ones, please
check all cameras before entering”. Shit. I started to worry. We switched out
of her line, since none of the other security people seemed to be mentioning
cameras, and when a woman with a backpack went in unchecked, I knew I’d be ok.
We went through the metal detectors without a hitch, but the gates into the
venue still weren’t open. Soundcheck was running late, so we waited in a
claustrophobic lobby by the merchandise stand until we were finally let into the
venue some 20 minutes later.
We
headed downstairs to the floor area, and ended up outside the backstage area. We
had Hospitality passes, but not our Rattlesnake passes yet, so we hung around a
bit. I chatted with Blondie briefly and then Tim Ries & a few security
folks. After about a ½ hr we secured our passes and made our way into the
Rattlesnake for dinner. This time since I had my camera we took a few photos.
The food & drink was wonderful as usual, and because it was so crowded, we
stood in the hallway. That ended up being a good thing because it came over the
security walkie talkie that “the band is playing snooker and does not wish to
be disturbed”. We were right outside the snooker room! And, of course a bit
later Ronnie and Keith (looking magnificent in a white shirt) strolled out of
the room right past us. Later on the Meet N’ Greet took place and we also had
Mick and Charlie stroll by us, and Mick actually looked over and said “hi”
this time and smiled, which I found quite unusual! That was a treat, seeing all
the boys again. I sent another belt backstage for Keith, it’s really more like
a sash, it sparkles and is iridescent. He liked the silver sequined one I had
sent him in
Chicago
and has worn it ever since, so he was bound to like this one
too. Thanks Michelle!
 When
the Rattlesnake closed, we headed down to our seats.
Everyone around us in the front was really nice, which was cool. We were
dead center of the row on Keith’s side, this was going to be perfect. Finally
the lights dimmed and my boy strode to the front of the stage as he launched
into Jumping Jack Flash and Mick came bouncing out of the darkness to center
stage. It’s a gas, gas, gas! And Keith WAS wearing the new belt dangling from
his left hip and the old one as well on the right! Awesome.
I started to wonder if we would get any
surprises tonight, when IORR began as the second number. I was thrilled to hear
Let’s Spend the Night Together again, always a fun song and the crowd seems to
love it. Keith was animated from the get-go and the band seemed to be in fine
form as Oh No Not You Again began. We love to sing the line “the moon is
yellow, I’m like jello, staring down your tits”, which was good tonight
because we actually had some cleavage going!
Tumbling Dice was song #5 of the evening
and then a smoking Bitch with the horn section-Tim Ries smiling our way, since
he knew where our seats were. He told us before “you guys know EVERY word, I
wish I did”. I think I started taking pictures during this song, it’s always
hard to take photos and pay attention, but I did my best. “Beast of Burden”
was a surprise, and that song had been more special to me since it was being
played on the B stage in Philly in 2002 and Keith put his guitar pick right into
my hand during that number.
Midnight
Rambler - what can you say? Always, always a rocking fucking
great tune. I took a few photos during this one, getting a nice one of Mick on
harp. The lights are dimmed during this tune, so it was harder to capture Keith
and Ronnie. Lisa was smoking hot on Gimme Shelter and I got a great shot of Lisa
and another great one of Lisa blowing Mick a kiss as they dueted “it’s just
a kiss away, it’s just a kiss away”.
Band intros, then of course my favorite
segment-Keith’s set! Keith wore the same jacket I had photographed him in in
Philly this tour. In fact one of the photos I took tonight looks almost
identical to a shot I took there in 2005, only difference was we were hearing
This Place Is Empty instead of Slipping Away. Keith was all smiles. His daughter
Theo was down front watching too. And Happy just made us happier. Even though we
hate to leave before Keith’s set ends, we headed out a bit early toward the B
stage and secured a place on the front right corner in front of Clive and Tony.
Clive’s head ended up being in the way for a lot of my b stage pictures, but
hey, he gave me a guitar pick, since Tony’s pockets were empty.
 We were
bouncing around to Miss You as the stage came to a halt in front of us. I tried
to snap some pix, but people keep knocking into you down there. There was a bit
of a miss on the start of Rough Justice, but what happened next was priceless.
When Rough Justice ended, Keith started into Honky Tonk Women. We instantly knew
this wasn’t right and Keith was ahead of himself in the set. Keith was
oblivious and Mick and Ronnie and Chuck and everyone else was not sure whether
to play along, or halt the number. Finally Ronnie gave Keith the clue after
Keith had started about 15 second worth of riffs that he was supposed to be
playing You Got Me Rocking! It was hilarious. Keith stopped abruptly and
re-started YGMR, and strolled over right in front of us, gave a sheepish grin
and knocked his fist into his head like “stupid me”. It was great. Then when
it was finally really time for HTW, Keith started it with a huge grin and the
stage began to retract.
We made out way back up front and to our
seats as HTW ended and Mick came out in the black furry coat for Sympathy. The
lights are so red during Sympathy that it’s really tough to get a good shot
and most of the pix I took during Sympathy of Mick were a bit blurred. I got 2
half decent ones of Mick, Lisa and Bernard singing the woo, wooos at the front
of the stage together though.
Start Me Up, we were clapping in rhythm
with Bernard & Lisa. Then Keith going mad on Brown Sugar. I got some great
close ups of Keith. The band leaves the stage, the crowd is smiling, chanting,
ready for more. The boys reappear for their last two numbers, You Can’t Always
Get What You Want and Satisfaction. Oddly, I haven’t gotten tired of
Satisfaction this tour, it’s got a new zip and energy to it that I’ve been
liking. It’s time for the final bow and I get one shot off that comes out
nicely, just as Keith is looking and winking in my direction. Thank you Rolling
Stones, see ya in LA!
© Woo Wooo (Sympathy For The Devil) by Blue Lena
© Mickmic on B-stage by Blue Lena
© Ron and Keith by Blue Lena
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