 Saitama Super Arena, Saitama, Japan
on Sunday, April 2nd. 2006. This Sunday show is broadcasted to TV
for show in May, when the European show kick-off. Richie Kotzen is doing the
warm-up
Set list:
Jumpin' Jack Flash - It's
Only Rock'n'Roll - Let's Spend The Night Together - Oh No, Not You Again - Sway
- Wild Horses - Rain Fall Down - Midnight Rambler - Tumbling Dice - Intros
- This Place Is Empty - Happy -
Miss You - Rough Justice - Start Me Up - Honky Tonk Woman - Sympathy For The
Devil - Paint It Black - Brown Sugar - You Can't Always Get What You Want (encore)
-
Satisfaction (encore)
Review:
Review
by Scott Tucker
a.k.a
TrixWithFruit
The
show last night at the Saitama Super Arena was maybe the very best Stones'
effort I have ever seen in the past 25 years on four continents.
Technically, there were a bunch of minor and major glitches: faulty wireless
connections on Mick's Rain Fall Down guitar; a less than healthy Lisa; the
B-Stage locking up when trying to move away from the A-stage; timing miscues,
etc. But with that said, this show, that crowd and OUR LADS were absolutely 'off
the hook!'
Mind
you, it was a miserable, rainy and windy late afternoon and early evening in
Saitama, and many, many fans appeared a bit stressed and slightly irritable
after their rained-drenched treks from wherever to the Super Arena in Saitama
prefecture.
Stones
Friends, with 20+ years under my belt living in this great (although sometimes
overly polite, orchestrated, & reserved) country, I could sense that this
was not a "typical" crowd that had assended on 'Da Saitama.'
The raw energy was palpable. Once inside with their beers bought and seats
sussed, the crowd slowly recovered from their stresses and discomforts, and a
tension-filled party atmosphere ensued. All 16,000 of us in attendance were
visibly ready for some shit-kickin', straight-up, balls-to-the-wall Rock
& Roll. We
were not going to be denied,
and believe me friends, We
weren't disappointed!
With
the first chords of "Jumpin' Jack Flash" the place erupted in
a cacophony of primal screams, guttural hoots and passionate yelps as "Our
Lads" took the stage. The whole band noticed this right away and they all
looked a tad surprised at the genuine, unbridled outpouring of excitement
and affection. Keith and Mick looked squarely at each other, nodded back
and forth with huge grins like Cheshire Cats.
Mick
was in hot pink and black, Keith in black and sporting a new orange &
black head rag and matching arm sash, Ronnie in a teal t-shirt and jeans, and
Charlie in a lavender t-shirt and navy blue slacks. Oh God! They looked
celestial and sounded stellar.
"It's
Only Rock and Roll" was entirely solid, but not inspired. However,
there were multiple brief moments of some of the best weaving I've seen KR and
Ron throw down in a month of Sundays. Yummy!
Next
was "Let's Spend the Night Together" and Sir Mick hit his
stride. He sounded so fresh and confident, the piano, guitars and bass
hooks in perfect sync, Charlie chugging away, and Bernard, Blondie and Lisa in
"the zone!" Bada bada bop...ba dada!!!! I was floored.
The
following rendition of "ONNYA" was disjointed and forced, but I
do like the song and IMHO it should stay in the line up, only after a little
more retooling and a vigorous sand and grit massage (from the song's writers,
not the musical director). Hold the polish and velvet gloves, Chuck...'nuff said?
"SWAY"
Well what can I say about this except it brings tears (of both sadness and joy)
to my eye to think that I've seen it performed flawlessly, twice in the past two
weeks, while so many others around the world have waited a lifetime. Priceless!
Next
was "Wild Horses". In a
word...supercalifragilisticexpialidocious: (adj ) 1. Absolutely
stunningly fantastic. Imagine an ocean of chicks balling their eyes
out. Couples hugging and carressing. Everybody singing. Lovely, Sexy,
and very very Cool.
"Rain
Fall Down" - That was a fun romp for everyone and good for dancing
and grooving. The chicks seemed to dig it the most, though. This cool little
vignette IMHO is an ass shaking nod to a Bobby Womak-meets-Curtis Mayfield
inspired "Across 110th Street" ghetto scene. LOVED IT!
But
tonight's "MIDNIGHT RAMBLER" was without a doubt the most
fan-frickin-tastic version that has been heard live in ages. THE LADS went off
the charts, pulled out all the stops, and tore the frickin' roof off the Super
Arena. Mick looked like he was possessed by Slim Harpo and a Jezebel Spirit
channeled through the body of a Whirling Dervish. He went absolutely
frickin' nuts! The crowd went absolutely frickin' nuts!
Ronnie went beserk and wouldn't hand off his leads to Keith. Keith didn't
give a shit and loved it. Charlie was trying to pace it, but Mick, Keith, and
Ron would have none of it. OH MY LORD IN HEAVEN! ......."Well, that's
all I got to say about that. Would you like a choc-o-late? My mother says life
is a lot like a box of choc-o-lates"...............Jumpin' Jesus on a
Pogo Stick!
Up
next a warhorse, "Tumblin Dice" was not bad at all...quite
good in fact, but after Rambler, Mick had shot his first load of the evening,
was clearly spent, and should have put the Band Introductions here in this
position instead. LOL!
Hey
Kids! Did I mention that MIDNIGHT RAMBLER WAS OFF THE HOOK! Anyhoo...
>>>>>>BAND
INTRODUCTIONS<<<<<<<
(Bobby
Keys got a well deserved extended ovation & bows & thumbs-up from all
THE LADS for his fabulous sax work.)
Mick
exited offstage for his break and a costume change, while Keith took over the
helm for the next two tunes:
Unfortunately,
"This Place Is Empty" was just that...empty. Keith phoned it
in and IMHO this song should be taken back stage and given the 'blue serum'.
R.I.P. Keith didn't even seem to be into it. A pity, really. "Hey
Keith, how about doing "YOU GOT THE SILVER", if you're so
hell bent on ballads these day?" I love you, Keith. Sorry
Blue Lena. Oh well, on with the show...
Now
"Happy" was rock solid and Keith looked, sounded and played
great. LOVED IT! (I think Keith was "glad to be here, glad to be anywhere"
away from "This Place Is Empty." ;-P
Mick
rejoins the band onstage and the boys start the B-Stage portion of the show:
"Miss
You, Rough Justice, Start Me Up, and Honky Tonk Women" were
up next for the B-Stage time. But tonight there was a MAJOR difference. The
B-Stage briefly malfunctioned just as it started to separate from the A-Stage
and came to a dead stop. The band kept jamming, but the crowd closest to them
became overly excited in anticipation of the B-Stage appoach. Unable to wait
or control themselves the crowd started to surge at the B-Stage. Security
tried to stop them, but to no avail. With the sudden serge appeared a lot of
unattended seats in the Golden Seats Area. This is when all hell started to
break loose! People in the cheaper (but fairly nice) arena seats started
jumping the partitions (me included) and also rushed at the delayed B-Stage.
Then the B-stage started to move again, but for some reason it was much lower
than usual, maybe a hydraulics problem. If you stood on a chair you were eye
level with THE LADS! We did just that and it was magical. Now the band loved
it and started vigorously encouraging the crowd to to get more, and more
CRAZY, as the security people looked on in horror and cringed. Well we did get
a lot crazier and then the crowd from all sides started showering the band
with gifts, clothing, love notes and every other item you could think of.
When Keith approach the front edge of the B-Stage some fans started tossing
packs of cigarettes. HE LOVED IT, that is until about 10 packs came at him at
once. He was royally laughing his ass off. Ronnie was off his head running
laps around the B-Stage. Charley and Mick were laughing, mugging, and rolling
their eyes at the pandemonium they had created. Darryl was stalking all
around the stage smiling, winking, posing, and of course, jamming his ass off.
He was flicking more picks than Keith and Ron combined. FOLKS!
Mick actually knelt down at one point and gave the guitar from around his neck
to a Japanese fan in front of the B-Stage.
He, the lucky fan, and all of the other 15,999 fans nearly shat
our collective pants. The Stuff of Legends!
As
the B-Stage returned to the A-Stage, the crowd from behind it (including me)
went totally daft and started to toss their presents and
whatever-the-hell-else we could find in our pockets onto the stage. AND
THAT"S WHEN I SAW MY CHANCE:
WARNING:
HAM-HANDED SEGUE ALERT!!!
____________________________________
The
coolest moment for me tonight at the Saitama Super Arena was that I since
before the March 22nd show, I was entrusted with 3 incredible presents that
were handmade by 3 well-known Japanese artisans made JUST
FOR KEITH. These
old boys may love KR as much, if not more, than Blue Lena, Charlotte, and I do
combined.
THESE
3 INCREDIBLE GIFTS FOR KR WERE:
1.
A classy, hand-crafted and hand-stitched, black leather, biker-type,
belt-pouch with a Golden Python-skin Skull & Crossbones with twin red
leather lightning bolts (shooting at the skull from above) and finished off
with a sterling silver snap with the Gothic letter "R" hand-engraved
into it like a family crest. Whoooa!
2.
Inside that gorgeous pouch was a hand-made, sterling silver and black-smoked
quartz ring; the quartz had been hand-carved into the shape of a striking
Bear's claw. This ring's artist is Ainu (the indigenous people of Japan) to
whom the Bear represents devinity, strength, and purity. VERY KEITH!
3.
Finally also inside there was another sterling silver ring by another brilliant
Japanese artist with a whimsical tribal pattern (very cool) and a silver dagger
pendant to be worn either as a headwrap bobble or necklace.
Each
artist had included a handwritten note and their contact info to Keith (in
english) personally thanking him and The Stones for coming to see them
(and all of us) again in Japan and kindly requesting them to come back much
sooner than later.
WELL
WHAT HAPPENED, TRIX??? Well, as the B-Stage passed me on the way back I was on
top of a chair eye level with Keith, so I screamed extra loud, took aim, and I
tossed the pouch! It miraculously landed squarely at KR's feet (just perfect
between KR and Charlie). He was jamming face down, but I think he saw it...he
smirked, looked up, and winked in my general direction. SWOON! Mission
Accomplished...I hoped and prayed.
My
Friends, these 3 Japanese artisans love, respect and admired Keith (and all of
The Rolling Stones) so very, very much. As do all of us Japanese fans, and we
count our lucky stars every time the THE WORLD'S GREATEST ROCK AND ROLL BAND
blesses the shores of DAI NIPPON with their presence. GOD BLESS YOU, BOYS!
____________________________________
Well,
finally, the show was filled out with "Sympathy, Paint It Black (Both
Fan-frickin'-tastic), YCAGWYW, and Satisfaction".
This
Show will be broadcast in May for any Naysayers or Doubting Thomases out there
that fear I might have embellished or stretched the truth. This, Ladies and
Gentlemen was...THEE SHOW! THE ROLLING STONES LIVE at the SAITAMA SUPER
ARENA.
Love
You Live,
Scott
Tucker
© Copyright on all photos Scott Tucker/RSFCO, may not be
used without referring to Scott Tucker/RSFCO/STONESPLANET.COM
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