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 MUnited
Center, Chicago, IL
on Wednesday, January 25th. 2006. The second and final in Chicago, with
the warm-up from Antigone Rising.
Set list:
Jumping Jack Flash - It's Only Rock'n'Roll - Rough Justice - Love Is Strong -
Memory Motel - Rain Fall Down - Ain't To Proud To Beg - Midnight Rambler -
Tumblin' Dice - Intros - This Place Is Empty -
Happy - Miss You - Respectable - Get Off My Cloud - Honky Tonk Woman - Sympathy
For The Devil - Start Me Up - Brown Sugar - You Can't Always Get What You Want (encore)
- Satisfaction (encore)
Reviews:
Chicago
1-25-06 from Blue
Lena
’s Tour Diary
We had a great time at Monday night’s
show, regardless of what the newspapers said. Chicago Sun Times critic Jim
DeRogatis got blasted by instant messages immediately after printing his
scathing review of Monday’s gig. I didn’t talk to anyone in the bar after
Monday’s show who didn’t enjoy themselves. Sure there were better shows
I’ve seen this tour, but Monday was a good solid show, and for fans who
didn’t have scores of other shows to compare it to, it rated just fine.
Wednesday, however, rocked. Again, your
perception of a show definitely can and often does have something to do with
what you were doing before you got to the show, where you sat at the show and
who you sat next to. Sometimes you have crappy seats, and you sit next to a
bunch of assholes, and that can ruin an otherwise great show for you. I had a
seat in the 15th row right by the catwalk on Monday, and everyone
around me was great. Security was tight, keeping the aisles clear at all times,
but didn’t bother us. Wednesday we were blessed with front row seats directly
in front of Keith…now that is something that you can’t compare to anything
else. I think obviously if you get in the front row for any show, you can’t
help but have an awesome time…although believe me, I’ve sat next to people
who claimed to have a crappy time in the front or who sit down the whole time.
They shouldn’t ever sit there again.
We started the day with some drinks at
the Ritz in the afternoon, then hopped a cab to the show with some friends. We
were fortunate enough to go the Rattlesnake again pre-show, where they had the
most delicious crème brulee I’ve ever eaten. I managed to snag Keith’s
dressing room sign,
Camp
X-Ray
, before leaving the backstage area. Venue security always
has a fit about the signs…but they just go into the garbage after the show. Or
more than likely onto Ebay, being sold by the same venue dorks who tell you not
to take them. Security backstage was very tight tonight, in fact they stepped up
security everywhere in the
United
Center
from night one to night two…and I don’t know why, since
security on Monday was plenty. Luckily, when venue people get on power trips, I
at least know a few Stones security people who can take them down a notch or two.
Blondie told me that Bernard had spotted venue security hassling Daryl’s
family Wed. night, and that is just not right. Luckily Bernard did spot it
happening and Stones security came to the rescue. We love Stones security, but
some of those little venue guys become security Nazis, and go a bit overboard.
 MyKeith
stepped out onto the stage lashing into Jumping Jack Flash and wearing a silver
sequined belt I sent to him. Very cool, thank to you know who. IORR whirled into
Rough Justice, which I like hearing in the main stage better than Oh No Not You
Again. Now, the next 5 songs in a row were what made Wed. night special. Song #4
of the night was none other than the Voodoo Lounge hit Love Is Strong! I’ve
been wanting to hear this gem again since
Pittsburgh
’94. Mick on a stellar harp, and that line “you’re
love is strong, and you’re so sweet, and someday baby we got to meet”. Great
guitar work too.
Ronnie seemed a bit more subdued tonight,
concentrating on playing, and not running all over the stage flicking picks into
the crowd as he often does. What next? Mick walked to the front, they hit the
first 3 notes and I instantly turned to my friend and exclaimed, Memory Motel!
All right! This is a favorite because you get a Mick and Keith vocal, which is a
rarity. Keith did a beautiful job delivering his lines, and the song came off
perfectly. Rain Fall Down came up next, and we love this one because of the
dance groove…and getting to sing the line “bankers are wankers every
Thursday night they just vomit on the ground”. Could things get better? Yes,
Ain’t Too Proud to Beg, the horn section joining in, Mick saying something
about recording a lot of songs on Michigan Ave., but not this one.
After thundering applause, came
Midnight
Rambler…I could hear this one anytime, anywhere. Mick’s
harp is so brilliant, Keith & Ronnie’s guitars jamming & weaving,
Charlie’s hot drums, Daryl’s thundering bass. Oh baby.
Tumbling Dice rounded things out and
then it was time for the intros and Daryl was introduced as the hometown boy.
Charlie even came out from behind the drums for his intro, led by Keith. And
then finally it was time for Keith Richards! He was all smiles, as his daughter
Theo sat down in front of the stage for his set. I am so glad he added “This
Place Is Empty” to his ’06 set, it is such a heartfelt, well-done ballad.
And everyone loved “Happy” right? We never leave in the middle of Keith’s
set to get to the B stage, and often don’t have to, and can still get a place
on the rail. Typically more than half the arena isn’t aware that the B stage
set is coming anyway. Monday night we were on the rail in front of Keith,
tonight we were on the rail in the back right corner by Charlie. Stones security
who had been in front got a laugh out of seeing us back there too, like, “what
the hell is it with you guys?” LOL.
Right after Miss You ended, the boys
kicked into Respectable. Another treat, we hadn’t heard for a bit. I saw a
friend of mine at the other corner of the stage and we laughed when we saw each
other and pointed at each other as we were both singing “don’t take my wife,
don’t come back”. We got a wave from Chuck and a nod from Daryl. Get Off My
Cloud has become a sort of B stage staple this tour and then of course things
always end with Honky Tonk Women. I had a thong in my pocket, that I never got
to throw on stage last tour. I did throw one on stage last tour (I think in
Chicago
at the B stage come to think of it), but this one was a
different one…it was from the Keith Shrine and had a skull on it and said
“Got Keef” and had www.thekeithshrine.com
on it. Last tour it was a Stones Planet thong that Ronnie hung on the mic stand
in front of Charlie. Anyway, as the B stage retracted, I threw it up onto
Keith’s side, and it just happened Ronnie was standing there again and looked
down, then Mick was over in 2 second flat and picked it up and stuffed it down
the front of his pants! I was dying laughing, I am mean I was glad Mick noticed
it and picked it up, but I couldn’t help but wonder what his reaction was when
he pulled it out and saw that it said “Got Keef?” hahahahahahahahahaha
Back at the main stage we had a great
Sympathy, Start Me Up, and Brown Sugar before readying ourselves for the encore
sing-a-long of You Can’t Always Get What You Want. During Satisfaction, Mick
has been slipped in lines from “In the Midnight Hour” another tribute to
Wilson Pickett who recently passed away (he had added lines from“Mustang
Sally” at other shows). I had amassed a big ball of confetti from the previous
night, so I didn’t take any home from tonight’s show.
We were thrilled with tonight’s show
and thanks to our friends we got a ride back to the Ritz from the show too,
where we hung out and chatted with friends until last call around 1am.
(Special thanks to BB and P)
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