The Rolling Stones No Filter European Tour 2017-2018*

Yes. In Paris in 2007, tickets were available until show time and blocks of the upper tier were covered by tarp. In 2013, every single seat was sold and getting a golden circle ticket for a decent price was impossible. Fast forward to 2017 and three sold out shows at the 40,000 seat U Arena. It’s pretty amazing - they seem to be more popular than ever. I agree completely that tickets are simply too expensive. I was just responding to the quote from the Pollstar edito who said that they could make more playing arenas at $3.5 million gross per night.

 

Right. My only point was that that thinking was conventional wisdom in 2013, even with the Stones long occupying a unique perch in the 3-digit ticket market. The editor was a longtime industry watcher and what he couldn't see - what many of us couldn't at the time - was that the normal laws of supply and demand and conventional wisdom just didn't apply anymore. I mean, we had all gotten used to packages, presales, $450 lower-tier tickets and other shenanigans by 2013, but I idly window-shopped at Ticketmaster for some of the US 2015 shows out of curiosity, and they simply pushed the envelope beyond belief. Almost everything within the first 50 rows on the stadium fields was some gemstone variety of a "VIP package". Maybe there was some price relief at the outer edges of the rows in Detroit, but they sure weren't $90 anymore like in 2002. (I think Milwaukee may have had a bit of a price break, also.)

I also think that their real target audience ("Never been to a Stones, show, but I had to buy four Taylor Swift tickets for my daughter last month. This is just the way things are.") was primed.

 

Nice to see them mixing up the set list, not many bands doing that these days.

 

OK, having had a day to digest the show and watch a few YouTube videos, here are a few thoughts:

Jagger is a force of nature and a man who truly deserves admiration for doing what he does at his age. Giving the overall quality of his performance, any criticism seems utterly unnecessary and bordering on disrespectful.

Keith looks dog tired although full of smiles and clearly still deriving pleasure from the occasion. There were mistakes aplenty from him but again it seems rather trite to criticise at this stage of affairs. I have attended plenty of shows recently where any chance of an error is covered up with technological assistance so it was kind of refreshing to see a band perform, warts and all. The majority in attendance could not give a monkeys about a dropped note here and there, they were just enjoying the show. Roger Waters get criticism for getting vocal assistance on some tracks when he performs live, Keef, gets criticism for performing live and occasionally making a pig's ear of it. Seems these old boys just can't win. Again, at this stage, I will just take what I can get. Ronnie is clearly carrying the show guitar wise and does a great job.

The setlist - having attended the show I think it is about right to be honest. Yes the majority of the songs are regular favourites that they have been belting out for years but that is what the majority of people in the stadium want and have paid for. This was starkly illustrated when Keith played Before They Make Me Run and Slipping Away (which was fantastic BTW). The atmosphere went as flat as a pancake and everyone was up and buying beers. It was quite sad to see really. There was then a huge roar of approval (and possibly relief) when the opening salvos of Sympathy for the Devil kicked in. This kind of confirmed to me that - like it or not - the setlist is where it needs to be for a stadium show like this to work. The minority of diehards in the audience were given a few deeper cuts to enjoy, the majority were given a large slab of popular numbers. Its purely mathematical in that sense but looking at it from a neutral perspective, it has to be. I enjoyed every track played but then this was my first Stones show!

The sound was not the best - rather thick, muddy and unbalanced. Sasha Allen's fabulous turn on Gimme Shelter was very much buried in the mix and struggled to be heard - a real shame. A more balanced mix and a tiny bit more volume would have been my preference but perhaps it was better in different locations. A stadium gig can always be a bit of a lottery in that respect.

Fool to Cry was fabulous. Having watched it a couple of times on YouTube since, I can say I am delighted that i was there to hear that one. Kudos to Mick again, great performance.

All in all, I loved it. So much so that I am going to try and get tickets for Twickenham.

 

Good review - thanks!

 

Entry chaos at this week's London concerts:
'I threw my bag away' Fury over Rolling Stones concert bag BAN in London

 

^ After the Manchester bombing a year ago, I suppose that's considered a necessary security measure

 

Spot on .... I was at the show, and your review nailed it.

 

Monkey Man one of the vote songs for tomorrow!

 

That's was pretty damn good - Charlie was spot on.

 

The Stones mention that bags shouldn't be taken to the concerts on their website.

 

I guess no-one reads the blurb when they buy tickets... after the attacks in Manchester last year I'd rather have heavier security than none at all

 

And it's currently in the lead:

 

Monkey Man

 

pig's ear. Never heard that one. I get it, though. Great expesssion

 

Sort of makes a mockery of it though as they give you a bag to put merch in if you buy anything.

The stewards and security was the worst I have ever known at a Stadium or gig before on Tuesday, takes a long time waiting to get in and took nearly an hour after to get from walking distance from the stadium the way the barriers where situated, Stewards had no idea at all. Wouldn’t go back to that stadium but Stones where great as usual. Anyone going tomorrow get there early before !

 

People! There's no need to bring so much junk to shows, and it just slows down the line while the guards check everything. The bag rule was stated very clearly beforehand.

Of course you get a bag on the other side of security for your merch. Silly comment.

 

The Stones made it well-known that no bags would be allowed.

I live in the US and didn't attend the shows but I still got an email about it!

 

When did they start giving live results? They're trying to make us think it's not rigged?

 

No it wasn’t, they give you the bag before your searched outside the stadium.

That was the point cause they said don’t bring a bag.

 

That makes no sense. I never got a bag. Now I feel left out.

 

Full photo album from London night 1 here : The Rolling Stones - London Stadium - Tuesday 22nd May 2018

 

I know he obviously can't ( at least I assume he can't !) but Mick Jagger looks as if he has the energy to go on for another 20 years. He's remarkable.

 

I think the fact that they don't do 2 shows in 2 nights helps - it allows him sufficient recovery time! And has probably prolonged his career!

 

If we look at the Stones as following in the footsteps of all the classic blues artists, there is no reason to believe they won't be doing this until they drop. BB King died aged 89 and was still performing almost until the end.

Obviously Mick cannot charge from one end of the stage to another forever but I can see him and Keith sat on a stage in their 80's transforming their songs into acoustic downhome blues!