Rolling Stones still rockin' like wild horses in their 60s
Rolling Stones still rockin' like wild horses in their 60s
Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Singapore
Who? Mick Jagger, 60, Keith Richards, 60, Ron Wood, 56, and
Charlie Watts, 62. What? The greatest rock 'n' roll band in the
world.
They're unstoppable, unbroken and unshaken. Like the title of
one of the band's hits, they are the beasts of burden.
Before a crowd of some 7,000 at the Indoor Stadium here last
Monday, the bad boys of British rock gave a stunning and fully
charged performance, flawlessly belting out 19 songs that define
rock 'n' roll.
It was such an incredible performance that it left me
wondering, "O Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Guns 'N Roses, wherefore art
thou?"
For those are some of the great bands I grew up with. But
Nirvana was short-lived, Pearl Jam barely exists, and the rumor
about Axl Rose's resurrection has been around for so long that it
is no longer thrilling.
In contrast, after 40 years, Jagger and co. are still going
strong, currently on the Asian leg of the Stones' Licks World
Tour, with two Singapore dates last Monday and Wednesday.
It was surreal to see the living legends standing right in
front of my very eyes, only a couple of meters away. But it was
even more surreal to see the grandfathers of grunge rocking the
stage, singing and jumping like men half their age.
The performance contained all that the four lads are known
for: Jagger danced around the stage curling his rubbery lips,
Wood doing splits, Richards was smoking with fender guitar
hugging his shoulder, and Watts, still indifferent, but powerful
behind his drum kit.
The concert started around 9 p.m., when the band kicked off
with Brown Sugar to the roar of the audience, who, mostly in
their 30s and 40s, were willing to pay as much as S$500
(US$287.50) per ticket.
Was it worth the high price? Pretty much. Because, besides
being a great concert, it had historical value to it. Who knows
how long they will last for? (Although, from the bursting energy
they reflected in the concert, I doubt that they will retire
soon).
The band brought to the stage songs spanning the four decades
of their career, compiled in last year's Forty Licks.
Apart from seminal hits like (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction,
Honky Tonk Women and Start Me Up, they also performed new songs
like Don't Stop and Sweet Virginia, a country blues number with a
touch of gospel, from the 1972 album Exile on Main Street.
"I got sweet Virginia in my mind ... Drop your reds, drop your
greens and blues," Jagger sang while playing acoustic guitar and
also harmonica.
His voice was still clear and powerful, matching the grimaces
and hip shake, and also the attractive costumes (shimmering blue
jacket, or long black coat with multicolored, illuminated discs).
His duet with one of the backing vocalists, an African
American woman, on Gimme Shelter, was incredible.
The band, surprisingly, did not include many of their mellow
songs, like Angie for instance, in their song list.
Richards, meanwhile, sang two songs, including Slipping Away.
"Well, it's just another song.. First the sun then the moon,
one of them will be round soon ... but it's slipping away," he
sang, plaintively.
Oh Richards, he definitely gave a lot of nuance to the concert
that night. Cool and confident, the man showed the audience why
he was called the man who put the rhythm guitar in the lead.
In between, he would run off to the spit of the stage, dancing
with Wood, throwing guitar picks, or lighting up a cigarette
while saying "Singapore, it's good to be back."
He then chuckled and put out his cigarette on the ashtray he
held, before hitting his guitar again.
At that moment I remembered a quote from the movie Wayne's
World II: "Keith cannot be killed by conventional weapon."
Song after song was performed, including You Can't Always Get
What You Want and Sympathy for the Devil.
The confetti, fireworks and big screen in the background
contributed to the festival atmosphere.
At the 15th song, from each side of the stage, suddenly there
appeared two gigantic inflatable cheerleader dolls. The dolls
held a pom pom in the right hand, with a pole between their
thighs. On the end of the poles were white flags with that
familiar, Andy Warhol red tongue for the doll on the left side,
and the Singapore flag on the right.
For the rest of the concert, the dolls would move
suggestively. Very Rolling Stones.
The audience was very enthusiastic, singing each song by
heart, applauding or taking pictures with their cell phones.
The concert was completed with Jumping Jack Flash, before the
band bowed to the audience, Richards put on a Yasser Arafat scarf
and all of them disappeared from the stage.
If I had caught the flu virus that night (luckily I did not),
at least I would have been content to have seen some of the most
important figures ever in musical history.