Live Review: The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones have been around as a band for 52 years. This tour, the 14 On Fire tour, is their 20th time touring this country.

They’ve released almost 30 studio albums. Jagger rocks the fuck out of skinny black jeans, Keith has better teeth than you, and they all get cheap bus fare. The lads from Kent are still alive and kicking, but if it takes yet another tour to remind you, well you just haven’t been paying attention.

Allphones Arena was packed. Skimpy tank tops, Docs, tailored camouflage suits, thinning hair and concert shirts from an impressive range of shows littered the crowd. Young and old (mainly old) were frothing, main-lining the anticipation. Jumpin' Jack Flash let the genie out of the bottle and we were off.

The energy was crackling, and Jagger skipped and pranced around the giant tongue like a spastic wrinkled peacock, gloriously brandishing his cavalier disregard for his body’s age. The people crammed inside the tongue’s perimeter danced around like giant hairy tastebuds reacting to whatever he was throwing at them. Whether it was worth half a grand is something you’d have to ask them about, but I doubt they’d be grumbling about it. At one point, while everyone was watching Mick, Keith mouthed “I love you” over to Ronnie. So do we, Keith.

Tonight’s audience request was an Exile On Main St cut, Sweet Virginia, and Jagger enjoyed it. Paint It Black lit the place up, and Richards really nailed it. The slightly mystic central melody exploded, and it was an incredible highlight.

Keith was on duty for three tunes tonight, something that has only happened once before, which is a shame, as he has a woozy magnetism perfect for the type of blues the Stones peddle. You Got The Silver showcased his voice, a sorely underappreciated rough diamond, and Before They Make Me Run felt like a decent enough tonic to balance out the bombast of the rest of the set.

Lisa Fischer has been praised on this tour already, and rightly so. Gimme Shelter shone bright with her help.

Chalk another one up for the Stones. Despite all the odds they remain as raucous and vital as we need them to be, and they stand as a bright beacon for younger groups to look to. Also, they might actually be immortal. At this rate they will be singing at their own funerals.