by Jan Fox
Looking like an animated string bean on speed Mick Jagger took the stage at LA’s Dodger Stadium for the final US date on the Stones’ marathon A Bigger Bang tour.
What is that man on? - because I’d like some. At 63, Jagger runs an average ten miles during a performance that would floor most athletes and leaves younger rock stars in the dust – Chris Martin? Pete Doherty? Like pale pastry in comparison with our Mick.
The same couldn’t be said of Keith Richards, bless him, who looked more like Jack Sparrow than Johnny Depp. Barely upright, fag in hand, ‘Keef’ thanked the brain surgeon who put him back together after falling out of a palm tree before stumbling through a couple of solo numbers. We still love him though.
The beautiful people had paid $500 and up to be corralled in front of the stage on fold-up plastic chairs but we all got our money’s worth thanks to Mick’s ability to streak up and down runways reaching out into the audience on all sides, wearing a fetching variety of flowing sequinned jackets and those trademark tight T-shirts. This is a well-oiled machine and Jagger is definitely the man who drives it.
The average age of the fans was about 50 and it was all a bit sedate with most people staying in their seats but managing a bit of clapping and swaying – Mick even apologised for being late and wished us all a Happy Thanksgiving – not very rock ‘n’ roll, but the rest of the night was electrifying.
Highlights included a duet with Bonnie Rait on Dead Flowers, a marathon version of Midnight Rambler with incredibly sexy harmonica playing from Mick, a visually stunning Sympathy For The Devil complete with flames shooting hundreds of feet into the LA night sky and a storming Satisfaction to close the show in a shower of fireworks.
This was rock ‘n’ roll at its best – the kind of music that makes you want to go home and have sex on the floor – though judging by the shuffling grey haired audience members politely queuing to leave, they were probably all headed for a cup of cocoa.
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