Gelsenkirchen 27. July,
1998
Here's what
I wrote after the show:
OK, you
all will say it's because it is my home town, but you can believe me: That
show really rocked. It picked up fast with Satisfaction, slowed down a
bit afterwards, but from "Bitch" onwards they got it going. Guitars all
over the place, Ron very loud in the mix, "weaving" again on "Wanna Hold
You", a great solo on "Out of Control", lots of improvisation on "Miss
You". What more can you ask for?
We made
it to the front again, Ronnie's side, nearly pool position to the catwalk.
Getting in there was easy, the show was not sold out. I believe about 40.000
people where in the Parkstadion tonight. The weather was fine, although
it threatened to rain at one stage, but only some drops came down after
the show.
The Hothouse
Flowers opened again, just on time at 7.30 pm. They did a set of 45-50
minutes, it was alright by me, nothing special and not really my taste.
But all these opening acts just cannot win when you wait for the Stones!
The Stones
were on at 9.20 pm, Satisfaction hit it big time. right after Satisfaction
the crowd started chanting Happy Birthday, which Mick heard. he struck
out his tongue and smiled. The first songs were standard, a bit above average
I would say. I was a bit disappointed about hearing ASMB again, would have
love something else but then the first change came: Bitch. That song really
rocked! Loud guitars, playing really good, loud horns. Saint of me was
good as well, after the song finished the Keith side and the Ronnie side
did a canon for the oh yeahs, Mick directiing the sing a long, before he
shouted out loud "Out Of Control". That one was brilliant, everythingup
the the second, every move, every hit of the drum and the guitars, loud
solos, a harmonica solo like I never seen one before etc.
Paint it
Black was web choice again. I did have a look at midday, when it had 32%,
on the night it had got 26%, SFM was second place. Mick told us he is thinking
about putting that one in the setlist. PIB is much better than in 1990,
not that much keyboards, but loads of guitars again, nicely playing with
each other.
Miss you
was very long tonight for my taste, improvising went on and on. Mick even
put his guitar down and danced with Lisa a bit more. He tried to do some
naughty things as well (I only mention hip movements here :-)), which she
wouldn't let him. Lots of smiling around the stage.
Keith told
us it was Reggae night, if god permitted, so he did "You don't have to
Mean it". More guitars on "Wanna Hold You". From Bitch on Ronnie was loud
and I mean LOUD and clear in the mix. And he played a lot and everyone
seemed to like it.
The B-Stage
set was above average as well. the guitars never sounded that loud and
clear on "Little Queenie" on the german shows before. YGMR was nicely done
as well, slide solo very loud. LARS was a bit of a let down, just average.
The rest
was very good, Keith hitting chords, Ronnie hitting more chords, guitars
everywhere. Ronnie's solos sometime seemed to drown other bits in the mix.
Odd bits:
when Ronnie came back from b-stage, he signed an autograph for some guy
on the ladder to the main stage and made sure, security gave it to the
right guy. He even gave some drinks away to that japanese couple on his
side. Charlie picked that up. when he came to the front for the end bows,
he went to that bit of the stage with Ronnie and had a look there as well.
Lots of
chatting by Mick, lot's of "Hey's and "Hi's", lots of singing in Miss You.
Mick told us we were "Super!" They seemed to like it, we loved it! Mick
came down on the catwalk for Brown Sugar again. With 55 Mick is even better
than he was with 54. :-)
Start time:
21:20
End time
: 23:40
The set list:
1.Satisfaction
2.Let's
Spend The Night Together
3.Flip
The Switch
4.Gimme
Shelter
5.Anybody
Seen My Baby
6.Bitch
7.Saint
Of Me
8.Out
Of Control
9.Paint
It Black (web choice)
10.Miss You
-- Introductions --
11.You Don't
Have To Mean It (Keith)
12.Wanna Hold
You (Keith)
13.Little
Queenie (center stage)
14.You Got
Me Rocking (center stage)
15.Like A
Rolling Stone (center stage)
16.Sympathy
For The Devil
17.Tumbling
Dice
18.Honky Tonk
Women
19.Start Me
Up
20.Jumping
Jack Flash
21.Brown Sugar
(encore)
This was the
strangest gig for me ever. The Stones in my home town for the second time.
I just live down the road now, but going to that gig for me meant flying
for 2 1/2 hours. The show was planned for May and when it had to be cancelled,
it was rescheduled after long battles between the promoter and the manager
of FC Schalke 04, the soccer team that usually plays the Parkstadion. UEFA
had their fingers in there as well, as they wanted the place to be remodelled,
especially the seats, so after all the parties agreed on July 27. In the
meantime we had booked flights to stay in our home in Spain and I had taken
leave at the place I work in. It doesn't matter that you are the boss,
because everyone had scheduled their leave around everybody else's leave.
There I was, totally shattered. The Stones in Gelsenkirchen and I in Spain.
Until my wife came up with the idea of flying back just for the gig. As
soon as she mentioned that I grabbed the phone to get flights and I got
them. So I arrived a day before the gig and left on the night just a couple
of hours after the show for Spain again. And it really was worth it!
Axel arrived
at Sunday evening, directly from Paris and taught me new ways of handling
a bottle of beer, Nico flew in from Berlin the next day and we picked him
up and went to the Parkstadion. It was really nice, not a lot of trouble
in front of the gates. My mum-in-law and her friend came as well, so as
soon as the gates opened we all ran and made it to the Ronnie section,
front row for mum & her friend and we - gentlemen that we were - just
behind them. Before the show I met Steve Kemelfield (together with his
son) who told me it was his 80th show of the BTB-Tour. I had heard strange
things of him, but meeting him was even more interesting. And the show
was at least my best show of the whole tour. The weather was fine, nice
and warm, the Stones were in good form and it really picked up from Bitch
onwards, it got better and better. Even the same old songs after the B-stage
sounded better than before. Everybody was in high spirits and even now,
when I listen to the show, it still sounds great.
And Axel is right when he thinks that standing in the glitter/confetti
rain that we had in Gelsenkirchen coming down on us, listening to Stones
music is sheer madness.
After the show
we went home, did the report for Undercover and I got ready for flying
back that night. Even the taxi was on time as well. An absolute night to
remember.
Here's two pics of the
stage being built,
thanks to press photographer
Connie Fischer
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Axel, Nico and me (after
showers and ready for the flight) after the Gelsenkirchen show
Here's
what other people thought about the show.
