Rolling Stones Live

For Rolling Stones Live, I have selected tracks from Got Live If You Want It, Get Yer Ya Ya's Out, Love You Live, Flashpoint, Stripped, and No Security.  From the frantic energies of Under My Thumb, through the beautific imagery of Ruby Tuesday, to the pathos of Sister Morphine and Out of Control, Live is a journey through music and time.  However, a Rolling Stones concert is not all about the music.  Rather, it is an event, a bookmark in time, a day to remember... Keith Richards, Concert for the Blind at the Oshawa Civic Centre, April 22, 1977.  With a capacity of 3 - 4 thousand, demand for tickets (for those who are not blind) was such that a second show was added.  Now, this was not a slick Michael Cohl concert promotion.  Tickets went on sale on a cold, grey morning at a nondescript strip mall, somewhere in Oakville, Ontario.  I got there at 8 am and saw that there was a very long, slow moving line of cold, looking souls waiting to get a ticket that would enable them to get in the doors of the mall to get an actual concert ticket (kinda like taking a ticket at the meat counter).  In fact, it was, exactly like a ticket from a meat counter.  I got in my car, drove to the nearest grocery store and got some meat counter tickets.  Back at the strip mall, with a nod to the liner notes of Rolling Stones, Now, I used my fraudulent meat tickets to bypass the que and go straight into the mall for concert tickets. Oshawa is "East" of Toronto and that means a long drive through Toronto, a very long drive.  I was designated driver with my girlfriend in the front.  In the back, partying, was my younger sister and her boyfriend.  Partying was such that we had to detour off the highway several times for more mix and bathroom breaks.  Well why not?  We were going to a Keith Richard's concert.  Finally, parking at the Civic Centre and as I was getting out of the car, I turned back to remind the partiers that this was a "concert for the blind" and to be "mindful of blind people walking about."  Turning again, I immediately stumbled over a blind man!

Tour of the Americas '75, Cobo Hall, Detroit City, July 28.  Mid summer, race tensions were high, Jimmy Hoffa would cease to exist two days later.  I found myself with a day off and on impulse drove to Detroit to catch the Stones at Cobo Hall.  I took along a neat, little Phillips cassette recorder that I planned to record the show with.  I got a hotel room in Windsor and took the tunnel bus under the river to Detroit.  It is about a 1/4 mile walk along a very pleasant Riverside park from the tunnel to Cobo Hall.  I arrived early and easily bought a skelp ticket (nosebleed but good for recording) outside the door.  As I was early, I sat at my perch and watched the people coming into the hall.  By far the crowd consisted of young white couples.  I was quite surprised by this as I thought that, in downtown Detroit, the crowd would be mixed black and white.  I actually consciously searched the crowd for black faces and found not a one.  That would come later after the show. My Rolling Stone bootleg recording was quite good with a clear sound except for my off beat, relentless hand clapping.  Did I think the recorder wouldn't pick it up?  The truth is, once the show started and after I turned on the recorder, I quite forgot about it. After the show, leaving Cobo Hall, I could see and smell downtown Detroit in flames.  Apparently a black youth had been shot dead and a riot ensuded.  Clutching my tape recorder, I set a brisk pace through Riverside park towards the tunnel.  The park was filled with groups of people escaping the flames.  Whole families, some with their possessions, all black, were gathered in the park.  Gangs of black young men were harrassing the white couples as they walked out of the Hall through the park.  they trailed after the girls, rooster walking, wolf whisling and taunting the guys.  Sporadic fights were breaking out as black police officers stood by looking on.  I was very glad that I was by myself, and ignored, as I quickened my pace.  I have to admit that when I reached the tunnel, and waited for the bus, I was much relieved to get on the bus.

Rich Stadium, Buffalo NY, August 8, 1975.  The last show of the Tour of the Americas '75.  A Friday evening, I went to Buffalo with 4 friends in one of my friends 1963 Citreon Touring Sedan.  Quite a rare car in North America, that unfortunately, drew the attention of US customs officials at the Peace Bridge.  We had left quite late, after a work day, getting ready, meeting up etc.  The customs officers were unimpressed with our tickets, late arriving and even less by our fancy european car.  They searched us and the car for drugs/whatever for two hours.  Finding none, they let us go with a wish that we enjoy the show. Now, it's important to note, I was a well groomed, polite speaking 70's young man, not the least bit, hippy or biker looking.  We got to Rich Stadium late.  However, it is pretty hard to be later than the Stones who are always a bit later than late.  So we parked the car and headed on foot towards the stadium.  As we neared the stadium, in front of me, a biker wheeled in on his bike, parked and jumped off towards the entrance.  Now this guy looked like he came straight from Altamont.  A Hells Angel in full colors, scruffy and scary.  I saw him stick an 18" screwdriver under his vest and down the back of his jeans as we walked along. Just as that happened a New York State Trooper (female, about as big as a minute) with her stetson pulled low over her eyes, wearing a gun that looked like a cannon on her hip, standing not 10' away.  "STOP" she shouted out as she pointed her stick at me...  "WHAT HAVE YOU GOT IN THAT JACKET?"  I was carrying a light wind breaker over my shoulder "ah, er, ah nunu nothing" I stammered.  "OVER HERE" she says with one hand waving her stick and the other on her holster.  I handed over the jacket.  She examined it closely, finding a packet of cigarettes.  "AH HA" she exclaims "WHAT'S THIS?" as she starts pulling out the cigarettes, breaking them open, smelling them and discarding the bits on the ground.  My friends were stopped and staring, a crowd was gathering, I was thinking she's kinda cute as she got angrier and angrier.  Finding nothing she lets me off with a warning, not to follow bikers stuffing weapons down their pants, I guess.

Steel Wheels, Toronto, Sky Dome, December 4, 1989.  Have you ever seen someone so embarrassed that they dissolve into a puddle right before your eyes? My wife and I, along with two other couples, took a break from the kids with a night out at a Rolling Stone concert.  We drove to Toronto in an extended mini van, quite comfortable for six adults.  With the Stones on the radio player we drank wine and enjoyed a pleasant late afternoon, December drive (I was a passenger on this trip).  Sky Dome, had just recently opened earlier that year.  I had seen a baseball and football game there but this would be the first concert.  A beautiful place for those who have never had the privilege of being there.  I recall that the sound system was initially difficult to work.  We got there a little late, near the end of Living Colour's set.  The sound was terrible, an assault to the senses.  I thought "This is going to be a long night".  However, it took the Stones sound technicians only a couple of songs to get it right.  By the time of the third song Sad Sad Sad the sound was crisp and distinctive.  However, this story is all about what happened during the first song. With the opening chords of Start Me Up my buds, along with near everybody else in the Sky Dome, lit up joints and started passing them around.  The powers that be did not want Rolling Stone fans smoking pot in the brand new Sky Dome and they were ready for it.  My wife, who would only smoke pot at an event like A Rolling Stone Concert, was inhaling deeply on a joint just as a highbeam flashlight shone on her and a 6'4" 240 lb. cop shouted "PUT THAT THING OUT!" In the flashlights beam, she melted before my eyes.  As she dissolved into a puddle on the floor I could hear the joint sizzle out.

Wanderin' Spirit
October, 2012
"Stones Live"

This page has been made for viewing in Internet Explorer.  In order for all audio to play in Chrome or Firefox you will need to install the IE Tab extension and add https://www.angelfire.com/* to the Auto URL list, thank you.