This was the last Wembley show for me, and I was very happy to have seen them all. The first one in the summer of 1982, when they ended the show playing of "Land Of Hope And Glory" over the PA, as we left the stadium. Whenever I heard that one ever after, up to the next tour, all through the 80's, I thought about these two Wembley shows in 82. The sentimental feelings from those two shows were back in my mind as I was here for the last time ever. Wembley will be taken down now, and all these great memories will be in our minds, while the place is gone.
It's safe to say that Wembley has been a great place to see the Stones. Great acoustics, great crowd always, great city, great band, coming home, Bert Richards sitting under the cobra in 1995 to see Keith and the band. Bill Wyman on his last ever show in August 1990, on Matt Clifford's shoulders, if memory still holds for me, for the finals. The "football show", summer of 1990, when everybody had a radio. Sadly England lost vs. Germany that night. And these two last shows, with Elisabeth Jagger on backing vocals, Sheryl Crow on Honky Tonk Women, and the Rolling Stones who made all these great shows memories for a lifetime...
Well, on with the show, like Keith says... The opening was the usual. Two fast numbers, Jumping Jack Flash and You Got Me Rocking. They replaced Live With Me with Bitch. Mick said he was sorry for being so late, and was happy that we had waited all that long. The slight rain before the band came on today didn't bother anyone, even if it was a bit cold as well.
"This is something you will never be", Mick said, introducing the next song, and they did a great version of Respectable. Gimme Shelter was again very good, Lisa is in top shape these days, and some very good guitars as well. Angie was the slow song for tonight. The entire crowd was singing along - a popular choice. Sheryl Crow was on for Honky Tonk Women, dressed like she was on during her warm up set, leather coat. By the way, Bobby Keys and his brass mates came on for Sheryl Crow's final song in her warm-up set, so thy were pretty warm as well tonight!
Saint of Me did not make all that noise tonight. May be the crowd did not know it that much, like the "oldies". Out Of Control, however, was a true number one for tonight. The camera guy is zooming in and out for Ronnie's pedal, saying "CRY BABY", as his guitar is howling and weeping in the stadium. Best ever mix of Ronnie's guitar tonight, so loud and so clear, and he pays back by playing it brilliantly. Mick did some killer vocals, and then some even more killer harmonica playing, as Keith came over to Mick right away, rather than walking away from him to the wing, like he did last night. How I love that song! Paint It Black was even better, the crowd liked it a lot. Strange that one of the newest and on of the oldest songs, more than 30 years apart in time, is making the greatest memories and following for the night. The show is at it's peak, great times at Wembley.
Keith slowed down with Thief In The Night. Nice song, but people start to talk and move around. By the time he did Before They Make Me Run people were already on the slow run, the show was not so intense anymore.
Route 66 on the small stage was a few seconds late in making it to the main PA, but once the guys on the mixer pushed the right buttons, we could hear it loud and clear. I loved to see Charlie and Daryl working so closely together on the small stage set. Then Like A Rolling Stones, always popular in any crowd, because they know it s well. Rambler was long and god as well. Then back to the main stage.
Mick's daughter Elisabeth was on stage tonight as well, with Leah, Lisa and Bernard, during Sympathy For The Devil. Mick, being professional on stage, didn't seem to take a look at his daughter back there once, working so hard on the Sympathy vocals and the crowd. But I bet he did take a quick look at his teenage daughter in a small second, while running from one side of the stage to the other...
Tumbling Dice and It's Only Rock'n Roll was good, but the most popular song of the finishing part must have been Start Me Up. The crowd were jumping up and down, singing the words, and Wembley rocked. Brown Sugar, and the volume was peaking. I think they had turned all the switches in the mixer to the limits, as the sound was strong and good.
Satisfaction. Long, good version, lots of fireworks, then they are gone, as Keith is back for a third and final bow to us all this night, cheating Mick and Charlie a bit on the last one. Goodbye Wembley, it has been fun, and I will miss you!