So I braved the elderly and the rain and attended this years concert in the small country castle in Slane, Co. Meath. The day was over cast, and the ground muddy. I did not know what to expect when I entered those gates at Slane Castle. My first site I thought was a multistory car park in the middle of a field surrounded by tiered seating. My mind could not imagine or comprehend the enormity of this so-called stage. It was reminiscent of U2's Popmart Stage, but this was on a far greater scale.
The support acts themselves were not going to light my fire. I love The Charlatans, but they did not have long enough to put in a proper show, the looked lost on the vast stage. The crowd were a real mix match, coupled with the elderly who remember The Rolling Stones playing Slane 25 years ago were the young who were barely alive or not even thought of then. The atmosphere was electric with anticipation. I was feeling tired and sore from the trek through the streets of Slane and the mud of the field, but at 8pm i felt this wave of energy rush from my mud soaked shoes up through my legs to my damp head of hair. I was alive and knew I was in for a show of a lifetime.
I am not too knowledgeable of the Stones back catalogue, I know the hits and own a number of their albums, 'Let it Bleed' and 'Exile on Main St'. I knew they play mostly the hits and the best known songs, so I was not to worried of being left standing there, while the crowd are jumping and cheering to some obscure b-side from their second single off their third album (what ever that may be, answers on a post card). They are real showman, and they put in a high energy show for the best part of 2 hours. I was blown away. It is impossible to describe the show, but I shall try. They had fire works, explosions, giant screens showing Jagger strut and prowl the stage like the king of the lions. They had Richards pouting and throwing guitar shapes, you had Woods looking like he was drinking up the atmosphere (he is t-total now, so he needs a new tipple), and Watts all the time keeping the beat.
1 hour in to the show you had the roadies push Charlie Watts Drum Cage (best description) out towards the front of the stage, then all of a sudden the stage lifts itself up off and starts to move towards the centre of the big natural arena, while the Stones are playing, it truely is one of the most amazing things I have seen. However when they stayed out there for a further 3 songs, I felt left out. I should have mentioned that I was front row central almost, so to only see the back of them playing to the rest of the 800000 masses was frustrating. Nonetheless they returned to centre stage and played a further few numbers.
All in all, this is one of my greatest experiences, they may not have the youth, they may not have any recent hits or quality new material, but you can not argue that they put of an extravagant show and they give it their all. An evening very well spent in my opinion.
Now Gimme Shelter
