Well... I'm a week late with it, but here then is the final chapter in my little concert trilogy:

The Rolling Stones.

What a disappointment. This was by far the most expensive concert I've ever visited and frankly put it just was not worth the money. Tristan and I arrived well on time and it looked like it was going to be a marvelous day. Bright sunshine, hot as hell, perfect. we parked our asses in the grass, enjoyed some pizza, and tried to keep a safe distance form the first opener. It was this so called blues band from here in Holland. My god did they SUCK!! I mean the blues can be good... but not in Dutch. Sorry, it just doesn't work. I should have taken that as a bad omen.

You see... It seems that Thor is a big stones fan. He showed up just after the first opening act was done. The sky turned gray, lightning flashed (knocking out the stage lights at one point), and the came the rain.... and by the gods did it rain! We were soaked to the bone! The second opener (Van Morrison) got washed of stage after two songs and the whole show picked up an hours delay. Meaning Tristan and I would later end up being very late for a friends wedding reception that night.

Finally the storm let up and The Stones took to the stage. Tristan later commented that we are just 5 years to late to see The Stones at their best and frankly I think he's right. For the first three quarters of the show the band were just going through the motions. There was no spark... not flare... just routine. It didn't help that they played mostly newer material and perhaps the storm had sucked some as much energy out of them as it clearly had out of the crowd. Things just weren't working... somehow the magic a good rock concert normally has was gone. It got so bad that Tristan even said: " I wouldn't even mind leaving" My response was a curt "Neither would I".....

"But not right now!"

You see it was at this very moment that the first bars of "Satisfaction" began to play. Everything changed at that moment. It was an almost amazing transformation. The band just came back to life! I can not describe the difference between what I had been watching all evening and what I now saw on the stage. As soon as they started playing their old material they were resurrected. A few more golden oldies followed Satisfaction. Most notably Jumping Jack Flash, Paint it Black, and the highlight of the show: Sympathy for the Devil.

It was amazing! Brilliant! Everything I had hoped for!

At the end of the day though it just wasn't enough. It was not worth the money, not worth standing in the rain, and not worth repeating. I can strike The Rolling Stones of the list of "Bands I must see before I die" but can't really say I had a great time there.

My next concert is Red Hot Chili Peppers. Same venue... I think this time I'll bring an umbrella.