|
This is the 117th show of the tour and we're very pleased to be doing the last one in front of you, " said a super energetic Mick Jagger midway through Sunday night's show which closed out the Hong Kong Harbourfest.
That said, an 18 month "40 Licks" tour which took the Rolling Stones to 21 countries concluded with a blistering 19 song set.
Considering that it's taken the group four decades to come to Hong Kong, the 13,000 capacity crowd knew they were in for a once in a lifetime event. The Stones did not disappoint. With a rare amped up Hong Kong audience on hand, Jagger, for one, pranced around the stage like a man half his age.
The opener "Brown Sugar" segued into "Start Me Up" during which Jagger quickly shed his green silk jacket for a t-shirt. Every inch of the stage was used by the entire group to gesture, preen, incite and thrill the crowd. "You Can't Always Get What You Want" became a mass singalong, after which the surprise chords of "Monkey Man" made even t jaded concertgoers go silent with surprise. This lead to an extended dark version of "Midnight Rambler"
The night's other chilling moments were provided by an intense duet between Jagger and backup Lisa Fisher on "Gimme Shelter", as well as a gritty "Street Fighting Man". "Honky Tonk Women" featured a humorous risque manga cartoon involving a woman's body and a gigantic pair of lips.
Predictably, the evening finished with "Satisfaction" and an encore of "Jumping Jack Flash". For an obvious international crowd from around the world who were on hand to see the last date of the tour, the single encore was disappointing.
However, the crowd's infectious giddiness was obvious. They'd just seen the Stones in Hong Kong for the first, and possibly last, time. Based on this super professional appearance, the group certainly has the ability, pizazz and the stamina to do future tours. At this point, one has to wonder if even their fans can keep up with these ageless wonders.
Review by: Scott Murphy
|
