The RollingStones busted out a rare classic on their Munich tour stop
The question seems quaint today, considering it came about halfway through the Stones’ career, which is now being celebrated with a 60th anniversary tour of Europe that began June 1 in Madrid and runs through July 31 in Stockholm. Jagger and Keith Richards are now both 78, Ron Wood is 75, and over the last three decades the band has survived the retirement of bassist Bill Wyman , the replacement of one of Jagger’s heart valves, and the death of drummer Charlie Watts.
The show started strong with “Street Fighting Man” and “19th Nervous Breakdown,” then slipped with a version of “Rocks Off” that didn’t quite hold together when Jagger had trouble hitting some notes. But the band regained its footing with “Tumbling Dice,” then played the second-ever live version of “Out of Time,” which Jagger introduced by saying it “should be better” than the song’s live debut in Madrid.
Jagger had received some attention from German media for filling his Instagram account with tourist pictures of Munich from the previous day, and before he introduced the band, he spoke about enjoying a drink at a biergarten during what he described as “bikini weather,” in decent German. “Not many bikinis tonight,” he pointed out, on account of a rainstorm that threatened to delay the show, then cleared up.
Then Jagger came back to sing “Miss You,” a typically extended version of “Midnight Rambler” and four of the band’s iconic songs: “Start Me Up,” “Paint It, Black,” “Sympathy for the Devil,” and “Jumpin’ Jack Flash.” The hands-down highlight was the first encore: A furious version of “Gimme Shelter” that Jagger sang as a duet with backup vocalist Sasha Allen.
At this point, the Stones, who ended the show with “ Satisfaction,” have become known partly for their professional consistency and their ability to deliver a great show, rain or shine – even with a new drummer or new heart valve. And they did. At their best, though – on “Out of Time,” “Honky Tonk Women,” “Miss You” and especially “Gimme Shelter” – they also still deliver real magic.