The Rolling Stones - Prague Letna Park - 27/7/03
4/5
By: Andy Willson
If one thing serves to nag us time and time again within this mortal capacity, it's that, sometimes, events in life occur for an underlying reason; you meet the girl of your dreams in a lift, take a wrong turn and crash your car, or could unknowingly happen to be, simply, in the right place at the right time.
Thankfully, the latter applies to rockfeedback in this instance - while in Prague. Just down the road, The Rolling Stones are billed to headline a mammoth, outdoor venue, in front of a mere 70,000 fans; unarguably, fate often doesn't come as welcoming as this.
The situation itself doesn't disappoint: a sizeable park positioned between Sparta Prague Football team's stadium, and the River Danube - hardly the mournful industrial backdrop of Wembley. Somewhat less favourably, however, the weather has been threatening to turn against the region all day, so - predictably - just five minutes before the 'Stones take to the stage, the heavens burst open. Attendees dart for the nearest area of cover, and it just so happens that, in typical Brit-aplomb, we find the beer-tent of propitious comfort.
Proceedings kick off at 21:30, just as dusk is setting on the city. Today is Mick Jagger's 60th birthday, and things aren't conducted in half measures - not that they could be anyhow; with a back-catalogue larger than a list of Madonna's conquests, the experience could succumb to glaring omissions, not that such a notion is consider beyond the compelling entrance of an uproarious 'Brown Sugar'.
For a band with a combined age of over two-hundred years, it's a wonder quite how the members have retained such shape for the present, gruelling world-jaunt. Classics such as 'Start Me Up' and 'You Got Me Rockin' follow with carefully orchestrated, rigorous panache, Jagger clad in a silky blue, flowing jacket, which he manages to adorn for all of two minutes. Even when a new track, 'Don't Stop', arrives next on the list, reservations prove restrained; you would struggle to spot the stylistic difference across anything else amidst their four decade-loaded cannon.
Elsewhere, 'Wild Horses', 'You Can't Always Get What You Want' maintain the momentum, whilst a compulsive rendition of 'Midnight Rambler' lasts a full, resounding ten minutes. Humbly, and as if it were needed, Mick then introduces the band, starting with the backing-singers and brass-section, and leaves Keith Richards at the end for a reason. Jagger, taking a well-deserved breather, allows Richards to confirm yet further his skills as one of the world's most landmark guitarists, and allows his gravely voice to take over for a few precious moments (... whoever suggested that Jack Daniels is a hindrance for you..?).
Then, things start to go a touch peculiar at this point. We can hear the band, but not see them. The stage is blacked out and what appears to be a power-cut at first, transpires to prove that the band have progressed to another, smaller stage, slap-bang amidst the middle of the crowd. Three tracks are performed here before they hover back to the main arena, Zimmer-frames (seemingly not) in tow.
Having performed for over two hours, the highlight of the evening is an essential, glimmering 'Sympathy For The Devil', where the top of the performance-space explodes with violent bursts of flames, which reach several feet into the skies above. The somewhat inevitable closer, though, is 'Satisfaction', which despite being written nearly half a century ago, remains timeless. Fireworks illuminate the sky, and conclude a riotously entertaining one-night stand with the most long-standing pioneers of blues/rock'n'roll's vital crossover into the mainstream.
In spite of years spent lingering around the top of their trade, however, and influencing more acts worth bothering to count - as the proverb goes, and even after all this time, you can tell that there's not a trace of moss on these boys. Not that there's likely to be hereafter either; though the wrinkles and extensive discography may suggest otherwise, the 'Stones have fearlessly held on to the unprecedented, most key asset of them all, the secret-weapon - youth.
Artists in this article: The Rolling Stones
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