Rolling Stones Hackney Diamonds Tour 2024 (Denver)

[Jersey Girl]

Hold my place! Review to follow!

[Jersey Girl]

^^^That wasn't my photo. We were seated in a lower level dead center of the stage. Going to set this up similar to the one I did in 2019. On with it!

Transportation and Arrival

So I went with 2 younger generation family members who live in the general area of Mile High Stadium (Empower Field whatever that is). Took almost an hour (heavy traffic) to get to the stadium in RAIN . When we pulled into the parking lot there were a ton of tailgaters and many with tents/shelters because you know if it rains you gotta gimme shelter. Sorry. I had to.

What was SO funny was the majority of tailgaters were senior citizens. Don't judge! The tour is sponsored by AARP (love that) and the seniors of the world are who made the Stones famous! Okay well that wasn't the funniest thing--->so the parking lot was a combination of tailgaters eating, drinking, or smoking weed talking to each other or to the police officers patrolling the lot. Actual police.

Okay stop right there. Smoking pot in public is illegal in Colorado. But it's a STONES concert...I mean come ON so the cops I guess look the other way. From all I have seen and heard, Stones fans are just there to rock and get high if they want to. Never heard of a fight breaking out at a Stones concert unless you count the tragedy at Altamont and we're not counting that. So...fans, cops, all happy together. Let the Good Times Roll. (See what I did there?)

Some. stupid. tailgaters. were blasting Stones music out of their vehicles. Hated that. I want my head clear before I hear that first opening riff and let it travel fresh to my ears.

So the consensus in our party of 3 was no one cared about the opening act so...we skipped it entirely. The band was probably great but we were there for the Stones. So...off we went to the stadium the stadium around 8:30-ish. The security was so lax it was ridiculous. Did NOT check bags. Did NOT ask for electronic devices. Just made us walk through a metal detector, scan the tickets and go.

We had just enough time for some of us to get snacks and then stood in a line to get merch (on a different level) and by the time we got to the counter...they were SOLD OUT of shirts with a promise that more were coming from a lower level in about 30 minutes.

That's nice. No thank you. If you think for single second that I'm going to miss the opening riff for a tee shirt you are sadly mistaken! I really wanted a shirt, too. (Hold that thought).

When got in our seats--3rd level with a view looking at center stage DEAD ON. The Hackney Diamonds visual was on the screens behind the stage. I had some guy behind us try to chat me up about---is this your first Stones concert? What's your favorite Stones song. No, actually I'm OG. First concert was 1966 and what decade? Anyway the guy next to him took our pics with the stage behind us.

So...Hackney Diamonds. What's that right? Here it is...

So let's say it's London in the wee hours and a thief wants to break into a shop and steal something thievable. They throw a rock through the store window, climb in, cop the stuff and make their way out of there.

The BROKEN GLASS SHARDS on the sidewalk are known as Hackney Diamonds...as per Keith Richards. <3

So...at some point you just know they're coming on. Call it instinct. Call it whatever you want...Stones radar...you just KNOW.

All of a sudden the Hackney Diamonds start swirling around, there are black silhouettes of the band members behind them, the music ramps up and then...

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!! THE ROLLING STONES!!!

[Jersey Girl]

And then I catch sight and sound of the best riff man in all of Rock n' Roll, my blues man with the broken fingers, Keith Richards. First riff and they roll out like someone took a hand full of marbles and tossed them on the stage...Keith in front, Ronnie's there, and then Jagger as usual hits the stage like the proverbial bat out of hell. The man is not remotely human.

Here it is and look at Keith. He was right on it the whole 2 hours. Jagger dancing at high altitude. Come on!

The Rolling Stones - Start Me Up (Live) 4K
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HM6BOXUJbvk

His hair looks light in the videos on account of the stage lighting. His hair is dark brown in actual fact. I'm guessing when he sang Start me up I'll never stop...the man meant it.

To be continued...

[Jersey Girl]

You know how it feels when you get a piece of butterscotch candy and and you let it melt in your mouth? That's how I hear Keith Richards on the guitar.

See these hands?



They might make his playing the smallest bit less dexterous at age 80 but the man did not miss anything during this concert except one single chord that was slightly off. One. Just one.

Yes, I took a photo of his hands. Twice.

They're Historical. Magical. Transformative. The best dirty blues sounds I've ever heard...came from those hands and an array of vintage guitars he still plays in concert. He's playing Micawber in the above pic.

[Jersey Girl]

Only have pics from when I wasn't dancing which was most of the time. A couple or three more. The rest are somewhat similar.

[Jersey Girl]

Remember who they were.

The Rolling Stones in Concert 1964
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhFbpUGteMQ

ROLLING STONES--SHIVAREE TV SHOW 1965
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tno_lnbL1U0

[Moksha]

This should make Jersey Girl happy:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/53orEfGwzYc

[Jersey Girl]

This should make Jersey Girl happy:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/53orEfGwzYc

Is it wrong that I knew what that was before I played it?

by the way, they aren't performing live in that. It's the original recording. Did you listen to it? You can hear the fuzz pedal Keith used on the riff to get that dirty sound.

This is the only live performance I've found that sounds like he's using the fuzz pedal.

The Rolling Stones - (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction - Hampton Live 1981 OFFICIAL
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAzqSYQ9X9U


Here they are last week! No fuzz pedal, Keith playing his Micawber Telecaster here and totally live!

The Rolling Stones - (I Can`t Get No) Satisfaction (Live) 4K
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtleVsDKZ4o

[Morley]

Thank you for sharing this, Jersey. It brought back joyous memories. My partner-in-crime and I went to see the Stones in Pittsburgh in 2015, for what we thought might be their final tour. The tickets, flight, hotels, and car rental were all well worth the price of admission. I was ready to be mildly disappointed, but they exceeded my wildest expectations. We both thought they were absolutely incredible.

We were lucky enough to get seats in the fifth row, and my wife still maintains that Jagger looked and pointed straight at her the whole time he was singing. She apparently didn't notice that he was really nodding to me.

[Moksha]

We were lucky enough to get seats in the fifth row, and my wife still maintains that Jagger looked and pointed straight at her the whole time he was singing. She apparently didn't notice that he was really nodding to me.

Ha! He was thinking about his airplane conversation with Elder Quentin Cook, destroyer of the Marin County Health Care System and apostle.