Rolling Stones Face Fans’ Protest
The Rolling Stones haven’t even announced a 50th anniversary tour for this year, but already they’ve incited the wrath of some fans.
Calling themselves as the Rolling Stones Liberation Front, some of them have got together to demand changes to the way the band tour. And if these demands aren’t met, they’re threatening non-violent, disruptive action to force home their campaign.
So what is it they want? Here are their six demands in full:
1) WE WANT SMALLER VENUES
We believe the time has passed for gargantuan mega-arena spectaculars; hardly anything good comes from these soulless shows. Scale it back. Throw away the lights, the inflatables, the fireworks and the catwalks. Keep it simple. Mick Jagger no longer needs to prove himself a physically fit older gentleman, we get it. The introduction of the considerably smaller B-stage set up in the middle of the venue at the end of 1994’s Voodoo Lounge Tour was a perfect step toward this philosophy. Ask any concert goer and they’ll tell you the best part of the last fifteen years of Rolling Stones shows has always been that time they play the three or four songs on the smaller stage. How much more of a hint do they need? We demand an alternative: establish a residency in theaters for up to seven days in every city on the perspective tour. You cannot tell us, in 2012, an organization as big and experienced as The Rolling Stones cannot pull off this task. Their fan is a dedicated one, almost to a fault and the band should not worry about loyalty, the people will come to them, it is all but assured. Leave your 400 tons of steel at home. Two guitars, bass, drums and a vocal mike, that’s it; the magic is in the music not in the lights. Cut the fat, less is more.
2) WE WANT LOWER TICKET PRICES
We believe it is unacceptable to charge up to $350 for a single ticket. The Rolling Stones do not need the money, but we need our money. We believe a band needing to charge $85 – $100 for upper balcony seats is a band no longer in touch with their fan base. We demand the ticket price for the next tour to be no more than $30 and without any and all service charges. The people have been burned many times before by useless and expensive incentives such as “fan club seats” and pre-sale tickets which only lead us to frustration and bad sightlines; experience has taught us there are no special seats for the proletariat no matter how many hoops we jump through. If you are within the first twenty rows on the main floor, a Rolling Stones show is an unparalleled experience. If you are anywhere behind row 30, the show is a drag, an expensive drag.
Like it or not, this has become a worker’s struggle; it’s the masses who fill a majority of the seats at The Rolling Stones concerts. Today it is only the bourgeoisie who can afford (or are given tickets to) seats near the front; fat cats, music critics and their sloppy, clueless friends who have only a passing interest in the band. We’ve been watching them for years from our positions high above; we watch with furrowed brows through binoculars as they stare up at the stage, in the glare of the lights, unmoving and jaded. This is an outrage. We demand the Rolling Stones to go back to regular, first come/first serve ticket sales, preferably at physical ticket outlets and not via the Internet. No promos, no guest lists.
3) WE WANT A SET LIST OVERHAUL
We believe with an immense back catalogue of songs to choose from, there is no reason why The Rolling Stones need to stick to roughly the same 30 songs for every tour; we refuse to sit through another airing of the played-out hits. Satellite radio has established the popularity of what is known in the industry as “deep cuts”, songs that were not necessarily “hits” in the usual sense of the word, but are fan favourites, none the less. The practice of playing uncommon songs was introduced by and large for the 1989 Steel Wheels Tour and we, the paying customers, were delighted. However, after twenty three years, further steps need to be taken. Therefore, we demand the following songs not to be played on the next tour: (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction, Brown Sugar, Honky Tonk Women, Start Me Up, Sympathy For The Devil. Investigate your own catalogue; do not take us for granted.
4) WE WANT THE ELIMINATION OF THE HORN SECTION AND BACK-UP SINGERS
We believe The Rolling Stones have drifted too far from the true and basic rock ‘n roll aesthetic. It’s time to bring it back; back at least to the hugely successful 1978 Some Girls Tour. With all due respect to the honourable Bobby Keys, we believe the horn arrangements are needless and get in the way. We demand the removal of the brass section for the upcoming tour. Mr. Keys should only be allowed to perform on any songs from albums with release dates between the years 1970 – 1973. Additionally, with all due respect to the honourable Lisa Fischer, Bernard Fowler and Blondie Chaplin, the use of back-ups singers is now irrelevant and we demand their removal for the next tour.
5) WE WANT THE EXPULSION OF ALL OPENING ACTS
We believe the Rolling Stones have stopped challenging themselves. There was a time when they would bring an opening band talented enough to challenge the Stones themselves who, in turn, would have to step it up even further when it was time for them to take the stage. We ask you: how challenging can it be to follow Third Eye Blind? How challenging can it be to follow Johnny Lang or the goddamn Spin Doctors? Forcing an audience who just paid a lot of money to sit through such tripe is a rip-off as much as it is an insult. While there are in fact hard working bands today who could give the Rolling Stones a run for their money, they never seem to appear on the bill. Additionally, even if those bands did open the show, most of those in attendance won’t have the patience for them. Therefore, we demand The Rolling Stones forgo the use of opening acts on this last tour. Cut the fat, less is more.
6) WE WANT ALL FANS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEMSELVES
We believe the fault also lies with fans willing to do the bidding of their favourite band, no matter the cost. How many suckers does it take to fill an auditorium? Ask The Rolling Stones. We are all suckers, victims of their apparent cynicism and money hungry ways. We urge all self-respecting Rolling Stones fans to heed our warnings and join our ranks. Don’t be taken for granted. We’ve bought the albums, we’ve bought the cassettes, we’ve bought the CDs, we’ve bought the DVDs, we’ve bought the Blu-rays, we’ve bought the re-masters, we’ve bought the elaborate re-issues, we’ve bought tickets to the movies, we’ve bought tickets to the concerts and we’ve bought anything with the tongue logo on it. We’ve bought it all, hook, line and sinker. Now it’s time The Rolling Stones give back or we will push back. Why give them more of our money and then settle for the usual? We won’t.
In time-honoured Monty Python’s Life Of Brian fashion, we await the arrival of the Popular Front For The Liberation Of The Rolling Stones…
What a shower of c**ts. If you want all this, why not start listening to all the fantastic new bands out there and you can have all this and more. Talk about living in the past. I read every word of this in the voice of Granpa Simpson.
Bless em, the Stones are about the only collective older than new Man United midfield and getting similar levels of abuse.
Would be great to see them in a mid size venue but residencies at cities all round the world isn’t feasible, poor sods would be on the road forever.
Some of these requests are laughable. No Brown Sugar? I’ve been to several shows and the moment that the audience shouts out the “Yeah Yeah Yeah WOOO!” chorus is a highlight. I would miss it no matter how many times I’ve heard it. Elimination of horn section? Then throw out Sticky Fingers and EOMS from your collection because horns are all over those albums. Bet you can’t do it, you hypocrites. Yes, I want to see Keith and Ronnie at the mic more, like the “old” days. But that can be incorporated in some of the songs but is not always necessary. I’d love to see IORR sung with Ronnie/Keith back-up vocals…. WHOOPS that’s a warhorse song! About opening acts, the Stones have throughout their history chosen opening acts like BB King, Ike & Tina, Stevie Wonder, and other great opening acts. I agree they have slipped alot in the past decades but NO opening acts is a little drastic. How about simply upgrading to choose outstanding but little known acts and if it happens to be not to your taste as a fan then go stand in the beer line. About “we the suckers” well that’s not the band’s fault. Like you said, we buy into it. So stop buying into it if you don’t like it. Stop buying the remasters. Stop paying the high ticket prices. Stop buying everything with the logo on it. That will send a bigger message than this manifesto. Bet you can’t. And finally about venues and ticket prices. I do agree, and I quit going to Stones concerts because of ticket prices. I voted with my feet but apparently a lot of you suckers say one thing and do the other. I guarantee that once you all hear “with special guest Mick Taylor” you will take out a second mortgage to get tickets if that’s what it takes. The Stones know you won’t stop spending your money so prove them wrong and stop spending it. I dare you.
Wow. Us AC/DC fans just asked for a setlist rethink, and we got pelters for that (including a rather rude brush of from Mr Johnson apparently). I shudder to think what reaction this little lot will elicit from Messrs Jagger and co..
None probably.
the third demand is an absolute joke. i’m a huge younger stones fan, never had the chance of seeing them in audience but between my cd collection and my parents vinyl/cd collection we have over 20 albums, excluding greatest hit compilations. i listen to them all the time.
the rolling stones dont owe this group anything, they’re not this groups property. the only demands i agree with are not limited to the rolling stones
What is this, “fans” acting like dicks day? First VH and now this?! If I had my way, only fans who geuinely liked the bands would be allowed a say and these posers would be told to be quiet for good! I’m sad that great bands like the Stones have to suffer with morons who’ve grown up on those burnt out 90’s acts and want them to compromise their entire identity for these people.
Only read half of it so far, but had to post this… As a fan (not a super fan, but a fan) of the Stones, I would be gutted if I went to a RS show and didn’t see Satisfaction or Sympathy… Of course they’ve got a lot more songs, but they can’t be expected to not play the songs that helped put them where they are… You’ve gotta play what the majority want to hear… Throw in some rarities too for the die hards, but who in their right mind would DEMAND classics be dropped from the set?!
As for the cheaper tickets and smaller venues, I don’t think anybody wouldn’t want that!
These are VIP ‘fans’ not the real ones who actually love the MUSIC. Fuck ‘em.
Got to say,the live footage i’ve seen of the stones in the last 20 odd years ,Charlie Watts aside,they are an absolute joke!.Bill Wyman is well rid!
I’d like to add some demmands to this list:
1. I want Brian Jones back on rhythm guitar.
2. I want Keith Richards to be able to remember how to play all the songs all the way through.
3. I want them to play Beatles covers for 75% of their set.
4. I want Ronnie Wood to get a chance to sing a few songs.
5. I want Pie.
As a non Stones fan you almost had me convinced, then you go and ruin it by slagging Third Eye Blind.
What a bunch of wankers. It’s pretty simple if they don’t fucking like it, DON’T FUCKING GO!
Hopefully they’ll do fuck all , burnt out about 1978 , saw em’ in 1980 it was hard work , They had their moment now let em’ have a nice cup of tea by the fire .
The Stones have played club shows in the past.
It is supply and demand really.Too many Stones fans are willing to play a grand for these silly hospitality packages and that feeds down to other ticket prices.
I would like to say a few words regarding the Rolling Stones. I have been a massive fan since 1978. Seen every tour since 1982 in this country and abroad. I don’t buy everything with the logo on it,just the music and a large collection of shirts.I agree with much of what is being asked for however as a musician I believe there is another problem that nobody else has mentioned.Chuck Leavell has been playing keyboards with the stones for many years now, dis-ingeniously he is not even mentioned on the Rolling Stones official site under “people”yet his importance to the band when playing live seems to grow with every tour. Am I the only person that has noticed this?.I have nothing against him personally or professionally but since when did he become musical director of the Stones?Mr Leavell counts the songs in! On many of the songs the kingpin is keyboards, bass and drums with Keith and Ronnie sounding like they are playing in another room just down the corridor.I was at the Slane castle gig on the last tour and the people around me were shouting out in no uncertain terms that they thought Keith was drunk.Reportedly now unable to self medicate due to falling out of a tree he looked confused and unsteady and at the end of the fast section of ” You Cant always get what you want” he did not have a clue where he was in the song and once again the band played on without him. Not good, not cool and not how it should be. The increasing reliance on Mr Leavell to carry the songs is stripping the guts out of them and comes across as a lazy compromise. There has been talk of Bill Wyman coming back on bass. Darryl Jones is a great player but he does not play like Bill, no need to prove how good you great you are by slipping that bass solo in at the end of “Live with me”dude. Mr Wymans’ bass playing is truly unique and so very important to the sound of The Rolling Stones. I think over and above the understandable requests for decent ticket prices and smaller indoor venues that Mick should stop leaning on Bernard Fowler vocally and the whole band should stop leaning on Mr Leavell.I love the stones, I am first to fight their corner in any discussion. Mick Taylor should play if he is up to the Job! and Bill Wyman is without a doubt essential. Get Mac from the Faces back in on keys, loose the fat and the pastiche. You can walk on the water.
This is hilarious…
More than any other sit on your ass, boring concert- band on this planet who nears your longevity. I hope they go out big, my old idols……..No frontman 30 or 50yo can still keep up with Jagger..(hear that Tyler? Roth? etc…) They lived what ALL rock and rollers sing and play music about…. ….sex, drugs, music, love, divorce, peace, war, money, dying and so on… Differnce is, NOBODY has done it as long and “big” as the Rolling Stones!!! And a true fan respects that….
For starters your 5 tours too late people…..If you wanted all these demands, where the frig were you 20 years ago when the Stones were blazing thru this world, not only as the highest grossing, most flambouyant, most costly, extravaganza band around?? You actually think a die hard fan like myself, will make demands at this stage in the game??,,, when this show (tour) will most likely be their FINAL act ever? At 70 years old…… I say, play what you want, how you want, with who you want and charge whatever you want. You gave me years,, decades, and half a century of your BEST..(Jagger especially
These demands can be aimed at a large number of bands who have lost touch with reality, primarily U2.
Look what happened at Glastonbury when they played without their multi million pond stages and effects, they were much better off without them.
However lets face it the Stones need all the distractions they can get because they are one of the sloppiest live acts ever, a decent tribute band would blow them off the stage anyw. The solution for the Rolling Stones Liberation Front is don’t go to the tours instead check out a tribute band for a tenner or less and hear how the Stones should sound like if they were a decent live act !
Good one Taff. Fully agree.
Regarding number 3, not playing Satisfaction, Sympathy, or Start Me Up is completely and totally unacceptable. These songs are some of the best, if not absolutely the best, songs in the history of rock! Adding some other songs that are rarely if ever played such as She’s So Cold, She Saw Me Coming, Let Me Go, and Fortune Teller, would be great. Retooling Jumpin Jack Flash to be similar to the version in the movie Gimme Shelter would be great. But don’t even think about not asking for those first three songs – no one else can play these songs -which define the band if not rock – like they should be played.
As much as I am not a fan of The Stones, it was very interesting to read this forum & subsequent comments. I agree with Jim in that there are certain songs that the band have to play. It would be like DP not playing Smoke On The Water. Or Boston not playing More Than A Feeling. I think they have gone over the top with their requests.