State Farm Stadium
8th May 2024

And you thought Al Jourgensen was old? Mick Jagger will turn 81 in July, so sets a new record for the oldest performer I’ve seen in concert – he was born about six weeks before Roger Waters. The Rolling Stones as a whole were founded several years before I was born, with Jagger and Keith Richards having been continual members for the 62 years since. Hell, the first time they played Phoenix was in 1965. Tickets cost $4.50, and among the crowd that night was a young Vince Furnier. He’d go on to become Alice Cooper, and open for the Stones when they played the first concert at what’s now State Farm Stadium in 2006.

I’ve never been a particular fan, but Chris is, and there’s no denying, the Stones are icons – maybe the most famous rock band in the world? Hard to think of any who surpass them overall, in terms of longevity, influence and impact, across a range of musical genres. But would Mick be able to cut it, at an age when simply “not being dead” is an achievement?

It was our second visit to State Farm Stadium, home of the Arizona Cardinals – neither were to see them. The previous trip was close to fourteen years ago, for Wrestlemania 26. I see I was annoyed then at my $80 seat not including parking. /laughs in 2024. Admittedly, our seats were less nose-bleed this time, and pleasantly padded. Before getting to the Stones, we had to endure support act Carín León. If we wanted to hear shitty norteño music – basically, the Mexican equivalent of country and Western – we’d open our window on a Saturday night.

Jagger and crew took the stage surprisingly late, at 9:20 pm. I mean, a lot of the audience were probably getting ready for bed at that time on a normal night, and the only thing greater than the average age of the crowd, was likely the average age of the Rolling Stones. But, dammit, if I have half Jagger’s energy as I enter my ninth decade, I’ll be delighted. I don’t know how many miles he clocked around the stage and out along the walkway into the crowd over the course of the next two hours. You have to be impressed. His voice might not be quite what it was, but it was good enough, especially given the classic nature of songs like Start Me Up, Jumping Jack Flash and Gimme Shelter.

Colleagues Richards and Ronnie Wood weren’t quite as spry. To be honest, when the former started going down the runway, I was worried he’d not be able to find his way back and we’d have to trigger a Silver Alert to get him rescued. Still, can’t deny the musicianship on display, with a tight band behind them and Jagger. Perhaps the highlight was a nine-minute version of Miss You [above, footage from the Houston show a week earlier], though personally, I preferred Sympathy for the Devil, a Stones song I’m particularly familiar with through Laibach’s cover.

It’s amazing how, after playing for sixty years, Jagger seemed genuinely pleased to be on stage. He remembered previous trips to Phoenix, saying his favourite show was the 1981 one, which formed the bulk of concert film Let’s Spend the Night Together, when they “accidentally set fire to Sun Devil Stadium.” He’s not kidding. According to reports, on that night, the band was playing Sympathy For The Devil – because, of course it was that song – when sparks ignited garbage stored under the bleachers behind the stage, “with flames eventually shooting up 30 feet.” The band kept right on going, into Honky Tonk Woman, as the fire was extinguished. No such unscheduled pyrotechnics occurred on this occasion.

Instead, the evening ended, appropriately enough, in Satisfaction – another song I know more from a cover, this time by Devo. Though unlike Mr. Jagger, I was indeed well satisfied, for its opening notes are among the most iconic in rock history, and that’s really what this was about. It was an opportunity to witness a seminal band, whose touring days are inevitably numbered (I was kinda relieved nobody dropped dead on-stage). They may no longer be at their ferocious and frenzied peak, yet the Rolling Stones possess a catalogue of legendary songs, perhaps unmatched by any group still taking the stage. A cheap night out? Certainly not. But as I head inexorably towards Jagger’s age, I’m more inclined to value experiences over assets, and this was certainly an experience to remember.

Setlist

• Start Me Up
• It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll (but I Like It)
• She’s So Cold
• Angry
• Beast of Burden
• Monkey Man
• Mess It Up
• Tumbling Dice
• You Can’t Always Get What You Want
• Little T&A
• Sympathy for the Devil
• Honky Tonk Women
• Miss You
• Gimme Shelter
• Paint It Black
• Jumpin’ Jack Flash
  Encore:
• Sweet Sounds of Heaven
• (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction