Concert Review: Rolling Stones at Mosaic Stadium

The Rolling Stones' Bigger Bang tour unfortunately bypassed Winnipeg, but the new owners of Mosaique Stadium in Regina pulled off a coup by landing the Stones for the very first time in Regina's history for two sold out shows. I was fortunate enough to land tickets for the Friday show which sold out almost instantly. When I arrived in Regina on concert day, the impression was that God or the Queen had landed there. Huge spotlights which could be seen for miles, blazed above the stadium, heralding the band's arrival. Over the course of two shows - 80,00 plus fans (does Regina have 80,000 people?) would file into the stands to be met by an imposing 98 foot high stage (the biggest built and as high as the stadium's grandstand) accompanied by the world's largest portable jumbotron. The stadium looked like a mini city and the excitement was palpable.
Three Days Grace opened the show with a tight energetic short set to luke warm reception. They performed well, but there was no question who the overwhelming majority of fans came to see. The warm up act finished as darkness enveloped the field.

After a few technical delays, the stadium lights darkened and the crowd roared. Booming fireworks lit up the night sky; smoke blanketed the entire stage; the jumbotron flashed 3D space images as the Stones' guitarist Keith Richards strode onstage to a thunderous ovation and weaved through the instantly familiar opening riffs of "Jumping Jack Flash." Another massive roar ensued as showman extraordinaire Mick Jagger burst through the fog, swaggering and gesticulating wildly as the rest of the Stones emerged. The bad boys of rock and roll punched their way through material culled from the entire gamut of their forty-four year history - from early Brian Jones era hits like "Get Off Of My Cloud," to Mick Taylor era chestnuts like "Midnight Rambler" as well tracks from their new CD "A Bigger Bang."

The Stones finished the night with "Start Me Up" segueing into their "Sticky Fingers" smash hit "Brown Sugar." For their encore, they returned to perform the haunting "You Can't Always Get What You Want" followed by Keith Richards leading the band out with (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction.

Like the great blues artists that they themselves admire such as Muddy Waters, Howling Wolf, and John Lee Hooker - the Rolling Stones - like vintage wine - seem to improve with age. As a result, "satisfaction" was had by all.

R L Rheubottom