After 71 American shows, the Rolling Stones A Bigger Bang tour is over for the USA, with just one more to go, the final show of the world tour about to conclude in Vancouver, Canada.
The Stones wrapped up the American leg of the tour last night in Los Angeles at Dodger Stadium with special guest Bonnie Raitt who joined the band for a dueling vocal with Mick Jagger of the country rock classic 'Dead Flowers'.Keith Richards introduced another special guest at the show, Dr Andrew from New Zealand who he called his "head doctor" pointing to his noggin and referring to the surgeon who looked after him after his fall from a coconut tree in New Zealand earlier this year.
This was my forth Stones show on the A Bigger Bang tour after having seen the early days of the tour in San Francisco and covering the Australian leg in Sydney and Melbourne. I must say that for these guys to pull off an event such as this that has lasted well over a year after 40 years in the biz is incredible. It scares me to wonder who will carry on the legacy of the stadium band if ever they decide "no more".
The setlist was cut as the band came on late due to a road spill near LAX which delayed the audience getting to the venue on time, but nonetheless, we were still treated to 2 hours and 15 minutes of the greatest songs from the greatest rock and roll band in the world.
And if that wasn't good enough, the pyrotechnics with the fireworks at the start and finish and the Stones performing in a cloud of hell-driven smoke and sparklers during 'Sympathy For The Devil' just sealed the deal.
Unlike a lot of bands of their caliber who do "a paint by numbers" set list, The Stones made it interesting for the crowd, mixing up the set with some lesser played songs. " This is the forth show in the Los Angeles area on the A Bigger Bang tour and we are going to make it interesting for you" Mick told the 70,000 + crowd. It was brilliant to hear 'She Was Hot', and Keith doing 'You Got The Silver' and 'Connected'.
There were only two songs from 'A Bigger Bang', "Streets of Love" and "Oh No Not You Again".
The setlist for the final American show in 2006 was:
Jumping Jack Flash
It's Only Rock and Roll
Let's Spend The Night Together
She Was Hot
Dead Flowers (with Bonnie Raitt)
Street of Love
All Down The Line
Midnight Rambler
Tumbling Dice
You Got The Silver (Keith Richards)
Connected (Keith Richards)
Under My Thumb (B stage)
Oh No Not You Again (B stage)
Start Me Up (B stage)
Honky Tonk Women (B Stage)
Sympathy For The Devil
Paint It Black
Satisfaction
Brown Sugar
