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A Rollin' Stoned "Cold Cold Winter" Warmer at the Half Moon |
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"Good evening Putney!" are usually the
first words out of Mick's mouth after a rousing rendition of
"Start me up" at the famous Half Moon. With the smell
of joss sticks, the tie-dye and tongue drapes and the pounding
of R'n'B, there is already a heady atmosphere before the group
appear. Non-believers may mock at the thought of would-be Stones
dressed in band "costumes" and strutting their stuff to a mainly
middle-aged audience. Having seen more than my share of bewigged
and besuited Beatle tribute bands, my first impression would
be to ridicule but something sets the Stoned apart. This band
can really play. After a couple of numbers you are back in the
late '60's, sharing songs of society girls gone wrong, drug-induced
euphoria and bitter break-ups. "I won't forget to put roses
on your grave" snarls Mick as Keith staggers around mimicking
"the human riff".
On a cold February night we warmed
to "Brown Sugar", the vengeful "Bitch" and early
classics like "Route 66", and "Not fade away".
As Jagger himself goes onstage and "becomes" Mick Jagger, so
it is with the Stoned, with the band members getting completely
in character - Bill motionless and cool behind his shades, Keith
stumbling around, whisky bottle in hand, Charlie beaming from
the back, Nicky quite serious on keyboards and Mick (Waylor)
shyly concentrating on his blues at the back. Mick Jaguar has
clearly watched more videos than the most ardent fan as he has
the moves down to a tee, from the wicked scowls in "Sympathy
for the devil" to the scissor kicks and camp stances of
the glam years.
The arrival of "Byron", always "sorry
I'm late" with his angel wings and plethora of artificial stimulants
is always met with anticipation. The first time I heard him
speak I got got cold shivers as he sounds so much like Brian
it's uncanny, not to mention the physical resemblance. He had
lost none of his charm on 12th Feb as he joined the rest of
the band for "She's a rainbow", proving once again that
Rollin'Stoned are not just a hits tribute band.
One Half Moon regular, Tyrone, requested
his fave, "Midnight Rambler" at which Jaguar obliged,
transporting the audience back to a hot summer in 1969 with
the satanic vibes of Altamont and sexually charged menace of
the counterculture's uncertain future. Swirling a sweaty scarf
above his head he interacted with Keith, teasing Byron into
the bargain.
It really is a case of having the
atmosphere of a small club which (unless you are very lucky)
you are unlikely to ever experience with the genuine article.
Mick constantly interacts with the crowd, eyeing up the women,
getting the audience to sing "Angie" and the beginning
of "Gimme Shelter", asking for requests. At this particular
gig, someone asked for "Memo from Turner", showing that
the audience are clearly hardcore fans. Totally in character,
he quickly retorted that Keith would get upset about the bathroom
scenes with Anita. This is fans playing to fans!
One of the standout tracks from
12th had to be "Out of time", with Brian and Nicky providing
backing vocals. Before long us women got the chance to dance
onstage with the band for a chaotic "Honky Tonk Women"
just as the band had women dance to this track on their stadium
tours. Ever professional, the band failed to miss a note as
us ladies cavorted around them, turning the whole gig into a
massive party.
Two hours is a long time to play
without a break but it certainly passes quickly. Before we know
it the band are climbing offstage, saying farewell and it is
time to leg it for the last train home. It would be a dream
to be able to see the Stones on a regular basis but their sellout
tours seem to get fewer and farther apart. In the meantime while
"you can't always get what, you want but if you try sometimes,
you just might find, you get what you need!" Here's to the next
Stoned experience!
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