Beez Neez now Chy Whella

The Last Time

Big Bear and Pepe Millard

Sat 22 Nov 2014 23:57

The Last Time – To See The Rolling Stones

We had a lovely slack morning, hired a car from next door – cheaper than the taxi to the train station and back. Dressed in our tee shirts, Bear in his distressed American tongue, me in A Bigger Bang from Paris, 2006. A Bigger Bang was the worldwide tour that took place between August 2005 and August 2007, in support of their album of the same name. It was the highest grossing tour of all time at that time. It earned $558,255,524, and now lies second, behind U2's 2009 to 2011 U2 360 Tour. Whatever the UK can or cannot do they do make a good rock band...... Off we went to our very last Rolling Stones concert, this time called 14 On Fire Tour.

We drove from the Silver Oaks to station by four o’clock. Took the free train ride to Mount Smart, followed the sign and the few people who had come as early as us all clutching our tickets.

After a ten minute bimble we were looking at the extensive array of merchandise for sale at one of the many stalls. We were second in queue in the ‘no bags’ line, the other lines had hundreds waiting, we did good. We found our seats and admired the massive stage. Bear excited, methinks the cheesy grin says it all. Oh yes, have you seen your face.

Ok I’m excited and now wearing the only Twickenham shirt - in the whole arena. Bear bought me this shirt, funnily enough the only time I saw them in England. Added to Wales, Paris and now New Zealand.

Spits of rain didn’t stop anyone, some came dressed for real rain, but soon the place was full. Mexican waves going and a great atmosphere.

The opening at seven was the Australian band - Hunters and Collectors, we thoroughly enjoyed their set.

Shortly before eight, we saw the sky monkeys climbing into their nests. Not long now.

Just after eight the stage went red, there they were and the first notes blared out from the kit that fills two 747 aeroplanes. The Rolling Stones have grossed over a billion and a half dollars in tours. Over a billion are in order U2, Bruce Springsteen, Madonna and Bon Jovi, so many others class the Stones as the greatest rock band ever.

Mick now 73, Keef 70, Ronnie 67 and Charlie 73. Sadly, this is why we assume that this will indeed be the last time we see them on a world tour. If they do tour again we’ll most certainly be getting tickets. Back to tonight, by the second song we were both in ‘the groove’ and bobbing like crazy, singing at the top of our voices.

The audience on line vote from a list of six was... Like a Rolling Stone. Despite their 281 combined years they are simply....Terrific.

After a great concert the boys left the stage. Back on for their encore how delighted was I that after Miss You I had seven minutes and twenty two seconds of my favourite – Gimme Shelter, with Lisa Fischer doing her stuff and Mick trotting up the runway and back, ditto Lisa and them ending up next to each other. Of course to my ears Merry Clayton was THE one, but Lisa gave her all and ably aided by Bernard Fowler.

Ronnie, Keith with Mick Taylor and of course Darryl Jones.

A true fan just loves to watch the boys.

Fifty years of magic.

I could just make out Bears cheesy as he listened to Sympathy for the Devil – another of the finale songs, we ended with fireworks, bows and cheers.

Lights on the stage boys got to the big task of dismantling. We followed the wave of people from the stadium and along the road back to the station. Once there we were told that the trains were only going toward the city, there were buses to Northshore – nothing, nudda, nunca to Onehunga and our little car. Nothing for it but to bimble. A variety of folk pointed straight, said “fifty minutes”, “keep going”, “you’ll get to it”. Angry, not a bit of it. We could have got a taxi but that rather defeated the earlier plan that Bear had cooked up. Time to chat over our evening.

We took on the fifty minute, two and a half mile tramp in the fine drizzle like troopers and at a steady speed. We stopped at a shop filled with more ride-in model cars than we have ever seen before, then a very festive shop and finally saw the Onehunga sign for the train station car park. Back to our B+B nest. Very happy Bears.