Rolling stones Ušće BG 14.7.2007

With Igor, Maja, Tone, and Katja we decided to go to the Rolling Stones concert in Belgrade. We took the whole package from Ljubljana. Transport, accommodation, and tickets. We met in the Tivoli parking lot on night 13.7.2007 around 22h. From there we got on one of the buses with the rest of the passengers. Soon party started, cocktail mixing and singing songs from Rolling stones. We arrived in Belgrade early in the morning a bit tired.

After setting in the hotel we moved into the city center. We crossed Knez Mihajova street (main pedestrian and shopping zone), sit for a drink, and later to eat. Late in the afternoon, we arrived at Ušče, the location of the concert. Ušće is the biggest park in Belgrade on the confluence (meaning of Ušće) of Sava and Danube rivers. There we sat on grass drinking and talking before the beginning of the concert.

This was the first concert in Serbia in bend’s 45-year history. It was canceled in 2003, because of the assassination of Serbian prime minister Zoran Đinđić. The concert in 2006 was postponed for a year because Keith fell off the tree, crack his skull, and had an operation. Also with the venue, there was a problem. First, it should be at the hippodrome. But because it would upset 400 horses in stables they moved it to Ušće. Ušće also had political connotation, while Milošević has his nationalist speeches here that led to war in the Balkans in the 1990s. In a way, this concert was marking a new era for Serbia.

A Bigger Bang Tour

This concert was part of A Bigger Bang Tour 2005-2007 with 147 shows (before Budva, Montenegro, after Bucharest, Romania). At the time highest gross tour with more than half a billion of $, later superseded just by U2 360 tour. The size of the stage was stunning, 25 meters tall, 80 meters wide (central monitor, light show to left and right), additional B-stage, 800 tons of equipment transported in 68 trucks. For this concert, they sold 59,000 tickets, not the expected 100,000. They cost 2850 dinars or 35 euros. The ones for seats by the stage, 2,500 of them, at the price of 4350 dinars. The most expensive, VIP tickets, 2,000 of them, with the price of 24,350 dinars were sold out.

Warm up

Električni Orgazam, cult bend from Jugoslavia era with frontman Gile was the first of two warmup acts, famous local bend. They were on before 6pm, and with many fans, we were still enjoying resting by the river of Dunab as they were playing Igra rokenrol cela Jugoslavija. Then next was Belfast bend The Answer – a band from Belfast, performing from 7:30pm until 8:30pm.

Concert

After too long of a wait (1h) the Rolling stones came to stage (Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ron Wood and Charlie Watts in Serbian Mik Džeger, Kit Ričards, Roni Vud, Čarli Vots). They opened up with Start me up and audience was already trilled. Continuing with You got me rocking. Nextsong that uplifted people was You Can’r Always Get What You Want. After Tumbling dice Mick introduced bend. It was followed by Keith’s solo performance of You Got The Silver and Wanna Hold You. They put in higher gear with next songs on B-stage (Miss You, It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll, Satisfaction, Honky Tonk Women). On return to main stage they were building even more of the atmosphere with Sympathy For The Devil, Paint It Black and Jumpin’ Jack Flash. They returned for the encore with Brown Sugar and after fireworks it was the end after 2 hours of spectale.

The concert was well executed with all machinery behind it. From bend as Rolling stones, one even doesn’t expect anything less. Mick was really great, full of energy, all around the stage, changing outfit communicating in Serbian with the audience (Zdravo Beograde! Hvala vam lijepo, presretni smo što smo ovdje! comment of Lisa’s outfit). Keith was not present at some moments, kneeled while playing solo and hardly stood up. Ronnie was performing as he should. Lisa Fisher was also memorable.

After the concert, most of the people rushed out, but we took it slowly. We started to walk toward the hotel after some time. We stopped a taxi and 5 of us went with it. We arranged the price upfront, it was 50% more than usual but OK, it is a concert, hard to get a ride. When we arrived at the hotel he wanted to charge us that price per person. I stayed last and explained that overcharging will not pass while I know the prices there. He had some bitter comments and that was it.

The next morning it was time for some touristic sightseeing as House of flower (Tito’s final resting place), Marakana stadium … We arrived in Slovenia in the late afternoon. Good concert, good company, nice city. But this was my last visit to the Rolling Stones concert, I saw them before in Zagreb, and in Belgrade, I think it was the last memorable show worth visiting.

All fotos by Maja

Setlist Rolling stones Beograd-Ušće, 14.7.2007

1. Start Me Up
2. You Got Me Rocking
3. Rough Justice
4. All Down The Line
5. (Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo) Heartbreaker
6. You Can’r Always Get What You Want
7. Midnight Rambler
8. I’ll Go Crazy
9. Tumbling Dice
10. You Got The Silver (Keith)
11. Wanna Hold You (Keith)
12. Miss You (to b stage)
13. It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll (b stage)
14. Satisfaction (b stage)
15. Honky Tonk Women (back to main stage)
16. Sympathy For The Devil
17. Paint It Black
18. Jumpin’ Jack Flash

Encore

19. Brown Sugar

Personnel

Rolling Stones

Mick Jagger – lead vocals, guitars, harmonica, keyboards
Keith Richards – rhythm guitars, backing vocals, vocals
Ronnie Wood – lead guitar
Charlie Watts – drums

Additional musicians

Darryl Jones – bass
Chuck Leavell – keyboards, backing vocals
Bernard Fowler – backing vocals
Lisa Fischer – backing vocals, percussion
Blondie Chaplin – backing vocals, acoustic guitar
Bobby Keys – saxophone
Tim Ries – saxophone, keyboards
Michael Davis – trombone
Kent Smith – trumpet