........IT'S A GAS GAS GAS!

Santiago Bernabau Stadium, home of Real Madrid Football Club, is one of the world's most famous sporting stadiums. It's four tiers rise almost vertically forming an intimidating colosseum. However on Wednesday 25th June 2014, there's no round ball being kicked around, for rock'n'roll's most revered geriatrics are in town playing for the first time - and no doubt the last - in Madrid in 10 years before an adoring (and surprisingly young) crowd. It may come as something of a surprise, but I've never seen The Rolling Stones in concert before (neither has Dulcinea). The thing is, I like them, really like their classic 60's and early 70's stuff, but I don't love them. However, the concert going CV would be seriously lacking if I had never seen them play, even if it is in the unlikely location of Madrid.

Dulcinea - rock chica

Spanish TV star in front of us - the one on the left!

Spaniards in a night club is one thing, 60,000 of them packed into a confined space is utterly intoxicating when the opening bars of 'Jumping Jack Flash' erupt from the PA.

 From that point until the last note of 'Satisfaction' 2 1/2 hours later, they are a show within themselves, lifting the roof off Bernabau (well, they would have if it had one!). But this was a landmark night for us. As Mick, Keith, Charlie and Ronnie grow older they collectively seem to look more and more alike, all of their faces resembling a contour map of the Swiss Alps, but they were far more sprightly than we expected a 73 year old, two 70 year olds and a 67 year old to be, even if they did carefully manage their time on and off stage. And while the night was one to remember, there was an incongruousness to it - there's something a bit zany about Mick pouting, prancing (moving like Jagger), and going through numerous changes of clothes (the diaphanous black number couldn't hide his man boobs though!) while his two sidekicks adopted consistent guitar hero poses - but they clearly enjoyed themselves and it was GREAT.

I've gotta....

....move like Jagger!

They played OK. Charlie obviously doesn't go anywhere (quote from Dulcinea: "he looked like he didn't want to be there. The only time he smiled was when he waved goodbye at the end!"), but the other three are in their own bubbles, rarely coming together and at times it was like they were playing three different songs and oblivious to one another.

A rare moment together

 Oddly, there was little interest shown in maintaining the crowd at fever pitch with lengthy bouts of silence between songs. A the mid point, Mick made an exit (probably for some oxygen!) and Keith sucked all the air out of the audience with two turns at the microphone; it was interesting also to see the teleprompter being put to gut use when he "sang"! Did it matter? Of course not. With such a superb songbook to draw from, and with a crowd that erupted into singing with each and every one of them, then the music looked after itself. Did it matter that Keith wasn't playing half the time - of course not, especially when Mick Taylor is waiting in the wings! Did it matter that it was, for the most part, rough and raw - of course not, this is rock'n'roll after all.

Pretty agile for 70 year olds

Chuck, Charlie and Darryl

Chuck and the boys

Some highlights: the modern day phenomenon of a sea of arms in the air and LCD screens glowing in the dark - an amazing sight;

LCD screens!

the mobile beer salesman designated to the gold seat section - very civilised;

Beer on tap - Madrid style

proceedings took on an almost cabaret feel as each member of the band was formally introduced to the crowd - it was corny to say the least;

Introducing Mick...

....Keef...

....Charlie.....

....and Ronnie

former Allman Brothers Band pianist Chuck Leavell was GREAT; Bobby Keys on sax, a permanent fixture since 1970, was GREAT; Mick Taylor was GREAT, even if 'Midnight Rambler' literally rambled interminably on; backing singer Lisa Fischer was GREAT - BIG voice, BIG hair, BIG boots, BIG....well, EVERYTHING about Lisa was BIG and BEAUTIFUL and her performance on 'Gimme Shelter' left Mick in her BIG shadow (Footnote: check out a recent documentary called 'Twenty Feet From Stardom' - it's about the life of a backing singer and Lisa is a major part of it); the expectation and excitement of opening song was GREAT, especially for someone who has never seen The Stones before; a cracking rendition of 'Like A Rolling Stone' was GREAT ("we haven't done this one for a long time"); Mick speaking in Spanish with an East London accent was funny, but GREAT (you can imagine the crowd's reception); and as I've already said, the crowd was SERIOUSLY GREAT!

The Rolling Stones rocked Madrid's (and our) socks off for one last time - they won't be back. It was a night of sheer joy. Sure, they're well past their prime and frankly, should stop now. But there are things that transcend the purely analytical, and 60,000 delirious fans are testament that it doesn't really matter how good or bad these rock'n'roll immortals sound, their mere presence and the might of their songs is enough in itself to raise a crowd to fever pitch, and justification for them to keep rolling on - just don't expect them to sound fantastic anymore. I left with one major regret - I wish I'd seen them 40 years ago!!

Thanks.....

....for....

....the.....

....memories.

Here's what they played:

Jumping Jack Flash
Yopu Got Me Rocking
It's Only Rock'n'Roll (But I Like It)
Tumblin' Dice

Angie (low point of the night - Mick's vocals were awful and the song was almost unrecognisable)

Keith goes acoustic on 'Angie'

Like A Rolling Stone (online song vote winner with 80,000 votes)
Doom & Gloom
Out Of Control
Honky Tonk Woman
You Got The Silver (Keith on lead vocals - dreadful)
Can't Be Seen With You (Refer above!)
Midnight Rambler - featuring Mick Taylor on lead guitar, it did drag on though!
Miss You - thunderous bass from Darryl Jones
Gimme Shelter - Lisa Fischer almost stole the show
Start Me Up
Sympathy For The Devil
Brown Sugar
Encore:
You Can't Always Get What You Want - fantastic, with Choir JORCAM
Satisfaction - what a way to bring down the curtain

BIG OIL RETIREE VISITS IBERIA

Thirty seven years ago (can it really be that long) when I joined Mobil Oil as a 10 year old (!), the first person to introduce himself to me was Dave Kranz and we have been 'lifelong' friends ever since. Dave has finally come to his senses and retired from The Horse after a globetrotting career in excess of 40 years, and is currently in Crete living the well earned good life, working hard at doing nothing. On his way, he dropped in to Madrid for a couple of nights with his partner Liza. We had a couple of lovely days strolling around the streets of the city, checking out some of the landmarks and, crucially, partaking of fine Spanish culinary delights.

Dave, Liza, Gran Via and the magnificent Metropolis Building....

........Palacio de Cibeles in the background....

.....the bear and the strawberry tree, the emblem of Madrid...

.....beautiful Plaza Mayor

 The highlight of this was having lunch at STREETXO, the seafood/Asian fusion food bar that serves dishes taken from its Michelin *** parent restaurant Diverxo. And whilst Estado Puro near the Musee Prado is still fabulous, Streetxo is now Don L's lunch venue of choice for visiting dignitaries.

Streetxo - no frills and brilliant

Smoked razor clams

Calamari rolls (bocadillos calamares)

Pekinese dumplings

Hot & sour Ramen black pig......

.......egg yolk and sweet paprika added

Dig in!!

We rounded out it all with dinner that night at Puxa Asturies, a local bistro that specialises in delicious Asturian (northern Spain) cuisine.

Dave and Liza's next stop was the sleepy Portuguese coastal town of Vila Nova de Milfontes, south of Lisbon, where yet another member of the retired Horse fraternity, Barry Harker and the lovely Dorville, are chilling out. And so we loaded up Rocinante and headed off. We crossed the rolling plains of western Spain, stopping occasionally at villages that time has passed by, and entering the heavily forested terrain of Portugal. Along the highway, we witnessed a sight I haven't previously seen on the LegsyBoys' expeditions - hundreds of white stork nests perched on power line pylons (it will come as no surprise that the major cause of unnatural deaths in this beautiful species is electrocution!). The Spanish white stork is historically a migratory bird that heads to north Africa, but in recent years the migration has significantly dropped off. Whatever the reason, it's a truly amazing sight to see all these storks building and living in their nests - a true high wire act!

The drive to south of Lisbon wasn't pretty, refineries, fuel terminals, power plants dotting the landscape, so we were astonished to find that Milfontes was BEAUTIFUL, a vista of white washed villas perched on the river mouth. We had a stroll around to take in the view, checked out the memorial to Beires, Gouveia and Paes (the first flight from Portugal to Macau - a Portuguese dominion at the time - in 1924) partook of the local fare at a 'cash only' restaurant (Barry says the Portuguese haven't quite cottoned on to credit cards as yet!) and then a couple of glasses of the local brew.

Barry & Dorville's hacienda, Milfontes

Idyllic

Dave, Liza, Dorville, Barry

Milfontes - Macau memorial

It got me to thinking as we sat around enjoying the evening....just how good is this life? Who'd have thought that 3 annuitants from the Flying Red Horse would be congregated in a tiny hamlet on the Portuguese south coast, enjoying a quiet glass or two and looking forward to whatever next lies around the retired corner. I left before everybody was up the following morning, driving home via previously Spanish countryside previously uncharted by the LegsyBoys and popping in to Salamanca on the way.

Only in Spain

Stunning countryside

Salamanca Plaza Mayor

 I gotta tell you, there is some extraordinarily beautiful countryside out there, but that's another adventure. In the meantime, Thanks for popping in Dave, and I'm guessing the next haircut will be when you get a job - haha!