Shine A Light
(dir. Martin Scorsese)
If you're into the Stones, Martin Scorsese's new concert film is a treat. Stacks of cameras roam around the small concert hall, getting in so close you can see Mick Jagger's fillings and the deep lines carved on their faces. It's like watching the Mount Rushmore heads rock out.
After the brief intro section that has Scorsese stressing about the setlist, and the Clintons showing up to shake hands backstage and welcome them onto stage, it's pretty much two hours of solid hits from the Bigger Bang tour, spanning their loooooong back catalogue. Start Me Up, Jumping Jack Flash, Satisfaction, Sympathy For The Devil etc are all there, but what's cool is that they also head into some of the slightly more obscure numbers - She Was Hot, Shattered, Faraway Eyes, and a great acoustic version of As Tears Go By.
Jack White sits in on Loving Cup, Christina Aguilera shows up for a little pantomime bump 'n grind with Mick on Live With Me, and Buddy Guy storms through Champagne And Reefer, earning himself a guitar from Keith Richards in the process. These breaks are also complemented by the traditional give-Mick-a-breather bit where Keith and Ronnie Wood take over - and also by some nicely placed retro footage from their whole career, reminding you just how they got here. No real shots of Brian Jones, Bill Wyman or Mick Taylor, which is a little odd maybe, but this is really about the Stones now. Over and over as the decades pass in the interview clips they're asked how long they think they can still keep going. The answer seems to be: as long as they're still here. There's a great shot of Charlie Watts early on, smiling into the camera - exhausted, but loving it. Can't ask for much more.
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12th Apr 2008 - Tumblr
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