The concert highlight of the year belongs to the Rolling Stones in Vienna! Around 60,000 people were positively on fire during the two hour show at Ernst Happel Stadium in the Austrian capital. I mean, just watch the intro below!
This is the greatest rock band on the planet, hands down. From the iconic hits such as “Sympathy for the Devil“, “Gimme Shelter“, “You Got Me Rocking” to the huge, flashy stage, and of course, the four Englishmen who took the world by storm ever since they first rocked together, and are taking it again on every tour – you’ve got it all. A feast for the eyes, ears (legs too – I danced them right off!) and spirit, and one I definitely didn’t want to miss. Thanks to the concert travel agency SviKoncerti.eu, I had the time of my life with fellow Stones fans, plus I got to meet some cool new people while en route & there – cheers, Hrvoje, Biserka, Albin & Edvin! ;)
Also, check out the whole gang here (courtesy to Tomica & svikoncerti.eu):
What I especially liked (next to those sexy visuals on “Honky Tonk Woman“) were the outfits that Mick & Co. chose for the show – so stylish and cool! In love with Ron’s jacket (photos by Matthias Hombauer):
Of course, I splurged a small fortune on the official merchandise, grabbed a lángos on the way back to the bus, and spent the time travelling back to Zagreb in thoughts coloured with pure rock’n’roll!
Now, even though I’m ecstatic to have seen them live again after so many years (Zagreb ’98, anyone?) and probably on their last tour, I actually wish they have a new album and tour soon, because this is a concert experience like no other! I can’t get no satisfaction! ;)
Tag: Vienna
“The Greatest Fight On Earth”
Things often happen in my life that have an obvious serendipitous nature. While Claudia and I were waiting for the Hurts gig to start (past Sunday), we were talking about Deathstars and their upcoming album – five minutes later, I saw the announcements for future events in Gasometer, one of them being the Deathstars gig on my birthday next year! My love for Deathstars marked a big part of my life, especially after I met Andreas and the gang on EXIT Festival in 2006 (remember that night, Olga?) Their particular brand of darkness always suited my palate, so to speak. Time to enjoy old memories of hanging out with the guys with two of my favourite songs by them, “Syndrome” and “The Greatest Fight On Earth” – until spring, my darlings!
(Andreas and I, Salzburg, Austria, April 2007)
/Such a violent syndrome tapped to your spine
It’s a virus storm and it’s about to be born
Such a violent word that wants to be heard
You got me deep within and under your skin
I’m gonna touch you inside
I’m gonna be your little child
Right where your blood runs wild
Inside, that’s where I’ll hide/
/Absorb all their fears, Collect all their minds
We’ll be the snakes wherever they’ll play
And we’ll be the demons whenever they’ll pray
…It’ will be the greatest fight on the earth
Snatch the wings of a fly
Spit on them and nail them to my spine
Say ”little insect now fly away”
But I’ll be the demon in every psalm you pray
The disease, the love, the claws, the blood
The empty clinics of savaged hearts
The rusty nails in lidless eyes
…And the skin won’t ever be cleansed from the dirt…
Come here
Now come here
Let me smell your fears/
We’re in Exile… Hurts Show & Meeting Theo
What could I possibly say that doesn’t fall short of the amazing performance Hurts gave just a few nights ago in Vienna? I’ve tried my best in my review for Venia Mag and that is all I can offer, beside a heart that beats to their songs and spirit that calls out “Evelyn” for years now… And the meeting with Theo, oh, the meeting with Theo… His embrace and words took my breath away…
And now Theo and Adam have my book too! Even now I can’t quite grasp the notion, but I was even less myself in the presence of this man, this poet. He was so pleasantly surprised by the gift that he gave me an embrace right away, and his words could’ve melted the deepest ice…
Another connection happened minutes later – Claudia and I were wearing my fan-made t-shirts with my favourite lyrics from “Evelyn” and Theo, spotting the inscription, said they were his favourite lyrics! You could’ve killed me right then and there and I wouldn’t be able to remember even my name, let alone something else… We then talked about how they “describe the band perfectly” and remembered the hotel sign in Berlin Theo tweeted about not so long ago. The smiles, the photos again… the embrace.
And now all we can think of is July and seeing them on a summer festival in Hungary. Hopefully the same crew again on the Exile: 
Claudia, Sabina, Ivana, Vesna and moi! And Theo, the orchestra that played in my mind in “What if” is from “Evelyn“… I will never mind, the lullabies from the machines…