“I can’t go on pretending to be eighteen much longer” – Mick, 9/25/81

The “greatest day in rock” (i.e. the June 17, 1978 Rolling Stones/Bonnie Parker Band doubleheader attended by a score of 340 Clubbers; see 12/17’s virtual club entry) was indeed a spectacular day but was not a critical success for the Stones. Mick had a severe cold and the band was far from on point. Thus, when the 1981 tour was being planned Mick insisted that the lid lifter be in Philadelphia.

After a warm up in a club in Worcester Mass; the Stones opened their Tattoo You tour on September 25, 1981 at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia. Unlike ’78, I ventured to Philly for my 5th Stones show, case of beer in tow, by myself. God it was great to be young. Needless to say by the time I approached the sports complex exits on the Surekill I was feeling no pain. Gratefully traffic was moving very slowly. In fact so slowly that I bought my ticket (tickets since the scalper insisted a pair or nothing) on the highway during a traffic jam. Memory tells me that I paid $20 for the pair and traded the 2nd in for a tee-shirt.

Here is the setlist:
Take the A Train
Under My Thumb
When The Whip Comes Down
Neighbours
Just My Imagination
Shattered
Let’s Spend The Night Together
Black Limousine
She’s So Cold
Time Is On My Side
Beast Of Burden
Waiting On A Friend
Let It Bleed
Band introduction
You Can’t Always Get What You Want
Tops
Tumbling Dice
Hang Fire
Let Me Go
Little T & A
Start Me Up
Miss You
Honky Tonk Women
All Down The Line
Brown Sugar
Jumping Jack Flash
Street Fighting Man
Satisfaction

I remember much of the show but my most poignant memory is the last song before the powerful SFM/Satisfaction encore – Jumpin’ Jack Flash. Near the the end of the song a cherry picker descends on stage and Jagger gets in the basket (see the cab river video in the previous post) and rises and then extends out over the crowd tossing roses. I had a great seat (a great stand actually) not too far back from where the bucket hung. It was powerful; I was drunk; I cried (as I am apt to do at a Stones show). I remember thinking it would be really cool if they did “Emotional Rexcue” as their encore because we were all in need of one. Instead they slammed us deeper into need with a rousing Street Fightin’ Man and Satisfaction. After the show I remember venturing deep into North Philly to see some barmaid who never earned a number but took me home and gimmee a bath to help me sober up.