The Stones' 'London trilogy', as it's known, continues in much smaller surroundings than where it began. London is one of a select group of cities on the 'Licks' tour to be granted the full stadium/arena/club mix. The fact that the Astoria is only a club in the eyes of the Stones and their management doesn't matter one iota - this is as up close and personal as it gets.
For those expecting wall-to-wall rarities, the opening 'Jumpin' Jack Flash' may have come as something of a shock. What's even more surprising is how it burns at a menacing mid-tempo, just like the original 45, with Keith Richards' waspish guitar slashes cranked way past 11 and Mick Jagger, T-shirt flapping as he works the small stage, enunciating every word as if it's just been written.
After that though, the diehards get their wish - "We're going to do a few different songs for you tonight," Jagger announces. There follows a pumped-up, sleazy 'Live With Me', the honky tonk rock of 'Hand Of Fate', a gentle 'No Expectations' and 'Worried About You' with Jagger pulling out a hair-raising falsetto sat at the electric piano. Despite their relative obscurity, all are played with real drive and the band, despite some anxious glances and fluffed chords, make it through. Watching the Stones fly by the seat of their pants really is something worth seeing.
However it's noticeable by now that Ronnie Wood isn't actually playing very much - he smokes, he pulls faces, he plays with his trousers, but he does very little with his guitar. This leaves Keith to play the benevolent big brother, which he does with real gusto, cracking his skeletal grin and relishing rediscovering those dusty old licks.
The soul revue the Stones deliver in the middle of the set gives him ample opportunity to do that. They revisit Solomon Burke's 'Everybody Needs Somebody To Love' and Otis Redding's 'That's How Strong My Love Is', songs unheard live since the quality of their own material dispensed with the need for covers. The horn section do a fine job of lifting the guitar-heavy mix to a funkier plane while Jagger urges the strangely subdued crowd to move some part of their anatomy.
After Keith's two songs, which pass by enjoyably, Mick resumes centre stage for one more nod to their roots in the shape of Otis Redding's 'I Can't Turn You Loose', before the showstoppers are wheeled out. Ronnie's solo on 'Start Me Up' is inaudible, possibly deliberately, but 'Honky Tonk Women', 'Brown Sugar' and 'Satisfaction' bring the gig to a thundering close.
While not perfect technically, these 90 minutes were still a stunning reminder of how the Stones can deliver without any of the overblown trappings of a stadium show. And while Sunday was ruled by Mick, the Astoria belonged to Keith. In an ideal world they would say farewell to the stadiums forever and give more people the chance to experience very special nights like these.
