The Rolling Stones’ longlasting legacy on stage has been highlighted by one tour in particular, which fans say is the “tightest” they ever sounded.
Still touring after the release of 2023’s Hackney Diamonds, the ‘Stones long-running stage presence has seen them perform hundreds of times across the globe. But a tour promoting Steel Wheels in 1989 has been tipped as the band’s finest hour by dedicated fans of the band. The album of the same name released in 1989 and was hailed as a major comeback for the Mick Jagger-fronted group. It appears their tour was of the same quality, as fans continue to praise the performance over thirty-five years later.
One user, who took to The Rolling Stones’ subreddit, wrote: “I don’t care what anyone says, this was the tightest the band ever got. Flashpoint is such a phenomenal collection of tight performances.” Another has suggested why the show may have been of an exceptional quality, claiming it was a perfect storm for each member of the band.
They wrote: “Yeah that time period after Keith was off the heavy stuff and his arthritis hadn’t taken hold too badly helped him play more consistently, and Ronnie was always tight in those days, even though he was, you know, partying like it was still the 70s. I do think the band got even tighter in the 90s but that was probably because a sessions bass player contributed big time to the band’s clock.
Steel Wheels Tour 1989
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“He basically took on the clock role and smoothed out some things rhythmically. I like Bill’s tone and riffs better but he didn’t have the grounding effect that Darryl Jones did, which nowadays is essential.” Fans are reliving their attendance at these concerts, saying it remains “the best concert experience” of all.
One wrote: “Saw this tour in St Louis. second row centre stage. Unbelievable. The best concert experience I have ever seen and I have been to over a hundred.” Another wrote: “Great tour to back up an excellent album.”
A third added: “I’m another who saw this tour in STL and it was truly amazing. Keith was an absolute MONSTER. He looked like he was having the time of his life and he just owned the (enormous!) stage.”
Fans have also tipped Flashpoint, the live album which compiles performances from the Steel Wheels tour, as an incredible offering from The Rolling Stones. One wrote: “From the standpoint of pure visual aesthetics—colours, outfits, typographies, etc.—this is my absolute favourite tour. Only got to see it on IMAX a decade later but still remember that night fondly.”
