Tonight I listened to the Rolling Stones perform in the Circus Maximus in Rome. Of course I didn't buy a ticket (180 Euros and sold out I'm sure). I just loitered in via Terme di Caracalla. I could see the maxi screens with St Peter's in the distance.
They are old but they've still got it. They did play too many new songs (new meaning post 1978).
I high point was Mick Jagger introducing Ron Wood then saying "Ron non mangia abbastanza pasta". I am pleased to report that his accent is even stronger than mine.
But the really wonderful aspect was the crowd of un paying listeners. About half were kids of going to rock concert age and a good third were old enough to have been going to rock concerts when the Stones were new. The very best part was 8 pairs of people. In each pair one was middle aged and the other a teen ager and they had the same face. This was clearly a mother daughter (or father son or father daughter)bonding thing were the not so young Stones fan was showing his or her child what it was (and still is) all about.
These were just people standing or milling around. There were also mom dad and the kids families which were almost as good. The stars were three women daughter mother and grandmother.
I am old enough to remember when the Stones were a source of tension between parents and children, so I found all this absolutely totally incredibly wonderful.
