The Rolling Stones close their three-night stand at U Arena with no further concerts on the calendar, which inevitably gives the evening a little extra weight. Nobody knows whether this is the end, or simply another pause before the next tour. Just in case, I brought my eldest son along for his first concert. He is seven. One day he will be able to say he saw the Rolling Stones, which is not something many people of his generation are likely to be able to say.
Onstage, though, nobody behaves as though this is a farewell. If anything, the band looks more relaxed than at either of the previous shows. Jagger is in an even more mischievous mood than the night before, while the whole band seems to be having a genuinely great time. Keith is playing as well as he has in years, with the lapses that have marred some recent shows kept to a minimum. They are on fire. They would be foolish to stop now.
And that is the strange thought hanging over the evening: what happens when they finally do? What will it be like to live in a world without the Rolling Stones? I am in no hurry to find out. Hopefully they will be back soon. Next time I can bring the youngest one too. It’s only rock ’n’ roll, and evidently it’s hereditary.
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