Apologies in advance for the length of this but just wanted to offer my humble $.02... First, Kelly - you will *not* be disappointed if you do happen to get tickets for this Stones tour. Can I guarantee it? Of course not but clearly these guys aren't the freewheelin' drugtakin' wildmen they were back in the late 70s - professionalism is a huge point of pride for these guys at this point. The money doesn't hurt of course but they are still doing this because they sincerely want to play and know they are damn good at it. Just as Macca was holed up in a CA studio rehearsing last week, the Stones were as well (next door!), they played an intimate gig for 350+ people last Friday and been putting the finishing touches on the show this week at a large soundstage in prep for opening night tomorrow at the Staples Center. They're positively chomping at the bit to get out there and give their fans a show. I'm sorry about your previous experience and can certainly understand being a bit shy about spending the $$ to go again but I honestly can't imagine you will regret it. Re that review from IORR - first, the fact that it's in the "Buy/Sell/Trade" section of the forum tends to make me think that one of the mods moved it there as s/he thought the poster was shilling for business versus looking for discussion about it. It doesn't mean that valid points weren't raised but it does make you wonder if there's a little more going on there than it really being just a fellow reporting on the state of affairs on that tour. For sure there were complaints around then about the Stones become a bit of a parody of themselves but fwiw, there are many Stones fans who considered that '78 tour one of their best: the 7/18/78 Fort Worth, Texas concert was [filmed for posterity[/color">](http://www.amazon.com/Rolling-Stones-Some-Girls-Texas/dp/B005OGYH9A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1367504444&sr=8-1&keywords=some+girls+texas]<span style=) and is ranked up there with the '69 shows immortalized in "Gimme Shelter" and the '72 infamous S.T.P. ("Exile") tour. I'm sure they were perhaps too loose and/or unprofessional-seeming (drugs would play a big part there) but that is to some extent their personae as well and what many fans love about them - they moaned when they came across as too slick and would rather have ragged, warts-and-all than "polished". (Perhaps a "Hamburg-era" Beatles vs an "Ed Sullivan" Beatles is not too far-fetched an analogy?) That writer's complaint about the songs they *didn't* play is also pretty funny considering how many diehard fans - whether of the Stones, Macca, whomever - complain about always having to hear the "warhorses" when they go to shows! They were touring behind Some Girls and did a bunch of songs off the album at the expense of some of the old tried and true. That's personally what I'd rather hear but yes, I can imagine some fans weren't happy about not hearing Satisfaction if that was the first time you'd seen them! I'm not a Stones "diehard" per se but they are a band I've loved musically as long as the Fabs. The Beatles got my heart and my obsession but I first picked up a guitar to play Satisfaction and Brown Sugar just as much as to play Revolution and Ticket To Ride. I got as big a thrill the first time I saw/heard to Let It Bleed as I did Abbey Road. If I'd had that experience of them of going to a show and them being totally out of it and appearing not to give a damn, I might think twice about going back. As mentioned already, bands have bad nights - it happens to everyone. But at end of the day, there's just SO much great music they've produced...so many memories attached to it....and the cat-wrangling involved to get the four of them - nevermind MICK TAYLOR! - together to do this one more time at their ages: it's not like Paul where it's basically solely up to him whether a tour happens or not. I do think this is the last go-round for them and I really think it'll be special. I hope you get in!