Jamie,
I think it’s safe to say that your perspective is unique among the members here. I would not argue that The Stones put on a good spectacle of a show, and no doubt a lot effort goes into staging one of their shows. However, the overall sound is lacking, and Mick sounds terrible as he’s prancing around the stage & trying to sing at the same time. I can understand why someone like Janet Jackson lip-syncs in concert – she’s very physically active, and it would be near impossible to hold a tune & dance the way she does. I doubt the fans at a Stones concert would be so forgiving if Mick were to do the same.
As you pointed out yourself, Charlie is a lot like Ringo – not the greatest drummer ever, he simply found himself playing in a very good band.
Some 10 years ago, my wife won tickets to see The Cranberries at a local venue. As it turns out, it was a very small club, and I was about 3 meters from the stage. At one point, their sound man decided to see how loud he could push the volume, which resulted in everyone in the audience slamming their hands over their ears & ducking, as though someone had opened fire with an automatic gun overhead. The event left me with a slight ringing in my ears which I will have for the rest of my life. I have not been to a show since.
