At The Max

In 1989, the Rolling Stones go on their "Steel Wheels" tour: Jagger, Richards, Watts, Wood, and Wyman, backed by three singers, a sax, four horns, and two keyboards. In Turin, Berlin, and London, they perform on a gigantic stage in front of masses. The staging includes huge air-filled figures of women and of a wolf; there are fireworks and a light show. On stage, the musicians are sometimes yards apart, with Jagger racing up and down wide staircases that project like wings to the left and right of the stage. All the while, the music pours forth, sixteen songs in all, from "Satisfaction" and "Sympathy for the Devil" to "Start Me Up" and "Rock and a Hard Place." ...