With Hong Kong's economy still licking its wounds in the aftermath of SARS, it was only appropriate the healing hands of the Rolling Stones should wind up their mammoth Licks world tour in the city.
Having already performed their special brand of surgery on Toronto's sick and sorry SARS-addled international image, the Stones ran their healing hands over Hong Kong in two sell-out shows to close the city's controversial, but thoroughly enjoyable, Harbourfest.
The Stones delivered to the Hong Kong crowd of 13,000 the staple Rolling Stone experience, track after track of riff-driven classics in a set honed almost, but not quite, to the point of clinical.
In wrapping up their 117-show world tour on Sunday night, the sexagenarians could be excused for seeking some medical assistance of their own. But after 40 years of touring, it was the first time the lads had strutted their stuff on Chinese soil and no-one was going to leave unimpressed.
The crowd was instantly on its feet for the opening salvo of Brown Sugar, Start Me Up and It's Only Rock And Roll.
Don't Stop was then introduced by Jagger, one of the few tracks that needed any introduction, and probably came too early in the set to afford anyone the luxury of a toilet break.
By now it was clear that the opening Hong Kong show was going to be little different from the tour closer, with Jagger pouting, posturing and pounding his way across the stage, with Ronnie Wood stealing the thunder from the rock god template and caricature that is Keith Richards.
As Richards lurked in the back keeping company with Charlie Watts' drum kit, Wood and Jagger exuded all the chemistry that has kept the world's biggest rock and roll circus going all these years. Although just when lime green midriff shirts assumed the status of rock and roll attire is best left for Ronnie to explain.
Some chunky horn section work, including a smooth trombone intro to You Can't Always Get What You Want, added depth to the repertoire, while the languid and tender numbers such as Wild Horses and Miss You gave the crowd's feet a collective rest but were lapped up nonetheless.
But the crowd -- even a well-behaved, well-heeled band of Western expatriates and the relatively restrained Cantonese and Mandarin mainlanders -- were here to rock out.
No matter how many times you may have heard pivotal tracks like Sympathy for the Devil and this writer's evening highlight, Gimme Shelter, the unleashing of a live version, especially in such a diminutive setting, is electrifying.
Despite the rampant ageism of the music press, the simple fact is that few bands in the world can are as musically tight as this lot -- they pretty much dwarf the opposition.
The packed house at the specially-constructed outdoor venue wedged between Hong Kong's harbor and towering skyscrapers ate it up, albeit in their own refrained, foot-tapping way. The irritatingly pedantic security guards constantly clearing the aisles certainly didn't help matters.
Jagger is a man who has seen some pretty mental crowd scenes in his lifetime of gigging, so his integrity was open to speculation when he told the crowd, "Yeah, you are really rocking tonight." Did he mean it? Was there a hint of sarcasm in there? Or did the same line at the earlier show suggest it was part of the well-rehearsed script?
It didn't really matter.
A stellar rip through Midnight Rambler, Keef's groove on Tumbling Dice and Satisfaction and some vintage indulgent soloing on Can't You Hear Me Knocking left no doubt cruise control was not a feature on the live model of the Stones.
Unlike his guitar work, Richards' singing is something you either kinda don't mind or hate. His stint on the mike mid-gig was the only time the crowd's adoration waned.
But by Honky Tonk Woman (and accompanying porno cartoon on the big screen) and the final chords of Jumpin' Jack Flash, a city so often deprived of world class live rock had been cured of its ills.
As for the Stones themselves, any suggestion these old trojans would be in need of some medical recuperation after such a lengthy tour are dismissed.
The man whose skin looks like it needs a good iron proves the band really do just love the crowds and the commercial and artistic juggernaut that is the Stones roadshow.
Richards has suggested the band may be fired up and fit enough to take the tour cycle into 2004, envisaging limited touring for two or three months.
"It's strictly a feeling I have," Richards said. "We won't go totally fallow. Everyone's moaning, 'Oh, my back!' but I don't think they want to let it all drop. It's easier to keep the machine well-oiled. That's my prophecy."
(Agencies via Xinhua November 13, 2003)
