Montenegro - And the bang happened

Fantastic performance of the charismatic Jagger was complemented by the characteristic rock & roll posing of Wood and Richards, energetic Watts’ drumming and a group of 10 accompanying musicians and vocals.

During the concert the frontmen of the Stones showed, except the condition on which majority of teenagers would envy him, talent for foreign languages. Except the standard “Good evening Montenegro” he said many other sentences in our language (“We are glad to be the first band playing in this area”, “All of you from Croatia, Serbia, Albania and Russia welcome here”, “We are glad because we are here, fantastic audience”). As the organizers were announcing the Stones have played a repertoire made mostly of the greatest hits.

In the middle of the concert, after Richards has also shown his voice capabilities by singing two songs, Jagger came back on stage, having done a wardrobe change, and the band started their journey towards the additional stage which is 60 meters of length among the audience where they played three songs of which one was “I Can’t Get No”. During their travel a giant tongue was reflected on audience from the stage.

While the band rode with the bridge, which was taking them to the additional stage, on the sides of the glass desk around the drummer one could see the list of the songs for the concert.
Last song in the official part of the concert was “Jumping Jack Flash”, and then after the expected applause there followed an encore during which the Stones treated those present with the hit “Brown Sugar”. Screams from he audience and shouting didn’t manage to bring the legendary band back on the stag one more time, so after two hours the fireworks.

During these two hours, all present did not only see that the Stones are a No. 1 concert attraction, but also a amazing pyrotechnical light show and sound effects never seen before on this territory.

When the lights went out, just after midnight, streams of people departed for a long journey towards their homes, and the stones “rolled” towards Barcelona where they will play a private party before they go to Belgrade, Serbia

This spectacular music event has overshadowed, by the number of visitors, all previous events in Montenegro, including political gatherings, which so far held the record, and has opened the way for other music stars to perform in Budva.

Traffic jams started already around 6 p.m. when the majority of visitors started going towards Jaz. Police officers stopped and made all vehicles turn around that came down the highway, except special vehicles such as – E.R. cars, police cars, vehicles of the production team, etc. Owners of lower category of tickets were squeezed into crowded buses, and the most expensive transport cost in the area, relation Budva Jaz, was 1, 50 euros.
The starting point in front of Slovenska plaza was not visibly marked so great number of people where pushing in order to get in the bus. Many walked towards Jaz. Under the afternoon July sun, visitors started arriving in bigger numbers on Jaz an hour and a half before the beginning of the concert. First control point was passed pretty fast – in a few minutes, and the river of people of all generations (from children to pensioners), from various nations went towards the concert area in which one could smell the aroma of alcohol.

On the sea across the beach Jaz one could see many yachts and the coast guard which was moving through that area not allowing anyone to dock. The gorgeous sailboat of the Army of Montenegro “Jadran” dominated the bay. The famous musician Goran Bregovic was on one of the luxurious boats. Many decided to see the concert from the highway above Jaz. The first one to perform on the impressive stage, which travels around the world with the Stones, was Dado Topic with his band Time. Excited because of the fact that he is a part of this event, Dado sang several songs including formerly most popular one “Macedonia”. The he sang the new version of “Do you know that I love you”’ which he dedicated to the Rolling Stones and when he wanted to sing the final song the sound system was shut down because all groups could sing only for half an hour.

- This is the most beautiful day in my life of a musician and I have never attended a bigger and a more beautiful event – said Topic for Vijesti after the concert.
Following the well received Dado Topic, at 7:15pm, the group Regina performed which was mildly greeted by the audience and many people wandered what they are doing in an event of caliber. Ten minutes after 8 p.m. the anonyms British band the Thirst came out on the stage. Another applause followed before the start of the concert of the Stones during which the visitors were calling for the dinosaurs to come out on the stage.

I.Novakovic – V. Lajovic

POLITICANS WERE DANCING IN VIP BOX

Among the famous people in the crowded VIP box where Prime Minister Zeljko Sturanovic, Vice President of Parliament Ranko Krivokapic, Vice President of DPS Svetozar Marovic, who all met the Stones backstage before the concert. Montenegrin sports celebrities and businessmen were dancing, and the Serbian folk singer Era Ojdanic was also in the VIP box. About 3.000 guards carried out the difficult task of the organization of the concert so that it carries on as best as possible, and policemen were divided among all the “hot” spots on Jaz.

It was confirmed by the police to Vijesti that there was not a single incident during the concert and Budva service for protection and rescue also didn’t have any major interventions.
According to the words of the Major of the Service Zdravko Sljukic 78 firefighters from all over Montenegro were engaged for the concert.
- We didn’t have a single intervention, and everything was under control. These concerts are gatherings of “high risk” so we had help from our colleagues from Kotor, Tivat, Bar, Niksic, as well as from our unit in Petrovac – said Sljukic.
For traffic police officers the majority of the work began around midnight, after the concert was over.

Young guy’s appetite

The fact that world stars are indeed spoiled and that they like to be pleased all the time was confirmed by the members of the Rolling Stones during their first day of staying in luxurious president suite of the hotel Splendid.

Extravagant, old time rockers tried to hassle the personnel of the hotel Splendid but thanks to the fact that they were well informed everything was ready for the demands of these veterans of rock.
Judging by the dinner they ordered the first night upon their arrival, Jagger and his friends have a great appetite even though they are in their seventies.

Vijesti found out that Jagger, when he came into the president’s suite, took a camera to shoot every detail, and then he ordered dinner. He drank expensive French wine “Pulingni montrache” and our water “Aqua monta”. For the main course he ordered fish with vegetables, and as an appetizer soup made of gherkins and mint, followed by chocolate desert. Jagger was especially thrilled by the fact that without asking he was served with his favorite “Starbucks” coffee, Hagen dazes ice cream and cranberry juice which the management of the hotel specially ordered from America.

Jagger’s colleague from the group Ronny Wood decided to order Montenegrin wine “Krstac” and during the dinner he felt comfortable with “next” juices and mineral water “Knjaz Milos”. He ate beef fillet, tartar made of tuna, lobster salad and mozzarella, as well as soup made of gherkins and mint, and for dessert ice nougat.

As we found out the leader of the Stones following his arrival in the hotel asked the butler when Splendid was constructed to what he replied, in humor, that Splendid was made especially because of his arrival, and Jagger was thrilled.