Stones give Rio beach satisfaction

By Tim Vickery BBC correspondent in Rio de Janeiro

Daylight saving time came to an end in Brazil at midnight, and the clocks went back an hour.

The group entertained with many of their back catalogue of hits.

But the Rolling Stones had just given the hands of time a much bigger wrench on Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana beach.

In front of more than a million people and a flotilla of boats they belted out their timeless hits of the 60s and 70s.

Rio no doubt wishes it could go back to that golden age.

The city has taken a double blow in recent decades; losing its status as Brazil's capital on top of suffering the effects of the country's crises.

Misgivings

Economic growth has not kept pace with population rise and public infrastructure has crumbled.

For these reasons there were major misgivings about the Stones staging a free show on Copacabana beach.

Dangerous forces could be unleashed in a setting that pays full testimony to the wonder of nature and the follies of man.

The prestigious Jornal do Brasil newspaper spoke of a monumental challenge for Rio "The responsibility is as big as the expected crowd. There is no room for error."

It seemed that all of Rio had converged on Copacabana Rolling Stones in giant Rio gig In pictures: Stones in Rio

Her friend Jean Mello, 26, also complained of "poor organisation - there were just too many people".

Crushes were caused by the presence of so many informal stands offering hot dogs, drinks and pirate merchandise.

It seemed that all of Rio had converged on Copacabana, either to enjoy the show or to make money from it.

The stands took up space that was needed fro the flow of people.

"I saw some people having problems breathing," said Jean Mello.

The action on stage was difficult for many in the crowds to see

"But it was hard for them to get out of the crowd because all these stands were in the way. But on the whole I think the show was a success," he continued.

This seemed to be the consensus of opinion.

"People came from all over Brazil and the world, the sound could not be faulted, lots of people had a good time and the images on the DVD they're producing will be a good advert for the city," he said.

The usual defects of a free show were in evidence.

Only VIPs and fanatics who camped out overnight got much of a view. The rest had to put up with giant screens that were slightly out of sync.

There can be few better opening songs than Jumping Jack Flash

And however good the sound system, it still had to compete with the helicopter overhead and the yells of hundreds of wandering salesman offering "stupidly cold beer".

But there can be few better opening songs than Jumping Jack Flash and from its introductory riff the crowd were ready to perform the challenging feat of dancing on sand.

And they kept it up to the end. Four of the 20 songs were taken from the latest album.

In the main, though, the Stones stuck to their late 1960s and early 1970s creative peak.

One of their most laudable aspects, the constant readiness to pay tribute to the black American music that inspired them, was once more in evidence.

Adrenalin rush

They covered Ray Charles' The Night Time. With its samba inspired rhythm, Sympathy for the Devil was another high point.

That and Miss You were the songs most sung and whistled on my tube ride home.

Perhaps the only disappointment was the absence of stage favourite Gimme Shelter.

But the Stones were staying in the superplush Copacabana Palace, a short stroll from the stage, so seeking a roof over their heads was hardly a priority.

Once they had finished off with Satisfaction and taken their bows they could make that stroll with pride.

They had rocked them on the beach, rolled them in the boats, and given more than a million people an adrenalin rush that will never fade.

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