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Journalism of Courage
Four months shy of his 65th birthday, Mick Jagger is as spry as ever. The proof is in the Rolling Stones and Martin Scorsese’s Shine a Light, the concert documentary that opened in USA last week. In the film, Jagger prances, dances and gyrates, contorting his way through a set list that includes Jumpin’ Jack Flash, Satisfaction, Shattered and Some Girls.
Q. Why is it time for a concert film again?
Well, we haven’t done a concert on film. And the one we did before that was in 1981 with Hal Ashby. When we decided to work with Martin he didn’t want to shoot a big concert, so we had to create something that both Martin and we were happy with.
I think Martin’s a great director, but I wanted to shoot the concert we were doing in Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro because it was very visual with its huge million-plus audience on this beach, very unusual and all these great looking people and a lot of music around it… Martin wanted something smaller, and we didn’t have anything smaller on the tour schedule.
Q. I think seeing it I’ve never felt closer to you guys.
I think that was the intention.
Q. At the Berlin Film Festival, Keith said the cameras didn’t bother him. Was it any different for you?
The first night there were only cameras and hardly any audience. The second night we moved a lot of camera positions because they were so in your face. You were so aware because when you have a camera, you’re not playing to the audience, you’re playing to the camera. … I was totally aware of the cameras.
Q. Do you think it changed your performance?
Oh totally. You can’t really shoot a documentary film unless the subject doesn’t realise he’s being filmed. As soon as the person knows he’s being filmed, he’s altering his behaviour for the documentary.
Q. I was noticing some pretty cool moments between you and Keith. Keith would come forward and seemed to be having some kind of fun or joking with the song and you gave him a really hard look and he backed off. Then later, you very sweetly tugged him back in and had him singing the chorus again with you.
That’s in Far Away Eyes. I think the thing about this film is that you do see much more of what’s happening than on a very large stage and you are much closer to people and can see a lot more interaction. We had to do a few numbers that we didn’t know very well. You have to have a lot of eye contact with people when you’re doing a song where any one of you might screw up so you gotta try and stay together on those songs.
Q. I was reading yesterday a 1972 interview where you mentioned that you thought the best songs were the ones you and Keith had written together and you specifically mentioned Satisfaction. Usually when you deal with something for the mainstream audience a lot of people feel like the art gets watered down. But it seems to me you guys set what the mainstream was.
When you’re starting out, you don’t even know what the mainstream is really. I think most people starting out strike out in their own direction. The thing about the Rolling Stones is that they go out in all kinds of directions. The Rolling Stones is a really eclectic kind of band.
Q. Can you tell me where your work ethic comes from because you’re all about performing and giving a good show.
I guess it’s partly because it’s been drummed into you at a young age that you’re supposed to work hard. The other thing is that you enjoy what you do so you keep at it.
Q. How does the Internet affect music?
It makes it easier to find every kind of music you want. You don’t have to go to the store. Now it’s easy to find, which makes it a good thing.
-BOB LONGINO (NYT)
