The Hampton Coliseum 1981 'Tattoo You Live' bootleg: where 'Waiting on a Friend' finally got played

Most Stones fans know the official Still Life live album came from the 1981 US tour, but only a handful of shows were used. The real prize for collectors is the December 18, 1981 show at Hampton Coliseum in Virginia. It was broadcast nationally on the King Biscuit Flower Hour and quickly bootlegged under the title Tattoo You Live — named after the album they were touring.

What makes this show special is the rare performance of “Waiting on a Friend”. The Stones hardly ever played that track live, mostly because the original studio version featured a sax solo by Sonny Rollins that was tough to replicate. At Hampton, they pulled it off with a saxophonist (likely Bobby Keys) and a loose, easy groove. The bootleg captures the band in peak form: Jagger’s voice is crisp, Richards and Wood are locked in, and the whole thing feels like a private party that accidentally got taped.