By Oliver Ohmann
The stones roll back to Berlin. On August 3rd, the Rolling Stones will rock the Waldbühne. As last in 2014, 1998, 1982 – and 1965.
“I’m not there this time, 200 euros per ticket, that’s crazy,” says Jürgen Warres (78) from Wittenau.
In 1965 he was present at the Waldbühne, but without admission, he was the personal bodyguard of the Stones at this crazy concert.
Jürgen Warres (top left) on stage with the Stones. Minutes later, the band stopped the concert Photo: Christian Lohse
“You know what happened there,” says Warres. 57 years ago, 2,000 Stones supporters fought a battle with 369 police officers. Result: 87 injured, dozens arrested and the Waldbühne a heap of rubble. 300,000 DM property damage, unplayable for five years.
“I was standing right behind Mick Jagger as a marshal when the mob raged in front of the stage,” reports Warres, now 78. “The Stones were a little scared beforehand, Brian Jones had a club on his belt.” Warres knew himself in the music scene off. He knew the Beatles from Hamburg, all sorts of rock ‘n’ roll greats of the time. But he never forgets the Waldbühne concert on September 15, 1965.
Mick Jagger in plaid pants on stage. Admission was ten marks back then – today you can only get a beer at the concert for that Photo: ullstein
21,000 fans wanted to experience Mick, Keith, Brian, Bill and Charlie this Wednesday. “Satisfaction” just hit the charts. The magazine “Bravo” brought the Brits to Berlin and called them “the hardest band of all time”. Motto of the evening: “It doesn’t get any hotter!”
Several beat bands – The Rackets, Team Beats, the Rivets and Didi and his ABC-Boys – played in the opening act from 8 p.m. Well-known names back then, but everyone wanted to hear the Stones. The tickets cost ten marks, the resentment grew and the first eggs flew onto the stage.
Warres accompanied the band to the show. “All nice guys, we were the same age, we had a good connection.” They started with “Everybody Needs Somebody To Love”, followed by “Pain In My Heart” and “Around And Around”. Song by song, bar by bar it got hotter on this summer evening.
The destroyed forest stage could no longer be used for years after the riot – property damage amounted to DM 300,000 Photo: Ullstein
Warres: “Eventually the stage was stormed and the Stones went on hiatus. They came back after 20 minutes, played something else, but then it was over. Too dangerous!”
Eight songs, no encore, but rampage. Around 2000 visitors dismantled the forest stage, smashed benches, tore out railings. On the way home they demolished 17 S-Bahn wagons.
Warres was already in the Mercedes with the Stones. “We drove to the ‘Schlosshotel Gerhus’, they invited me to dinner and then I went home.”
Two rock fans from Berlin: Jürgen Warres (right) and BZ reporter Oliver Ohmann. Warres accompanied the Stones at their 1965 concert at the Waldbühne. He was a steward and her personal bodyguard Photo: Christian Lohse
Before the Chaos concert, Mick & Co. had a Molle at Axel Springer
The Stones landed in Tegel around 4 p.m. on the day of the concert. There they got into a limousine and drove to the Axel Springer publishing house.
Since May 1965 the “Bravo” belonged to the publishing house. And the youth magazine presented the concert (as, incidentally, did the Beatles’ Germany tour a year later).
The Rolling Stones on September 15, 1965 in the editorial office in the Axel Springer high-rise in Berlin Photo: Ullstein
The Stones visited the recently completed skyscraper. After a short tour, they visited the typesetting shop. In the BILD editorial office there were sandwiches, Schultheiss beer and Whiskey Cola.
