Rolling Stones show they’ve not lost their shine at concert after Covid-enforced hiatus and losing Charlie Watts
BACK on stage after a Covid-enforced hiatus, the Rolling Stones showed they’ve lost none of their shine, despite the sad loss of drummer Charlie Watts.
In an evening packed with surprises and dramatic gestures in Madrid, Mick Jagger and Co saluted their legendary late bandmate with a touching tribute video and several references to him, alongside a heartfelt celebration of guitarist Ronnie Wood's 75th birthday.
Asked about the band’s astonishing longevity ahead of the gig, bandmate Keith Richards quipped: “I know! I ask myself the same thing.
“Life’s just too interesting to die. Anything I wanted to do had to be done — I couldn’t slack off. And hey, there was just an awful lot of cocaine involved.
“Sixty years is a hell of a long time. How do you do that?
"I think the most important thing is that the people in the band want to stay together. That helps!
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"We had our ups and downs, of course. But in the end we always noticed that we are more creative together.
“And, of course, across these — my God! — six decades, you have got used to each other.
“The special thing about being part of a well-rehearsed group is knowing the others so well that you can predict up to a certain point what is going to happen next. ”
Bursting on to the stage to classic Street Fighting Man — backed by a touching video montage of late pal Charlie— frontman Mick erupted into life at Atletico Madrid’s Wanda Metropolitano stadium.
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He called out “Ola Madrid”, while peacocking out into the 55,000-strong crowd in a red silk jacket on a sprawling 100 metres of walkways and platforms — his fingertips quivering with each strut.
As the band’s show designer of four decades Patrick Woodroffe told me: “Things haven’t got any smaller through the years — this is still a Stones show, and it has to look and feel like one.
“People ask about how they can still do it — they sound better than ever and I know there are no plans to stop.
“The only thing that would end their touring career would be if they felt they couldn’t do a proper show any more, and they absolutely can.”
That was clear for all to see as thumping renditions of a host of fan favourites followed, including You Can’t Always Get What You Want, Honky Tonk Women, Start Me Up and Out of Time.
Guitarist Ronnie beamed widely and skipped into the air at times as he drove out the band’s iconic riffs, while a leopardprint-clad Keith thrust his low-slung telecaster with the vigour of a 28-year-old.
In a rare show of political clout, the group — with a combined 231 years between them — saluted the bravery of Ukrainian soldiers battling Russia’s assault, with a video montage and a speech in solidarity as they performed classic Gimme Shelter — originally penned about the Vietnam War in 1969.
Later that evening they rattled through rousing closers of Sympathy For The Devil, Jumping Jack Flash and an encore of signature anthem (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.
Were the crowd satisfied . . . without question.
The Stones play Munich on Sunday, then their first UK show, at Liverpool’s Anfield stadium on June 9.
They land in London to play Hyde Park’s British Summertime Festival on June 25 and July 3.
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Set list
- Street Fighting Man
- 19th Nervous Breakdown
- Sad Sad Sad
- Tumbling Dice
- Out Of Time
- Beast Of Burden
- You Can’t Always Get What You Want
- Living In A Ghost Town
- Honky Tonk Women
- Slipping Away
- Happy
- Miss You
- Midnight Rambler
- Start Me Up
- Paint It Black
- Sympathy For The Devil
- Gimme Shelter
- (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction
Collabs are new Horizon
THOUSANDS descended on Bring Me The Horizon’s Malta Weekender to catch the band playing two earth-shaking sets last weekend.
The Sheffield group, fronted by Oli Sykes have moved more into the mainstream – with their last album going straight to No1.
After playing with Ed Sheeran at the Brit Awards and dropping new single Bad Life with Sigrid, Oli said the band have plenty more collaborations lined up.
In an exclusive chat backstage at the festival, organised by tech firm Pollen, Oli explained: “We use those collaborations to get our love of other genres out there.
“Loads of our fans embrace and love it, but we’re not shoving it down their throats.”
At the huge event, the group – who play Reading and Leeds Festival in August – delighted fans with a set of their current tracks and another of their oldest, cult material.
More Max tracks out
AVA MAX has announced her second album, Diamonds &; Dancefloors, will be out on October 14.
It will feature her latest single Maybe You’re The Problem, which has already racked up 35million streams.
After revealing the news yesterday Ava tweeted: “So so proud of this record.”
Meanwhile, Panic! At The Disco say their seventh album, Viva Las Vengeance, will be out on August 19.
The title track was released as a single yesterday and the band, led by Brendon Urie, will begin a huge UK tour next March, taking in London’s O2 Arena.
For each ticket sold, £1 will go to the band’s Highest Hopes Foundation human rights support fund.
Up-and-coming
ELTON JOHN has hand-picked his favourite up-and-coming acts to support him at his BST Hyde Park gig in London on June 24.
Ahead of his performance on the main stage, there will be sets from Rina Sawayama, Gabriels, Let's Eat Grandma and the Mercury Prize-nominated Berwyn among others.
Shaun’s not pally with Ali
HE was one of the best contestants ever to grace I’m A Celebrity . . . and now former wildman Shaun Ryder is gunning for a return.
But the Happy Mondays singer, who will perform with his other band Black Grape at the Great Estate Festival in Redruth, Cornwall, this Sunday, said he’d only go back for the All Stars series this summer on one condition – that Alison Hammond, his 2010 camp mate, wouldn’t be there.
In an exclusive chat, Shaun told me: “I definitely wouldn’t want to be reunited with Alison Hammond.
“She is a pain in the a**e and really got on my nerves.
“I didn’t like her attitude at all, and she was a bit of a drama queen.
“She thought she was a superstar and just rubbed me up the wrong way. She is supposed to be great and one of those down-to-earth people but I just didn’t like her.”
I’d pay good money to watch these two meet up again now.
Tickets to catch Shaun, along with other acts including the Manic Street Preachers, are on sale now at .
Glasto to be blasto
WITH just three weeks to go until Glastonbury, its tech partner EE has revamped the festival’s app to ensure fans don’t miss any acts while there.
It will provide news and updates of what is going on across Worthy Farm and let users create customised line-ups of who they want to see.
It will also have a new dark mode, meaning it will use less battery.
If that prevents my phone from conking out when I’m in the middle of the crowd for Paul McCartney then that sounds good to me.
Kylie wine note-perfect
THE celebrations just keep on rolling for Kylie Minogue, who wore this pink dress at a party to mark two years since the launch of her hit wine brand.
The Spinning Around singer has sold more than five million bottles of her plonk across 11 countries, and cut a cake at the bash in London as well as enjoying a few sips of her popular booze.
But it was not her only party night of late – having also marked her 54th birthday with a surprise appearance at Jessie Ware's headline show at the Brixton Academy at the weekend.
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They performed their collaboration Kiss Of Life at the show, much to the delight of the crowd.
Now Kylie just needs to get booking dates for her own tour.