LONDON: The Rolling Stones unveiled details of their biggest tour in six years yesterday, playing nine dates in North America as well as two British concerts after a stage comeback last year to celebrate 50 years in music.
The band said they would kick off their “50 and Counting” tour in Los Angeles on an unspecified date and then play Oakland, California, on May 5 and seven other North American cities before performing in London’s Hyde Park on July 6.
The veteran rockers, who played sell-out shows on a mini-tour of London, the United States and France last year, had already been named as headline act at Britain’s biggest musical festival, Glastonbury, on June 29 which is also a sell-out.
As part of their 50th celebrations, the band last year released a greatest hits collection, a documentary, and a photographic book and then sparked rumours about more concerts with a March 29 website post saying: “5 Days & Counting”. “‘50 and Counting’ has been pretty amazing so far,” lead singer Mick Jagger said in a statement yesterday.
“We did a few shows in London and New York last year ... and had such a good time that we thought ... let’s do some more.”
The band, working with privately held tour promoter AEG Live, will also play in San Jose, Las Vegas, Anaheim, Toronto, Chicago, Boston and Philadelphia in May and June with tickets going on sale from April 8.
The stage design for the tour is based on the band’s tongue and lips logo, which extends out into the crowd, allowing Jagger, with his trademark swagger, to strut out into the crowd.
They will then return to Britain for the Glastonbury festival and Hyde Park.
Guitarist Keith Richards said Hyde Park held great memories for the band which played there 44 years ago, with the concert a tribute to founder member, guitarist Brian Jones, who drowned two days earlier.
“It seems like yesterday,” Richards told the BBC. “It’s going to be a great summer, man ... All the gigs we haven’t done or wanted to redo are popping up.”
REUTERS
