Month: December 2024

Yes, folks, let’s welcome 2025 for another great Stones year!

What’s coming up is beyond the ordinary with this band, it’ just fantastic!

1. Tour announcement coming soon!
2. A new tour!
3. Gigs around Europe to see, hear and stream and share here
4. And enough material for another new album is boiling in the back to be released!

Exciting persepctives for at least the next 12 months!!

I really wish everyone a safe and sound new year 2025, keep coming to stonesnews.com and let’s share the fun for another year (and lot’s to come)!

Like our very dear friends say:

It’s the countdown to midnight! 🕛 Have a safe and happy New Year! See you in 2025!! 🎇 pic.twitter.com/Hd89vCTHar

— The Rolling Stones (@RollingStones) December 31, 2024

🥳🎉🎆 Happy New Year! May 2025 bring you and your families love and happiness! With much love xxx pic.twitter.com/FZh3LPC1ru

— Ronnie Wood (@ronniewood) December 31, 2024

Happy New Year everybody!! pic.twitter.com/RAUyJEsdft

— Mick Jagger (@MickJagger) January 1, 2025

Well alright: we may call this officially official, hehehe …

I think most of you have received or seen the Stones’ Seasons Greetings lately. Signed by the autographs of Mick, Keith and Ronnie, they clearly point to see us all again next year.

1. So for one: that’s for the tour! Call it a done deal so far for all the background negotiations, insurance contracts and maybe even most of the tour schedule …
2. Coming up soon I guess:  the official announcement and press conference!
3. That’s some 10 to 14 shows for 2025 in Europe!
4. That’s the hectic ticket rush and the travel plans for us!
5. And that’s all the live streams of the gigs we can share here so we don’t miss a single show as it happens!

Can’s wait for it!   

At his final 2024 show in London, McCartney welcomed some old friends…

Paul McCartney got some help from a pair of fellow English music legends during his final show of 2024 on Thursday night at The O2 Arena in London. In addition to bringing out The Rolling Stones stalwart Ronnie Wood for a song, McCartney surprised the crowd with a guest appearance by his sole surviving Beatles bandmate Ringo Starr.

#update 21.12.24: Here’s a short news article about this event at msn.com: “Ringo Starr and Ronnie Wood reflect on surprise reunion with Paul McCartney“

Strapping  on his old bass he muttered “I haven’t played her in 50 years,” and then welcomed our Ronnie Wood for “Get Back”. Followed by classic songs like “Let It Be”, “Live and Let Die”, and “Hey Jude” it was a huge feast for all the fans!

Man, what can we say!?? We owe him so much! A happy and honest man, lucky surviver, father, grandfather, husband and last but not least, a flesh-and-blood 110% musician.

rockcellarmagazine.com: “Happy Birthday to Keith Richards, the Ageless Rolling Stones Guitarist Who’s Actually 81!“

Enjoy the pics and let’s celebrate the man with the X-Pensive Winows show below!

Happy birthday @officialKeef! Love Mick pic.twitter.com/88mqOkzZAp

— Mick Jagger (@MickJagger) December 18, 2024

Today we celebrate the one and only @officialkeef on his birthday!! Happy Birthday Keith wishing you the best day! 🎉🎸🎉

📸 1: Mark Seliger
📸 2: J.Bouquet pic.twitter.com/5rgF7WtZNC

— The Rolling Stones (@RollingStones) December 18, 2024

How difficult was it for two regular guys to get together in order to have a little chat?

Not too much. But it took some time and 3 tries, I think. faroutmagazine.co.uk has a nice story to tell about this as well as  some nicely grown old video footage to let us witness the event when the talk finally took place.

“Hunter S Thompson and Keith Richards: a couple of god’s own prototypes. If counterculture’s take on rock ‘n’ roll went by a more representative name, it may well be termed Thompson ‘n’ Richards. They were proud ‘freaks’ of the most perverse variety, and they pioneered not just a new take on pop culture but a new way of life.“

I could’nt resist to share, hehehe … enjoy the read first if you will and then take the video dessert…

We can count in another candidate for the gig of the 2025 Hackney Diamonds tour of the Rolling Stones: Zagreb!

According to austrian OE24.AT, the date plausible for Zagrab would be the mid of August 2025. Seem like AC/DC, too will play there, which seems plausible: once you have the nescessary technical and organisational settings done for a venue, why not use it for more than one act within time? So here we go!

Can’t wait for the next thing coming up!  

“As the capital of Croatia, Zagreb has many historical sights, museums, and beautiful green oases that would delight any visitor. It is one of the oldest Central European cities and a perfect combination of rich heritage, lively rhythm of street life, and a multitude of attractions that will awaken all your senses.
With its extensive public transport network, hop on – hop off, cycling, and segway tours, Zagreb is a city offering a variety of opportunities for exploration.“

According to the report of Pollstar Mag, the Stones made the #1 of US touring acts in 2024!

news.pollstar.com: “Pollstar 2024 Year End Analysis: Industry Remains Strong & Steady, Taylor Swift & Coldplay Set All-Time Touring Records”

ucr.com:
The Stones were hot on Springsteen’s heels, landing at No. 6 overall with $235 million in gross ticket revenue. They played less than half as many shows as Springsteen on their 2024 Hackney Diamonds Tour (20 total, though Pollstar only counted 18), but their tickets cost much more, with an average price of $277.28. Mick Jagger and Co. averaged 47,100 tickets and $13 million per night, and they sold 847,800 tickets total. These figures were also enough to make the Stones the top North American touring act of the year.

Ernst Happel Stadium, August 2025: The Rolling Stones Hackey Diamonds Europe Tour!

Austrian tabloid oe24.at has all the hot boiling news we all want! This time, they are narrowing down the dates for the band’s Vienna concert to happen between the 15th and 20th August:

“While August 15 is already circulating on well-informed fan sites as a possible date for the Stones’ 18th and probably last Austrian concert, oe24 has learned from a reliable source that the Happel Stadium is also reserved for Mick Jagger and Co. between August 10 and 12. That sounds almost more logical, because the Frequency Festival is also planned around August 15th.
[…]
In addition to the Vienna concert, which is fixed on the tour schedule, the Stones also want to play in Paris, London, Berlin and Munich in 2025. A total of at least 14 European concerts are planned in the largest stadiums between May and September.“

Ringo Starr had a celebration going on yeasterday on behalf of his new album ‘Look Up’ at Third Man Records London

In the attendance were lots of familiar folks like Eric Clapton, Ronnie & Sally Wood, David Gilmour, Melanie C, Jimmy Page, Scarlett Sabet, Jools Holland, Bob Geldof and more! For the album, see universal music or thecircle.de

Have a look at some pics fom social media:

WOAH! We celebrate Hackney Diamond’s first birthday already, folks!

tempus fugit

Hitting Number 1 in 19 countries on release, Hackney Diamonds marked the return of The Rolling Stones as their first original studio album since 2005’s A Bigger Bang. The album includes the GRAMMY nominated lead single Angry alongside Sweet Sounds of Heaven featuring vocals from Lady Gaga and keys & piano from Stevie Wonder.

Late drummer Charlie Watts features on two tracks, ‘Mess It Up’ and ‘Live By The Sword’ alongside Bill Wyman. The album also includes collaborations with Paul McCartney & Elton John.

Besides the CD and vinyl editions, there’s the corresponding anniversary merch like the tee and setlist lithograph…

Here’s the
SPECIAL LIMITED EDITION 1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY 2LP + CD VERSION OF HACKNEY DIAMONDS

Tracklist for the 2 LP colored vinyl edition:

LP1 – Hackney Diamonds

Side A
1. Angry
2. Get Close
3. Depending On You
4. Bite My Head Off
5. Whole Wide World
6. Dreamy Skies

Side B
7. Mess It Up
8. Live By The Sword
9. Driving Me Too Hard
10. Tell Me Straight
11. Sweet Sounds Of Heaven (ft. Lady Gaga)
12. Rolling Stone Blues

LP2 – Live At Racket, NYC

Side C
1. Shattered
2. Angry
3. Whole Wide World
4. Tumbling Dice

Side D
5. Bite My Head Off
6. Jumpin’ Jack Flash
7. Sweet Sounds Of Heaven (ft. Lady Gaga)

Bill Wyman’s time in The Greatest Rock’N’Roll Band In The World was storied, but there’s been much, much more to his life than that

“They all lived on half a pigeon’s egg each in the morning”: The extraordinary life of Bill Wyman: WW2 evacuee, RAF airman, hit solo artist, bandleader, author, restaurateur, archaeologist, cricketer and Rolling Stone

At loudersound.com, we are treated with a longer read about Bill and his times.

Just before, these lines caught my eye: “He’s since written 14 books, including the million-selling Rolling With The Stones (there are at least two more on the way)” – that sounds promising!

Or finally we get the detailed complexity of his DNA cleared up. Oh, and: any regrets? “I should have left [the Stones] earlier” – these words just clicked as I scrolled through the long page downwards… ENJOY! 

MOJO Magazine – The home of great music – has it’s #375 out for February next year

And it’s a another must-have for all of us fans who like a good read and another addition to the how-manymeters-long-line of paper products with text and pictures of our favourite band.

Fifty-five years on, The Rolling Stones’ epochal Let It Bleed album is under the spotlight, plus the triumphs and tragedies of the band’s watershed 1969: Brian’s death, Altamont, Honky Tonk Women and more. Also in the issue: The Doors – amazing unseen pics with exclusive commentary from John Densmore and Robby Krieger; the dawn of Thin Lizzy; 2025 Music Preview starring Ringo Starr, Lana Del Rey, ELO and Led Zeppelin; the extraordinary story of America’s Horse With No Name. Plus: Jean-Michel Jarre, Charles Mingus, Manic Street Preachers, Lijadu Sisters, John Grant, Laura Nyro, Billy J Kramer, Bob Neuwirth, The Weather Station, Dory Previn, tributes to Phil Lesh, Quincy Jones, Shel Talmy… and more.

THIS MONTH’S COVERMOUNT CD is A Man Of Wealth And Taste: The Brian Jones Companion. Includes tracks by Lucinda Williams, Elmore James, Nico, Ravi Shankar, Howlin’ Wolf, The Master Musicians Of Joujouka, and more!

For print orders: MOJO Subscription needed

Yes, it’s true – after some 62 years of tons of sights and sounds we finally have reached a treat for one missing sense!

It’s an offer of The Rolling Stones to our very nose! Hey, let’s take a whiff-a-this! Can you believe it?

Ok, what’s it like?

A vibrant burst of indulgent bergamot raises the curtain before bourbon-infused notes of velvet swagger onto centre stage. Mid-notes of warm leather brawl under electric musk as tempting patchouli and sultry oud linger seductively in the shadows, balancing the fragrance’s wild, earthy edge with an enduring sophistication.

Here’s some more detailes:

Top Notes: The fragrance opens with a vibrant burst of Bergamot, a zesty breath of Lemon, and a smooth splash of Bourbon, setting the tone with bright energy and a hint of indulgence.

Mid Notes: At the heart of the scent lies the smoky richness of worn Leather and the warm, resinous glow of Labdanum, representing the sensual and textured spirit of rock ’n’ roll. Deep, earthy Oak adds a mysterious, intimate layer that echoes The Rolling Stones’ ability to captivate audiences.

Base Notes: The base notes bring a sensual, grounded finish with intensely seductive Oud and the electrifying energy of Musk. Patchouli adds a deep, lingering sweetness, balancing the fragrance’s earthy, wild edge with an enduring sophistication that evokes London’s Soho in the 1960s.

I must say, from what I read here, like Bergamot, Leather, Oak and Patchouli there come up memories about girls with maroccoan dresses, jingle anklets and the oriental, indian inspired scents and smells… I really would like to have a taste… BUT:

£99.99 – Strictly limited to 999 individually numbered bottles, this unisex fine fragrance is sold exclusively by RS No. 9. Weight: 3.4 fl. oz. Limited to UK customers only.

After many rumours, we now may have something more solid than before, although this still is not official…

… but according to the homepage of german Hotel Europäischer Hof in Munich,

The Rolling Stones will play the Olympiastadium in Munich on Saturday, July 12th, 2025!

Munich tabloid TZ seconds that …

… and has some nice anecdote to tell which I can’t resist to cite here:
“The show in the Olympic Stadium would also mark an anniversary: ​​on September 14, 1965, 60 years ago, the Rolling Stones played in Munich for the first time as part of a “Bravo” tour – like their friends and competitors, the Beatles, in the Circus Krone. Incidentally, the government of Upper Bavaria levied entertainment tax of 14,158 marks on the organizer for the performance (reference number II/5-8623/56). It was officially decreed that this event was not a concert – because no music was being performed, only noise was being generated.“

Hilarious!

Hi there, folks! Seems a little silent theses days right?

But don’t you worry, things will heat up very quickly and any day now! It may happen already before christmas or a little later in January, but we will get another tour announcement for the 2025 Hackey Diamonds Europe Tour and all the hassle with travel plans and hotel bookings, presale tickets, lucky dips and VIP packages will empty our bank accounts one more time. One more time!
Now are we some bunch of lucky bastards or what? 😎 

Here is a list of cities so far rumoured:

• London
• Paris
• Vienna
• Munich – July 12th
• Berlin
• Prague
• Amsterdam
• Barcelona and/or Madrid
• Rome
• Athens
• Oslo

And here’s the somewhat glam dance part – one nice revisit to 1973… filmed on tour in Essen, Germany
(right? correct me if I’m mistaken)

And here they are again, Dancing with this Mr. D in Arnhem, 2017: