Rolling Stones announce 2013 tour; Mick Taylor is a guest on all concert dates
In addition, the Rolling Stones confirmed reports that they will perform at Hyde Park in London on July 6, 2013. General tickets for the Hyde Park concert go on sale at 9 a.m. BST on April 5, 2013. The band first played at Hyde Park in 1969, and it was the first time that guitarist Mick Taylor (who replaced the late Brian Jones) performed in concert as a member of the Rolling Stones. Taylor, who quit the Rolling Stones in 1974, will be a special guest on all of the Rolling Stones' tour dates in 2013.
In the past, the Rolling Stones would have a press conference in New York City to announce a new tour, but as of 2012, the Rolling Stones have been announcing their concerts on the Internet first instead of having a press conference. The Rolling Stones made the announcement about their 2013 tour on all of their official Internet outlets, such as their website, Facebook page, Twitter account and YouTube channel.
The announcement is as follows:
The Rolling Stones, who rocked London and New York in 2012, announced today that they will kick off their "50 AND COUNTING" tour in Los Angeles at the Staples Center. (Date TBA pending NBA/NHL playoff schedules.) The tour debut will be followed by performances in Oakland, San Jose, Las Vegas, Anaheim, Toronto, Chicago, Boston and Philadelphia. The band will also return to London's Hyde Park on July 6, almost 44 years to the day of their first show at the Royal Park.
"50 AND COUNTING" continues the exhilarating celebration of the band's first 50 years—five decades of Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood bringing their iconic music and ground-breaking stage shows to audiences around the globe.
The Rolling Stones were recently crowned the 'Best Live Band' at the NME Awards in London, and over the past 12 months have thrilled fans with their release of a greatest hits collection, "GRRR!," a groundbreaking documentary film "Crossfire Hurricane," a photographic book "Rolling Stones: 50," and have taken the stage by storm for their first live shows in many years. The tour is the band's highly anticipated return to the stage.
"'50 AND COUNTING' has been pretty amazing so far," said Jagger. "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. It's a good show. Lots of the classic stuff everyone wants to hear...with a few little gems tucked in here and there. The stage is shaped like lips and goes off into the venue so I get to run around in the crowd. It's great fun to be able to get that close to the audience."
"From day one at rehearsals it sounded so fresh. You could tell that everybody was dying to get their teeth into it. It was like...open the gates...let us out!" said Richards. "Cause man, it is the life and blood of us to play in front of people."
Tickets for Oakland, San Jose, Toronto and Chicago go on sale beginning Monday, April 8 at 10AM local time and will be available at www.rollingstones.com. Citi® cardmembers will have access to presale tickets beginning April 5 at 10AM local time through Citi's Private Pass® Program. For complete presale details visit www.citiprivatepass.com.
"Our mission is to offer Citi cardmembers more access to the music and entertainment they love, and the Rolling Stones have been a soundtrack for the life experiences of so many," said Jennifer Breithaupt, SVP of Entertainment Marketing at Citi. "We are thrilled to be providing exclusive presales and once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for Citi cardmembers to see one of the most iconic bands in history perform live."
Mick Taylor, who was a member of the Rolling Stones from 1969-74, will be a special guest throughout the tour.
The band will treat their generations of fans to an evening of classic Stones hits like "Gimme Shelter," "Paint It Black," "Jumping Jack Flash," "Tumbling Dice," and "It's Only Rock and Roll," curated with lesser known gems, and a cover or two.
The stage design for the tour is based on the band's ubiquitous tongue and lips logo, which extends out into the crowd, allowing the Stones to interact directly with their audience. Known for their ground-breaking sets and use of cutting-edge technology, the Stones' set design will feature video screens and special effects that will enhance the high-octane experience of attending a live Stones' show.
The band will also play London's Hyde Park on Saturday, July 6 following a headlining appearance at UK's Glastonbury Festival on June 29.
The Rolling Stones "50 AND COUNTING" tour will be the band's first venture with worldwide tour promoter AEG Live's Concerts West.
"50 AND COUNTING" TOUR DATES
May 2013 date TBA: Los Angeles -- Staples Center. On sale date TBA.
May 5, 2013: Oakland, Calif. -- Oracle Arena. On sale April 8 @ 10 a.m. PDT.
May 8, 2013: San Jose, Calif. -- HP Pavilion. On sale April 8 @ 10 a.m. PDT.
May 11, 2013: Las Vegas -- MGM Grand Garden Arena. On Sale TBA.
May 15, 2013: Anaheim, Calif. -- Honda Center. On sale TBA.
May 25, 2013: Toronto -- Air Canada Centre. On sale April 8 @ 10 a.m. EDT.
May 28, 2013: Chicago -- United Center. On sale April 8 @ 10 a.m. CDT.
June 12, 2013: Boston -- TD Garden. On sale TBA.
June 18, 2013: Philadelphia --Wells Fargo Center. On sale TBA.
June 29, 2013: Glastonbury, England -- Glastonbury Festival. SOLD OUT.
July 6, 2013: London -- Hyde Park. On sale April 5 @ 9 a.m. BST.
