Rolling Stones launch 2013 tour in L.A. with guests Keith Urban and Gwen Stefani
Mick Taylor, who was the Rolling Stones' lead guitarist from 1969 to 1974, is a special guest for the entire tour. Taylor performed "Midnight Rambler" with the band, just as he did at the Rolling Stones arena concerts that Taylor was at in 2012. The 2013 tour is a continuation of the Rolling Stones' "50 and Counting" concerts that began in 2012 to celebrate the band's 50th anniversary.
The set list from the May 3 show at the Staples Center included numerous Rolling Stones classics that have become fixtures at Rolling Stones concerts, such as "Gimme Shelter," "Start Me Up," "Brown Sugar," "Jumpin' Jack Flash," "Sympathy for the Devil" and "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction." But there were a few "surprise" songs that were part of the performance: "Emotional Rescue" (it was the first time that the Rolling Stones did the song in concert) and "Factory Girl," which the Rolling Stones have not done in concert since 1997.
Most of the reviews posted on the Internet by fans who were at the concert have been glowingly positive. Many of the fans noted that the Rolling Stones (lead singer Mick Jagger, guitarist Keith Richards, drummer Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood) are still putting on a high-energy show that people of all ages can enjoy.
As previously reported, tickets for the tour in North America have not been selling as quickly as expected. Most fans and industry experts blame the ticket prices, since the majority of the tickets have been priced at $150 to $600 each. According to Ticketmaster (the official ticketing outlet for the tour), tickets were still available for the May 3 concert at the Staples Center on the night of the show.
As of May 4, 2013, Ticketmaster is listing that tickets are still available for all of the tour's concerts in North America, except in Philadelphia and Montreal. However, even if concerts are listed as "sold out" by Ticketmaster, secondary ticket outlets such as StubHub are selling tickets for all of the Rolling Stones concerts in North America.
By contrast, the tickets to the all of the tour's concerts in England sold out on the same day they went on sale.
As with all shows that are listed as "sold out," there is always a possibility that some tickets will be released at the venue's box office on the day of the show.
