Rolling Stones Page 7

Ronnie Wood and his ex-wife Jo Wood spotted a UFO while they were on holiday in Brazil.

The 62-year-old former model has claimed the couple have seen evidence of aliens, recalling the time when she was looking after their three kids - Jamie, 42, Leah, 39, and Tyrone, 33 - and the Rolling Stones rocker started screaming for her to look at ''something weird'' on the horizon.

She said: ''I was in Recife in Brazil with Ronnie and our kids.

Continue reading: Ronnie Wood And Jo Wood Saw UFO

One Direction have topped Forbes' list of the highest-paid celebrities in Europe for 2016.

The boyband took the number one spot despite being on hiatus for the past year and not releasing any new material or performing live.

One Direction are the highest-paid celebrities in Europe for 2016

Continue reading: One Direction Top List Of Highest Earning Celebrities In Europe

The ever charitable Rolling Stones have decided to relinquish all royalties of a cover version of their 1973 single 'You Can't Always Get What You Want', what with all proceeds of the single going to charity in memory of murdered British MP Jo Cox.

The Rolling Stones show their support of the Jo Cox Christmas single

The rockers, led by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, have chosen against receiving royalties for the song which was covered for a Christmas single by a number of different musicians and fellow MPs. It was released in remembrance of Jo Cox - a labour MP who was the victim of a vicious hate crime earlier this year - with all proceeds being donated to a new charitable trust called the Jo Cox Foundation.

Continue reading: The Rolling Stones Let Go Of Royalties For Jo Cox Tribute Cover 'You Can't Always Get What You Want'

The Rolling Stones have topped the UK album chart this week, with their 23rd studio album Blue & Lonesome.

The album is the band’s first of new material since 2005’s A Bigger Bang and features covers of classic tracks by American blues artists.

The Rolling Stones have topped the UK album chart

Continue reading: Rolling Stones Score Their First UK Number One Album In Over 20 Years

The Rolling Stones’ iconic frontman Sir Mick Jagger has become a father again at the age of 73, according to his publicist.

Jagger already has seven children, ranging in age from 17 to 46, and became a great-grandfather just two years ago. However, his 29 year old girlfriend, American ballet dancer Melanie Hamrick, gave birth to a baby boy in New York City on Thursday (December 8th), meaning the singer has become a dad for the eighth time.

His publicist Bernard Doherty initially announce the news, with a confirmation in a statement soon afterwards that said the couple was “delighted” at the birth.

Continue reading: Sir Mick Jagger Becomes A Father Again At The Age Of 73

The Rolling Stones have returned to their humble beginnings with a new blues album entitled 'Blue & Lonesome'. The 12-track record released this week includes covers of Little Walter, Howlin' Wolf, Little Johnny Taylor, Lightnin' Slim, Jimmy Reed, Eddie Taylor, Magic Sam and Willie Dixon. 

The Rolling Stones bring back the blues

Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood might be known as some of the greatest rock legends in the world, but their sound is very much cemented in the world of blues. The band have spent five years putting together this ode to their passion, though it took only three days to record in the studio because they were trying to keep a live flow with no overdubs whatsoever.

Continue reading: The Rolling Stones Pay Tribute To Blues With New Release 'Blue & Lonesome'

Niall Horan has joined forces with The Rolling Stones' producer Don Was.

The former One Direction band member - who recently released his debut solo single 'This Town' with Capitol Records - is believed to be working with Don, who would be the ''ideal'' person to assist Horan with this career.

And it is believed Horan approached Don after a conversation with the 'Wild Horses' hitmaker.

Continue reading: Niall Horan Is In Talks With The Rolling Stones' Producer Don Was About New Album

The Rolling Stones have announced they will release their first studio album in over a decade on December 2, titled Blue and Lonesome.

The album is comprised of covers of songs by American blues artists, whose work was responsible for getting the band members into music in the first place.

Continue reading: Rolling Stones Announce First Studio Album In 11 Years 'Blue And Lonesome'

Sir Mick Jagger is expecting his eighth child at age 72, a representative for the Rolling Stones frontman has confirmed. Mick’s girlfriend, 29-year-old Melanie Hamrick, is said to be three months pregnant and the couple are “surprised and happy” at the news of the pregnancy.

Mick Jagger is to become a dad again for the eighth time.

Speaking to The Sun, a source close to Hamrick said: “This is great news. It will be Mick’s eighth child and nothing fazes him. He’s been incredibly supportive. She’s very bright, intelligent, sparky and has her own ideas about how she wants to lead her life.”

Continue reading: Mick Jagger To Become A Father For The Eighth Time At 72

It seems that there is nothing left to stop Donald Trump becoming the US Republican presidential candidate but his rise to political dominance continues to aggravate many including the Rolling Stones who have asked the celebrity businessman to stop using their songs.

The Rolling Stones have hit out at Donald Trump's use of their songs

The band has said that Trump does not have permission to use the songs and have requested that he stop doing so.

Continue reading: The Rolling Stones Have Hit Out At Donald Trump For Using Their Music

Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger has opened up on his sadness following the death of David Bowie in January. Jagger and Bowie had been friends for decades, but had not seen much of each other over the past few years. Speaking to The Mirror, Jagger revealed he wishes he'd contacted Bowie in the days before his passing.

Mick Jagger was ‘very upset’ over the death of friend David Bowie.

Jagger said he was in New York’s Greenwich Village, just a short walk from Bowie’s apartment, when he learned of the music legend’s death from terminal liver cancer. “I was listening to his album before he died and ahead of it coming out,” Jagger said.

Continue reading: Mick Jagger Wishes He'd Been In Touch With David Bowie In Days Before His Death

Former Rolling Stones member Bill Wyman has been diagnosed with prostate cancer at the age of 79 according to recent reports, but, before you start worrying about losing another rock legend this year, thankfully he's expected to make a full recovery following his treatment program. 

Bill Wyman on the road to recovery after shock diagnosis

The one-time bassist of the world's most loved ongoing rock band the Rolling Stones will not be beaten by his shocking new diagnosis as he undergoes treatment to beat the disease. A spokesperson revealed that the situation isn't thought to be too serious, however, given that doctors have managed to catch the cancer early on. 

Continue reading: Bill Wyman Undergoing Treatment For Prostate Cancer At 79

The Rolling Stones are set to become the first British band to play an open air concert in Cuba after it was announced that they’ll be hosting a free gig during Easter week at the end of March.

The news was confirmed on Tuesday (March 1st) in the communist country’s official newspaper Granma, after a Cuban TV station’s Facebook page posted it last Friday. The rock legends will be playing at Ciudad Deportiva, a sports complex in the capital city of Havana, on March 25th.

The Rolling Stones before a stadium gig in Australia, 2014

Continue reading: The Rolling Stones Confirm Open Air Concert In Cuba

Bobby Keys, the legendary saxophone player who performed with a number of big names including The Who, John Lennon and The Rolling Stones died on December 2 aged 70. Most notable for blasting out the big notes on many of The Rolling Stones hits, Keys finally lost his battle with cirrhosis of the liver.

Bobby Keys (Left) & The Rolling Stones performing at the Roundhouse, London, 14th March 1971. Credit Getty/Evening Standard

Mick Jagger and his bandmates released a statement which said they were "devastated by the loss of their very dear friend".

Continue reading: The Rolling Stones Pay Tribute To Bobby Keys After His Death

Bobby Womack’s death on Friday was followed by a wave of grief and condolences by his friends and fans. The Rolling Stones were among the first to pay tribute to the legendary musician – and they did so via a post on their official website.

Womack's work has influenced musicians and songwriters across genre lines.

“Bobby Womack was a huge influence on us,” the note reads. “He was a true pioneer of soul and R&B, whose voice and songwriting touched millions. On stage, his presence was formidable. His talents put him up there with the greats. We will remember him, first and foremost, as a friend.”

Continue reading: The Rolling Stones Pay Tribute To The Late, Great Bobby Womack

The Rolling Stones recommenced their '14 on Fire' concert tour, which is a tribute to their 50th anniversary of dominating rock & roll music around the world, with a sold-out show in Oslo, Norway, on Monday night (May 26th).

The Rolling Stones are back on tour

The iconic Rock band were forced to abandoned their tour two months earlier after frontman Mick Jagger's longtime love, L'Wren Scott, committed suicide.

Continue reading: The Rolling Stones Resume Tour With Sold-Out Show Two Months After L'Wren Scott's Suicide

Liam Gallagher and his band Beady Eye played an unbilled set at the Glastonbury Festival on Friday morning (June 28, 2013), officially opening three days of music set to be headlined by Arctic Monkeys, The Rolling Stones and Mumford & Sons. The show took place on The Other Stage at the rather early time of 11am, though thousands made the journey from their soaked tents to watch the former Oasis man.

Liam Gallagher Performing With Beady Eye At The Glastonbury Festival

Though Beady Eye's show did not feature in the programme, frotman Liam has dropped a major hint earlier in the week, tweeting, "11am Friday - BE there or BE square.LG," while photographs showed the band travelling to Glastonbury on the train. Gallagher had always vowed never to return to the Pilton site following his former band's headlining set in 2004, telling The Sun, "The sound is s*** and really quiet. You can hear the crowd talking while you're playing.It's like Bond Street with mud, with loads of celebrities walking around in their boots and umbrellas. I'm not having it."

Continue reading: Liam Gallagher Opens Glastonbury Festival With Oasis Songs [Pictures]

Liam Gallagher was given the enviable job of opening the 2013 Glastonbury Festival with a surprise set on The Other Stage on Friday morning (June 28, 2013). The singer, who aired his dismay for the festival following his former band Oasis' set in 2004, arrived on-stage and immediately launched into Flick of the Finger, a recent single for Beady Eye.

Liam Gallagher Performing With Beady Eye At Brixton Academy

The cloudy weather and early start did nothing to deter the famous Mancunian, who was on typically brash form. "It's never too early for a bit of Rock'n'Roll aggro, is it?" asked Gallagher as his new band launched into Morning Glory, an Oasis hit written by his brother Noel Gallagher.

Continue reading: Liam Gallagher's Beady Eye Open Glastonbury Festival With Morning Set

Many Glasto goers woke up to the pitter patter of rain on canvas this morning as Wednesday's warm, humid weather well and truly dissolved into rain. By the Thursday evening, the site was drenched - what had initially been forecast as a "short sharp shower turned into an all-day deluge," according to the BBC. And where there's rain, there's mud: big sticky, gloopy, welly-stealing piles of it. This didn't deter any of the 118,000 ticket holders already onsite, with revellers retreating to indoor tents or embracing the wet weather and sludge with gusto by making mud slides. As the main festival wasn't even fully underway by then, we can't say we'd like to be sharing their tent this weekend - let's hope they've brought some babywipes!

Glastonbury Festival Organisers Michael & Daughter Emily Eavis.

Unlike everywhere else in the country, the rest of the weekend in the South-West is set to be mild, but not exactly toasty, with mean temperatures of 18°C combined with average windspeeds of about 15mph: so that little weather forecaster's cartoon of a grey cloud will pretty much sum up the weekend. 2009's extreme weather saw torrential downpours and thunderstorms lighting up the valley but was followed by 2010's glorious sunshine, which caused sunstroke and dust problems. Punters have a whole weekend of musical, comical and performance joy ahead of them to distract them from any weather woes though. Saturday night will be headlined by The Rolling Stones who have described the Glastonbury headline slot as an experience they were "destined" for, with organisers Michael and Emily Eavis "thrilled" to have the legendary Stones perform.

Continue reading: Glastonbury Weather Dries Up Ready For The Big Acts

Mark Fisher OBE – the talented stage designer for bands like The Rolling Stones, U2 and Pink Floyd, passed away yesterday (Wednesday, June 26). He was 66. Fisher, who also worked with celebrities like Robbie Williams and Lady GaGa, reportedly died peacefully in his sleep, according to NME. It was the end of his long-standing battle with illness.

Fisher had worked with The Stones for the past two decades.

Fisher – who was also an architect, had worked on the set design for Stones tours for the past twenty years. The rockers expressed their condolences in a statement, which read: "We are all extremely saddened to hear of the death of our dear friend Mark Fisher. The remarkable sets he designed for us over the last two decades played a major part in the success of all those tours. His passion, dedication and professionalism was infectious."

Continue reading: Beloved Stage Designer For The Rolling Stones, Mark Fisher, Dies At 66

The weather forecast for the Glastonbury Festival this weekend does not look brilliant: expect a lot of cloud. However, those visiting the Glastonbury Festival this year may be pleased (or rather not depending on your predisposition) to hear the traditional mud is likely to be back. Around 135,000 people attend the festival annually and this year is no exception. The festival site, located near the Somerset village of Pilton, opened its gates for early goers. Most slept in their cars overnight lying in wait to get a decent (probably on higher ground) site to set up camp.

Beyonce Played A Barmstorming Set At Glastonbury In 2011

The weather forecast for Shepton Mallet (the closest town to the festival site), according to the BBC, is:

Continue reading: Glastonbury Festival Weather 2013: Get Your Wellies On

Mick Jagger's recent quip about the ongoing Edward Snowden scandal during a concert in Washington D.C. didn't go down quite as well as he'd hoped, with his comment about President Barrack Obama listening in on the concert being met with jeers from the crowd.

The band were performing at the Verizon Center in the capital on Monday night (June 24), with Jagger taking a pop at the on-going NSA surveillance scandal at the beginning of the concert. Luckily the rest of the performance wasn't as awkward. The frontman was chatting with the crowd whilst the rest of the band warmed up behind him, discussing past concerts in the capital and how former presidents and first ladies had come down to their shows in the past. He went on to jest, “I don’t think President Obama is here tonight, but I’m sure he’s listening in,” but few people managed to see the funny side as his comments were met largely with jeers. You can watch the video - courtesy of CBS News - below and see what you think.

Continue reading: Mick Jagger's Obama Jibe Met With Boos During Washington Gig

With such a ginormous festival site at 900 acres, and plenty of drunken hoardes and muddy puddles to fight through, the simple act of walking from one stage to another can be a difficult task. Throw in a lost mud-sucked welly and inebriated disorientation and you haven't a hope in hell of deftly navigating your way in between acts - even with that overpriced festival lanyard you spent half your first day's budget on.

Glastonbury returns in 2013 after having taking a well needed break in 2012 - the Eavis family, the cows and the grass all had a rest whilst the portaloos and crowd barriers were in London for the Olympics. The festival this year marks it's revival with an exciting line-up, including The Rolling Stones, Mumford & Sons, Arctic Monkeys, Chic feat. Nile Rodgers, Chase and Status, and Public Enemy.

However, with all star-packed line-ups comes inevitable clashes: fan of both Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds AND Smashing Pumpkins? Too bad - they're both on around 20:30 on the Sunday with a good half mile hike between stages, meaning you'll have to forego one sullen frontman for another.

Continue reading: Glastonbury Festival 2013: Your Guide To The Biggest Clashes!

Glastonbury Festival will be returning after a year off this weekend (June 28 - 30) and after a year away it looks as though at least one classic Glasto tradition will be void from this year's itinerary; the rain. Weather forecasts are indicating that in a much-needed break from the norm, the weather at this years Glastonbury will actually be good for a change and the sun will shine on in Somerset for the full stretch festivities.

BBC Weather is predicting an overall mix of sun and cloud over the course of the week, with a few chances of rain cropping up at points. Of course this is the British summer, and the British summer is never complete without buckets of rain at the worst possible time. Forecasters are predicting that the rainfall will only really be a problem on Tuesday and Thursday, which might make setting up the festival a living hell for organisers, and the same for earlier-comers on Thurs, but hopefully the sun will pull through and things will go off without too much disruption.

Temperature wise, weather experts are predicting an average in the mid-teens, with highs of 24C on the Sunday, when the headliners are Mumford And Sons. Also playing headlining slots during the weekend are the Arctic Monkey and Rolling Stones, who are making their first ever appearance at the festival in it's many years as a British summer institute - not that you'll be able to see them unless you have tickets for the festival that is.

Continue reading: The Forecast Looks Good For A Sunny Glastonbury Festival

red hot chilli peppers frontman Anthony Kiedis was made to do some cooling down on Friday (June 21) after he was spotted brawling with a security guard outside the Four Seasons Hotel in Philadelphia. The singer and the hired muscle apparently traded blows with each other after Kiedis was refused entry to the building, and the whole thing was caught on tape.

If you head over to TMZ, you can see the footage of Kiedis as he trades blows with the security personelle, neither one of them backing down as the whole scene gets violent very fast. In the footage, the RHCPs frontman approaches the hotel with a female friend and is blocked from entering by the bouncer. As Kiedis tries to get around him, the security guard flings himself at the singer and the fighting begins.

There was some reason behind the crazy scene however, as it turns out the Rolling Stones were staying in the same hotel as Kiedis and were leaving the hotel when he had arrived. Mistaking Kiedis for a crazed fan, the bouncer did what he thought necessary to warn off any potential threat to the veteran rockers. So everything makes sense right, well, not entirely.

Continue reading: Chilli Pepper's Anthony Kiedis Assaulted By Security Guard Outside Four Season Hotel

Arctic Monkeys have returned with 'Do I Wanna Know,' the first single to be taken from their fifth studio album.

The new track, first played at a concert in California last month and subsequently used as a set opener during the bands Scandinavian shows, is now available to download on iTunes. A new video for the track has also rolled out online.

Featuring a thudding beat throughout and a rip-roaring Queens of the Stone Age-esque chorus, Do I Wanna Know is certainly an interesting track, if a little unremarkable. The band have also premiered new song 'Mad Sounds' at the Hultsfred Festival in Sweden on Friday (June 14, 2013) and again at the Danish NorthSide festival on Sunday. Both new songs re likely to feature on the band's forthcoming new album.

Continue reading: Arctic Monkeys Return With New Single 'Do I Wanna Know' [Listen]

Diehard Rolling Stones fans must be wondering what the hell’s going on. The band reformed, charged hundreds of pounds for live tour tickets, and now that they’re finally getting to see their idols, people like Taylor Swift and Katy Perry are appearing on stage!

Fans of the We Are Never Getting Back Together singer won’t have been too bothered, though. Fans of really long song titles won’t have been, either. Swift joined Jagger on stage at their concert in Chicago on Monday, June 3. "Filing this under 'never in my wildest dreams.' Thank you Rolling Stones for inviting me to Chicago to sing with you," she Tweeted after the show, posting a picture of her and the legendary rocker to accompany it. It wouldn’t have been much of a surprise, though, as Jagger tweeted ahead of the performance, saying: "Looking forward to singing with @taylorswift13 tonight! Wonder which song we will do?"

She’s not the only mainstream popster to share the stage with the 70s giants; Katy Perry, too, got the chance to fulfil her dreams – dreams she probably only thought up when someone fooled into thinking she worked in music. She also thought Twitter would be the best place to boast about this. "Yes, I just did gyrated on Mick Jagger. What?!" she posted after the May 11 show. Lady Gaga, the Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl, Florence Welch and Tom Waits have all made guest appearances, too.

Continue reading: Taylor Swift Joins The Rolling Stones On-Stage, But Why?

Justin Bieber is happy to have you round to his house in Calabasas for a party, but you'll have to sign a $5 million waiver. Yep, that's right, TMZ.com have obtained a copy of a document that EVERYONE must sign before entering Bieber's residence, that warns that anyone who blabs about ANYTHING that happens inside the mansion will get sued big time. That includes "the physical health, or the philosophical, spiritual or other views or characteristics" of Bieber or the guests.

The document makes it very clear that anyone who violates the terms will automatically be sued for $5 million in damages. Oh, and if you tweet about the party? It's $5 million. If you Instagram anything from the party, it's $5 million. The form warns there might be activities which are "potentially hazardous and you should not participate unless you are medically able and properly trained," while risks include "minor injuries to catastrophic injuries, including death."

The pretty hilarious document confirms that Bieber's parties are easily as unruly as those thrown by the likes of The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin back in the day. So if you manage to get into one of the bashes and happen to see Bieber roaring through the hallway on a motorbike, don't you dare upload a Twitpic of that. Don't you dare.

Continue reading: Want To Blab About Justin Bieber's Parties? It'll Cost You $5 Million

This could so easily have been a ‘Mick Jagger has a heart attack on stage’ story, but it’s not, thank the gods of aging rockers. No, this is a story about Katy Perry performing live with Mick Jagger as the Rolling Stones play L.A. Although, ironically, this might mean the death of Jagger for a lot of Stones fans.

The ex-wife of Russell Brand joined the Rolling Stones on stage at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas to duet with Mick Jagger on a rendition of their 1978 hit 'Beast of Burden.' This isn’t the first ‘star’ to perform with the Stones on this tour; fellow singers like Gwen Stefani and Tom Waits have also been privileged by the presence of those rock legends on stage. The MGM Grand will be blessed with a plethora of stars yet again next Sunday (May 19) for the 2013 Billboard Music Awards. People like Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Jennifer Lopez, Lil Wayne, Christina Aguilera will perform.

Continue reading: Katy Perry Gyrates Against Mick Jagger On Stage [Video]

It's quickly becoming a case of you can't always get what you want for the Rolling Stones, after it emerged tickets were still available for tonight's show at the Los Angeles Staples Center (May 3, 2013) after punters failed to snap up the hideously overpriced $600 floor seats, based on the website of Anschutz Entertainment Group Inc, the owner of the Staples Center and promoter of the Stones' tour.

"To anyone not working in investment banking, these are extremely expensive tickets," said Gary Bongiovanni, editor-in- chief of Pollstar, a concert-industry magazine. In order to fill the center for tonight's show, AEG has begun lowering prices with more $85 tickets being made available (according to Rollingstones.com.) Initially, they were the only tickets sold out for the May 3 show, according to the AEG website.

"By the time the show starts, they'll fill every seat at the arena," Bongiovanni said in a phone interview with Bloomberg, "It just won't be with people who paid $600 a seat." AEG offered an explanation of sorts, saying in a statement that the date of the first show had to be moved by a day because of professional basketball and hockey playoffs at the arena, requiring the company to offer some refunds. "We fully expect Friday's Staples Center show to be sold out and are very pleased with ticket sales for all upcoming shows," it added. 

Continue reading: Why Can't The Rolling Stones Sell Out The Staples Center?

Keith Richards says he isn't a fan of Apple iPod device and favours CDs, vinyl and sometimes cassettes to MP3's. The 69-year-old says music lovers are "all being short-changed" with the sound that comes from an iPod, which first launched in 2001 and has gone onto become a must-have piece of technology on a global scale.

"I don't have an iPod. ... I still use CDs or records actually. Sometimes cassettes. It has much better sound; a much better sound than digital," he said in a recent interview with the Associated Press, "My old lady's got one. My kids have got them. I say, 'Look me up this.' Or, 'Oh I like that. Check me that. I know what these things can do. I'm not totally anti-them."

The Rolling Stones guitarist, who kicks off the band's '50 and Counting Tour' in Los Angeles tonight (May 5, 2013) says he's accepted that the music industry is digitally driven nowadays, "They're sucked into it and they can't get out of it, nor can we; so is the public.There's something missing there, but it's the price of the future I guess," he said.

Continue reading: Is Keith Richards IPod Snub Another Sign Of The Stones' Being Out Of Touch?

Albums of Note... Bonobo, aka Simon Green, may not have found instant stardom in his career but his work is characterised by a steady progress that is reflected in his tracks. North Borders is the fifth studio album from Bonobo and he calls on a range of influences, from hip-hop, soul, jazz and dubstep, to create a sound that has gradually developed into his own distinctive sound. Bonobo calls on a few friends for this album, notably Erykah Badu, who sings on ‘Heaven for the Sinner,’ a twinkling take on modern soul.

“What sets Bonobo apart in an overly crowded marketplace… is an expert ability to channel myriad influences from outside of his sphere into something that works perfectly inside it, not just within a single track but start-to-finish across an album.”

Continue reading: A Week In Music - Bonobo Builds On Steady Career, Little Comets Supply Astronomical Memories, Palma Violets Return With Raucous Video

You’d think Bill Wyman would be kicking himself for leaving the Rolling Stones, wouldn’t you? The famed bass player left the band back in 1993 but insists he has no regrets over it. In fact, he reckons that the life he leads instead has left him happier than the guys that carried on without him. In an interview with The Telegraph, the man that was often labelled as the ‘boring’ member of the British group reveals his obsession with archiving the band’s history and going metal detecting in his spare time.

“When I said I wanted to leave they told me I was probably giving up £20 million for the next two years. But I had three great houses and some nice cars,” Wyman explains. “I got married again and worked on books, and started a band to subsidise my living expenses. And I don’t regret it because I’ve never been happier… I’m sure I’m happier than they are in their lives.” Wyman was also keen to point out that of all of the Stones, he has had the most successful solo career: “I don’t push it. You have to swallow your pride and let it go, otherwise you get knotted up. I went away and had the biggest solo success of anyone in the band with (Si, si) Je Suis Un Rock Star. A world hit.”

It’s not hard to see that there’s little love lost between Wyman and the band’s leader Mick Jagger though, which would probably prevent Wyman from rejoining the band even if he wanted to, "He can start a sentence by saying Yes and by the end of it you realise he has said No.” Wyman might not be headlining Glastonbury this year then, but seems all the happier for it. 

Continue reading: 'I'm Happier Than They Are' - Bill Wyman On Life Without The Rolling Stones

Britain, like many other Western countries today, is in a recession, in which just about every ordinary person is feeling the pinch. Four people, who don't seem to have much of a clue about the current financial crisis affecting the world, are veteran rockers the Rolling Stones. Today The Stones made the tickets for their upcoming summer concert in London's Hyde Park available to buy, with the cheapest possible ticket selling for £95, plus fees!

Despite the ridiculous pricing of the tickets, it did't stop fans of the dinosaur rockers from snapping up the tickets in minutes, with all 65,000 tickets for the 6 July show being sold within five minutes of going on sale. If you thought the £95 for a standard ticket was bad (without taking the £10-30 booking fees into account), more pricer tickets were also sold, costing up to £300 (again, not taking into account for booking and admin. fees), with only the £299 (face value) VIP tickets offering the chance of being slightly closer to the stage than any of the other tickets.

It was thought that, following the outrage of the prices that the band were asking for during their run at the O2 Arena last year, the prices would be a little lower this time round. Alas going to see one of the richest bands in the world will still cost you an arm and a leg. Still, the show will have a bit of history to it nonetheless, as it will be the band's first performance in Hyde Park in 44 years. That particular concert, held 5 July 1969, came two days after founding guitarist Brian Jones drowned in his swimming pool and was a free event, a far cry from the money-grabbing nature of this concert.

Continue reading: Rolling Stones Hyde Park Gig Tickets Sell Out In Minutes Despite Absurd Prices

Tickets for The Rolling Stones' concert at Hyde Park this summer has sold out in just three minutes. According to The Telegraph, 65,000 tickets for show - part of Hyde Park's British Summer Times gigs - were completely sold out by 9.03am on Friday morning (April 5, 2013).

The Stones will play in London just days after they headline the Saturday night of the Glastonbury Festival on June 26. It's 44 years after the legendary rockers last played at Hyde Park in 1969, just two days after guitarist Brian Jones was found dead at his home in Hartford, East Sussex. As ever, the band were accused of exploiting fans with overpriced tickets and the cheapest for the Hyde Park show were £95.00. Many were priced at £299 while ticket marketplace Viagogo has already begun selling tickets for £1,097 each. A place in the coveted "Diamond Circle" area will cost you around 2,500.

"It seems like yesterday," guitarist Keith Richards told the BBC of the last time his group played Hyde Park, "It's going to be a great summer, man.All the gigs we haven't done or wanted to redo are popping up." At the original gig, Mick Jagger famously wore a white dress on stage and read a Percy Bysshe Shelley poem dedicated to Jones. Thousands of butterflies were released into the air. 

Continue reading: Overpriced? Fans Snap Up Rolling Stones' Hyde Park Tickets In 3 Minutes

For everyone shelling out £200+ for a Glastonbury ticket, you can pretty much be sure that their dreams include winning the lottery or playing the Pyramid Stage. But it turns out, not even all rock stars want to play the festival.

And we’re not talking any rock stars, but the Rolling Stones – this year’s headliners of the now infamous stage. Alright, not all of them, just Charlie Watts, the drummer. “I don't want to do it,” moans Charlie in an interview with The Guardian. “Everyone else does. I don't like playing outdoors, and I certainly don't like festivals. I've always thought they're nothing to do with playing. Playing is what I'm doing at the weekend. That's how I was brought up. But that's me, personally. When you're a band … you do anything and everything. But Glastonbury, it's old hat really. I never liked the hippy thing to start with. It's not what I'd like to do for a weekend, I can tell you.” This is all great news for those you have actually shelled out the pricey cover fee for a ticket. Now they know the drummer of the headline act would rather be at home drinking tea.

“The worst thing playing outdoors is when the wind blows, if you're a drummer, because the cymbals move … it really is hard to play then,” adds Charlie, giving a musical reason why outdoor playing isn’t the best.

Continue reading: Got That Festival Spirit? Charlie Watts Doesn’t - He Really Doesn’t

Albums of Note... It’s been a long two years since James Blake released his debut eponymous album and now, the pioneering producer returns with Overgrown, album number two. Peppered with quality collaborations, with hip-hop legend RZA and electronic music’s figurehead Brian Eno, Overgrown is the sound of an artist still trying to find his niche, but releasing high quality, accomplished tracks, whilst he’s on his journey. “Blake really is a talent to behold, as his ingenious moulding together of poles apart genres and production wizardry clearly shows… when you're already as accomplished at all manner of musical exercises as he is then it will obviously be hard to focus all this talent and all this energy into one place.”

Splitting opinion like musical Marmite, John Grant returns with Pale Green Ghosts. This album may sound unrecognisable as Grant, to anyone already familiar with his work. He’s hooked up with Gus Gus’ Biggi Viera and has decamped to Reykjavik. As a result, a new reliance on vintage-sounding synthesisers and a nod to club-land has John Grant sounding like an altogether different proposition to the John Grant of days gone by.“Grant's dyspeptic edge may be blunted, but when called upon the man can make a fine ass post-modern disco song, like we ever doubted that he could, and Blackbelt is a tweaked remix away from the transient world of A Lists, charts and chat shows. Cleverly poignant, its way with knock out disses would give Jake Shears something to think about if it proved to be a permanent change of direction…”

Continue reading: A Week In Music - James Blake Still Seeking His Niche, Yeah Yeah Yeahs Triumph With Lily Cole Video, Eels Stage A Love-In In Bournemouth

Chris Martin can rest easy. It wasn’t an April Fool’s joke. It turns out that Radio 2’s listeners really do hold his band Coldplay in higher regard that the likes of The Beatles, the Rolling Stones and Pink Floyd. So much so, that they have voted the Coldplay album A Rush of Blood To The Head as their favourite of all time. Coldplay beat the likes of Keane, Duran Duran, Pink Floyd and Dido, who filled out the rest of the top five places.

The poll, according to BBC News, had been held to coincide with the BBC season The Golden Age of the Album and the station’s listeners voted on their favourite albums. The Coldplay album, released in 2002, sold over 2.8 million copies and included the singles The Scientist and Clocks. Jeff Smith, the head of music at Radio 2 said “Musicians such as Coldplay and Dido have struck a chord with listeners and are in good company in the top 10 alongside legendary bands like The Rolling Stones and The Beatles, whose appeal remains undiminished after all these years.”

The Rolling Stones didn’t enter the chart until sixth place, with their 1971 album Sticky Fingers and The Beatles went in at eight, after The Pet Shop Boys, with Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.

Continue reading: Better Than The Beatles? Coldplay Top Radio 2 'Favourite Albums' List

We've all had that moment; looking at photos of our favourite celebs and then jumping out of our seats screaming, 'He's HOW old?!' Well, we've been doing a lot of that here at ContactMusic. Some stars seem to have crept up the age ladder pretty sneakily, the odd wrinkle and grey hair barely registering on our radar, while others don't seem to have aged at all! English football player David Beckham was in his twenties when he rose to global popularity and, looking at his recent H&M underwear advert, it seems that his iconic hairstyles and tattoos are our only way of working out the old from the newer pictures of him. However, he is only 37 and has plenty of time to catch up yet. It's the over-50s that have really had our mouths agape in recent times as we've been scouring the net for the most youthful looking middle to old aged stars. 

(Anthony Kiedis, Tom Cruise, Jim Carrey)

Continue reading: Good Genes Or Good Ops: Which Male Celebrities Don't Show Their Age?

It’s a real mixed bag for the biggest album releases today and the most popular is bound to be the accompanying CD release to the 12-12-12Benefit Concert for victims of Hurricane Sandy. The tracklisting reads like a who’s who of the biggest names in rock and pop, with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street band contributing ‘Land of Hope And Dreams’ and ‘Wrecking Ball,’ whilst The Rolling Stones liven things up with ‘You Got Me Rocking’ and ‘Jumpin’ Jack Flash.’

And of course, a who’s who isn’t a who’s who without The Who, who also make an appearance, with ‘Who Are You,’ ‘Baba O’Riley’ and ‘Love Reign O’er Me.’ It’s very much a line-up full of (ahem) ‘experienced’ male musicians. The presence of Alicia Keys doesn’t exactly balance things out, as she sits there alone, with one track breaking up the compilation and ‘Empire State of Mind’ closing things out. The latter track, though, an affection paean to one of the cities destroyed by the hurricane, is an obvious highlight of this emotionally-weighted compilation.

Watch Bruce Springsteen discussing Hurricane Sandy and the 12.12.12. concert

Continue reading: Out Now - US Albums Releases: 12-12-12 Concert Compilation Features Who's Who Of Rock, Aaron Neville Makes Blue Note Debut,

"The NME Awards is the highlight of the music calendar and the most Rock'n'roll party of the year," says NME editor Mike Williams. He's not wrong, and this year's nominations, which have just been released, prove to make this year's party even better.

The bands to be most proud of their nominations this year are new-comers Haim and Tame Impala, both of which have never been nominated in the awards before. Haim's nominations are for 'Best New Band', 'Best Track', 'Best Music Video' and 'Best Twitter' for Alana Haim (@babyhaim). We're not entirely sure what makes a good Twitter, but we're sure she deserves it, mostly because she posted a photo of her kissing a trout. Tame Impala's nominations are for 'Best International Band', 'Best Album', 'Best Track' and 'Best Music Video'. Also with four nominations each are veterans The Rolling Stones, and controversial act, M.I.A. 

This year's heroes and villains are an interesting bunch with Harry Styles and David Cameron undoubtedly leading the troupe for the villains, while Frank Ocean, Barack Obama and Pussy Riot are all up for the Hero award. 

Continue reading: NME Award Nominations Announced: HAIM And Tame Impala Four Nominations Each

The Rolling Stones have been in the news a whole lot more than we’re used to recently around their 50th anniversary tour.

But, if you were afraid that this was only a temporary blip before another long hiatus, don’t fret. Apparently, The Stones will keep performing for a long time to come, at least if Ronnie Wood is to be believed.

It may be his recent marriage to 34-year-old Sally Humphreys that’s given him this newfound lust for life, but Wood sounds more determined than ever to rock out for as long as he possibly can. “I think of Howlin’ Wolf plugging in to his kidney machine, however old he was, 80 or something, and still playing,” says Wood for The Telegraph, “You just rock till you drop.” Well, that didn’t exactly rhyme, but it is an admirable sentiment none the less.

Continue reading: Rolling Stones Won't Go Without A Fight, Says Ronnie Wood

Are The Rolling Stones lined up to headline Coachella Festival in 2013?

It looks as though the people that make the band’s official iPhone app may have just secretly leaked details of their plans for 2013. On Friday (December 14, 2012), the band’s app had details of a performance on April 12, 2013, at Indio, at the Coachella Festival, NME reports. Although the date was later removed, in the age of the screen grab, there’s no stopping news like that form going viral.

The last time the band performed at a festival was back in 2007, when they played at the Isle of Wight Festival and the fans of the band who have a ticket for Glastonbury Festival 2013 will probably still be holding out hope that Jagger & co. will still be announced as one of the UK festival’s main acts, too.

Continue reading: Is The Cat Out Of The Bag? Rolling Stones To Headline Coachella Festival 2013?

Albums of Note... Rihanna’s seventh studio album, Unapologetic has been met with a mixed response and our reviewer reckons the Barbadian pop star phoned this one in. As her career becomes more of a marketing cash cow than an artistic endeavour, so her albums impress less and less.

Of course, there is also the ‘elephant’ that seems to appear in every room Rihanna walks into… an elephant known as ‘Chris Brown.’ He makes an appearance on the album, duetting with RhiRhi on a track called ‘Nobody’s Business.’ “Fun: it's something that's lacking a lot in this album, Unapologetic rattling on machine-like but with very little given away to the spirit of enjoyment… She doesn't have to feel apologetic for anything, but what's more concerning is that Rihanna doesn't seem to feel anything anymore, something all too apparent on this turgid LP.”

Continue reading: A Week In Music – Rihanna Disappoints, Cee-Lo Green And The Muppets Get Us In The Festive Spirit, The Rolling Stones And Paul McCartney

Lady GaGa is to perform with The Rolling Stones at the band’s anniversary gig tonight (Dec 16).

Yes, you heard right – Gaga and Jagger. Ugh, sorry, that wordplay wasn’t a good choice. Nevertheless, the newly crowned queen of pop is to take the stage tonight alongside the rockers and it will definitely be an interesting collaboration to watch. Perhaps the “Born This Way” singer could inject some of her quirky pop style into the Brit rockers’ old-school feel.

Gaga sounded overwhelmed as she tweeted: "I am so honored and excited to announce I will be performing with @rollingstones on Dec15 for their 50th Anniversary Concert One More Shot. He had me at 'hello, it's Mick.'" The rehearsal shot, which Gaga tweeted about yesterday, shows the singer enjoying her time with the band and bares the caption: "Me with the boys. When rock n' roll gets you wet in 6.” Looks like she’s really getting into the spirit.

Continue reading: 50th Anniversary Gig Features Lady Gaga Performing Alongside The Rolling Stones

Katie Holmes and Blake Lively were in danger of stealing the limelight from the host of rockers performing at last night’s Concert For Sandy Relief at New York’s Madison Square Garden (December 12, 2012). Even Kanye West turning up in a skirt couldn’t upstage these two glamour-pusses, who were all a-shimmer for the big event.

Holmes may be a recent divorcee at 33 and Lively a newlywed at 25, but the pair of them looked equally happy last night. Katie chose to wear a figure-hugging purple dress with velvet panels, designed by Tom Ford, suiting her own classic style down to the ground (well, down to the knees anyway). US Magazine have pictured Tom Cruise’s ex looking relaxed at the charity concert, which featured The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney & Nirvana and Bruce Springsteen, among others and she wore her hair loose, neatly accessorised with black pointy heels. Blake went for a studded red leather mini-dress, designed by Isabel Marant and nude caged ankle boots, designed by Christian Louboutin.

Blake, who recently married Ryan Reynolds, has been keeping a low profile of late, though she and her new husband had been spotted enjoying a break in Paris at the start of this month. Both Katie and Blake were looking stunning last night; they almost put some of the musicians to shame when it came to grabbing the limelight.

Yesterday’s Concert For Sandy Relief (December 12, 2012) turned into a year’s worth of rock and pop headlines, all rolled into one. Not only were some of the coolest kids on the block performing (Alicia Keys, we’re looking at you), but they were doing it in tabloid-seeking style (Kanye West in a skirt, anyone?). However, it was the older statesmen of rock and roll that really grabbed the nations’ attention last night.

First up, Sir Paul McCartney, formerly of The Beatles and now, apparently… of Nirvana? Well, maybe not quite. But Sir Paul did perform with the surviving members of Nirvana – Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic and Pat Smear, playing a new song that they had composed together, entitled ‘Cut Me Some Slack.’ It was part of a wider set performed by McCartney and allayed the fears of devout Nirvana fans, concerned that they would be performing a set of Nirvana covers, with McCartney taking the place of the late Kurt Cobain.

The Rolling Stones made an impressive, if brief, performance, playing ‘You Got Me Rocking’ and ‘Jumping Jack Flash’ before leaving the Madison Square Garden gathered crowd wanting more. Mick Jagger’s seemingly unending reserves of energy put many of the other performers to shame, even if he didn’t have to exert quite the same degree of stamina that he has had to at the band’s recent 2 hour 50th anniversary shows. “Homestate hero” Bruce Springsteen was described by New York Times as “the master of the socially conscious message that’s also a full-tilt rock concert” and last night, he didn’t disappoint. The evening ended on a rousing note, with Alicia Keys joined by a stage full of firefighters to sing ‘Empire State Of Mind Part II,’ with its appropriate chorus of “This is New York… concrete jungle where dreams are made of.” 

Continue reading: Sandy Benefit Concert Highlights: Bruce Springsteen, Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney And Nirvana Hit The Mark

Mick Jagger has finally broken his silence on the subject of Maroon 5's number one hit 'Moves Like Jagger' and revealed that he didn't get paid anything for his reference in the song.

The Rolling Stones lead vocalist appeared for an interview on 'The Late Show with David Letterman' and, to the viewers' amusement, produced a list entitled: 'Top Ten Things I, Mick Jagger, Have Learned After 50 Years In Rock 'n' Roll'. On the list was a light-hearted dig at Maroon 5's song 'Moves Like Jagger' featuring Christina Aguilera, the video of which begins with footage of Jagger in his younger years and later shows singer Adam Levine trying out some of the famous dance moves. Jagger had written on his list that he had learned that "You don't earn a cent when someone does a song about having moves like Jagger." The music legend also drew laughs from his other advice which included, "Be considerate of other hotel guests - trash your room by 10 pm" and, "Before shouting 'Hi Seattle!' make sure you're in Seattle."

'Moves Like Jagger' is not the first number one hit that has referenced the star; he has also been mentioned in Ke$ha's 'TiK ToK' ('We kick em to the curb unless they look like Mick Jagger') and Cher Lloyd's 'Swagger Jagger'. 

With a stage set inside the bands trademark open-lips logo, The Rolling Stones put on an impressive display at Brooklyn’s new Barclays Centre on Saturday night (December 8, 2012). The band may have 50 years of writing and performing under their belts but their stamina (especially that of their lively frontman Mick Jagger) seems not to have abated.

Writing for New York Times, Ben Ratliff’s humorous description of Jagger’s onstage movements perfectly sum up that unique stage presence that he has: “during the show’s two and a quarter hours, he never stopped,” writes Ratliff. “In running shoes and stretchy black clothes he bounced on his toes with knees slightly bent and swinging independently of each other, like a woman in high heels trying to walk in more than one direction.”

Once more, the band was joined onstage by Mary J Blige, who performed ‘Gimme Shelter’ with them and the performance itself was preceded by a montage of clips from various celebrities and musicians expressing their adulation for the Stones. One choice comment came from the garage rock legend Iggy Pop, who said that hearing Keith Richards play guitar back in the late 1960s “felt like being hit with a dead mackerel.” The Barclays Centre was part of the band’s ’50 And Counting’ tour, a celebration of their 50 years of existence. Next, the band will perform at the Prudential Centre in Newark.

The Rolling Stones performed their first show in Brooklyn in almost fifty years, celebrating their (wait for it) fiftieth anniversary together.

The veteran rockers hit Brooklyn's Barclay Centre to run through their extensive back catalogue, with frontman Mick Jagger eager to reflect on how long it had been since the band were last on stage in the New York City borough. Jagger was also keen to mention (jokingly) how the band arrived to the new complex, with the singer referencing a clip taken from Brooklynite Jay-Z's forthcoming documentary, during which the rapper talks to an old lady while on the subway on his way to perform at The Barclays Arena. He jested with the crowd, saying, "It's great to be here in Brooklyn, in this great new arena," said Jagger. "We rode the subway here, I sat next to a guy named Jay Zed…I mean Jay-Z."

As was the case with the groups massively successful shows at London's O2 Arena last month, the band had a few surprises under their sleeves for the eager crowd, and as was the case in London, Mary J Blige joined the rockers on stage to belt out the hit 'Gimme Shelter.' The band also brought out band were also joined by blues guitarist Gary Clark Jr and the Trinity Wall Street Choir to perform on 'Going Down' and 'You Can't Always Get What You Want' respectively.

Continue reading: Rolling Stones Celebrate 50th Anniversary At New York Show

Fleetwood Mac have announced their tour dates for US and Canada in 2013 and the last date of the tour is in Detroit on June 12… just a few weeks before the UK’s iconic Glastonbury festival, which takes place on June 21 – 23. Can you see where we’re headed with this train of thought? Well, it looks like we’re not the only ones starting to think that Stevie Nicks and co. would make a brilliant addition to next year’s line-up, as the bookies, William Hill, have slashed the odds of Fleetwood Mac headlining the festival’s Pyramid Stage on the Sunday to 6/1, making them second favourites.

Currently, The Rolling Stones are favourites to be announced as the festival closers though frankly we’d like to know who’s giving William Hill their inside info because they currently have The Smiths in third position and everybody knows that Morrissey and Marr will never agree to let bygones be bygones and reform in time for Glastonbury 2013. Or ever. Right…? Right? Or is there something that someone’s not telling us?

The line-up for Glastonbury 2013 hasn’t yet been announced, even though tickets for the event have already sold out – such is the pulling power of what is widely considered to be the best festival on the planet. In 22nd place, on William Hill’s list is the Korean rapper, Psy at 200/1. We’re not convinced that Psy’s going to produce another hit on the same scale as ‘Gangnam Style’; file that one under ‘wasted bet.’

Florence Welch was the latest surprise guest to appear on stage with dinosaur rockers The Rolling Stones during their run of shows at The O2 in London, when the Florence and the Machine front-woman joined Jagger and co on stage during last night's performance (Nov 29).

Welch joined the rock veterans on stage for a rendition of the classic hit 'Gimme Shelter,' with R&B heroine Mary J Blige also joining the Stones on stage for a surprise duet during their performance earlier this week. The headlining slots at the O2 didn't stop their with the treats either, as Eric Clapton also came on stage with the Stones for a rendition of 'Champagne And Reefer', with the guitar-god having been rumoured to appear long before he took to the stage.

The second, star-studded performance of the week saw frontman Mick Jagger immediately address the fine the band received after the earlier performance after the show overran. According to NME, Jagger joked with the crowd about the incident at the start of the show, saying "We had to pay £100,000 because we went on too long. That's like... Ten seats."

Continue reading: Florence Welch And Rolling Stones Join Forces At Stones' O2 Gig

Jimi Hendrix, in action, in his heyday

Happy Birthday, Jimi Hendrix! Today, Jimi Hendrix would have been celebrating his 70th birthday, had a tragic turn of events not resulted in his death on September 18, 1970.

Continue reading: Happy 70th Birthday, Jimi Hendrix! Is It Too Late To Become A Hendrix Fan?

Last night at London’s O2 Arena (November 25, 2012), The Rolling Stones were joined onstage by old friends and newer ones, as they celebrated their 50th anniversary. The current mainstays of the band, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood and Charlie Watts welcomed the band’s original bass player, Bill Wyman to play ‘It’s Only Rock and Roll (But I Like It)’ and ‘Honky Tonk Women.’ Mick Taylor, who was a member of the band between 1969 ad 1974 also had his moment in the limelight once more, when he joined them for a version of ‘Midnight Rambler.’

Mary J Blige also performed with the band, helping them out with ‘Gimme Shelter’ and later tweeted “So much fun performing in London w/ the ‪@RollingStones! Congrats on your 50th anniversary!! The response to the show, from those that were there, has been overwhelmingly positive. The Mighty Boosh comedian Noel Fielding told the BBC “I think Keith played incredibly. Sympathy For The Devil...his lead on that was absolutely amazing” and – always one to admire an elaborate costume - added “Mick came out in a cape which - as always - has got to be a bonus.”

In the lead up to the opening night of these 50th anniversary dates, much of the discussion surrounding The Stones’ concerts has been centered on the extortionate ticket prices. Jagger didn’t ignore it, joking to those at the back “How are you doing up in the cheap seats? Except they're not cheap seats, that's the problem.” Hopefully, everyone was having such a wonderful time that they were able to see the funny side.

Continue reading: Old Friends Join The Rolling Stones For 50th Birthday Concert

The Rolling Stones are set to perform a string of shows at London's O2 Arena next week, and have announced that as a special treat there will be two special guests appearing on stage with them in the shape of former Stones members Bill Wyman and Mick Taylor.

Former Stones bassist Wyman and guitarist Taylor will appear on stage with the dinosaur rockers during their shows on Sunday 25th and Thursday 29th November. This will be the first time since 1974 since the two have shared the stage with the rest of the band, but hopefully Ronnie Wood wont feel too left out during the reunion.

The remaining members - Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Wood – have been inviting the two former members back to work together again over recent years, however the shows at the O2 will mark the first time in more than three decades since they have performed live together. Both Wyman and Taylor were interviewed in the recent official 50th anniversary documentary Crossfire Hurricane, in which both former members talked intimately about their time with the band and their reasons for leaving it all behind. Wyman called it quits in December 1992 to concentrate on his own work and personal life, whilst Taylor left the band in 1974. In Crosstown Hurricane Taylor admitted that his heroin addiction was at the root of his leaving of the band.

On New Year’s Day, 1962, The Beatles travelled from Liverpool to London to record up to 15 songs at Decca’s label, for the label’s senior A&R guy, Dick Rowe, to consider with a view to possibly signing the band. Ten of those songs are included on an original master tape that will be put up for auction on November 27 2012. Dick Rowe became known as the man that turned down The Beatles.

Reuters report that the tape is expected to fetch around £18 – 20,000 ($29,000 – 32,000). The likelihood of the content of the tape receiving a commercial release, however, would be slim, as The Beatles own the copyright through their own company. The tape is marked up as ‘The Silver Beatles,’ which is the name briefly used by the group before they found fame. It comes accompanied with a handwritten track list, as well as a black and white photograph of the band posing in their leather jackets. The image would most likely have been used as the record sleeve image.

Ted Owen of The Fame Bureau auction house, specialising in music memorabilia told Reuters “the most important thing about this is the quality. There are bootlegs out there, horrible bootlegs – some are at the wrong speed, others are crackly and taken from a cassette off an acetate. This quality we have never heard.” Also on sale at the auction is a black Fender Stratocaster played by Jimi Hendrix at his legendary Monterey Festival set in 1967. Dick Rowe for the record, managed to save his reputation, at least, by signing The Rolling Stones.

Former Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman, 75, and guitarist Mick Taylor, 63, will re-join the band on-stage at their forthcoming London shows. The pair will play with the band for the first time in over 20 years at the O2 Arena next Sunday and again the following Thursday, reports NME.com.

The pair stood side-by-side with Jagger, Richards and the gang at the world premiere of Crossfire Hurricane, though fans assumed it was a mere nostalgic touch in promotion of the new film. However, it has been confirmed that both guitarists will perform with the Stones "as special guests," which probably means the reunion will last a couple songs and not the entire set. Wyman split from the band in 1990, while Taylor played with the Stones from 1969 to 1974. Both London dates sold out in a matter of minutes, though there was some consternation among fans with regards to the ticket prices. Costing up to £375, many fans were priced out of the market for the tickets, though the band played a club show in Paris priced at just £12.

The London shows - together with gigs in New Jersey and New York - coincides with the release of the band's new greatest hits album Grrr! which includes two new tracks, including current single 'Doom and Gloom'. 

Continue reading: Boys Are Back In Town: Bill Wyman, Mick Taylor To Re-Join The Rolling Stones (Sort Of)

Mick Jagger. What a rock and roll rebel that fella was back in the 60s, doing his sex talk all over his Rolling Stones band mates' filthy guitar licks, putting his really long tongue out at regular intervals, wearing genitalia-enhancing tight jeans. Truly, he was a sexual predator.

Or was he? Love letters that have been dug out and put into the public domain suggest that the once hirsute rocker had a tender, caring side away from his public persona. According to The Guardian, letters sent to Australia to Marsha Hunt, his lover, first child's mother and the inspiration for Jagger's controversial song ‘Brown Sugar’ show the star’s softer personality. Indeed, he opened up a lot in the letters, revealing his love for the literature he was reading at the time: "toying" through Nijinsky's diaries, reading about Navajo Indians, enjoying the poems of Emily "Dix" (Dickinson).

10 of the letters are being sold at Sotherby’s auction house on December 12th and carry an estimate of minimum $110,000. But why would the letters’ recipient be selling them? "I'm broke” was the blunt answer from Hunt. She added: "Anyone who has the impression that I have money knows nothing about me. I had friends who came to visit from Pennsylvania and there was no electricity in the house because the bill had been too high, I was kind of grooving it with a wood burning stove. One friend said, 'surely you've got something you could sell?'"

Does anyone really want to hear Mick Jagger doing sex talk at females aged 69? Quite a few apparently, given how quickly the Rolling Stones extortionate 50th anniversary concerts in New Jersey and London sold out for the end of this month. The London band release yet another greatest hits on Monday in the form of Grrr!, and the big news off that is that new track ‘One More Shot’ has been put up on the band’s official Youtube channel.

So what does it sound like? Like the Rolling Stones really, albeit with the cracked, knackered voice of Jagger over the top of it. Jagger has a message for his baby which has him “doing something he thought he never would do”. What could this be, we wonder? A trip to the moon? Working a night shift at Subway? Turns out it’s just asking the object of his desires to give him another shot and, hey, hopefully she’ll make her mind up soon because he isn’t getting any younger.

There’s not really any point comparing ‘One More Shot’ to the snarling youths that the Stones once were; the song rattles along pleasantly but with all the potency of a rubber hammer trying to knock down the Great Wall of China. Or are we being harsh? Listen below and tell us what you think:

Continue reading: REVIEW: What Do We Think Of New Rolling Stones Track 'One More Shot'?

1000 points to whoever can name all the Rolling Stones singles. No? Well it's pretty hard. And now there's another one; the aging rockers have released their second new single off GRRR! - their greatest  hits album. 

Fittingly, the track is called One More Shot; a thinly veiled plea for fans to give The Stones just one more shot to relive those rock n' roll days, not that they need begging, that is. It follows the release of Doom and Gloom, which was a more rip-roaring effort. This is more melodic, yet still features the trademark Mick Jagger contortion act, as the ancient rocker sways and bends words into lines that seem impossible. One More Shot is a good rock song: of course it is, it's the Stones, but it does nothing new, rather recycles their tried and tested alchemy of saying baby, simple drums and a mellifluous rhythm section. Perhaps that's unfair though, as there's a certain twang of country underlying this song, but it's unmistakably, quintessentially The Rolling Stones. And for capturing that style again, and again, and again, you can have one more shot, guys. But this is the last one.

These two new tracks are the first time Keith Richards and Jagger have been in the studio for seven years, and their two-city strong tour, which is set to hit London and New York, has gained unprecedented attention and interest. Have a listen to the One More Shot below.

Continue reading: The Rolling Stones Latest Single: One More Shot. Have A Listen!

Ah, the life of the jet-setter. Marion Cotillard was spotted by the Daily Mail, landing at LAX on Thursday (November 1, 2012), after winning an award at Harper’s Bazaar’s Women of the Year Awards in London the night before. Marion picked up the gong for International Actor of the Year at the glittering, celebrity-studded ceremony.

Cotillard was looking pretty pleased with herself as she arrived in Los Angeles, dressed casually in dark trousers, a knitted sweater and blazer, all toped off with a bakers’ boy hat, hiding her hair. The Dark Knight Rises star had opted against wearing any make-up but hey, if you’re on a along haul flight and you have the face of Marion Cotillard… frankly, who needs make-up?

At the awards show, however, it was an entirely different matter, as she looked positively sparkling. Teaming up a pair of striking white shoes with a black dress, which had a touch of ‘The Black Swan’ about it, Cotillard accessorised her outfir with a sparkling diamond necklace.

Continue reading: Jet-Set Life Style: International Actress Of The Year Marion Cotillard Lands At LAX

All hail Jon Bon Jovi! The People’s Rocker has announced that his band Bon Jovi will play a string of UK tour dates in 2013 and prices will start from as little as £12.50. That’s right! £12.50 for a stadium show. Did you hear that, Mick Jagger? Twelve. Pounds. Fifty.

As music fans are still reeling from the prices that The Rolling Stones were charging £90 for the lowliest of tickets at their O2 Arena show next month, Bon Jovi’s news will come as a very pleasant – and affordable – surprise. Bon Jovi will be releasing a new album next year, entitled What About Now and according to a story from Manchester Evening News, the low ticket prices are a “thank you” to their fans. In times of economic struggle for so many, it’s a welcome gesture.

In their 30 year career, Bon Jovi have played a reported 2,700 concerts, in 50 different countries and have reached over 35 million fans in doing so. Next year, the band will play Manchester’s Etihad Stadium on June 8, followed by Villa Park, Birmingham on June 9, City Stadium in Cardiff on June 12, Stadium of Light in Sunderland on June 13 and Hampden Park in Glasgow on July 3. The ‘presale’ for tickets will start online at www.bonjovi.com at 6pm tonight (October 30, 2012). The presale is open to members of the fansite, who will be able to apply for Backstage tickets and VIP packages. Though presumably they’re going to cost a touch more than the base price of £12.50.

The Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood will soon marry for the third time, according to Sky News. Ronnie, 65 has been dating Sally Humphreys, 34 for around six months and has decided that she’s the one! No, really…

Ronnie has already been married twice before. First, he married Krissy Findlay in 1971. They were married for seven years and had a son together, named Jesse. In 1985, he married Jo Wood, to whom he was married for over 20 years. He had another two children (Leah and Tyrone) with Jo. However, he left Jo in 2008, for a 21 year-old former cocktail waitress, Ekaterina Ivanova, after meeting her in a club. Jo filed for divorce from Ronnie the following year and that process was finalised in 2011. Throughout this time, Wood was known to have been suffering from substance abuse issues and had checked into rehab several times.

A spokesman for Ronnie confirmed that he and Sally are indeed engaged to be married, though there’s no news on when he might be walking his young fiancee up the aisle, just yet. Presumably, though, it will have to wait until after the band have finished their 50th anniversary concerts. On that note, we’ve just had a thought. If one of the band members has a lavish wedding and honeymoon to shell out for, that could go some way towards explaining the price of those tickets, now, couldn’t it?

So who shelled out $651 for a Rolling Stones ticket? Were you feeling fleeced then? Well you’re going to be feeling so even more now, after it was announced via the group’s Twitter that they’re to be playing a warm up show for their four forthcoming 50th anniversary gigs in Paris tonight. For $19. That’s right, the band are to play Paris’ small Trabendo theatre, which has a capacity of 700.

Their twitter message read: “Names will be printed on the tickets. On presentation of photo ID at the venue, ticket holders will receive a wristband. Doors open at 8 pm” adding "Mobile phones, cameras, video equipment and recording devices are strictly prohibited." The group had drawn criticism for putting tickets for their two shows at London’s O2 Arena at the end of November on sale at extortionate prices, with some VIP packages even going towards the thousands of dollars. Galling then that Parisians will be able to enjoy the leathery rockers for just a fraction of the price. In fact, we worked out that you could get a Eurostar from London to Paris and back, with the price of the gig ticket on top, for just over $420. Even with a hotel added on you’d still be paying less than the top tier general release tickets for the O2.

The retirement fundraisers are going to be playing a private gig on Monday (October 29, 2012) funded by Carmignac Gestion, for their employees. And they say rock n’ roll’s not dead.

Seems like the Rolling Stones tickets fiasco wasn't really anything of the sort. Faced with prices of over £400 for a single ticket, it looks as though Rolling Stones fans have gobbled up the tickets for the band's dates at the O2 Arena, London, in November - and in record time.

Official retailer Ticketmaster.co.uk are now showing the foreboding message "We're experiencing high demand. You will be automatically directed to the page requested as soon as it becomes available. Thank you for your patience." What that basically means is, a million people are trying to do the same thing is as you, and at the end of the day, all one million of you will get smashed in the face by a big old 'SOLD OUT' message when you eventually get through. Twitter user Ian Youngs kind of summed things up this morning, tweeting, "The "cheap" tickets for the Rolling Stones predictably disappeared at 1 second past nine. Was offered one for £406 instead. Hmmm.. no thanks." To be fair Ian, the £406 tickets now look a steal considering the re-sale value of these things. Seatwave.com are offering floor seating tickets in block A2 for £125,0000 each. Yep, that's £125,000 - over a 30,000% increase in price. Former Skins actress Kaya Scodelario was one of the many disappointed Stones' fans, tweeting, "So unbelivably gutted I couldn't get Rolling Stones tickets.. I hate you Lloyds and I hate you ticket master." [sic] We're still waiting for official word from Ticketmaster, though it doesn't look good guys.

But here's an idea: Why not get you and a friend tickets for the shows in Newark, New Jersey (on sale later today), book a fancy hotel, buy yourself two shiny Rolling Stones t-shirts, buy every record they've ever made to increase the excitement. Hell, try buy a stake in the band itself. It'll still total far less than £125,000.