It’s been more than 60 years since their debut album, but the Rolling Stones are still releasing new material. And they’re still touring.
They’ll bring their “Hackney Diamonds” tour, named for that new album, to Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Friday, June 7.
Like most bands, they’re going to play some of that new album, but they also know what the fans are there to hear. The set list on previous tour stops has varies, but they’ve been playing three or four “Hackney Diamonds” tracks along with a sampling of the long list of fan favorites everyone expects. However, that list is so extensive, you’re bound to miss a few Stones classics.
Each show has also offered a fan-voted song. So far, the fans have picked songs such as “Beast of Burden,” “Monkey Man,” “Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker),” “Emotional Rescue” and “Wild Horses,” a list that draws from the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s.
Credit: Amy Harris/Invision/AP
Credit: Amy Harris/Invision/AP
This is the Stones’ first full American tour since the death of beloved drummer Charlie Watts, who died at age 80 in 2021. Even before Watts’ death, Steve Jordan, a longtime Keith Richards collaborator with an extensive resume, was filling in, and he’s behind the kit on the “Hackney Diamonds” tour. Also joining Richards, Mick Jagger and Ronnie Wood onstage are Georgia’s own Chuck Leavell and bassist Darryl Jones, along with a several other supporting players.
Both Jagger and Richards are now 80, and Wood is 77, and they’re still going strong. But there will always be speculation about how much longer they can keep it going.
Following the band’s May 15 appearance at Seattle’s Lumen Field, the Seattle Times’ Michael Rietmulder speculated about that. “Whatever deal with the devil they cut to perform this well for this long, it’s fair to wonder if Wednesday’s show could be the last Seattle stand for the band that’s played here five times this century …” he wrote. “If it was, it’s hard to imagine Mick and the boys going out any higher.”
IF YOU GO
The Rolling Stones
7:30 p.m. Friday, June 7. A few standard tickets remain starting at $595; resale tickets available starting at $90. Mercedes-Benz Stadium, 1 AMB Drive NW, Atlanta. mercedesbenzstadium.com.
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