THE ROLLING STONES CHRONICLE

2019

There ain't no stopping me



    January 11, 2019: Keith Richards posts a Happy New Year's greeting from Turks & Caicos.

 
Keith Richards (Mid-January 2019): The holiday period and cutting down drinking

It's always been an exhausting time for me, December, because it's just one long party. By January 1, you're knackered. And that's a good way to start a new year, right? I'm drying out now!

I've knocked the hard stuff on the head. I have a little wine with meals, and a Guinness or a beer or two, but otherwise... no. It's like heroin - the experiment is over. Mind you, if I meet you in a bar and you say, Do you want to a drink?  - he he he - I wouldn't turn it down! I'm not a puritan in these matters. It's just that it's not on the daily menu any more.

 
Ron Wood & Keith Richards (January 2019): The current state of the Stones' album-in-progress

Ron: It's gradually moving forward... The thing is the songs are taking their own shape. We're trying to get the Jagger/Richards thing to flow normally again (laughs). And so whatever they're doing, let them resume and we'll carry on. Me and Charlie will get our call-up papers and say OK we're ready, let's go and cut the songs. 

Keith: Sometimes it’s not as much writing as listening to what’s been written and figuring it out, and honing and all kinds of stuff... (laughs) It’s very boring. It’s like a carpentry shop.

 

    January 19, 2019: Ronnie appears on UK TV with Jimmy White and Ronnie O'Sullivan to discuss
        the snooker masters semi-final in London, England.

 
Keith Richards & Ron Wood (Mid-to-late January 2019): The Stones heading back to the studio

Keith: We're in the studio in a couple of weeks, the whole kit and caboodle. The Stones with Don Was producing, in L.A. We'll have it done this year, at some point. We'll put down as much as we can for a week or so, and then we're on the road. So we'll see what happens after that.

At the moment the Stones are going into the studio next week and so I'm preparing for that, for a few days, to see what we've got. 'Cause we've been working away for - over the year Mick and I have been together several times. And a big sound that we've put together, quite an accumulation of stuff, so we're going to take it in the studio with the best of the boys and see what happens.

This weekend, we're off to sessions. We're recording for 10 days or so. We're going into the studio next week. Mick and I have been busy this year, trying to knock some interesting stuff together. We're doing what we feel we're good at, and in order to be heard. I don't think there should be any time limit on that.

Ron: We're getting ready for recording in L.A. in about a week's time, and then getting ready to tour.


Keith Richards (Mid-January 2019): The Glimmer Twins in 2019

You know, Mick and I, the way we've reacted to things over the years, we've both been very critical of each other. But at the same time, here we are. I just spoke to him yesterday, talking to him about a song we're about to record, and so it goes on. It's an overriding love.



    January 26, 2019: Ron Wood and Rod Stewart eat out at a French restaurant in London.
 

January 30, 2019: Mick Jagger posts a video online of himself recording.


Late January/early February-c. February 20, 2019: The Rolling Stones hold recording sessions
    in Los Angeles.


    February 5, 2019: Charlie Watts attends drummer Hal Blaine's 90th birthday party in Los Angeles
        and is interviewed for an upcoming documentary.


    February 9, 2019: Keith Richards goes to actress Jennifer Aniston's birthday part at the Sunset
        Tower Hotel in Los Angeles.
    February 10, 2019: Mick Jagger attends Universal Music's Grammy Awards after-party in Los
        Angeles.


February 11, 2019: The Rolling Stones announce they're adding a Canadian date in Ontario for
    the upcoming North American tour.
    February 17, 2019: Ron Wood eats out at Craig's restaurant in Los Angeles.
    February 22, 2019: Mick Jagger eats out at Nobu in Los Angeles, with Leo DiCaprio and Lady
        Gaga, then the trio attend the Creative Artists Agency's pre-Oscar party at the San Vincente
        Bungalows in West Hollywood, along with Al Pacino, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry and Jennifer
        Aniston among others.
    February 26, 2019: Mick Jagger attends a party at the Fleur Room at the Moxy Hotel in Chelsea,
        New York City, to celebrate the ballet-in-the-works based on Rolling Stones songs, Porte
        Rouge, that Melanie Hamrick is producing.


    February 27, 2019: Mick Jagger and Melanie Hamrick continue celebrations with a dinner party
        at the restaurant The Pool in New York City.

 
Mick Jagger (February 27, 2019): Porte Rouge

 Melanie had the idea to do the ballet and she’s choreographing it and she chose the songs to be honest. We discussed a few alternatives – but she really chose them. Part of my job is to make sure that they all run together smoothly, do the links and the edits so they work together. So they flow nicely and the highs and lows go together and the keys work going from one song to the next–that sort of thing. (…) We added bits of sound effects for the ballet but I mean it’s all music that’s already quite well-known songs.



    March 14, 2019: Ron Wood attends a fundraising gala at The Roundhouse in London, England,
        and plays onstage with musicians including Seal and Beverly Knight for the event.


March 15, 2019: The Rolling Stones' Exhibitionism opens at TOC Gotanda Messe in Tokyo,
    Japan.

 
Keith Richards (March 2019): Album progress, Charlie and Mick

We’re working on the album. We’ve got the first bits done and I’m looking forward to getting back in after this tour. Charlie Watts is playing his arse off!... He’s absolutely amazing. It’s indescribable to find a drummer like Charlie Watts, exceptionally brilliant.

I can never praise Charlie enough and I can praise Mick Jagger  99% of the time. Mick knows what I mean and he’ll say the same about me. Things happen between Mick and me because it’s just two guys working together. You only hear about the odd bust-up. I love the man 99% of the time.



    March 25, 2019: Mick Jagger eats out at Makoto restaurant in Miami, Florida.


    March 26, 2019: Melanie Hamrick's Rolling Stones-music inspired ballet, Porte Rouge, gets
        its world premiere in St. Petersburg, Russia.


March 29, 2019: The Rolling Stones hold a private dinner at Casa Tua restaurant in Miami,
    Florida, where tour rehearsals have been in preparation.


    March 29, 2019: Keith Richards' 1988 Talk Is Cheap album gets an expanded re-release.


March 30, 2019: The Rolling Stones announce the No Filter North American Tour is postponed
    because Mick Jagger needs medical treatment.

 
Mick Jagger, Keith Richards & Ron Wood (March 30, 2019): Postponing the tour

Mick: I’m so sorry to all our fans in America & Canada with tickets. I really hate letting you down like this.

I’m devastated for having to postpone the tour but I will be working very hard to be back on stage as soon as I can. Once again, huge apologies to everyone.

Keith: A big disappointment for everyone but things need to be taken care of and we will see you soon. Mick, we are always there for you!

 Ron: We’ll miss you over the next few weeks, but we’re looking forward to seeing you all again very soon. Here’s to Mick  - thanks for your supportive messages it means so much to us.



    March 31, 2019: Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ron Wood are still in Miami. Mick Jagger and
        Ron Wood take time out at the beach with their respective families.


    April 1, 2019: The press reports Mick Jagger will have to undergo a medical procedure related
        to a heart valve.


    April 4, 2019: It is reported that Mick Jagger has undergone a successful non-surgical heart
        valve replacement procedure in New York City and that he is recovering in hospital.


    April 5, 2019: Mick Jagger announces on social media that he is well and recovering.


    Early-to-mid April 2019: Keith Richards and Ron Wood take a holiday in the Caribbean.

 
Ron Wood (Late April 2019): Cheering Mick up

Sally and I went on a break to the Caribbean with Keith and Patti and sent him videos of us playing and singing get well songs on the guitar. That cracked him up. We're all so pleased that he’s doing well.



    April 11, 2019: Mick Jagger posts a picture online of himself walking in the park in New York.


    April 18, 2019: Mick Jagger attends the North American premiere of Porte Rouge at the David H.
        Koch Theater in New York City, and greets the audience via microphone offstage.

 
April 19, 2019: The Rolling Stones' 1971-2016 greatest hits compilation album Honk
is released, with an expanded edition featuring live performances from 2013-18,
several with guest artists.
 
 
 
 
 
    April 20, 2019: Ron Wood is out with his family in London, England.


    April 26, 2019: Mick Jagger leaves New York for Paris, France.

 
    May 1, 2019: Ron Wood records with Imelda May in London.


Early May 2019: Keith Richards and Don Was record overdubs in New York City for the Rolling
    Stones' next album.

 
Don Was (Late April 2019): The next Stones album

I can’t really describe the album because we haven’t made the choices yet. Keith and Mick have been writing together, it’s all original material and it’s really good.


 
    May 6, 2019: Ron Wood performs onstage at the London Palladium with Imelda May.


    May 10, 2019: Mick Jagger and Charlie Watts attend the England-Pakistan cricket match at the
        Oval in London, England.

 
    May 11, 2019: Mick Jagger enjoys a family reunion day out in London.
 

    May 13, 2019: Ron Wood is at the White Cube art gallery in London at a pre-exhibition event for
        artist Harland Miller.

  
    May 15, 2019: Mick Jagger posts a video of himself online working out for touring preparation.


May 16, 2019: The Rolling Stones announce the rescheduled dates for the No Filter North
    American Tour, now starting June 21.

 
    May 18, 2019: Mick Jagger puts up a video of himself playing guitar along to new recordings.


    May 23, 2019: Richard Ashcroft of The Verve announces Mick Jagger and Keith Richards have
        handed back the publishing royalties to Bitter Sweet Symphony to its writer. In the late 1990s
        Allen Klein had obtained the rights because it sampled strings from the Andrew Oldham
        Orchestra's version of The Last Time without his permission.
May 24, 2019: Ron Wood is recording for the Rolling Stones' next album in London, England.

 
    May 25, 2019: Ron Wood visits a Picasso exhibition at the Tate Modern art gallery in London.


    May 26, 2019: Mick Jagger is out at the Horse Meat Disco dance club in London, England.


May 27-June 13, 2019: The Rolling Stones hold tour rehearsals in London, England.

 
Keith Richards (June 2019): Mick's surgery

(Mick) went through it very easily. He’s in great shape — rocking. As I say, it seemed to be no problem at all really... I don’t think (it's been a wake-up call for us) (laughs). It was just, Oh, Mick will be better. We’ll just wait around because there was no doubt that we’d soon pick it up. It just had to be done. So we did it.

 
Keith Richards (June 2019): Rehearsing

We’re rehearsing, going through it all, we’re doing maintenance (laughs). It’s coming along very well. It’s cool yeah. We’re making a few changes. We’re trying to come up with some lesser known favourites, Stones things, so that’s been interesting. Some of them I haven’t heard in 20 years.



    June 9, 2019: Mick Jagger and Charlie Watts attend the India vs. Australia Cricket World Cup
        match at the Oval Cricket Ground in London.

 
Mick Jagger (June 10, 2019): Road and life balance

I don’t do it all the time, (like) twelve months a year. When you’re young, that’s what you do. (Today I) spend three or four months on the road in a year and that seems to be quite a good balance.



    June 12, 2019: Ronnie Wood makes a speech at the Action for Addiction gala at Somerset
        House in London.
  

June 16, 2019: The Rolling Stones arrive in Chicago, Illinois.
 

June 18, 2019: The Rolling Stones resume rehearsals at Soldier Field in Chicago.
 

June 21, 2019: The Rolling Stones kick off the 2019 No Filter North American Tour at Soldier
    Field in Chicago. The band reintroduces the "b-stage" into the show, last featured in
    2007.

 
Ron Wood (June 2019): Mick's reactions to suggestions for the set list

He’ll be quite honest. He’ll say, Actually, no, that won’t work here, or We played it here too many times. Or he may just go, Yeah, we’ll give it a run, so you never quite know what to expect, but you always get a reason why we won’t perform something.

I’ll look at the set list (during soundchecks) and go, Hey, Mick, we just rehearsed this!  He doesn’t answer — it’s like a tease. But then three weeks later, boom, it’s in the set. That’s what keeps you on your toes.


 
June 21, 2019: The Rolling Stones' Blu-ray/DVD and CD Bridges to Bremen
(from 1998) is released.
 





    June 21, 2019: A documentary film about Bill Wyman, The Quiet One, is released.















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