The Rolling Stones gave little indication that the death of longtime drummer Charlie Watts last year would cause them to stop touring ahead of their 60th anniversary.
This week the band confirmed that it will be hitting the road again this year to celebrate its longevity with the ‘Stones Sixty’ tour.
The newly-announced tour dates cover gigs in the UK and Europe, with the Stones playing the first gig on June 1 in Madrid and wrapping up July 31 in Stockholm. Steve Jordan will continue as the band’s drummer.
“Sorry to keep you all hanging around, but the waiting is over,” guitarist/co-founder Keith Richards said in a statement.
“I’ve always said the best place for rock ‘n’ roll is being onstage with the Stones, and this year is very special.”
Preparing for another tour isn’t the only thing keeping the Rolling Stones busy. Richards also confirmed the band has continued working on new music.
“I was working with Mick last week, and Steve, and we came up with some, eight or nine new pieces of material,” Richards added.
“Which is overwhelming by our standards. Other times, [songwriting is] like a desert.”
The Rolling Stones’ last studio album of 2015’s Grammy award-winning Blue & Lonesome covers album.
Richards and Mick Jagger have been working on new Rolling Stones music for a few years.
In 2020, Jagger revealed that a new Stones album was nearly complete, so it’s a good bet that even if the band continues working in the studio with Jordan (who is also a renowned producer) on drums, the new album is likely to feature Watts as well.
