2 July 2026, 14:10
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Alamy
Some bands like to go out and play their new album in full. Not so the Rolling Stones.
Some classic artists are happy enough to go out on the road without recording new material for years or even decades.
Others will brave going into the studio with varying levels of commercial and critical success.
The Rolling Stones went from the former to the latter with the relatively swift back-to-back release of Hackney Diamonds in 2023 (their first album of new material since A Bigger Bang way back in 2005), and 2026’s Foreign Tongues.
But rather than their live shows with songs from their most recent record or, even more controversially, play the whole thing in full, The Rolling Stones instead focus on their extensive back catalogue.
When the band toured the US in 2024, they played just three or four songs each night from the then-current Hackney Diamonds in their 20-song setlist.
The rest of the set was made up of songs from across their career, and some nights they’d play as many or more songs from 1969’s Let It Bleed as from the album they were supposedly promoting.
The Rolling Stones Tour ’24 Hackney Diamonds – Opening Night Houston, TX
When The Rolling Stones were touring Bridges To Babylon in 1997, Mick Jagger spoke to Reuters about why they’re not minded to play more new songs on the road – at least not during the sort of stadium shows they exclusively play these days.
“There’s no point really,” Jagger explained.
“Not in a stadium. If it was in a theatre and you were doing more of a showcase, then you’d do loads. U2 came out and they played loads of new numbers, and it really didn’t work. It doesn’t work, it just doesn’t work.
“I mean, I’ve done it so many times. You get all these blank faces. It’s all right a couple of times, blank faces. But you don’t want to be every number, like everyone looking at you going, ‘What the f**k is this?’.”
The Rolling Stones, Lady Gaga – Sweet Sounds Of Heaven (Live At Racket NYC)
Asked if audiences should be expecting new songs when they go and see the band, he replied: “I’m not in the audience, I don’t know what they think. Generally, it’s puzzlement usually, I get the vibe!”
The Rolling Stones have ruled out a tour this year in support of Foreign Tongues, but Mick and Keith Richards have floated the idea of some live shows in 2027.
Keith has said that he doesn’t fancy going on the road, but has suggested the band could play a multi-date residency in a single city.
Mick has even hinted that the band could play the Glastonbury Festival again, having topped the bill on their debut there in 2013.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.goldradio.com ’
