Thanks for the article lady jane, I'll post it here anyway.
Stones’ 50th Anniversary Tour Pushed Back to 2013
Band begins ramping up, but sources say Keith’s health is a concern
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By Patrick Doyle
March 14, 2012 10:00 AM ET
rolling stones
Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones perform in 2007.
REUTERS/Andrea Comas /Landov
Below is an abridged version of a story that appears in the upcoming issue of Rolling Stone, issue 1153 with Bruce Springsteen on the cover.
The Rolling Stones will not tour to mark their 50th anniversary this year, Rolling Stone has learned after separate interviews with Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. "Basically, we’re just not ready," says Richards. Instead, 2013 is the new goal. "I have a feeling that’s more realistic," he adds.
Stones insiders say that one reason for the delay is Richards' health, which has raised questions about his ability to make it through a worldwide tour. A top concert-business source confirms the reservations over Richards’ condition and suggests that it is more likely that the band will avoid traveling in favor of camping out in major cities for multinight runs in arenas, similar to Prince's recent stands in New York and Los Angeles.
The Stones are already considering offers: The band asked for proposals from promoters AEG, Live Nation and longtime Stones promoter Michael Cohl. "We're drilling down on this new proposal," says the source.
The band may not be touring, but they will be busy through the end of the year with projects including new studio sessions and a major documentary. According to Richards, the Stones will begin rehearsing for a studio session as early as next month. "We’ll just get the boys back together again then and maybe cut a side," he says. "I’ve got plenty in the locker here, but it’s not on tape."
The news comes after the band gathered in a London studio in December and played together for the first time since the final night of the marathon two-year Bigger Bang tour in August 2007. Making the occasion even more special, former bassist Bill Wyman sat in for the first time since he left in 1992. "We played a lot of blues and outtakes of Some Girls and things like that," says Jagger. "It went very well."
Adds Richards, "It was a very back-to-basics sort of session. There was a lot of jamming. On the third day, Mick turned up, which was a real joy. Because I set it up really as a magnet, you know."
In the meantime, fans will get their Stones fix from the upcoming documentary, out in the fall, which will trace the band's entire 50-year journey and is packed with unseen footage and unreleased music. "Nobody has put the story together as a narrative," says the movie's director, Brett Morgen, who made 2002's The Kid Stays in the Picture. "We've been looking under every rock going through their archives. It will be music never heard before, and I've conducted 50-plus hours of interviews so far. By the time we're done, they will be the most extensive group interviews they've ever done." Says Richards, "He told me 80 percent of the footage has never been seen before, which amazes me. I didn't know there was that much around."
Despite holding off on touring this year, the band is still buzzing from reuniting with Wyman. "We're back in touch, which is great, because I hadn't really spoken to him for years," says Richards. Will Wyman rejoin the group on the road in 2013? "I think he's up for it," Richards says. "We talked about it. I'll let you know when I can."
And Richards points out that next year works just as well for an anniversary trek. "The Stones always really considered '63 to be 50 years, because Charlie [Watts] didn't actually join until January," Richards says. "We look upon 2012 as sort of the year of conception, but the birth is next year."
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http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/stones-5-th-anniversary-tour-pushed-back-...
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the stones to play again(update: tour now in 2013) (Read 67,847 times)
