The Rolling Stones are set to bow out in sensational style... with a farewell gig at ­Glastonbury next year.

The band, whose four members have a combined age of 272, will play the ­coveted Sunday night headline slot on the Pyramid stage after talks with festival organisers Michael and Emily Eavis.

It will be their first and only ­performance at the famous Somerset festival which attracts 175,000 fans.

Sources close to the band indicate that the appearance is expected to be the final date in a “handful” of shows in Britain and America in 2013 – which they see as their true 50th anniversary – before they ­finally retire from the live arena.

Festival of festivals: Glastonbury has a special place in Britain's music psyche
PA
 
One insider revealed: “All four members have agreed that next year is the right time to have one final hurrah and put on the gig of their lives.

“It’s a case of now or never, and ­obviously Glastonbury is the most important ­festival on the circuit. Everybody’s incredibly excited... it’s a final bow.”

The band – whose song The Last Time hit No 1 in 1965 – are said to be ­unwilling to embark on another of their record-breaking world tours.

Mick Jagger, 68, says he doesn’t want to be away from his family for so long, and Keith Richards, also 68, has given up the hell-raising lifestyle that was a big part of touring.

Charlie Watts, 71, has never been a fan of life on the road. However, Ronnie Wood, 65, gave a strong hint that the band were preparing a comeback, saying: “It looks like we are going to be doing more stuff.”

Back in the day: The Rolling Stones in 1965
Getty
 
Although the band played their first gig in July 1962, Keith says: “The Stones always considered ’63 to be 50 years, because Charlie didn’t actually join until January.”

Keith also hinted that ex-bass player Bill Wyman, who left in 1992, might join in, saying he was “up for it” and the issue had been discussed. Bill was ­replaced by US session player Darryl Jones, who was never made a full member.

The Stones are releasing a ­photo album to mark 50 years since their first gig. The Rolling Stones: 50 will feature 700 shots with words from the band on their history, and is released July 12.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/one-glast-time-the-rolling-stones-887386

Lots of speculative 'insider' and 'a source' type quotes in there. Not to mention copying and pasting quotes from somewhere else to make it sound as if Wyman playing is a certainty.

Its a predictable, but quite believable and possible gig for them, though.

Seeing as they played the Isle of Wight in 2007, a Glasto performance was always going to be on the shortlist for a future tour.

If its the Sunday show, that'll be June 23, 2013, then. And - unless the band object -  it'll be broadcast live on TV.

Problem with Glastonbury though is that the tickets for the festival usually go on sale before the line-up is confirmed. Although there have been occasions where some of the headliners have been announced in advance.

And it really is in the back of beyond if you're a tourist.  Another gig aimed at box-tickers and non-fans if it comes off, unfortunately. I can only hope that if they play it, they'll do a few 'regular' dates in parts of the UK where the local inhabitants dont primarily consist of sheep.

Expect to pay close to £250 for a ticket for the whole festival.

i hate buying insurance policies

I registered even though I have no idea if I can make it or not, but if it truly is the last gig, I want to be there. Hope I can afford it! LOL

Quote
@RollingStones (Twitter)
Every year the @RollingStones are asked to play this UK festival..but playing Glastonbury is not in our plans.

rubbish

http://www.nme.com/news/the-rolling-stones/64377


The Rolling Stones deny retirement and Glastonbury 2013 plans The Rolling Stones have denied reports they will retire next year with a headline slot at Glastonbury.

It was reported "sources" close to the band had indicated that their Glastonbury appearance will be their final date in a "handful" of shows in the UK and USA in 2012. It was also suggested that, as it is part of the group's 50-year anniversary, it will be seen as a good time to call it a day on live performances.

Representatives for the band insisted there is no truth in the claim, which appeared in the Sunday Mirror yesterday (June 17) and they would not be playing at Worthy Farm next summer.

The veteran four-piece have never played Glastonbury before. A spokesman for the festival told The Guardian there have been no conversations as yet. He added: "Everybody in the year off thinks they've come up with the perfect Glastonbury lineup. But at the moment there isn't anything to confirm or deny."

AngieBlue wrote on Jun 18^th, 2012 at 10:15am:

Yeah no kidding. Thanks goodness for Twitter. Otherwise we would have had months and months of endless speculation about tour plans.....Oh wait.

Fuck me -  I spent an hour trying to take a photo for the application that made me look young / thin enough for a festival goer !

Oh well,If they don't tour maybe I'll finally do Glasto. anyway. 

sc uk

sweetcharmedlife wrote on Jun 18^th, 2012 at 5:36pm:



Nah...

Maybe if I had a pair of free VIP passes with the ability to give away the least interesting day like in 2008.

They both are in NYC and The Stones rehearsed for a week or so a couple months ago... but what was the point of it??

Already mentioned this previously. The point was for the band to find their feet again and especially (so I'm told) to check how Keith was playing.

There doesnt appear to have been any other short term goal in mind other than that.

Paranoid Android wrote on Jun 19^th, 2012 at 7:56am:


Pretty sure that was Isle of Wight.

ijwthstd wrote on Jun 19^th, 2012 at 1:27pm:


That's only if you book an act that is capable of drawing more than the venue will comfortably hold.

That could very well be the case with the Stones, and it WAS the case at Jazz Fest with Springsteen.

At Jazz Fest, I could not get close enough to even see one of the video monitors.