The legendary guitarist of The Rolling Stones was recently speaking at a Q&A alongside The Who’s Roger Daltrey and Yungblud, in an event marking the launch of the new book Buddy Holly: Words Of Love.

Speaking to those in attendance, Wood raised concerns over the growing reliance on technology, especially AI, in creating music. This has become a contentious talking point within the arts world as AI becomes more prominent.

The ‘Gimme Shelter’ musician can’t seem to get no satisfaction regarding how music is created today compared to back in his day, saying: “We were throwing shit at the wall and some of it stuck.

“There’s something about the technology… I feel personally, we’re losing the heartbeat. Maybe it’s because I’m older, but there’s not much new music.”

The Rolling Stones recently won the Grammy Award for ‘Best Rock Album’ with ‘Hackney Diamonds’, beating off competition from exciting and young bands such as Fontaines DC and IDLES.

This garnered lots of criticism from within the music world, but producer of the award winning album, Andrew Watt, offered his support to the band, appearing on the podcast Rolling Stone’s Music Now, he said: “They’re 82 and 83 years old. Tell me another band ever in history that has made a latter-day album that good in their 80s, with that level of songwriting, that level of performance?”

Yungblud offered an alternative perspective to the future of rock music at the Q&A event, saying: “Modern music’s been in a strange place, but it’s exciting because it’s really, I feel it’s very democratic again.

“If you have a story to tell, you can tell it and tell it to the world. You don’t have to go through seven steps.

“The balance has never changed. I think that’s what’s really cool about rock music at the minute, and modern rock and roll music, I really feel like it’s finding it’s bounce back, and it’s becoming hysterical again and it’s exciting. It’s becoming younger again. That’s really cool.”

Last month, the Doncaster born singer-songwriter released his newest single, ‘Hello Heaven, Hello’, check out what mxdwn.co.uk had to say about it here.

Ronnie Wood, Yungblud and Roger Daltrey were promoting the new hardback copy of Buddy Holly: Words Of Love. Hitting shelves on April 8, the book documents the career and legacy of original rock ’n’ roller Buddy Holly.

It will include stories from those close to him as well as never-before-seen photography and personal items. The ‘Peggy Sue’ singer left a heavy mark on the world in his short time, being known as one of the most influential musicians ever.

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He was killed in a plane crash at just 22 years of age alongside fellow musicians ‘The Big Bopper’ J.P. Richardson and 17 year-old Ritchie Valens, in what later became known as ‘The Day the Music Died.’

The hardback book will be available in stores with a RRP of £60, with proceeds from the sales benefitting Teenage Cancer Trust and Teen Cancer America.

Ronnie Wood is neither the first nor the last musician to speak out against AI. Back in February, over 1,000 artists, including Damon Albarn and Kate Bush, released a silent album to protest against a planned change to AI copyright laws by the UK government. Check out what we had to say about it here on mxdwn.co.uk.

The Rolling Stones will play four UK dates at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as part of a European tour this summer.@MailOnline pic.twitter.com/WODA8bQ3TD

— Lilywhite Rose (@Lilywhite_Rose) January 22, 2025

The announcement has sent waves of excitement through their fanbase, with tickets expected to be priced around £250. It is currently unknown whether the London shows will be the band’s only dates in the UK. An official announcement is expected in the upcoming weeks. Fans are encouraged to secure their tickets early to witness a piece of rock history live. The rockers, known for their dynamic stage presence and timeless hits such as ‘Paint It Black’, ‘Satisfaction’, and ‘Gimme Shelter’, promise a show to remember.

In 2022, The Rolling Stones celebrated their 60th anniversary with a series of performances across the UK, culminating in two significant concerts at London’s Hyde Park on June 25 and July 3. These shows were part of the British Summer Time festival and marked their return to the iconic venue since their memorable free concert in 1969.
This upcoming tour offers a unique opportunity for fans to experience the Rolling Stones’ legendary live performances, celebrating their enduring legacy in the rock and roll world. For the most accurate and up-to-date information, fans should regularly check the official Rolling Stones website and reputable ticketing platforms like Ticketmaster.

The Spanish footballing giants have said the logo in question will be the legendary tongue and lips frequently used by The Rolling Stones. The match will be played on October 28^th at the Estadio Olimpico Lluis Companys – as opposed to the legendary Camp Nou stadium, which is currently undergoing refurbishment. The legendary stadium will be renamed Spotify Camp Nou, upon reopening due to the clubs partnership with Spotify.

DONE DEAL!
FC Barcelona and @RollingStones sign deal ahead of the next #ElClásico thanks to @Spotify . 28/10/2023 pic.twitter.com/bfH7tpw5Lp

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) October 19, 2023

The Rolling Stones in a statement have said: “We’re huge football fans and honoured that Spotify have brought our Tongue & Lips logo to grace the FC Barcelona shirt to celebrate the release of the Stones’ new ‘Hackney Diamonds’ album, we’ll be cheering on the players on the pitch as well as fans around the world who will be tuning in to watch this iconic match.”

The logo will also be added to the kit for the Barcelona women’s team match against Sevilla at Estadi Johan Cruyff on November 5^th.

This isn’t the first time that Barcelona have put an artist’s logo on their kit for an El Classico match, as they have done it two times previously with their collaboration with Spotify, which started in 2022. On October 16^th 2022, Barcelona wore Drake’s Owl logo on the front of their shirts as the club lost 3-1 to Real Madrid at the Bernabeu. On Match 19^th earlier this year, Barcelona then wore a shirt with the logo of Rosalia, a Catalan-based singer, as Barcelona beat Real Madrid 2-1, with the shirts being available to the public for 399.99 euros.

Barcelona’s marketing Vice-President, Juli Guiu spoke about the club’s partnership with Spotify, as he said: “Our collaboration with Spotify has taken things to the next level, Bringing together two icons – The Rolling Stones logo and the Barca jersey – is a special moment for our fans around the world. Music and football form a special partnership with a long future ahead of them and we are happy to add another chapter to the story.”

The Rolling Stones Barcelona shirt will be available to the public on October 23^rd via the club’s website here.

Frontman Mick Jagger spoke on a Canadian Podcast, ‘Q with Tom Power’ to promote the new album and he revealed that a follow-up is already being worked on as he said: “This won’t be the last album. We are two-thirds through the next one.”

This will come as a massive shock to long-time Rolling Stones fans as before Hackney Diamonds, which is due for release on October 20^th, the last full-length album of original music the band had released was 2005’s A Bigger Bang.

The new album, Hackney Diamonds, will feature original drummer, Charlie Watts – who unfortunately died in August 2021 from cancer. Watts plays on 2 songs whilst his replacement Steve Jordan plays on the rest of the tracks. Jagger earlier this month confirmed this as he said: “There’s 12 tracks on the album. Most are with Steve, but two are tracks we recorded in 2019 with Charlie. We used two of the tracks that we recorded with Charlie before.”

Commenting at a special event at Hackney Empire in London earlier this month, guitarist Keith Richards commented on Watts’ absence, saying: “Ever since Charlie’s gone it’s different, of course, he’s number four, he’s missing. Of course he’s missed, incredibly. But thanks to Charlie Watts we have Steve Jordan – who was Charlie’s recommendation should anything happen to him, Steve Jordan is your man. It would have been a lot harder without Charlie’s blessing.”

It can only be assumed at this point that the follow-up album is being worked on with replacement drummer, Steve Jordan, however that is ultimately unknown.

First and foremost, the band is currently gearing up for the release of Hackney Diamonds with lead single ‘Angry’ already released.

The album features star studded collaborations including Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder.

Talking about Paul McCartney making it on the album, Jagger claims it was unexpected, as he said: “Paul was in LA when we were recording and he was supposed to work with Andy one week. Andy had said, ‘I am working on this record and I will be on it for six months if I do nothing else. Andy said, ‘Why don’t we get Paul to come in?’. We suggested he played on this tune, and he really rocked it. We were all in a room together. “It seemed so natural and Paul was so relaxed and he enjoyed it. John [Lennon] was a close friend of mine and he was so acerbic. Paul is a different kind of personality. We don’t see each other that much but we do text.”

The Stone’s new album released after teasing the idea, comes almost two decades after their last album was released back in 2005, and their first since the death of Charlie Watts.

Mick said, “Most are Steve, but two are tracks we recorded in 2019 with Charlie and so we, er, we used two of the tracks we recorded with Charlie before.” Ronnie Wood then picked up from that and confirmed the name of both singles, he said “Live By The Sword” and “Mess it up.”

Fans will have to patiently wait until October 20 when the album is officially released. You can access the Rolling Stones web page and pre-order the album now.

Charlie Watts previously proclaimed as the greatest drummer of his generation, sadly died in 2021; however, the reason behind his death has never been disclosed. Charlie was previously diagnosed in 2004 with throat cancer but was in remission in 2005.

Keith Richards recalls and tells Jimmy during their press conference that Charlie had recommended Steve Jordan. “Thanks to Charlie Watts also we have Steve Jordan, who was Charlie’s recommendation, If anything should happen to him, Steve Jordan’s your man.”

Charlie Watts, appearing on two tracks from the new album, wasn’t the only surprise that the Rolling Stones had up their sleeve for their comeback release.

The first long-awaited new single off the album, to be released, is entitled Angry. The band reunited with host Jimmy Fallon in Hackney London on September 6, to premier their iconic new music video.

At the conclusion of the premiere, Jimmy Fallon had another special guest, Sydney Sweeney, the star of the Rolling Stones’ new music video. Famous for her acting performances in ‘Euphoria’, ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ and, most recently, ‘Reality’.

In the video, Sweeney is being driven down Los Angeles Boulevard, in a Stones-branded convertible, passing billboards of the Rolling Stones through the decades. She is seen enjoying the open top, lip-syncing to the lyrics, and playing air guitar.

After the Rolling Stones leave the stage, Jimmy steps down to the front row, where Sydney Sweeney and her Mum, Lisa, are sitting. Jimmy asks Sydney “What goes through your brain when you get asked to do a Rolling Stones video?” Sydney replies with, “Oh gosh, Freaked out, called my family and brought my mum.”, Sydney then turns to the seat behind her, where her mum is sitting.

Jimmy, turns and says to Lisa, “Hi mom, You’ve gotta be very proud of your daughter.” With a beaming smile on her face, she nods and says, “Very proud.”

Fallon asks “Have you done a video before?”.  Although Sydney has appeared in one other music video, she goes on to add, “But nothing like this” and “This is the biggest thing ever.”

September 20, Rolling Stones, new album, Hackney Diamonds featuring Charlie Watts, and it is clear, that his contributions to the band over the past 58 years and talent as a drummer will be sorely missed on tour and from the recording studio.

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The “Tiny Dancer” singer has announced that he will be joined by recent collaborator Rina Sawayama, the musical partnership was birthed from an already established friendship and resulted in the release of the track “Chosen Family”. The talent pair’s duet was released last year and is a reworked version of an original track written by Sawayama, the single was initially released in 2020 and appeared on the singer’s debut album.

Sir John has become known for more than a large collection of hits and accolades, the singer has been a long-time supporter of new and emerging artists. This dedication to up and coming music can be seen within the concert’s supporting acts, the day’s lineup has been handpicked and curated by Sir John himself. Scheduled to join the Grammy award winning artist are a list of special guests including Gabriels, Let’s Eat Grandma, Berwyn, Thomas Headon, Tom A Smith and Juanita Euka.

CEO of European Festivals at AEG presents, Jim King has given the following statement concerning Sir John’s upcoming performance, “American Express presents BST Hyde Park has always stood for the world’s biggest and most loved artists bringing not just a performance but a truly one-off and memorable event.”

King continues to describe the importance of Sir John’s music, “Elton John has provided the soundtrack to the lives of so many of us and to know that his last tour is coming to Hyde Park, possibly the last time many of us will ever see him play, is one of the most important and ‘must see’ nights of BST Hyde Park ever.”

Also set to appear at this year’s summer concert series are fellow British legends The Rolling Stones, the “Paint It Black” hitmakers will take to Hyde Park on Saturday 25th June 2022 and Sunday 3rd July 2022. American rockers Eagles are scheduled to perform a headlining set on Sunday 26th June 2022, the performance will also mark half a century of the “Hotel California” rockers musical career. Scheduled to provide support are Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, Little Bog town, Cam, Morgan Wade, The Wandering Hearts and Patrick Droney with more acts yet to be confirmed.

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Music fans will also be treated to a two-day residency from Grammy award winning singer Adele, the “Easy On Me” singer will perform on 1st and 2nd July 2022. The forthcoming sets will be the singer’s first UK live show in over five years, Adele last took to a UK stage in 2017. Grunge pioneers Pearl Jam will also perform two dates, the group will perform on Friday 8th and Saturday 9th July 2022.

On Friday, the “Even Flow” performers will be joined by fellow 90’s icons Pixies, the first day of their residency will also feature Cat Power, White Reaper, The Murder Capital, The Glorious Sons, Simon Townshend, La Luz, Sick Joy and Dream Nails. La Lux will also join the band during their second and last set, the group will also be supported by British rockers Stereophonics, Imelda May, The Last Internationale, Wilde and The Wild Things.

This year’s BST Hyde Park concert series will be closed by Duran Duran, the “Rio” performers will appear at Hyde Park on Sunday 10th July 2022, marking the group’s debut appearance at the London event. The re-scheduled event will also see the group joined by Nile Rodgers & CHIC, the set will be the group’s first Hyde Park appearance in over six years. The disco legends last appeared at the Hyde Park event in 2015, the band performed on the Great Oak Stage along with Kylie Minogue and Grace Jones.

Click here to purchase tickets.

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The show’s opening act first rose to fame with the release of their debut album, Crocodiles. The album was released in 1980 to widespread acclaim and soared into the top 20 on the UK album charts. After the release of their second album Heaven Up Here, the band attained cult fame and secured their place as one of rock’s most beloved bands. The group’s most recent album was released in 2018, The Stars, the Oceans & The Moon, contains reimagined orchestral versions of past material as well as two new songs.

After several line-up changes, the group now consists of founding members Ian McCulloch and Will Sergeant. Also set to take the stage in Liverpool are the group’s touring musicians Jez Wing, Kelley Stoltz and Stephen Brannan. Speaking on the group’s forthcoming hometown show, McCulloch has given the following statement, “Two dreams in one – there’s nothing like The Rolling Stones, and there’s nowhere like Anfield.”

The singer continued to express his excitement to open for The Rolling Stones, “I can’t explain how unbelievably happy and proud I am that my band Echo And The Bunnymen are going to be opening up for The Rolling Stones, THE Greatest Rock Roll band in the history of time, at Anfield, the Shrine of Life and football…The Rolling Stones!!! And at Anfield!!! I feel honoured and blessed… Thank you God.”

The Rolling Stones also discussed the Liverpool show, saying, “It’s great to have Echo And The Bunnymen join us as special guests in their home city. We can’t wait to be back on stage in Liverpool! Roll on the summer!” In the statement, the band also expressed their joy to return to the road for their upcoming anniversary tour, the scheduled thirteen shows will be held to celebrate sixty years of the band and their genre defining music.

A statement on the band’s website also describes the importance behind the  “Paint It Back” hitmaker’s tour, “The Stones just keep on rolling! We are thrilled to announce the Rolling Stones 2022 Tour! Titled SIXTY to celebrate 60 special years together – Mick, Keith and Ronnie will be playing dates across Europe this summer, including two shows at London’s BST Hyde Park.”

The tour will kick start with string of European performances; the band are scheduled to begin the tour with a set in Madrid on the 1st of June 2022. The Rolling Stones will then perform in Munich before returning to the UK for their Liverpool performance with Echo & The Bunnymen. On 17th June 2022, the group will return to Europe to perform at Amsterdam, Bern and Millan. Following their three European dates, the band will come home to London to perform at this year’s American Express Presents BST, the rockers will take the Hyde Park stage on 25^th June and 3^rd July 2022. The group will conclude the tour with five more European performances in Brussels, Vienna, Lyon, Paris, Gelsenkirchen and Stockholm.

The Rolling Stones Sixty UK tour dates

09/06 – Anfield Stadium – Liverpool
25/06 – American Express Presents BST Hyde Park – London
03/07 – American Express Presents BST Hyde Park – London

Click here to purchase tickets.

A press release for the forthcoming series has provided the following statement, “It tells the story of one of the world’s greatest rock ‘n’ roll bands in a way that has never been done before – by viewing the band through the musical lens of each member, delving deep into their personalities, passions and memories from the past sixty years. Four hour-long films, each an intimate portrait of Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood and Charlie Watts, show how these individual musical geniuses came together to make the music that has provided the soundtrack to the lives of millions.”

The landmark series will join the many forms of media which have been released in celebration of the band’s 60th anniversary, and will also pay tribute to Watts, who tragically passed away last year. Joyce Smyth, manager of The Rolling Stones, has spoken about the film series, “We are thrilled to celebrate sixty years of The Rolling Stones with these four films which give fans around the world a new and fascinating look at the band.”

The four-episode long celebration of the “Paint It Black” hitmakers will also include appearances from other musicians, the special guests will contribute commentaries and stories to the informative segments. The star-studded guest list includes P.P. Arnold, Guns ‘N’ Roses’ rocker Slash, Sir Rod Stewart, legendary singer Tina Turner, Chrissie Hyde and Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler.

The hotly anticipated series has been created by two award-winning filmmakers, Oliver Murray and Clare Tavernor. Murray is known for his music-themed productions and has already released a tribute to an iconic musician; the British artist wrote and directed the 2020 documentary Ronnie’s. The feature tells the story of the legendary saxophonist and the genesis of his iconic London jazz venue, Ronnie Scotts.

The global production team Mercury Studios have produced the series, CEO Alice Webb has supplied the following statement concerning the upcoming series, “Every now and again, as filmmakers we get to work on extraordinary projects – this is one of those moments. We know their music, their swagger, their unrivalled stage presence – and through these beautiful, intimate films you’ll see the band in all their glory as we explore what makes them truly great. It’s been an honour to work with The Rolling Stones to shine a light on their incredible lives and careers – we can’t wait for audiences around the world to see them.”

The four-part film series will be made available on BBC 2 and BBC iPlayer, and more details concerning the release are yet to be announced.

Welcome to El Mocambo 1977
A brand new live album featuring the legendary 1977 shows!
Pre-order now on deluxe 2CD, classic black 4LP & limited neon 4LP:https://t.co/M5VbDPtUF0
Doors open May 13th.. pic.twitter.com/oOzcLTqjne

— The Rolling Stones (@RollingStones) March 25, 2022

The upcoming album marks the first full release of both concerts; only four tracks have appeared on a previously released album. “Mannish Boy”, “Crackin’ Up”, “Little Red Rooster” and “Around And Around” were included in the 1977 release Love You Live. The live recordings made at El Mocambo took place during two days; the collection features the full set played on 5th March and three bonus tracks heard on 4th March.

The new addition to the band’s long list of live albums has been newly mixed by Bob Clearmountain. The Grammy Award-winning producer and engineer known for his work with music’s most influential artists. Along with his work on David Bowie’s 1983 album Let’s Dance, Clearmountain also previously worked with The Rolling Stones on their 1981 album Tattoo You.

Live At The El Mocambo features a tracklist of twenty-three songs which provide an insight into a pivotal moment in the group’s career. During the late 1970s, the band were at the height of fame and at the brink of their commercial era, followed by the release of the band’s sixteenth studio album Some Girls in 1978. After a long period of immense popularity, genres such as punk and disco threatened to destroy the group’s sound, after the release of the album’s title track and “Miss You”, the band proved that they were not just adaptable but permanently relevant.

Welcome to El Mocambo 1977
A brand new live album featuring the legendary 1977 shows!
Pre-order now on deluxe 2CD, classic black 4LP & limited neon 4LP:https://t.co/M5VbDPtUF0
Doors open May 13th.. pic.twitter.com/oOzcLTqjne

— The Rolling Stones (@RollingStones) March 25, 2022

The live music included within the new collection was recorded at a uniquely promoted event, to ensure its secrecy the band disguised themselves by using the band name Cockroaches. The Toronto shows were advertised via a radio contest which offered listeners the chance to win tickets to see Canadian rock group April Wine. The Cockroaches were then announced as the band’s supporting act.

Those lucky enough to attend the shows were delighted with the live debut of “Worried About You”. The track was featured within the band’s album Tattoo You and went on to become a favourite to play throughout their tours. Both Canadian sets included such hits as “Let’s Spend The Night Together“, “Tumbling Dice”, “Brown Sugar” and “Jumpin’ Jack Flash”.

The album is available to pre-order now and will be released in various configurations including both digital and physical formats. Live At The El Mocambo will be available on wax as a 4 LP Black Vinyl and 4 LP Neon Vinyl,  and included within the physical release is a double CD. The album will also be accessible to stream, download and buy across multiple digital platforms.

Click here to pre-order Live At The El Mocambo.

The Stones just keep on rolling! We are thrilled to announce the Rolling Stones 2022 Tour! Titled SIXTY to celebrate 60 special years together-Mick, Keith & Ronnie will be playing dates across Europe this summer including 2 shows at London’s BST Hyde Park:https://t.co/cimRWrDl07 pic.twitter.com/qQDZfDc96K

— The Rolling Stones (@RollingStones) March 14, 2022

The band’s lineup for this string of dates will remain consistent to their last tour, ‘No Filter’ that concluded last year. That means that original members – Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Ronnie Wood – will still be taking to the stage, but after the unfortunate passing of the band’s drummer Charlie Watts last August, his position has been covered by Steve Jordan. It seems that Jordan is here to stay too, after an interview with Keith Richards on guitar.com confirmed that the band are actually working on new music together. “It’ll be interesting to find out the dynamics now that Steve’s in the band,” Richards claimed. “It’s sort of metamorphosing into something else.”. He went on to add, “We came up with some, eight or nine new pieces of material. Which is overwhelming by our standards, other times, [writing songs] is like a desert.” Perhaps the anniversary tour will reveal a few new gems? Let’s wait and see.

In celebration of the special dates, award-winning British designer Mark Norton has taken the classic Stones tongue logo and reworked it into something ultimately more psychedelic. The same shape and outline have been maintained, but instead of the classic red colour, a more colourful approach has been taken with lots of pinks and oranges surrounding a floaty blue pattern. After being designed in 1970 by John Pasche, the logo has become synonymous with the band, the classic logo will probably always remain. But the limited-edition merch that will inevitably get sold on the tour could come with this funky new look.

As mentioned before, so far there are only 3 UK dates on the tour. 2 at BST Hyde Park, and one date at Liverpool’s Anfield Stadium. See below the dates for the UK dates:

9/6/22 – Anfield Stadium – Liverpool
25/6 – BST Hyde Park – London
3/7 – BST Hyde Park – London