The following appeared in my local paper tonight - The News in Portsmouth. To be honest I'd be amazed if there was any truth in it although Bowie last year.


Barry Rutter
Entertainment Editor

THE Rolling Stones could be heading to the south coast this summer.
Mick Jagger and co are strongly rumoured to be headliners at the Isle of Wight Rock Festival 2005.
The veteran rockers are currently working on a new album in Paris – the first studio album since 1997’s Bridges To Babylon – and will almost certainly be touring to promote it this year.

The line-up for the Nokia Isle of Wight event is not due to be officially confirmed until later this month, but internet rumours of a Stones appearance on the island have surfaced on festival round-up website www.efestivals.co.uk – as well as Sting and Foo Fighters.

In addition the Stones’ official website stated: ‘The band’s members are working on an unspecified project that necessitated the cancellation of drummer Charlie Watts’ plans to tour Europe in the summer.’

The Rolling Stones played all around the world last year on the 40 Licks Tour and released a Live Licks album.
Meanwhile, frontman Jagger won a Golden Globe this week with Dave Stewart, of Eurhythmics, for best original song with Old Habits Die Hard, which was used on the soundtrack to the Jude Law film Alfie.

At the awards ceremony Jagger, 61, confirmed that he was working with Watts and guitarist Keith Richards, who lives at West Wittering, near Chichester, but said: ‘I’m not going to put any deadline on it.’

The date for this year’s Isle of Wight event has been set for June 10–12, the venue will be the same as last year, Seaclose Park in Newport, and tickets are already on sale even though no acts have yet been named.

A spokeswoman for organiser Solo said: ‘We cannot confirm any names but there will be an announcement before the end of January.’

David Bowie, The Who, and Manic Street Preachers all played in 2004.
The famous festival was revived in 2002 with Ash, The Charlatans and The Coral playing, followed in 2003 by Iggy Pop, Paul Weller and The Darkness.

But the festival’s heritage goes back to 1968, 1969 and 1970 when the likes of Bob Dylan, The Doors and Jimi Hendrix were the stars.

The Rolling Stones never played the festival, but did play two nights at Ryde Pavilion in 1964.

>
> In addition the Stones’ official website stated:
> ‘The band’s members are working on an unspecified
> project that necessitated the cancellation of
> drummer Charlie Watts’ plans to tour Europe in the
> summer.’
>

Well, that's news from summer 2004...
Anyway, would be cool to see them play there.

no chance

>The date for this year’s Isle of Wight event has been set for June 10–12

July/August 2005: tour rehearsals in Toronto
June 10-12 2005: a show at a UK festival? Eh...no

That´s true Erik, as you know they will be doing the secret Nordic Stones Vikings gig then

Vilhelm
Nordic Stones Vikings

They had the same kind of rumors about Glastonbury before the last tour. I agree with erik and gazza, there is absolutely NO WAY this will happen. If we are talking 2006, there might be a slight chance.

TonyM

I'm sat on the other side of the Solent from you and I can tell you this is bollocks. In 1997 the same story circulated for Glastonbury.

If you're running a festival and you want to publicise it throw out a big name (Stones at Knebworth 1990, no Woodstock 1994, no etc). When they built the St Marys Stadium it was publicised as a possible venue for concerts by artists such as the Stones and REM and that is never going to happen in a residential area. Bizarrely Oasis are playing the Rosebowl.

Ignore the rumour. The IOW festival is having problems with the local council and are using names like this to infer a big money payout to the council (who get a %).

I think Keith was among the public in 1969. He hired a boat to sleep. I have seen a pic, he carried a camera.