Seventy-six-year-old drummer says he would be fine if the band called it a day tomorrow


Charlie Watts: ‘I don’t know what I would do if I stopped.’ Photograph: PR Company Handout

Mark Brown Arts correspondent
Tue 27 Feb 2018

Charlie Watts, the 76-year-old Rolling Stones drummer, who with his septuagenarian colleagues has announced the band’s first UK dates for five years, has said that if the band ended tomorrow that would be fine.

“I love playing the drums and I love playing with Mick and Keith and Ronnie, I don’t know about the rest of it,” he said. “It wouldn’t bother me if the Rolling Stones said that’s it ... enough.”

The Stones have announced they will be playing in London, Manchester, Edinburgh and Cardiff during May and June, with tickets going on sale on 2 March. Given that they formed the band 56 years ago and their combined ages are 294, that is somewhat remarkable.

“I don’t know what I would do if I stopped,” Watts said. “Keith is a great one for saying once you’re going, keep going. The big worry for me is being well enough. We don’t work like we used to fortunately. There are huge gaps between each show.”

Many musicians and artists of a certain age would now be considering their legacy but not Watts, who said he was amazed at the reaction to David Bowie’s death. “I thought people would have been very sad obviously, and he was a lovely guy and he wrote a couple of good songs. But for me, he wasn’t this musical genius.”

Watts said he had no idea if the current “No Filter” tour would be the last. “For me, I would like to be standing on Sunday 8 July at the end of the show in Warsaw. That’s as far as I can see.”

The hard-living days are long over, commented Watts, who said he had not drunk alcohol or smoked for some time. “We are getting to that elderly period, so it’s a good thing not to. When you’re 40 and you’ve got a hangover you get up and have another drink and you’re off again. I don’t think we could do it nowadays ... at this age. Smoking and drinking are not like they were in the 50s. In the 40s and 50s every film star smoked. You’d never see a film star now drinking or smoking, it’s not fashionable, I’m glad to say. In another way it has ruined jazz clubs ... they are totally unlike what I would consider a club. They have become very clinical.”

If the band ever call it a day he hopes it will be without rancour. “I would hate it to dissolve not amicably. I would like Mick to say, or me or Keith or whoever ... I don’t want to do it any more, for whatever reason, and we just say that’s it. I wouldn’t want it to be an argument or whatever.”

[www.theguardian.com]

He's been saying it for years. He said it in a TV interview ahead of the 2012 shows.

After the 1989-1990 tours, he admitted that he never liked rock and roll.

He's a jazz drummer who wound up in a rock band, but stayed with it because it pays for the wardrobe, the horses, the country gentleman lifestyle, the collection of cars he never drives, etc.

But he wouldn't mind it if he could be something else.

He's like the actor who dreams of being a writer instead.

“I thought people would have been very sad obviously, and he was a lovely guy and he wrote a couple of good songs.
But for me, he wasn’t this musical genius.”


Evidently he's not a Bowie fan which somehow doesn't surprise me, but a bit harsh and not a very respectful way of putting it.

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Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......

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Charlie Watts, 76-year-old drummer
We are getting to that elderly period...

I thought the Stones have been in an elderly period for a while...

He's not really making any news, but it's always nice to hear from Charlie.

Charlie says " Bowie wrote a couple of good songs"

Are you kidding me ??

Charlie sounds tired, tired of it all , i think he would like these next 14 shows to be the last.

It wouldn't surprise me if these were indeed the last set of shows from the boys, how much further can five old men carry on before one of them becomes too ill to play. I'd like them to bow out still standing, not have it end with cancelled shows because someones too sick to continue. If they keep pushing it somethings gotta give.
This is high energy Rock music being played at these shows, this isn't for the old or the faint hearted. I hope Charlie gets his wish granted, he's been a loyal servant, time to let the guy retire with dignity. You just know he will keep banging them drums for Mick and Keith until he drops.

Hats off to Charlie for keeping playing 2 hours shows like he does at his age.
The guy doesn't rest at all during the whole concert apart from the band introduction.
I remember him looking terribly exhausted at the end of the 2017 shows.
Still he delivered !

PS : I think Bowie was a genius but this is just my point of view. Charlie has his and who really cares...

Love his candor. This is why we love Charlie...><

[www.youtube.com]

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Hairball
“I thought people would have been very sad obviously, and he was a lovely guy and he wrote a couple of good songs.
But for me, he wasn’t this musical genius.”


Evidently he's not a Bowie fan which somehow doesn't surprise me, but a bit harsh and not a very respectful way of putting it.

Disapointing comment from Charlie.......I don't think he knows what Bowie did in the past........

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All things must pass as someone wrote. What's amusing is to read the comments in the thread noting how the old guys just aren't up to things. Booshee. There are artists and performers who are still creating and doing who are older than the Stones. Charlie may simply be tired of doing and playing the same old things. If anything, the Stones need to recreate themselves, shake things totally up and excite themselves, not to mention their fans.

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dmay
the Stones need to recreate themselves, shake things totally up and excite themselves, not to mention their fans.

It's too late for them to start over and pretend they're not legends with an already definitive legacy.

It isn't 1978 anymore.

Nice interview. Could have been from 25 years ago though!
Bizarre comments about jazz clubs. Not everyone who goes to them is/was a smoker...so its a big improvement now, in my opinion.

Oh Charlie... lol

Imagine what would happen if an IORRian had said it wouldn't bother them if the Stones split! They would probably get banned from posting ever again.

I’m not surprised at all Bowie wasn’t a genius to him,
his bag is/ always was jazz musicians.
Always dicey giving opinions on other music acts,
just start a thread here, for example, stating Bruce Springsteen is overrated

I would have asked Charlie:
Do you have a gym in your house?
How many push ups can you do?
What shows do you watch?

I would ask Charlie- "Hey Charlie, ya Got Any Gum?"

and he would prolly reply- "No, and don't call me Hay"

Then (one of) his horse would walk in and say whiny NOOOOOFILTER!

Then I would ask the horse- "Why the long face?"

Classic Charlie!

That's another reason being at Manchester for the rumored 6-2 gig will be beyond extra special!!

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Harlem Shuffler
Imagine what would happen if an IORRian had said it wouldn't bother them if the Stones split! They would probably get banned from posting ever again.

Probably. He would be called a whiner and told to leave the forum!

He probably doesn't get Bowie. Charlie must equate musical genius with the ability to play an instrument. Bowie was an artist, making music with new and interesting ideas. He sometimes employed ahead of their time uses like electronic music in the mid-70s. Unfortunately we're also living in a time when mastery of an instrument no longer matters. It would be interesting to know who Charlie respects, if anyone, for that in rock and roll. Whether Charlie feels Hendrix was a musical genius, which I surely do, arguably the best of the 20th Century, up there with Charlie Parker and Buddy Rich.

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24FPS
He probably doesn't get Bowie. Charlie must equate musical genius with the ability to play an instrument. Bowie was an artist, making music with new and interesting ideas. He sometimes employed ahead of their time uses like electronic music in the mid-70s. Unfortunately we're also living in a time when mastery of an instrument no longer matters. It would be interesting to know who Charlie respects, if anyone, for that in rock and roll. Whether Charlie feels Hendrix was a musical genius, which I surely do, arguably the best of the 20th Century, up there with Charlie Parker and Buddy Rich.

Exactly! Why any halfway knowledgeable Stones fan would express surprise or dismay over Charlie's comments is beyond me.

It's common knowledge that Charlie isn't a rock'n'roll fan..hell, he barely likes his own band's music! Why would anyone expect him to be into David friggin' Bowie of all people?

He simply said that he was a nice guy but not a genius. Now, that's as close to being provably false as you can get when it comes to an opinion...Bowie certainly WAS brilliant, but it's not like Charlie besmirched him in any way.

My impression is that 2018 will be the end of the line. Maybe a couple of one-off shows at the end of the tour and hang it up. Especially if they come out with the same bunch of tired war horses.

You know the old saying about retirement, "when you start thinking and talking about retirement, you're already retired."

I'm still surprised by how many people here are convinced that this year is the end for the Stones as a touring entity.

Stones fans have been attempting in vain to predict this fateful moment for going on three decades, but this time feels different.

Maybe while the adrenaline is still flowing after the tour a brief 3 or 4 night residency somewhere before the end of the year to do what everyone has been clamouring for - a non warhorse set as a send off for the year to the diehards. A Stripped Part Deux.

Re: retirement, it’s also about when “your friends start retiring around you and you are the last man standing!”



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2018-02-28 08:36 by KingmanBarstow.

Mpj200 had mentioned a few weeks ago that the Stones' management had recently had discussions with Madison Square Garden, but not sure what they outcome of that was.
Whatever the case, seems the Stones have preliminary plans for a return to the US sometime in the near future. I'm guessing the Fall of '18 or Spring '19 which would tie in nicely with the new album - if there is a new album.

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Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......

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Hairball
“I thought people would have been very sad obviously, and he was a lovely guy and he wrote a couple of good songs.
But for me, he wasn’t this musical genius.”


Evidently he's not a Bowie fan which somehow doesn't surprise me, but a bit harsh and not a very respectful way of putting it.

sounds like something keith would say!

They do talk about MSG a la 1998 and more, but first they have to finish the No Filter 2018 Tour. Don't count on anything. Like Charlie is stating clearly ... Warsaw might be the last Stones show ever.

Bjornulf

.... love Charlie interviews ... He says it how he see's it ...



ROCKMAN

Not counting on anything bv, but I don't think Charlie is clearly stating anything regarding "the last Stones show ever". He's simply saying he wants to still be standing after Warsaw, and what happens beyond that is anyone's guess.

Watts said he had no idea if the current “No Filter” tour would be the last. “For me, I would like to be standing on Sunday 8 July at the end of the show in Warsaw. That’s as far as I can see.”

_____________________________________________________________
Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......

I'm going to go out on a limb and say there is no way the final Rolling Stones show ever is in Poland.