From El Pais, Spanish newspaper: [
elpais.com]
The plane of 'their majesties' the Rolling Stones lands in Madrid six days before their concert
The British band, who performs on June 1 at the Metropolitano stadium, arrived with his family to spend a few days in the capital
They took it as if there were thousands of people waiting for them, but only eleven photographers and the Civil Guard received them. They raised their arms, smiled, and went down the steps of their plane, decorated with the huge red tongue of their logo, as if we were living in the sixties in the midst of a fan phenomenon. The Rolling Stones are so classic that they cling to liturgies that are no longer practiced by the queen who honors them (at least Mick Jagger), Elizabeth II. The biggest rock and roll group summoned the photographers to T4 in Barajas (Madrid) to pose so that everyone knows that their MajestiesThey have set foot on Spanish soil. It was at 6:43 p.m. on Thursday. They did not allow editors: only photographers. First the security body came down, then the families and finally the three protagonists. Mick Jagger in the lead, of course; Ronnie Wood (who tripped and almost ended in tragedy) then and finally Keith Richards. It's not the first time they've done it. In several of their previous 23 concerts in Spain they gave us that very welcome image of Mister Marshall . Yes there was a difference. The most elegant figure was missing, that of the exquisite and discreet drummer Charlie Watts, who died in August 2021.
The British have landed in the capital six days before their concert, which will be held on Wednesday June 1 at the Metropolitan Stadium. Only two of the five from the beginning remain: Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, both born in Datford, United Kingdom, and 78 years old. And the guitarist who joined in 1975, Ronnie Wood, Hillingdon, UK, 74 years old. The Madrid recital is the first of a European tour entitled Sixty, since the band was formed just six decades ago, in 1962. No one is going to beat selling their legacy. The European tour consists of 14 dates between June and July.
The reason they have come to Spain in advance is because it is the start of the tour and they want to enjoy a few days of relaxation. Sometimes they even look human. They have arrived accompanied by their families. If you are in Madrid these days you may have the opportunity to come across one of them. From the promoter of their concerts they announce that "some have chosen the Prado and others the Thyssen". It is known that the most select taster of rock art was Watts. Wood has preferred when he has been in Spain to walk his skinny body and his smile through flamenco tablaos. And it is difficult to forget that photo of Mick Jagger, with a mustard-colored suit, visiting Felipe González in La Moncloa. That was the year 1990 and they spoke in French.
At the Metropolitan concert they will only dispense with a classic, Brown Sugar, which they have stopped playing due to political correctness, although Richards has been lazy on occasion when it comes to accepting exclusion. The song talks about slavery, violence, drugs... With the exception of this song, there will be those that everyone expects to hear: Street Fighting Man, Start Me Up, Sympathy for the Devil, Jumpin' Jack Flash, (I Can't Get no ) Satisfaction… Announce that a couple of pieces are reserved for music fans, always in search of songs rescued from the trunk of their extensive discography. And it remains to be seen if they perform his most commercial ballad, Angie,knowing that in Spain it enjoys great recognition. It will be two hours of concert.
Opening acts will be two Spanish bands, the indies Sidonie, great followers of the Stones, from the sixties and seventies; and blues-rock guitar titan Javier Vargas hitting it hard with his Blues Band. Vargas tells this newspaper how his presence at the recital has arisen: “Since 1995 I have played several times with Mick Jagger's brother, Chris. And three years ago Chris called me and told me that his son, John Byron, who sings and plays guitar, was in Ibiza. We got together, played and recorded an album, Move On. That record was heard by Mick Jagger and he commented to his nephew that it would be nice if one day we were his opening act. Playing with the Stones for someone who, like me, loves rock and roll is the best.