Aussie fans of The Rolling Stones can be guaranteed satisfaction when, after eight long years, the biggest rock band on Earth are set to return to Australia with their rescheduled '14 On Fire' tour. The infamous archetype of the excessive rock star, The Stones' legacy is littered with hilarious or shocking anecdotes.
Some of the stories are barely believable, which make them all the better. We've compiled a list of the five greatest, or most controversial, Rolling Stones moments in their fifty-two year history.
1. Keith Richards Snorts His Dad
During an interview in 2007, when asked by a journalist what the strangest thing he ever snorted was, Richards replied: “My father. I snorted my father. He was cremated and I couldn't resist grinding him up with a little bit of blow. My dad wouldn't have cared. It went down pretty well, and I'm still alive.”
2. “We'll Piss Anywhere, Man.”
While on the way home from a gig in March 1965, the band stopped at a service station in East Ham, London to use the toilet. When the attendant, Charles Keeley, refused to hand over the key to use the lavatory, Jagger reportedly said “We'll piss anywhere, man,” causing the rest of the Stones to begin chanting the mantra while Wyman urinated on the wall. Jagger, Wyman and Jones were later charged five pounds and their rebellious, boisterous image was further cemented.
3. Whose Drummer?
Charlie Watts is probably known as the most sensible of the lot, and spent the majority of their career away from the usual debauchery of Jagger and Richards. He was also loyal to his wife throughout numerous sexual advances from groupies through the '60s and '70s. One night during the '80s however, Watts received a phone call from a drunk Jagger, asking “where's my drummer?” to which Watts apparently got up, shaved, put on a clean suit, headed downstairs and punched Jagger in the face proclaiming “Don't ever call me your drummer again. You're my fucking singer!”
4. Richards vs Stage Invader
During a cascade of balloons at the Hampton Coliseum in 1981, halfway through a performance of '(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction', a fan rushed the stage and headed straight for Jagger. Seeing the elusive stage rusher, Richards calmly slid the guitar from his shoulder and intercepted him with the blunt edge of his instrument, and went to play a ripping solo. His comment on the matter? “A Fender Telecaster makes a damn good club.” He later personally bailed the guy out of jail that evening. And it was his birthday.
5. They Played To Over 1,500,000 People
Copacabana Beach, Rio, Brazil, 2006. One of the biggest gigs in history, from the longest-running band in rock history. The stage was over seven storeys high and even had a walkway linking it to the band's hotel. Residents braved the boiling heat of the tropical Brazilian sun to catch a glimpse of the seminal band, who might I add, played for free. Add to this the eccentric dance moves of Jagger, the inimitable riffs of Richards and Ronnie Wood and the unfailing rhythmic allure of Charlie Watts and you have a show no-one in attendance would soon forget.
Written by Luke Ward
