It's the eternal question: Do you prefer The Beatles or The Stones?
It's what Magic Dirt's Adalita is mulling from her home in Melbourne. "I liked 'The White Album'," she says. "I always loved John Lennon and had his records, but The Stones, that was a lot more immediate for me. An immediate attraction."I'd bought the 'Tattoo You' album on cassette, and I used to play it to death. 'Start Me Up' is on that record and is my favourite [of their songs]. I used to love seeing the video clip on 'Countdown' or whatever it was I watching at the time.
"I thought Mick Jagger was the bomb. It was just a sleazy, super rocked-up clip. They looked like they didn't give a sh.t and were having a great time."
The Rolling Stones are a band who have long defied their age. The British legends have been rocking for over 60 years, and the famous duo of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards are now entering their 80s, but still performing high-energy shows.
"Does Mick Jagger have a personal trainer?" Adalita asks. "Like, I'm 53 and I'm feeling my age. I'm puffing just walking up the stairs."
As tribute to their satanic majesties, Adalita will hit the road once again as part of The Rolling Stones Revue, performing the entirety of the band's 1971 album 'Sticky Fingers', along with a set of greatest hits.
The Rolling Stones Revue is the brainchild of Marc Christowski of Empire Touring to celebrate 50 years of 'Sticky Fingers'. Christowski gathered a quartet of the finest vocalists of Australian rock to roar and swagger their way through the album.
Alongside Adalita, You Am I’s Tim Rogers and The Cruel Sea's Tex Perkins return, as does Grinspoon's Phil Jamieson who was absent for the group's 'Exile On Main St.' shows. "I just love doing these shows and watching those guys doing their thing," she says.
"I'm just in awe. We're all mates who come from the same era and grew up together, so it feels great to be doing this together. We're all just cheering each other on and doing our own thing."
While The Rolling Stones are the epitome of rock & roll, Magic Dirt is a beast in their own right. The band closed their debut EP with over 30 minutes of guitar feedback and noise, and their shows regularly end with Adalita shoving her guitar into a venue's ceiling.
While she will be restraining her destructive urges with The Rolling Stones Revue, she looks forward to having her creativity pushed in different ways, including by the group of backing musicians led by The Whitlams' guitarist Jak Housden.
"I'm not a perfect singer," she says. "I'm a bit rough around the edges – I'm just this grungy, dishevelled musician. But I want to work really hard to get it right, and the whole band makes it so easy because they're such top-notch musos. I get quite nervous doing these shows – I want to do a really good job – but Jak just makes it so easy for everybody."
Outside of The Rolling Stones Revue, Adalita has been busy. Magic Dirt recently finished a tour performing their second album, 'Young And Full Of The Devil', while Adalita is wrapped the touring dates of her solo album, 'Inland' early last month.
In addition, she recently performed as part of a tribute to the late Australian guitar legend Rowland S. Howard, will be performing as part of an upcoming Bob Dylan tribute show, and teases some big plans with Magic Dirt.
For now, she plans to live as long and happily as Keith Richards. "[Keith seems like] a happy bloke and he must have a pretty strong constitution," she says.
"I think because he's so happy with what he does – he's found his calling – and he seems like such a genuine guy with a big heart. "I think that goes a long way to keeping you youthful and stems the aging process. I'll take a leaf out of Keith's book."
The Rolling Stones Revue Present The Stones: Sticky Fingers 2024 Tour Dates
Sat 29 Jun - Anita's Theatre (Wollongong)Wed 3 Jul - Big Red Bash (Birdsville)* Phil, Tim & Tex only
Fri 26 Jul - Palais Theatre (Melbourne)
Sat 27 Jul - The Fortitude Music Hall (Brisbane)
Fri 9 Aug - Llewelyn Hall (Canberra)
Sat 10 Aug - State Theatre (Sydney)
Sun 11 Aug - Civic Theatre (Newcastle)
Fri 16 Aug - Mundi Mundi Bash (Broken Hill)
