By GREGORY P. KATZ
Associated Press
LONDON (AP) - The Rolling
Stones made a triumphant return to the London stage on Sunday night in
the first of five concerts to mark the 50th anniversary of their debut
as an American-oriented blues band.
They showed no signs of
wear and tear - except on their aging, heavily lined faces - as frontman
Mick Jagger swaggered and strutted through a stellar two-and-a-half
hour show. He looked remarkably trim and fit and was in top vocal form.
The Stones passed the
half-century mark in style at the sometimes emotional gig that saw
former bassist Bill Wyman and guitar master Mick Taylor join their old
mates in front of a packed crowd at London's 02 Arena.
It was the first of five
mega-shows to mark the passage of 50 years since the band first appeared
in a small London pub determined to pay homage to the masters of
American blues.
Jagger, in skin-tight black
pants, a black shirt and a sparkly tie, took time out from singing to
thank the crowd for its loyalty.
"It's amazing that we're
still doing this, and it's amazing that you're still buying our records
and coming to our shows," he said. "Thank you, thank you, thank you."
Lead guitarist Keith
Richards, whose survival has surprised many who thought he would succumb
to drugs and drink, was blunter: "We made it," he said. "I'm happy to
see you. I'm happy to see anybody."
But the band's fiery music
was no joke, fuelled by an incandescent guest appearance by Taylor, who
played lead guitar on a stunning extended version of the ominous
"Midnight Rambler," and Mary J. Blige, who shook the house in a duet
with Jagger on "Gimme Shelter."
The 50th anniversary show,
which will be followed by one more in London, then three in the greater
New York area, lacked some of the band's customary bravado - the
"world's greatest rock 'n' roll band" intro was shelved - and there were
some rare nostalgic touches.
Even the famously taciturn Wyman briefly cracked a smile when trading quips with Richards and Ronnie Wood.
The concert started with a
brief video tribute from luminaries like Elton John, Iggy Pop and Johnny
Depp, who praised the Stones for their audacity and staying power. The
Stones' show contained an extended video homage to the American
trailblazers who shaped their music: Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Otis
Redding, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash and others. The montage included rare
footage of the young Elvis Presley.
The Stones began their
professional career imitating the Americans whose music they cherished,
but they quickly developed their own style, spawning hundreds - make
that thousands - of imitators who have tried in vain to match their
swagger and style.
The concert began with some
early Stones' numbers that are rarely heard in concert, including the
band's cover of the Lennon-McCartney rocker "I Wanna Be Your Man" and
the Stones original "It's All Over Now."
They didn't shy away from
their darker numbers, including "Paint It Black" and "Sympathy for the
Devil" - Jagger started that one wearing a black, purple-lined faux fur
cape that conjured up his late '60s satanic image.
He even cracked a joke
about one of the band's low points, telling the audience it was in for a
treat: "We're going to play the entire "Satanic Majesty's Request"
album now," he said, referring to one of the band's least-loved efforts,
a psychedelic travesty that has been largely, mercifully, forgotten.
He didn't make good on his threat.
He also made fun of the sky-high ticket prices, which had exposed the band to some criticism in the London press.
"How are you doing up in
the cheap seats," he said, motioning to fans in the upper rows of the
cavernous 02 Arena. "Except they're not cheap seats, that's the
problem."
But Jagger seemed more
mellow than usual, chatting a bit about the good old days and asking if
there was anyone in the crowd who had seen them in 1962, when they first
took to the stage.
He said 2012 had been a
terrific year for Britain and that the Stones nearly missed the boat,
playing no role in the celebration of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, the
London Olympics, or the new James Bond film.
"We just got in under the wire," he said. "We feel pretty good."
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