First formed back in 1962, The Rolling Stones helped kick off the British Invasion during the 1960s with their love for both rock and roll and the blues. With hits like “Paint It, Black”, “Jumpin’ Jack Flash”, and “Start Me Up”, the band went on to sell over 200 million albums. Winning numerous awards along the way, The Rolling Stones eventually found themselves in both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the UK Music Hall of Fame. But while the band has spent over the last 60 years performing on stage, they recently shared a clip from their upcoming DVD The Rolling Stones Live at the Wiltern.
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Back in 2002, The Rolling Stones took over the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles, California. Although the band has played numerous arenas throughout their time in the spotlight, the Wiltern Theatre is a more intimate setting with a little less than 2,000 seats. Around the same time, Keith Richards sat down with Rolling Stone to discuss the band’s success during the early years and what the future looked like.
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Keith Richards Defends The Rolling Stones As They Continue To Tour
While it was over 20 years ago, Richards said at the time, “People want to pull the rug out from under you.” Knowing they couldn’t outrun age, the singer admitted to many believing they were too old to continue to perform. “Because they’re bald and fat and can’t move for shit. It’s pure physical envy — that we shouldn’t be here. ‘How dare they defy logic?’ If I didn’t think it would work, I would be the first to say, ‘Forget it.’ But we’re fighting people’s misconceptions about what rock & roll is supposed to be.”
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Since speaking with Rolling Stone, the band went on to release three more albums. Their latest, Hackney Diamonds, gained high praise from fans and featured new material from The Rolling Stones for the first time since 2005.
As for touring, The Rolling Stones continue to share their music with fans as they prepare to launch yet another tour in North America on April 28. With the band unwilling to stop performing, the 2002 statement from Richards proves they never stopped fighting “people’s misconceptions.”
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(Photo by Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images)
