The Rolling Stones have chosen AEG Live as the concert-promotion company for the Rolling Stones' 2013 North American tour, according to a Pollstar report published on March 20, 2013.
AEG Live and Examiner.com are both owned by the Anschutz Company.
The news comes within one week of the Anschutz Company announcing that it was no longer selling the Anschutz Entertainment Group, which is the parent company of AEG Live. AEG Entertainment Group had been put up for sale in September 2012, but had not been sold to another company. In the announcement (which was made on March 14, 2013), the Anschutz Company announced that Tim Leiweke would be leaving his position as CEO of Anschutz Entertainment Group, and that Anschutz Company chairman Philip Anschutz would “resume a more active role” in the company.
As previously reported, the Rolling Stones' 2013 tour is expected to launch in May, according to reports from Billboard and Rolling Stone. The tour dates are to be announced, but sources told Billboard that there will be less than 20 concert dates on the North American tour.
The Rolling Stones had been in discussions with Australian promoter Paul Dainty and Virgin Music, which teamed up to promote the Rolling Stones' five "50 and Counting" 50th anniversary concerts in late 2012 at arenas in London and the New York City area. But according to Pollstar, those talks fell apart, and AEG Live came up with a deal that the Stones liked more.
RollingStone.com (the website for Rolling Stone magazine) confirmed the Billboard report on March 8, 2013. According to RollingStone.com, the tour will begin on May 2. However, until an official announcement is made, this date cannot be thoroughly confirmed. In addition, there will likely be more tour dates added after the official announcement is made.
Pollstar, Rolling Stone and Billboard did not mention in their reports what size venues the Rolling Stones will be playing on the 2013 tour. Most of the band's concerts in the 21st century have been at arenas, as opposed to the larger stadium tours that the Rolling Stones did in the 1980s and 1990s.
Pollstar says the announcement about the Rolling Stones' 2013 tour is expected to be made in early April 2013. Tickets are also expected to go on sale in April 2013.
As previously reported in a RollingStone.com article published on January 4, 2013, Rolling Stones lead singer Mick Jagger confirmed what he previously hinted at in interviews: The Rolling Stones will tour in 2013. The website Jagger as saying: “There have been quite a few offers, I’m going to see what’s on the table and discuss it with everyone. We’ll announce it when we’ve figured it out.”
Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards added: “Hey, 51 years? Don’t give a sh*t. We barely got off the starting blocks. It would be dopey to bring things up to this level and say, ‘Well, that’s that, 50 years, bye-bye’ ... A gig’s a gig. The curtain opens and there you are. I just get the feeling they’re champing at the bit now. Really, all you’re going to have to do is wait for an announcement."
There have been no reports yet of the Rolling Stones doing any concerts outside of North America in 2013, but it is very likely that they will. And once again, there are unconfirmed rumors that the Rolling Stones will play at the Glastonbury Festival in England. Every year, there are rumors about the Rolling Stones playing at the Glastonbury Festival and the Coachella Festival, especially during a year that the Stones are touring. So far, these rumors have not become reality. Jagger has already announced that the Rolling Stones will not be performing at the Coachella Festival in 2013.
As previously reported, the Rolling Stones performed five arena concerts in 2012 to celebrate the band's 50th anniversary: Nov. 25 and Nov. 29 at the O2 Arena in London; Dec. 8 at Barclays Center in New York City's Brooklyn borough; and Dec. 13 and Dec. 15 at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.
The concerts featured several guest performers, including former Rolling Stones bass player Bill Wyman (in London), former Rolling Stones guitarist Mick Taylor (in London and Newark), Bruce Springsteen (in Newark), Jeff Beck (in London), Eric Clapton (in London), John Mayer (in Newark), Lady Gaga (in Newark), Mary J. Blige (in London and Brooklyn), Florence Welch (in London), the Black Keys (in Newark) and Gary Clark Jr. (in Brooklyn and Newark).
Before they launched their mini-tour in 2012, the Rolling Stones did a "warm-up" show at the La Trabendo nightclub in Paris on Oct. 25, 2012. The band also did an invitation-only concert for investment company Carmignac Gestion at the Mogador Theatre in Paris on Oct. 29, 2012.
As previously reported, the Rolling Stones won two NME Awards in 2013: Best Live Band and Best Music Film (for the documentary "Crossfire Hurricane"). The Rolling Stones were also nominated for Best Live Act at the 2013 Brit Awards.
The Rolling Stones' 2013 North American tour will be the first extensive tour since the Stones did a world tour from 2005 to 2007 for their album "A Bigger Bang." Michael Cohl was the Rolling Stones' tour promoter from 1989 to 2007.
In 2011, the Rolling Stones announced that their business relationship with Cohl ended in 2007 at the conclusion of the tour for "A Bigger Bang." The Rolling Stones made the announcement in response to rumors that the band was going to tour in 2011.
April 3, 2013 update: The 2013 tour dates have been announced. Click here for more details.
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