It's starting to look like the Rolling Stones will not be touring in 2011, despite much speculation that they would. At the 2011 South Bank Sky Arts Awards in London on January 25, Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood told the media that the band will work together again "maybe next year."
Keep in mind that the Rolling Stones (according to Wood and guitarist Keith Richards) held a group meeting in December 2010 to discuss their future plans. It appears that it was decided at the meeting that there would be no Rolling Stones tour in 2011.
Although Wood and Richards said in many of their 2010 interviews that they were ready and willing to tour with the Stones in 2011 (and drummer Charlie Watts said that the Stones would tour again when Wood and Richards "get bored"), lead singer Mick Jagger remained publicly silent about any plans or wishes to tour with the Rolling Stones in 2011. Given that he is the Rolling Stones member who is most involved in the business side of the band's tours, it appears very likely that Jagger is the band member who has the final say on any tour plans for the band.
If the Stones were touring in 2011, there would be some early signs by now: Venues would be put on notice; members of the band's support team would have their schedules adjusted to accommodate the tour; companies involved in Rolling Stones tour merchandising would be gearing up for for new products. None of that has happened, and it would have by now if the Stones were doing a world tour in 2011.
From a marketing point of view, it would make more sense for the Rolling Stones to start a new tour in 2012, since that year will be the 50th anniversary of when the Rolling Stones became a band. However, it remains to be seen if a Rolling Stones tour in 2012 will happen.
In addition, the Stones have toured when they have a new release to promote, even if it is a "greatest hits" compilation such as 2002's "Forty Licks," which had a few previously unreleased songs. So far, there is no indication yet that the Stones are releasing any new original music in 2011, although that could change since a new release does not take as long to plan as a world tour. A Rolling Stones world tour takes about a year to plan, and by all indications, 2011 will not be the year that the Stones will tour again.
Comments
If they started touring in 2011, they could end it in 2012, and still call it a "50th Anniversary" tour.
I suspect Mick is probably still smarting a bit from Keith's book. Keith should ease up on Mick, at least in public.
I think this article is correct. Remember how Keith RIchards said in a BBC interview that the Stones were going to tour in 2011, but then the next day the Stones' press office issued a big denial? I think that denial came from Mick.
So the Stones had their big meeting, and now Ronnie is saying they might work together in 2012. That's saying a lot.
I agree that Mick has been affected by the negative things that Keith said about him. Keith wants the Stones to go on tour, and Mick says no -- maybe out of spite, maybe to show Keith who's really the boss.
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