The Rolling Stones back on tour in their 80s
The Rolling Stones are still refusing to gather any moss, announcing on Tuesday that they are heading back on tour across North America even as the legendary rockers hit their 80s. To support "Hackney Diamonds", their first studio album in 18 years, released last month, the British band will visit 16 cities, starting in Houston on April 28 and ending in Santa Clara on July 17. The new album features megastar cameos from Elton John, Lady Gaga and even their old friend and rival, Paul McCartney. It arrived shortly after Mick Jagger celebrated his 80th birthday, with his wing man Keith Richards hitting that landmark in December. Reviews of the new album have been largely warm in the English-language press, with The Telegraph calling it "crisp and thrilling" and Uncut saying the band had "come out fighting" since the death of drummer Charlie Watts in 2021. Others were less forgiving, with Pitchfork describing it as "a bunch of hackneyed duds, polished until the character has disappeared." The group remains hugely popular around the world, with publisher BMG saying "Hackney Diamonds" topped the charts in a dozen countries. (AFP)