Keith Richards has suggested the Rolling Stones are more likely to stage a residency than a full tour.
The 82-year-old guitarist admitted he has suffered “some wear and tear” from the Paint it Black group’s huge stadium shows over the years and, with the band getting olde, none of them find travelling as easy as they used to, so setting up at one venue for fans to come to them may be a good solution.
In an interview with the upcoming issue of Uncut magazine, he said: “I don’t know if tours are possible. It’s the travelling that takes it out of you.
“I do see the possibility of us doing a residency somewhere. Wherever it is, London, New York, Paris, anywhere. I’ll play Rome!
“But I don’t see why they shouldn’t be able to throw some shows together in a new format.”
Keith joked it is “necessary” for him to keep working with the group and will do whatever it takes to keep him, Sir Mick Jagger, also 82, and 79-year-old Ronnie Wood together.
He said: “I love working with the guys. I mean, what am I gonna do?
“Jesus Christ. It’s necessary for me — at gunpoint, if needs be — to keep a band together.”
Keith’s comments were released days after Mick teased the band are set to perform live together again next year.
Appearing on TODAY’s Sunday Sitdown with Willie Geist, he said: “Well, I’d love to. I really want to. And, I’m ready to go.
“I don’t think we’re gonna do shows this year, but hopefully we’ll do shows next year.”
He also teased their upcoming album Foreign Tongues is an amalgamation of different “styles”.
Mick said: “You hope that every track has got something for everyone. That’s why you’ve got, you know, 14 tracks.”
He made a similar comment while on BBC Radio 2’s Tracks of My Years recently.
Foreign Tongues, due on July 10, follows the Grammy-winning success of 2023’s Hackney Diamonds and the band’s 2024 North American tour.
The forthcoming record has already generated significant attention, with collaborations from Sir Paul McCartney, The Cure frontman Robert Smith and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith.
The band’s future plans have become a major talking point among fans as The Rolling Stones continue to defy expectations more than 60 years after their formation.
Speaking previously about maintaining the stamina required for recording and performing in his eighties, Mick said: “Well, that’s just being fit. You have to work at that, whatever age you are, and if you’re my age you have to really work at it. You don’t get around as good. You have to really work at it.”
He continued: “It’s just discipline and a lot of hard work – otherwise you can’t do that. And of course, I can’t do the things I did when I was 21, but I can do other things.”
Discussing the recording of Foreign Tongues during the Brooklyn launch event for the record, Mick said: “We had 14 great tracks and we went as fast as we could.”
Keith added: “It was a month of concentrated punch. To me, it’s all about the enjoyment of it. I’m blessed to be able to do this and long may it last.”
