This is for Charlie
MICK’S EMOTIONAL TRIBUTE AT FIRST GIG SINCE WATTS DEATH
THE Rolling Stones paid an emotional tribute to Charlie Watts as they played their first concert since his death.
Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood performed in front of giant images of the late drummer.
The COVID- delayed show, in St Louis, Missouri, opened on Sunday with an empty stage and only a drumbeat.
After performing their first two songs, the band stepped forward to address the ecstatic audience.
Mick (78) told them: “It was really quite emotional seeing those pictures of Charlie up on the big screen.
“This is our first tour we’ve ever done without him. We’ll miss Charlie so much, on and off the stage.”
The band then dedicated Tumbling Dice to Watts, who died last month aged 80 in a London hospital.
Before taking to the stage, Jagger said the drummer’s presence would be missed on the No Filter US tour.
He posted on Instagram: “It’s a bit of a poignant night for us because it’s our first tour in 59 years that we’ve done without our lovely Charlie Watts.
“We’ve got so many memories of Charlie, and I’m sure some of you who have seen us before have got memories of Charlie as well.
Operation
“So we’d like to dedicate this show to Charlie.”
The Stones’ tour had been scheduled for last year before the pandemic shut down live concerts.
It had been announced before the start that Watts would not be taking part while he recovered from an unspecified medical Operation.
He was replaced by Steve Jordan, who has performed for years with Keith Richards’ project, X-Pensive Winos.
Signs of COVID were everywhere at the show in Missouri. Fans wore masks and beforehand the band appeared in a public service announcement urging anyone with symptoms to stay home. A vaccination site was also set up at the venue.