The Rolling Stones returned to stage on Monday for their first concert since the passing of their longtime drummer, Charlie Watts. Ahead of their “No Filter Tour,” the Stones played an invite-only warmup gig at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts.
After opening the show with performances of “Let’s Spend the Night Together” and “Tumbling Dice,” Mick Jagger took a moment to honor Watts. “It’s a bit of a poignant night for us,” Jagger told the crowd, as bandmates Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood stood alongside side time. “This is our first tour in 59 years that we’ve done without our lovely Charlie Watts. We all miss Charlie so much. We miss him as a band. We miss him as friends, on and off the stage.”
“We’ve got so many memories of Charlie,” Jagger added. “I’m sure some of you that have seen us before have got memories of Charlie as well. I hope you’ll remember him like we do. We’d like to dedicate this show to Charlie.”
Prior to his passing last month, Watts announced that he would be sitting out of The Rolling Stones’ upcoming tour after undergoing a medical procedure. Watts had asked longtime Stones associate Steve Jordan to fill in for him on drums. Last night’s gig marked Jordan’s debut behind the kit for the Stones.
The Stones’ 14-song set notably featured the live debut of their recent single, “Living in a Ghost Town,” as well as the first performance of “19th Nervous Breakdown” since 2005. They also ran through a bunch of their greatest hits, including “Start Me Up,” “Gimmie Shelter,” “Sympathy for the Devil,” and “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” before closing the show with “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.” See the full setlist and watch fan-captured footage of the concert below.
Kicking off later this week, The Rolling Stones’ 12-date “No Filter Tour” includes stadium shows previously postponed due to the pandemic, as well as new dates in Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Tickets are available for purchase via Ticketmaster.
— Mick Jagger (@MickJagger) September 21, 2021
Setlist:
Let’s Spend the Night Together
Tumbling Dice
Under My Thumb
Troubles A-Comin’ (The Chi‐Lites cover) (live debut)
Living in a Ghost Town (live debut)
You Can’t Always Get What You Want
Midnight Rambler
Miss You
19th Nervous Breakdown (first time since 2005)
Start Me Up
Gimme Shelter
Sympathy for the Devil
Jumpin’ Jack Flash
(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction