The Rolling Stones are back on the road again. This time in North America, to promote last year’s lauded return to form, Hackney Diamonds. As part of this run, the group played a set at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, and at one point during the set, frontman Mick Jagger delved into the country’s present political divide with some strong words.
Performing to a swollen crowd all eager to see them, the British outfit played a career-spanning set which opened with ‘Start Me Up’ and featured classics such as ‘Gimme Shelter’, ‘Paint it Black’ and the concluding anthem ‘(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction’. Notably, they also performed their 1964 cover of ‘Time Is On My Side’ for the first time since 1998.
It had been somewhat of a saga getting The Rolling Stones to perform in New Orleans. Their 2019 performance was postponed due to Jagger needing heart surgery and was then rebooked for 2021. However, the Covid-19 pandemic then saw it delayed until this week. After so long, it was a resounding show. With so many fans in attendance, there were also concerns about crowd control, with the festival prohibiting blankets and tarps to help them financially.
Yet, the most memorable part of the set was when Jagger delved into politics, something neither he nor the group are particularly known for, despite being ostensibly part of the countercultural movement. Guitarist Keith Richards might have written ‘Gimme Shelter’ about the state of the world in 1969, but the group have remained mostly apolitical and were even tax exiles in France in 1972 due to Labour’s tax rates under Harold Wilson.
After the ballad ‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want’, Jagger discussed inclusion and acknowledged that the Governor of Louisiana, Jeff Landry, was reportedly in attendance. Jagger said: “We want to include him too, even if he wants to take us back to the Stone Age.”
A Roman Catholic, the Republican politician is a deeply controversial figure and is known for having strident views on LGBTQ+ issues and legislation. Landry also played a key role in Louisiana’s ban on gender-affirming care for trans youth and has been publicly criticised by his openly gay brother, Nicholas, for his generally anti-LGBTQ+ actions.
Landry later replied to Jagger on Twitter, keeping it cordial. “You can’t always get what you want,” he tweeted. “The only person who might remember the Stone Age is Mick Jagger. Love you buddy, you’re always welcome in Louisiana!”
In other Rolling Stones news, former bassist Bill Wyman reflected on leaving the group in 1993, asserting that: “They refused to accept I had left.” He instead looked towards the future and the hobbies that have been keeping him ticking over for the past 30 years.
You can’t always get what you want.
The only person who might remember the Stone Age is @MickJagger.
Love you buddy, you’re always welcome in Louisiana!
— Jeff Landry (@JeffLandry) May 2, 2024