Ronnie Wood, Lady Gaga, Mick Jagger, Steve Jordan and Keith Richards, Racket NYC, Oct. 19, 2023 (Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for the Rolling Stones; used with permission)
The Rolling Stones gave a live preview of their upcoming studio album, Hackney Diamonds, tonight (October 19, 2023) when they performed at an invitation-only club concert in NYC. The brief seven-song set included four songs from the album, their first studio effort of new material in nearly two decades. Among the evening’s highlights at Racket (formerly the Highline Ballroom) on West 16th Street was an appearance by Lady Gaga, to perform “Sweet Sounds of Heaven,” which she recorded with the band for the album.
Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood are in New York City for a series of promotional appearances and interviews for the album which is being released on Oct. 20.
The Rolling Stones during their surprise set on Oct. 19, 2023 in New York City (Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images; used with permission)
The set began, appropriately, with “Shattered,” the closing track from 1978’s Some Girls about New York City. Other classic rock favorites performed at the show were “Tumbling Dice” and “Jumpin’ Jack Flash.” The new album’s “Angry,” “Whole Wide World” and “Bite My Head Off” also made their live debuts at the concert.
Watch them perform “Sweet Sounds of Heaven”
The Rolling Stones at Racket NYC on Oct. 19, 2023 (Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images; used with permission)
Attendees’ phones were placed in locked devices but a few concertgoers were able to sneak theirs in.
Hackney Diamonds marks the Stones’ first collaboration with New York-born producer and musician Andrew Watt, who was named Producer of the Year at the 2021 GRAMMY® Awards and has worked with Post Malone and Elton John.
Welcome to Hackney Diamonds… 📍New York #TheRollingStones #HackneyDiamonds pic.twitter.com/lTu9qCYVjU
— The Rolling Stones (@RollingStones) October 20, 2023
The Stones opened several pop-up shops that week, with locations in New York’s Union Square, on Santa Monica Blvd. in Los Angeles, and in Tokyo. The flagship store is in London’s Carnaby district.
Keith Richards, Racket NYC, Oct. 19, 2023 (Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for the Rolling Stones; used with permission)
On Nov. 30, the Stones announced the forthcoming release of Hackney Diamonds (Live Edition) featuring all seven tracks performed at the Oct. 19 launch event at Racket in New York City. The 2-CD set includes debut performances of four tracks from the recent album including “Sweet Sounds of Heaven” (with Lady Gaga) as well as performances of “Shattered,” “Tumbling Dice,” and “Jumpin’ Jack Flash.” It’s available to pre-order in the U.K. here or via the first Amazon link below.
The Oct. 19 concert was the band’s first of 2023 and their first since they closed their brief “Sixty” tour on August 3, 2022, in Berlin, Germany.
Related: Links to 100s of current classic rock tours
The next night, Richards appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
1 Comment so far
Jump into a conversationI’ve seen the Rolling stones 7 times and I am so glad my brother Randy Caldwell raised me on good music! I can’t imagine how life would have been without The Stones!