The Rolling Stones paid tribute to The Beatles on the first night of Desert Trip on Friday (07.10.16).
The veteran rockers – Sir Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood – performed a cover of The Beatles’ ‘Come Together’ when they took to the stage on the opening night of the all-star festival in Indio, California.
Mick told the crowd: "This may be strange to you now. We’re gonna do a cover song of a sort of unknown beat group. I think you might remember [them], we’re gonna try a cover of one of their tunes."
Mick, 73, also poked fun at the advanced ages of the musicians on the bill over the weekend, saying: "Tonight we’re not going to do any age jokes or anything, OK? Welcome to the Palm Springs retirement home for gentle English musicians."
Keith is 72, Ronnie is 69 and Charlie is 75, while fellow performers include Sir Paul McCartney, 74, Bob Dylan, 75 and Neil Young, 70.
Mick also spoke about the band’s upcoming blues covers album ‘Blue & Lonesome’, which features their rendition of ‘Ride ‘Em on Down’, before the band played it.
This is the first time they had played the track live since 1962.
The new record features covers of classic blues songs by artists Jimmy Reed, Willie Dixon, Eddie Taylor, Little Walter and Howlin’ Wolf, many of whom inspired by the band at the start of their career.
A statement released by the rockers recently said: "The passion for blues music … has always been at the heart and soul of The Rolling Stones. Their approach to the album was that it should be spontaneous and played live in the studio without overdubs."
Bob Dylan was also on the bill on Friday, while McCartney and Young will play over the weekend.
The Rolling Stones’ Desert Trip Setlist
‘Start Me Up’
‘You Got Me Rocking’
‘Out of Control
‘Ride ‘Em on Down’ (Jimmy Reed cover)
‘Mixed Emotions’
‘Wild Horses’
‘It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll (but I Like It)’
‘Come Together’ (Beatles cover)
‘Tumbling Dice’
‘Honky Tonk Women’
‘Slipping Away’
‘Little T&A’
‘Midnight Rambler’
‘Miss You’
‘Gimme Shelter’
‘Sympathy for the Devil’
‘Brown Sugar’
‘Jumpin’ Jack Flash’
Encore:
‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want’
‘(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction’