Welcome to Hackney Diamonds… 📍New York #TheRollingStones #HackneyDiamonds pic.twitter.com/lTu9qCYVjU
— The Rolling Stones (@RollingStones) October 20, 2023
Before a celebrity-strewn audience of invited guests that included Christie Brinkley, Elvis Costello and Trevor Noah at Racket NYC in New York City, the Stones made a notable racket themselves over seven songs, four from the new Hackney Diamonds disc.
Singer Sir Mick Jagger alluded to past stunts the Stones had done in New York to tout new music over the years, including performing on a flatbed truck on Fifth Avenue.
The party started with a DJ set by Questlove and Samantha Urbani as the VIP section slowly filled up with the likes of Elvis Costello, Daniel Craig, Rachel Weisz, and Chris Rock. Rumors circulated all week the Stones were going to play a mini set. The stage was set up with their gear, but it felt like an impossible dream that the world’s biggest rock band were going to play a 600-seat club that has two nights of Ben Kweller and a Talking Heads tribute band on their calendar.
Then the lights dimmed after 10:00 pm, and the Stones indeed walked out into the tiny stage. The core band of Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ron Wood, bassist Darryl Jones, and drummer Steve Jordan were joined only by keyboardist Matt Clifford, and background vocalist Chanel Haynes. (Longtime keyboardist Chuck Leavell, backup singers Bernard Fowler and Sasha Allen, and horn players Karl Denson and Tim Ries were all AWOL for the evening.)
“How are you doing?” Jagger asked the crowd. “You having a good time? We’re going to play old! We’re going to play new!”
The band started with old by going back to 1978 with “Shattered,” a tribute to a far grimier New York than the one of today.
Supermodels Christie Brinkley and Christy Turlington started their respective weekends early by taking in The Rolling Stones' secret concert in New York City.The 69-year-old Brinkley and 54-year-old Turlington were joined by their daughters Sailor, 25, and Grace, 19.The surprise set happend at Racket NYC on Thursday night, in celebration of The Rolling Stones' first new album in 18 years, Hackney Diamonds. Gallery HERE
They followed it up with the live premieres of “Angry” and “Whole Wide World.” They’re two of the best songs off Hackney Diamonds, which is racking up reviews calling it their best album in decades. (Best since Steel Wheels? Undercover? Tattoo You even? We need a few more listens to be sure, but there’s no doubt that it’s shockingly great.) Both of the songs crackled with life on the stage.
“You might be familiar with this one,” Sir Mick said, before Richards began the opening riff to Jumpin’ Jack Flash, instantly trumping the thousands of bar bands who have attempted the song in the 55 years since its original release.
Lady Gaga, dressed in a maroon sequined pantsuit, made an appearance to recreate her duet – duel, really – with Sir Mick on the new song Sweet Sounds Of Heaven.
