The Rolling Stones’ Ronnie Wood Says Paul McCartney Threw Him a Pre-Tour Party With Surprise Guest Neil Young

The Rolling Stones kicked off their 2024 tour in support of their Hackney Diamonds album in Houston on Sunday, April 28. Backstage at the show, guitarist Ronnie Wood was interviewed by The U.S. Sun, and he revealed that while he and his bandmates were in Los Angeles rehearsing for the trek, they got to spend some quality time with none other than Paul McCartney.

“Paul is so great and really supportive,” Wood told the tabloid. “He came to a few rehearsals and gave us some really nice input.”

Not only that, Wood revealed that McCartney arranged a special gathering for him and his wife before The Stones headed out on tour.

“Paul threw me and Sally a going away party from LA,” he said. “He invited Neil Young as my surprise guest at the dinner. … It was so lovely.”

McCartney, of course, contributed bass to one of the tracks on Hackney Diamonds, the punk-inspired “Bite My Head Off.”

Wood on His Friendship with Neil Young

As for Young, Wood told The U.S. Sun, “He is an old buddy of mine and I haven’t seen him in years.”

He added, “We’re going to get together again in Louisiana and go to the New Orleans blues festival.”

Both The Rolling Stones and Neil Young & Crazy Horse are headlining the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival this week, with The Stones playing on Thursday, May 2, and Young and his group performing on Saturday, May 4.

Wood Says the Band Worked Hard to Get Ready for the Tour

Reflecting on the band’s preparation for the tour, Wood shared, “We really had our noses to the grindstone in LA and we rehearsed for five weeks. We have been getting back into the mode of playing stadiums.”

The Rolling Stones played an 18-song set in Houston that was made up mostly of the band’s classic hits, while also featuring three tunes from Hackney Diamonds.

“We owe it to our fans to include as many big songs as we can,” Wood explained. “But we like to mix up the old and the new, that is what we love to do.”

Houston Highlight Video

Fans can check out a highlight video of the Houston concert at The Rolling Stones’ YouTube channel. The clip features footage of the band playing snippets of “Start Me Up” and the Hackney Diamonds song “Angry.” It also captures Mick Jagger talking to the crowd, saying, “We always had a great time in Texas. We came first to Texas in 1964. That was my first rodeo.”

Wood Is Selling Prints of His Hand-Drawn Set Lists Again

As he’s done regularly in recent years, Wood is creating hand-drawn set lists for each concert on the current Rolling Stones tour and selling limited-edition art prints of his creations.

Copies of the Houston set list are available now at Wood’s online store, and prints of upcoming set lists also can be pre-ordered. The first 750 set lists purchased for each show will come with a uniquely designed guitar pick. The prints are priced at $100.

More About The Rolling Stones’ 2024 Tour

As mentioned earlier The Rolling Stones’ 2024 tour in support of Hackney Diamonds continues on Thursday, May 2, at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. The trek, which features a total of 19 concerts, is scheduled through a July 17 performance in Santa Clara, California.

The tour also features multiple shows at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey; Soldier Field in Chicago; and SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.

Tickets for The Rolling Stones’ concerts are available now via various outlets, including StubHub.

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