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February 24 has proven to be a day of rock milestones, especially for The Rolling Stones and their extended musical universe. From their humble Sunday night residency at Richmond’s Station Hotel in 1963, playing to just 66 people for £24, to wrapping up their first album at Regent Sound Studios in 1964, the date captures the band’s relentless rise. Across decades, it features explosive live shows in Tokyo, Johannesburg, and São Paulo, unexpected controversies like Keith Richards and Anita Pallenberg’s 1977 arrest in Toronto, and even crossover moments such as Ian Stewart guesting on Led Zeppelin’s Physical Graffiti—a testament to the enduring influence of rock royalty.
February 24, 1963: Station Hotel, Richmond, England This gig marked the beginning of a Sunday night residency for The Rolling Stones at the venue, a modest arrangement that would quietly help shape their early rise. For that first performance, the band earned £24 (about $41 at the time) and played to an audience of just 66 people—hardly a roaring crowd by today’s standards. Yet these small, sweaty-room shows were crucial in building their reputation. Adjusted for inflation, £24 in 1963 would be roughly £392 today, a humble payday for a group on the brink of changing rock history.
February 24-25, 1964: The Stones finish recording their first album at Regent Sound Studios Mick, about Tell Me (You’re Coming Back): “Keith was playing 12-string and singing harmonies into the same microphone as the 12-string. We recorded it in this tiny studio in the West End of London called Regent Sound, which was a demo studio. I think the whole of that album was recorded in there. But it’s very different from doing those R&B covers or Marvin Gaye covers and all that. There’s a definite feel about it. It’s a very pop song, as opposed to all the blues covers and the Motown covers, which everyone did at the time”
February 24, 1964: Odeon Theatre, Southend, England (2 shows)
February 24, 1966: Palais Theatre, St. Kilda, Melbourne, Australia (2 shows)
Feb. 24, 1975: Release of Led Zeppelin’s album Physical Graffiti, which marked a defining moment in 1970s rock. Sprawling, ambitious, and sonically adventurous, the record showcased the band at the height of their creative powers. Among its many highlights is Boogie with Stu, a loose, rollicking jam featuring guest pianist Ian Stewart, affectionately known as Stu. His boogie-woogie touch added an earthy, spontaneous feel to the track, bridging British blues roots with Zeppelin’s hard rock swagger and leaving a subtle Rolling Stones connection embedded in the album’s legacy.
Feb. 24 1977: Keith and Anita Pallenberg arrive to the Toronto airport. What should have been a routine entry quickly turned dramatic. Canadian authorities arrested them on charges of possession of cannabis and other substances, instantly turning their arrival into headline news. The incident added another chapter to the band’s turbulent 1970s narrative, where music and controversy often collided. Despite the legal trouble, the couple later checked into the Harbour Castle Hotel, underscoring the surreal mix of rock-star glamour and courtroom tension that defined the era.
Feb. 241990: Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, Japan Start Me Up/Bitch/Sad Sad Sad/Harlem Shuffle/Tumbling Dice/Miss You/ Ruby Tuesday/Almost Hear You Sigh/Rock And A Hard Place/Mixed Emotions/Honky Tonk Women/Midnight Rambler/You Can’t Always Get What You Want/Can’t Be Seen/Happy/Paint It Black/2000 Light Years From Home/Sympathy For The Devil/Gimme Shelter/Band introduction/It’s Only Rock’n Roll/Brown Sugar/Satisfaction/Jumpin’ Jack Flash
February 24, 1995: Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa
February 24, 2012: Apollo Theatre, NYC. Keith performs at the Howlin’ for Hubert tribute concert (for Hubert Sumlin) along with guests Buddy Guy, Eric Clapton, Billy Gibbons, Elvis Costello, James Cotton, Susan Tedeschi, Willie Weeks, and others. Goin’ Down Slow/ Little Red Rooster/ Spoonful/ Wang-Dang-Doodle/ Smokestack Lightnin’
February 24, 2016: Estadio do Morumbi, Sao Paulo, Brazil Start Me Up/It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll/Tumbling Dice/Out Of Control/Bitch/Beast Of Burden/Worried About You/Paint It Black/Honky Tonk Women/Band introduction/You Got The Silver/Happy/Midnight Rambler/Miss You/Gimme Shelter/Brown Sugar/Sympathy For The Devil/Jumpin’ Jack Flash/You Can’t Always Get What You Want*/Satisfaction *With special guests Coral Sampa choir
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