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Today in Rolling Stones history: August 13

*Click for DAILY ROLLING STONES CHRONOLOGY 1962-present

August 13 has a surprisingly chaotic place in Rolling Stones history, from a dog wandering onto an early stage to the band tearing through Berlin after years behind the Iron Curtain. Then there’s Sad Sad Sad, a single that arrives just as the Stones are proving they still know how to make noise without asking permission. Add packed stadiums in Rotterdam and Düsseldorf, and this date starts looking less like a footnote and more like a recurring appointment with rock ’n’ roll trouble. Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and company clearly have no interest in letting August 13 pass quietly.

August 13, 1963: The Rolling Stones play the Town Hall in High Wycombe, England, continuing their busy run of early British shows. At this stage, the band is still grinding through small venues, building its reputation the old-fashioned way: one stage, one crowd, and one gig at a time.

August 13, 1964: The Rolling Stones play the Palace Ballroom on the Isle of Man during their busy touring schedule. The show also features an unexpected visitor onstage—a dog, adding a memorable and amusing detail to this early chapter of the band’s history.

August 13, 1990: Release of the Sad Sad Sad / Blinded By Love 7″ single in Holland

It can be said that at the time Sad Sad Sad marked the Rolling Stones’ return to the arena, driven by a fierce riff showing the Glimmer Twins’ enduring fighting spirit. Mick Jagger, playing electric guitar with Keith Richards, likely crafted the riff. Its lyrics challenge defiance: “Are you ready for the gilded cage/Are you ready for the tears of rage/Come on baby, don’t let them drown you out”
As for Blinded By Love, it’s a heartfelt ballad mixing country-western tones with subtle Hawaiian flavor. Mick Jagger’s lyrics recall famous lovers, portraying the dangers of all-consuming passion. Through these stories, the song cautions that such intense love can divert life’s course, ultimately bringing downfall and personal ruin.

August 13, 1990: The Rolling Stones play the Radrennbahn Weissensee in Berlin during the Steel Wheels/Urban Jungle Tour. The concert takes place less than a year after the Berlin Wall falls, placing the Stones onstage during a remarkable moment in German history.
Start Me Up/Sad Sad Sad/Harlem Shuffle/Tumbling Dice/Miss You/Almost Hear You Sigh/Ruby Tuesday/ 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/Street Fighting Man/Gimme Shelter/Band introduction/It’s Only Rock’n Roll/Brown Sugar/Jumpin’ Jack Flash/Satisfaction

August 13, 2003: The Rolling Stones play Stadion Feijenoord, also known as De Kuip, in Rotterdam during the European leg of the Licks Tour. The show brings the band to one of the Netherlands’ most famous football grounds during another major chapter in their touring history.
Brown Sugar/You Got Me Rocking/It’s Only Rock’n Roll/Don’t Stop/Angie/You Can’t Always Get What You Want/Midnight Rambler/Tumbling Dice/Band introduction/Nearness Of You/Before They Make Me Run/ Sympathy For The Devil/ Neighbours/Mannish Boy/Street Fighting Man/Gimme Shelter/Honky Tonk Women/Start Me Up/Satisfaction/Jumpin’g’ Jack Flash

August 13, 2007: The Rolling Stones play the LTU Arena in Düsseldorf, Germany, during the European leg of the A Bigger Bang Tour. The show comes during the band’s long-running world tour, which keeps them on major stages across Europe and well beyond.
Start Me Up/You Got Me Rocking/Rough Justice/All Down The Line/Let It Bleed/You Can’t Always Get What You Want/Can’t You Hear Me Knocking/I’ll Go Crazy/Tumbling Dice/Band introduction/You Got The Silver/Wanna Hold You/Miss You/It’s Only Rock’n Roll/Satisfaction/Honky Tonk Women/Sympathy For The Devil/Paint It Black/Jumpin’ Jack Flash/Brown Sugar

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