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Returning to Hyde Park in 2013 wasn’t just another tour stop for The Rolling Stones; it was a brazen act of exorcism. Over four decades after their somber 1969 debut in that same London park, the band marched back onto the grass to prove that time—and their own history—wasn’t about to slow them down. As they tore into a ferocious Paint It Black, the years seemed to evaporate, replaced by a kind of stubborn, high-voltage energy that made their earlier, quieter appearance look like a rehearsal. They didn’t just revisit the past; they showed up to settle the score on their own terms.
July 6, 2013: ‘British Summer Time’, Hyde Park, London, England Start Me Up/It’s Only Rock’n Roll/Tumbling Dice/All Down The Line/Beast Of Burden/Doom And Gloom/ Bitch/Paint It Black/Honky Tonk Women/Band introduction/You Got The Silver/Before They Make Me Run/Miss You/Midnight Rambler/Gimme Shelter/Jumpin’ Jack Flash/Sympathy For The Devil/Brown Sugar/You Can’t Always Get What You Want/Satisfaction *With special guests Gary Clark Jr. on Bitch and The Voce Choir and members of the London Youth Choir on You Can’t Always Get What You Want
Mick onstage: “I love this set we’ve got, it’s like a cross between Wimbledon and a pantomime forest!” All photos from IORR
From Scrap Metal to Spectacle
When The Rolling Stones first hit Hyde Park in July 1969 they played on a stage so fragile it could’ve been mistaken for a pile of scrap—held together more by vibe than engineering. Fast-forward 44 years and the scene had flipped entirely. In 2013, the Stones returned to “the Park” with a setup so massive it could double as a city block. Giant faux oak trees framed a colossal video cube, beaming ultra-HD images of the band like they were towering rock deities. When Keith Richards’ face filled the screens, it was part-hilarious, part-terrifying—like a guitar-slinging Godzilla rising from the deep.
Chaos, Swagger and That Classic Glitch
The night kicked off with an unexpected hiccup—Keith’s guitar coughing out what sounded like a sick lawnmower on the intro to Start Me Up. Glitch or goof? No one knew, and no one cared. The band shook it off fast, launching into a gritty, swaggering set full of raw power.It’s Only Rock’N’Roll, Beast of Burden, All Down the Line—each track lit up the park with ragged charm and joyful imperfection. These weren’t flawless performances; they were thrillingly human. That unpredictability? It’s part of the Stones’ magic.
Even guest guitarist Gary Clark Jr. couldn’t quite cut through the momentum. He stepped in on Bitch and stepped out just as fast, while the Stones took off again with a searing Paint It Black, driven by Ronnie Wood’s hypnotic riffs and Charlie Watts’ pounding groove.
Hyde Park Then and Now
Mick Jagger made sure to wink at the past—switching into a smock that echoed his famous 1969 “Mr. Fish” dress and welcoming Mick Taylor, who played his first gig with the band right there in the park decades earlier. Taylor’s duel with Keith on Midnight Rambler was a masterclass in contrast—slick vs. dirty, elegant vs. dangerous. The final stretch? Pure Stones glory: Gimme Shelter, Jumpin’ Jack Flash, Sympathy for the DevilandBrown Sugar, wrapped up with euphoric encores of You Can’t Always Get What You Want and Satisfaction. A full-circle moment—louder, stranger, and beautifully imperfect.
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