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April 11, 1965: NME Poll Winners Concert, Empire Pool, Wembley, England
Everybody Needs Somebody To Love-Pain In My Heart/ Around And Around/ The Last Time
In April 1965, The Rolling Stones hit Wembley’s Empire Pool and proved they were no longer just part of the British beat boom—they were ready to lead it. Sharing the stage with giants like The Beatles and The Kinks at the NME Poll Winners Concert, the band delivered a short but explosive set that left a lasting impression. Backed by New Musical Express readers’ votes, the night captured a scene bursting at the seams. Even in limited surviving footage, the Stones come across as raw, confident, and impossible to ignore—right at the moment they began to take over.
The Rolling Stones Take Over Wembley
Back in April 1965 The Rolling Stones were already on a serious roll—and their appearance at the NME Poll Winners Concert showed just how far they’d come in a short time. Held at the Empire Pool in Wembley, the event pulled together the biggest names in British music, all voted in by readers of the New Musical Express. Sharing the bill with acts like The Beatles and The Kinks, the Stones stepped into a scene that was exploding with energy and competition. But there was nothing tentative about them—they played with a confidence that hinted at something bigger coming. The crowd reaction said it all: loud, chaotic, and completely sold. It wasn’t just another show; it felt like a turning point, the moment where they stopped being contenders and started looking inevitable.
Short Set, Big Impact
The Rolling Stones didn’t have a long slot that night, but they didn’t need one. From the first notes of Everybody Needs Somebody to Love, they grabbed the room and never let go. They pushed through Pain in My Heart with real grit, then amped things up with Around and Around, getting the crowd properly fired up. By the time they closed with The Last Time, the place was already theirs. Mick Jagger moved like he owned the stage, full of attitude without trying too hard, while Keith Richards and Brian Jones locked in naturally, trading riffs like it was second nature. Even on a bill stacked with big names, the Stones had that extra edge—you could feel they weren’t just part of the scene anymore, they were starting to take it over.
A Flashback Worth Watching
What really makes this performance stand out is that parts of it were actually filmed for TV. Not everything survived, but the bits that did are amazing to watch. You get to see The Rolling Stones in their early days—raw, loose, and full of energy, before everything got bigger and more polished. There’s something real about it, like you’re catching them right as things are starting to take off. Moments like this show how much they shaped rock ’n’ roll as it was happening, not in hindsight. The 1965 NME Poll Winners show wasn’t just another gig—it felt like a snapshot of a scene exploding in real time. And the Stones didn’t just show up, they left a mark that still holds up today.
Stones Data on Substack
