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The Rolling Stones had no tour to worry about in the summer of 1979, so naturally Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood decided that doing absolutely nothing would be a terrible idea. Enter The New Barbarians, a gloriously short-lived rock ’n’ roll detour that somehow ended up sharing the bill with Led Zeppelin at Knebworth. On August 11, 1979, Richards and Wood brought their loose, dangerous chemistry to one of Britain’s biggest festivals, with a heavyweight lineup behind them. The result was less a side project than a temporary excuse to make a glorious racket—and, thankfully, someone thought it was worth documenting.
August 11, 1979: The New Barbarians perform at the Knebworth Fair festival in Knebworth Park, Stevenage, Hertfordshire, England, which was headlined by Led Zeppelin. Sweet Little Rock ‘n’ Roller/F.U.C. Her/Breathe On Me*/I Can Feel The Fire*/Let’s Go Steady Again/Band introduction/Worried Life Blues*/Honky Tonk Women/Come To Realise/Am I Grooving You/Seven Days/Before They Make Me Run/Jumpin’ Jack Flash Band line-up: Ronnie Wood (guitar, vocals, harmonica and sax)/Keith Richards (guitar, vocals)/Ian McLagan (piano, organ)/ Phil Chen (replacing Stanley Clarke, bass)/Bobby Keys (sax)/Joseph ‘Zigaboo’ Modeliste (drums) * With guest guest Sugar Blue (harmonica)
A Pub-Rock Adventure Born from Downtime
Sometimes the best bands happen by accident—and in 1979, Ron Wood proved it. While most people might take a vacation during their day job’s slow season, Wood decided to form a rock ’n’ roll wrecking crew. His solo album Gimme Some Neck had just dropped in April, and with The Rolling Stones briefly off the road, the timing was perfect. He called up Keith Richards—never one to shy away from an excuse to play more than his single allotted Stones song—and the seeds of something special were planted. With ex bandmate Ian McLagan from The Faces on keyboards, Stones sax man Bobby Keys, jazz-fusion giant Stanley Clarke on bass, and Meters drummer Joseph ‘Zigaboo’ Modeliste, this wasn’t just a band—it was a pub-rock supergroup with serious firepower. All they needed was a name… and fate, plus a parting quip from Neil Young, provided exactly that.
From Charity Shows to Knebworth Glory
Dubbed The New Barbarians, the group first roared to life on April 22, 1979 opening for the Stones at two Toronto benefit concerts for the Canadian National Institute for the Blind. These gigs doubled as part of Richards’ legal settlement after his 1977 heroin arrest. But far from being a one-off, the collaboration stuck. Soon after, they tore through an 18-date U.S. tour, delivering raw, loose, and joyful rock mayhem.
By August, the band regrouped—minus Clarke, replaced by Phillip Chen—for a high-profile slot supporting Led Zeppelin at the legendary Knebworth Festival. The energy was there, but the longevity wasn’t. With members tied up in other commitments, and Wood never fully committed to a sustained solo career, The New Barbarians faded almost as quickly as they appeared. Still, for those few months in ’79, they were the ultimate rock ’n’ roll side hustle.
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