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Rolling Stones Quotes: Mick Jagger on the Voodoo Lounge stage (2003)
“On the Voodoo Lounge tour we had this huge lamp-post structure stuck in the middle of the stage. It was very good-looking, but by the time we got 25 minutes into the show, and then an hour, the lamp-post was still standing there doing nothing. We had to invent a whole feature with these Mexican inflatables, which were interesting, although slightly odd. They were done in a way that made them look as though they were dolls in some strange kind of religious shrine… (Stage designer Mark Fisher and I) always feel that the shows must make some sort of sense to us intellectually. We don’t care if nobody else ever gets the concept, but it has to work for us.”
Oh yes, the Voodoo Lounge tour stage design—marking the Stones’ foray into the world of really over-the-top stage setups. Designed by Mark Fisher, the genius behind countless iconic rock tours, this stage was basically a massive neon-lit jungle gym for Mick Jagger and the band to strut their stuff. Picture this: an enormous, spiraling, multi-level structure with ramps, towers, inflatable giant dolls… It looked like a cross between a sci-fi movie set and a futuristic shopping mall—because, why not?
But let’s be real here. For a band that had already built its reputation on iconic, minimalist stages (or just playing in front of giant flames and fancy lights), the Voodoo Lounge stage felt like a fever dream. The design was so massive and complex, it almost seemed like they were trying to distract you from the fact that they were, you know, just standing there playing music. It was like the stage was saying, “Hey, look at this ridiculous contraption, don’t pay attention to Mick’s moves or the music—just look at all the stuff!”
As cool as it may have seemed at the time, the stage didn’t exactly scream rock & roll—it screamed theme park attraction. Sure, it matched the Voodoo Lounge album’s bold vibe, but in the end, it was so flashy and overdesigned that it kind of felt like a giant gimmick. The band was still giving us their signature energy, but the stage sometimes felt like it was trying too hard to be the star of the show. The inflatable props, the glow-in-the-dark elements, and the sheer size of it all made you wonder if they were trying to one-up themselves in terms of spectacle. But, hey, it’s The Rolling Stones. They’re allowed to go a little overboard once in a while.
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