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Rolling Stones on video: Nicaraguan Benefit Concert 1973 TV report
More about The Rolling Stones, Santana and Cheech and Chong’s Nicaraguan benefit concert, 1973
*By Marcelo Sonaglioni On January 18, 1973, The Rolling Stones broke their longstanding practice of avoiding benefit concerts to support victims of a devastating earthquake in Nicaragua. The disaster had struck Managua, the Nicaraguan capital, the previous month, leaving over 4,000 dead and hundreds of thousands homeless. Mick Jagger and his then-wife, Bianca, who was born in Nicaragua, responded quickly by flying relief supplies to the affected region.
To further assist, the Stones organized a benefit concert at The Forum in Los Angeles, aiming to raise over $500,000. The event, featuring tickets priced as high as $100 for premium seats, became the highest-grossing rock benefit concert of its time, ultimately raising $352,274. Comedians Cheech & Chong, initially planning a separate “Latinos for Latinos” event, joined the lineup, while Santana opened the show with an electrifying 11-song set, including Going Home and ending with Toussaint L’Ouverture as an encore. Their performance leaned heavily into their rock-Latin fusion style, a departure from the spiritual jazz Carlos Santana had been exploring with John McLaughlin.
Despite the noble cause, the concert faced logistical hurdles. Fans camped outside for days, but by the afternoon of the show, 500 tickets at $100 each remained unsold. Promoter Bill Graham lowered the price to $25, yet 70 seats were still vacant at showtime.
Although the funds fell short of expectations, the effort was significant. Mick and Bianca Jagger, alongside Graham, presented the donation to the Pan American Development Foundation at a Washington, D.C., ceremony attended by senators and foreign consuls. Despite a mispronunciation of Mick’s name as “Mike Yaeger,” the event underscored the Stones’ rare but impactful engagement in humanitarian causes.
SETLIST Brown Sugar/ Bitch/ Rocks Off/ Gimme Shelter/ Route 66/ It’s All Over Now/ Happy/ Tumbling Dice/ No Expectations/ Sweet Virginia/ You Can’t Always Get What You Want/ Dead Flowers/ Stray Cat Blues/ Live With Me/ All Down The Line/ Rip This Joint/ Jumping Jack Flash/ Street Fighting Man
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