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The Rolling Stones in the press: “Backstage with Ron and Keith”

*From Hit Parader magazine, USA, May 7 1979

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In 1979, Ronnie Wood unleashed The New Barbarians, a gloriously chaotic project to promote Gimme Some Neck. Joined by Keith Richards, fresh from Toronto court drama, the band was equal parts music, mischief, and mayhem—more like a rolling rehab clinic with guitars. Joseph ‘Zigaboo’ Modeliste pounded the drums, Bobby Keys added his signature sax-fueled chaos, and Stanley Clarke probably spent most nights questioning his life choices. Fueled by swagger, spontaneity, and Jack Daniels, the New Barbarians were messy, unpredictable, and brilliant. Not polished, but unforgettable, they captured the raw thrill of rock ’n’ roll on the edge—fun, reckless, and unapologetically alive.

The New Barbarians: Chaos, Swagger, and Richards & Wood, 1979

Ah, 1979—a year when disco still ruled the airwaves, punk was sneering in the background, and the New Barbarians strutted in like rock’s most lovable trainwreck. Formed by Ronnie Wood as a way to promote his solo album Gimme Some Neck (because of course), the band also featured his soul brother Keith Richards, fresh off his Toronto heroin bust and probably still shaking courtroom dust off his boots. What better way to show the world you’re reformed than by forming a band that looked like it was held together with chewing gum and Jack Daniels?

The New Barbarians weren’t so much a band as they were a rolling rehab clinic with guitars. Alongside Wood and Richards were jazz-fusion drummer Joseph Zigaboo Modeliste, saxman Bobby Keys (never far from a Stones-related mess), and the inimitable Stanley Clarke on bass, who probably wondered daily what parallel universe he’d stumbled into.

A Glorious Mess on Tour

Their brief 1979 tour was, in every way, a spectacle. Setlists were spontaneous. Soundchecks were optimistic. Sobriety was… optional. Richards and Wood riffed through ragged, loose versions of Chuck Berry covers, solo cuts, and whatever else popped into their heads. Was it tight? Not really. Was it unforgettable? Absolutely. The shows were chaotic, unpredictable, and completely magnetic, like watching two rock ‘n’ roll pirates steer a flaming ship straight into your local arena.

And yet, somehow, it worked—because Richards and Wood didn’t care if it didn’t. The New Barbarians was less about polish and more about personality, and they had it in spades (plus a few court orders). In retrospect, the band was both a mess and a miracle—a loud, swaggering footnote in rock history that proved once again: if you can’t walk a straight line, at least stumble with style.

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