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The Rolling Stones in the press: “Ron Wood recruits friends for tour and LP”
Ronnie Wood’s New Barbarians: A Rock ‘n’ Roll Adventure
Being in the Rolling Stones comes with some serious perks, and Ron Wood made the most of them in 1979. With his solo album Gimme Some Neck hitting shelves that April, Wood took advantage of a rare break in the Stones’ schedule to put together an all-star band for a tour. And this wasn’t just any backing group—it was a pub-rock supergroup featuring none other than Keith Richards.
Richards, always up for a jam, saw it as an opportunity to play more than just his usual one or two songs per Stones show. Alongside him were Faces keyboardist Ian McLagan, Stones saxophonist Bobby Keys, fusion bassist Stanley Clarke, and Meters drummer Joseph Zigaboo Modeliste. The lineup could have been even more packed—Neil Young was interested, but conflicting schedules kept him from joining. Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page were also considered but proved too difficult to book, while Charlie Watts politely declined, recommending Zigaboo instead.
With the lineup set, the band needed a name. Neil Young, in what Wood called a “parting gesture,” christened them The New Barbarians. Their debut came on April 22, 1979, when they opened for the Rolling Stones at two Toronto charity concerts, part of Richards’ legal deal following a 1977 drug arrest. But that was just the beginning—after Toronto, the Barbarians embarked on an 18-show U.S. tour, bringing their raw, high-energy rock to fans across the country.
Rather than simply promoting Gimme Some Neck, Wood made sure the setlist was a mix of Stones classics, covers, and even tracks featuring Richards on lead vocals. The vibe was loose, wild, and unpredictable—half party, half rock show, held together by Wood’s signature laid-back style.
Photographer Henry Diltz later called the tour his best experience with the Stones, saying, “It was just like a Stones tour, except Mick wasn’t there, so there was a certain looseness and freedom.” Clarke echoed that sentiment years later, saying, “I was getting my 100 percent old rock ‘n’ roll experience. It was great, it was really 100 percent.”
The New Barbarians may have been a short-lived project, but for those who witnessed it, it was rock ‘n’ roll in its purest, most unfiltered form.
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