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The Rolling Stones in the press: “Unlaid Back Times in Old LA”
When the Stones Hit LA: Chaos, Creativity, and the Summer of ’78
The summer of 1978 found The Rolling Stones deep in the chaos of Los Angeles—a city that mirrored their own turbulence. Amid the glitter and grime of Hollywood, the Stones weren’t just passing through on their Some Girls tour—they were soaking in everything LA had to offer: the madness, the celebrity swirl, and a nightlife that never knew how to say stop. The city’s high-octane energy was a perfect match for the band’s state of mind, which teetered between brilliance and burnout.
By this time, the Stones were riding the raw momentum of Some Girls, a record that saw them embracing punk urgency and disco cool with equal swagger. The album’s success reignited their relevance, and the tour that followed was explosive. But “Unlaid Back Times in Old LA” reminds us that success didn’t come without its scars. The band was in the middle of personal upheaval—Keith Richards was still in the shadow of a heroin bust, and the tension from legal troubles clung to him like smoke. Mick Jagger, meanwhile, thrived in the chaos, flitting through the Hollywood elite with sharp suits and sharper wit.
The article paints a vivid picture of a city and a band at their most unpredictable. LA wasn’t the laid-back haven it pretended to be—it was raw, restless, and electric, just like the Stones. And yet, through it all, they delivered performances that were pure fire, feeding off the madness around them. Their time in Los Angeles that summer was more than just another stop on the tour; it was a proving ground, a moment when they turned instability into power. In a way, 1978 LA didn’t just test the Rolling Stones—it revealed exactly why they’d last.
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