Rolling Stones Tour News Keeps Rolling On

GRRR! Prizes! 
Last month the band announced a contest and the launch of its new uView app, which allows fans to bring up exclusive Stones content on their phones and even pre-order the GRRR! 50th anniversary compilation album.

The contest involves fans using the camera button in the app to take photos of gold-tagged locations worldwide such as London’s Big Ben or New York City’s Empire State Building or scanning images of the Tongue & Lips logo on T-shirts, an album sleeve or online. Fans must then upload the photos to Twitter (tweeting @RollingStones and using the hashtag #GRRR!) or email the photos to [email protected].

The Stones promised that the best 50 entries would win stuff including “two very special prizes to be revealed.” A tweet sent out from the band’s official Twitter account Monday revealed the prizes include tickets to see the Stones live along with flights and accommodations.

More Stones Shows? 
During an interview Monday with BBC 6 Music, Keith Richards was asked about the possibility of the band playing more than the four shows scheduled in London and Newark, N.J.

“You know now I wouldn’t be surprised,” the guitarist said. “Nobody’s actually sort of given a heads up on that, but I don’t think that this band is gonna wind up all of this for four shows. I think they want to do something for the end of the year, and I think next year probably looks like it’s on.”

BBC 6 Music’s Matt Everitt also brought up the rumor that Glastonbury is trying to book the band for the 2013 festival. 

“On a good day if the weather’s fine, that’s an interesting proposition. … I think that the band wants to get these four gigs under their belt and then think about next year after that. But anything’s possible with this band, you know.”

Mick Jagger: It Doesn’t Exactly Feel Like Your Golden Wedding
Mick Jagger has been busy doing his own interviews.

In a story posted online Monday, the London Evening Standard reported that the Stones have been rehearsing 60 songs and that Jagger said the members have “been in touch” with former bass player Bill Wyman about being a guest performer for the London shows.

The frontman told the publication that in the ‘60s he thought the band would last a couple of years and that it was “a nightmare idea really that you’d do anything for 50 years at that age.”

He added, “I think the Rolling Stones are kind of quite irreverent about it in a way. I don’t think we take it very seriously and we joke about it really.

“It doesn’t exactly feel like your golden wedding. I think it kind of feels like a bit of a f*** off moment to be honest, and I don’t think we’ve laughed at it enough. I think one of the reasons is that we don’t really believe that amount of time has gone by so quickly, and here we are, still here.”

Virgin Live Handling Stones Live
Virgin Group and Dainty Group had their own announcement to make Monday. The two brands are teaming up to promote the 50th anniversary shows as Virgin Live – “a new venture in global touring.”

A statement from Virgin.com, which points out that Richard Branson and Paul Dainty’s history with the band spans five decades, says Virgin Live will put “the fan’s experience right at the heart of every show they promote.”

Global production company Endemol is partnering with Dainty Group to co-manage the international digital rights to the “50 and Counting” shows, which are scheduled Nov. 25 & 29 at The O2 – London and Dec. 13 & 15 in Newark, N.J., at the Prudential Center.