The Rolling Stones still miss the “chaos and quirkiness” of late drummer Charlie Watts.
The band recently kicked off their ‘Hackney Diamonds’ at Houston’s NRG Stadium, Texas, their second tour since Watts’ passing in 2021.
“an enigma”
Following the death of Charlie Watts, Steve Jordan has taken over as the new Rolling Stones sticksman, and while they were full of praise for Jordan, the band have said that their former drummer was “an enigma”.
“You can have Steve Jordan – who is playing in his place now – who you would consider to be a more educated and learned musician”, bassist Daryl Jones said.
He also added, “But he can’t create the same kind of chaos or quirkiness that Charlie did. Charlie really was an enigma”.
Lead singer Mick Jagger admitted that playing without Charlie Watts on stage still feels weird, having played with the late drummer since he was 19 years old.
“Of course, it’s hard. I mean, it’s all my life ever since I was 19 or whatever, it’s always been Charlie”, Jagger explained. “Of course, it’s emotional, but you have to get past that in life. I love Charlie and all the things, but I still want to carry on making music”.
Rolling Stones’ guitarist Keith Richards also commented, “It was because of Charlie’s demise that we felt that if the Stones were going to continue, then we better make a mark of what the Stones are now”.
In September, Mick Jagger had described Charlie Watts as the “the heartbeat for the band, and also a very steady personality”.
“He was not to be perturbed. He was a very reliable person, wasn’t a diva – that’s the last thing you want in a drummer”, Jagger added.
The Rolling Stones’ recent show in Houston also saw them treat the audience to a range of tracks from their latest album, ‘Hackney Diamonds’.
