The Rolling Stones celebrated the release of their new album with an intimate club performance in New York City, closing the show with a rousing duet with Lady Gaga while cheering on Daniel Craig, Chris Rock, Mary-Kate Olsen and more.
The rock icons sang songs from Hackney diamonds – including the Gaga-featured “Sweet Sounds of Heaven,” lead single “Angry,” “Whole Wide World” and “Bite My Head Off” hours before the album was released on Friday morning. The Stones’ seven-song set also included well-known songs like ‘Tumblin Dice’, ‘JJ Flash’ and ‘Shattered’.
Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood played on stage like old friends, enjoying every second of the short performance as the crowd watched in awe. Attendees included Trevor Noah, Jimmy Fallon, Elvis Costello, Diana Krall, Taylor Hill, Rachel Weisz, Christie Brinkley, Ed Burns, Keegan-Michael Key, Imagine Dragons’ Dan Reynolds, Minka Kelly, Christy Turlington and Questlove, who DJ sets before and after the Stones performed. Grammy-winning producer-songwriter Andrew Watt, who produced Hackney diamonds and is Best known for his work with Justin Bieber, Miley Cryus and Ozzy Osbourne, were also in attendance.
Jagged took off his jacket towards the end of the show and danced and sang on stage, with wonderful backing musicians including Steve Jordan on drums.
Gaga was perfect as she sang with Jagger and received a standing ovation from the audience. She and the band took a bow at the end of the set.
Hackney diamonds is the band’s first album of original music since 2005 A bigger bang. In 2016 they released the blues cover album, Blue and lonelywith which the band won their third Grammy.
The rockers said they recorded 23 songs for the album and ultimately chose 12 songs to make the final version. Songs were recorded in London, Los Angeles, New York City and the Bahamas.
Regarding the album title, Jagger explained at the album launch in London: “It’s like having your car window smashed on a Saturday night in Hackney.” He also called the album’s theme “angry and disgust.” The band says Charlie Watts, who died in 2021, performed on two songs; while original member Bill Wyman plays on ‘Live by the Sword’.
