Stones' light still burns bright

05-04-2008 13:28

It's 1972 and a fresh-faced Mick Jagger is asked by dubious-sounding TV interviewer Dick Cavett whether he can see himself rocking on until he has reached the ripe old age of 60. "Yeah, easily," the now 64-year-old Knight of the Realm shoots back immediately, without even stopping to think.At the time some may have attributed the then 29-year-old showman's unshakeable certainty to that feeling of invincibility which often comes with youth. Anyone lucky enough to witness the ease with which he continues to writhe lithely around on stage with The Rolling Stones to this day, however, can attest that he was merely speaking the truth.Thanks to legendary New York filmmaker Martin Scorsese, those unable to get their hands on a coveted ticket to see the Stones live in action can now get the privilege for the price of a cinema ticket. And make no mistake - it is a privilege. A long-time fan and contemporary of the band, 65-year-old Scorsese was so compelled by their mesmerising stage dynamic he decided he had to catch it on screen.He did so over two nights at New York's Beacon Theatre in 2006 as they performed charity benefit concerts infront of an intimate crowd of 2,800 people to mark former US president Bill Clinton's 60th birthday.Explaining his symbiotic relationship with the band, Scorsese enthused: "The sound of their music, the chords, the vocals, the entire feel inspired me greatly and became a basis for most of the work I've done in my movies, going from 'Mean Streets' to 'Raging Bull', 'Goodfellas' and 'Casino'. The nature of the music is timeless, for me."Indeed, in terms of attracting live audiences the ageing stars are at the very height of their powers a full 56 years after Mick, irascible guitarist Keith Richards and drummer Charlie Watts first played together, joined then by founding member Brian Jones on guitar, bassist Bill Wyman and pianist Ian Stewart.