Keith Richards Q&A

24-10-2008 09:17

Keith Richards is a guitarist, songwriter, singer, producer and a founding member of The Rolling Stones who has enjoyed a career that has spanned almost fifty years.

With new film Shine A Light, which documents their gigs at New York City's Beacon Theatre in 2006 directed by Martin Scorsese, it's a return to the big screen for Richards.

His last performance coming in the scene stealing role of Captain Teague, Jack Sparrow's father, in The Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End.

Did you enjoy yourself at the premiere in Berlin?

Last night? I was actually, well, wow! I didn’t think there was another way of filming The Stones on stage that would actually make me want to sit through it. I mean it’s just watching yourself, but Marty’s turned it into cinema. It’s like a ballet, with all the cameras and everybody’s playing great. And I was very happy with it.

Did you learn something new from making the film?

Yes. I learnt how not to make that mistake with that particular finger. You see, I’m watching it and I think ‘I screwed up. That was the wrong note, the wrong place’. We don’t like to look at ourselves very much; you just see the whole thing.

Do you appreciate the element of self-celebration in the film?

It felt like it to me. The Beacon Theater is a great venue and Martin has got that special ability. I was not aware, in other words, that we were shooting a movie, and I figure that’s what Martin wanted. If you want to shoot a Rolling Stones show don’t let them know they’re being filmed, especially with Michael (laughter)! Oh my God. The front men are always like that.

The cameras didn’t get in the way then?

You didn’t see them. I must say I was totally unaware that we were shooting a movie while we were doing it. I mean, I knew it but when you get up on the stage you have another job to do and I couldn’t concentrate on that at the same time as thinking ‘This is a special night , we are shooting a movie’.