Rolling back the years

BACK in 1982, The Rolling Stones famously became the first major band to play at St James’ Park. As the ’80s progressed, rock royalty in the shape of Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and Queen subsequently took to the stage at the home of Newcastle United, performing huge shows that are today the stuff of North East music legend.

- DAVID MORTON

With the dawn of a new decade, the Stones were back at St James. It's 35 years ago - July 18, 1990 - since Mick Jagger, Keith Richard and the boys last performed in Newcastle.

The Stones’ first appearance in the city had been at the Odeon cinema on Pilgrim Street in October 1963. In the intervening years, they established a reputation for themselves as quite probably the biggest and most famous rock act in the world.

The 1990 Wednesday night show came in the midst of the band’s sprawling Steel Wheels/Urban Jungle world tour and was scheduled between dates at Cardiff Arms Park and Manchester City’s Maine Road.

With the band members then in their late 40s and early 50s, Jagger was repeatedly asked whether this would be his band’s final tour.