While there’s still no news on whether the Rolling Stones will tour their new album, Mick Jagger has made one surprise live appearance – at a folk session in an Oxford pub.
What was one of rock’s true living legends doing there you might well ask? Well, it seems Mick was in town with his partner Melanie Hamrick as guests of Oriel College. The couple joined students for evensong at the chapel and then a meal at the college’s high table. All very fancy.
"After dinner and drinks in the SCR (Senior Common Room) a small group went off to the pub where Mick gave an impromptu performance with Rolling Stones keyboard player Matt Clifford and Oriel Politics academic Robert Cheah," the college said in a statement.
In a clip that has been put on Youtube, Jagger can be seen regaling punters with a version of the old folk tune Handsome Molly, which he first recorded on his 1993 solo album Wandering Spirit. One unnamed punter who just happened to be there told The Sun: “We were sitting right by the band when a small group wandered over towards the musicians. I caught a glimpse of one of them from the side and said to my mates, ‘Wait… is that Mick Jagger?’”
“A few moments later, someone hopped onto the piano, and Mick just started belting out some lyrics. The most surreal part was that almost nobody seemed to realise it was him. There were no crowds and you could really tell just how much fun Mick was having.”
Meanwhile, in other Stones news, the band are issuing a series of vinyl collectors’ editions of their upcoming Foreign Tongues album, featuring various Marvel characters.
There are five different editions to collect, featuring Spider-Man, Captain America, Thor, Wolverine and The Incredible Hulk. The various characters are depicted looking dynamic (the Hulk is lifting a London double-decker bus. Very Impressive.) with the Stones’ lips logo prominent in the designs. You can pre-order them by clicking here.
They’re not the only limited edition versions of the album that are currently kicking around. The Stones have teamed up with FIFA to issue some World Cup themed limited editions of Foreign Tongues. There are three to collect but all have the added attraction of a “special remix” of the track In The Stars.
And if you’re the sort of completist who loves Stones-related tat no matter how tacky it is, there’s more: “To further celebrate this collaboration, a range of clothing and headwear merchandise will soon be released and available for fans to purchase,” say FIFA in a statement. Splendid.
