“When I first joined them I couldn’t believe how bad they were. I thought, ‘How do they make such good records?’” Mick Taylor’s Rolling Stones baptism by fire came just two days after Brian Jones’ death – in front of 250,000 people

Mick Taylor (left) and Mick Jagger perform onstage with the Rolling Stones at Hyde Park in London on July 5, 1969.

Should you join an already-established band, your first gig with them will likely be a bit of a nerve-racking experience. Will you fit in musically onstage like you did in rehearsal? Does your onstage presence fit in with the rest of the group? Will their audience be different to what you're used to?

Now, imagine you're joining no less than the Rolling Stones – at the absolute peak of their popularity and cultural sway. Oh, and your first gig with them is a free show at London's Hyde Park. Attendance? At least a quarter of a million people.