Keith Urban Shares Jagger’s Mic

Back in May Keith Urban shared the stage with The Rolling Stones.  The occasion was the Stones’ concert at the Staples Center in LA.  Keith told Country Countdown USA’s Lon Helton that he got the invitation while he was in a recording studio: “I was at Blackbird Studio here in Nashville recording ‘Little Bit of Everything,’ and my manager told me to expect a call from Mick Jagger.  So the phone rings, and I said, ‘I have to take this call,’ and pick up my phone, and hear this voice, ‘Hello Keith?  Hey mate, it’s Mick!’  And off we went.  I’d met him before, so it wasn’t a total unknown voice, but still nonetheless, when he’s calling about what songs we’re going to do, it was pretty awesome.”

How did you settle on the song “Respectable?” “It was Mick’s suggestion, and it was the perfect song to jam with the band.  My only regret is it wasn’t a 6 minute song, because I’d like a longer song next time.  You don’t want it to end.”

What were you thinking or feeling before you walked on stage? “I was ready to go, and it was good that we had a sound check in the afternoon with the whole band, and that’s when I got to meet Keith and Ronnie and Charlie.  So walking out on stage wasn’t a freakish moment, except that it IS the Rolling Stones, and this IS the Staples Center in Los Angeles.  But they’re a real band, it’s just a band, it was very easy and effortless.  But there’s nothing like standing on stage next to Mick.  He asked me, ‘Do you want your own microphone, or do you want to sing on mine?’  I was like, ‘Let’s have my own set up,  but I’ll probably sing mostly on yours with you.’  And he said, ‘Fine that’ll look great, let’s do that.’  And when you’re inches away from Mick Jagger in full flight, there is nothing like it, and it’s age defying, I have chills thinking about it, the electricity, it’s like this explosiveness from him, I’ve never experienced it with anybody.  He just burns with such intensity. It’s like he’s 25.  It has nothing to do with age, but the burning of desire, and he does it every night.”

Of course, Mick was just one of the many rockers Keith Urban joined in 2013.  In April, he took part in Eric Clapton’s Crossroads benefit in New York, where he played with Clapton and Stones guitarist Keith Richard.  In July, he was a surprised guest at an Allman Brothers concert in Nashville.  Then of course just a few days ago, he performed with Aerosmith lead singer Steven Tyler at Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge in Nashville.

 

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