The Rolling Stones touring machine is coming back to Europe next year. And, even better, they’ve managed to annoy Robbie Williams in the process by getting to play Wembley first.

Robbie had always wanted to be the first British artist to play a concert in the new Wembley Stadium when it opens next summer. But he can’t, because The Rolling Stones have beaten him to it. Of course, if Robbie really wants to be the first British artist to play Wembley, he could just ask The Rolling Stones if he can be their support act. But he probably hasn’t thought of that.

The Rolling Stones (CDs) today confirmed the European leg of their Bigger
Bang world tour. Kicking off on Saturday May 27 2006 at Barcelona’s
Olympic Stadium, the crotchety old men will play across Holland,
Germany, France, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Norway, UK, Poland,
Austria, The Czech Republic, Russia, Greece, Croatia, Serbia &
Montenegro, Portugal, Denmark, Switzerland and Ireland before
clambering into their walk-in baths for a lovely rest and some delicious Murray Mints.

Their UK dates start with a show at the newly-rebuilt Wembley
Stadium on August 20th, followed by dates in Sheffield, Cardiff and
Glasgow. Talking to GMTV, Mick Jagger said:

"If we
were bored to death, honestly I don’t think we would do it… We do
enjoy ourselves doing it. Everyone has been saying ‘How come they can
enjoy themselves? They should be bored to death doing this’. On this
tour, everyone’s saying ‘Wow, they’re even more enthusiastic than they
were on the last tour’. We’re still having a lot of fun."

And
the truckloads of cash they’re making probably doesn’t hurt, either.
Tickets for The Rolling Stones European Bigger Bang Tour – including
hundreds of onstage seats for each date – go on
sale on Saturday.

Although the Stones will be the first British band to play the new
Wembley Stadium, at least Robbie Williams can take pleasure in the fact
that he’s playing the stadium five nights in a row and the Rolling
Stones aren’t. But they’ve both been nobbled by Bon Jovi, who will be the first-ever band to play the new Wembley Stadium with all their identical songs about walking down the one-way road of life and stuff.

Read more:

Stones ‘first British act at Wembley’ – This Is London

[story by Stuart Heritage]