Photo: Wenn

The Rolling Stones Tickets

The Rolling Stones warmed up for their forthcoming tour with a secret show at LA’s Echoplex last night, giving fans just an hour’s notice that tickets were on sale.

The tickets were distributed on a lottery basis and fans were charged just $20 for them, a far cry from the huge prices attached to tickets for their official shows.

The band were joined by former guitarist Mick Taylor, who has said he hopes to be involved with their Glastonbury headline slot, as well as other guests Darryl Jones, Chuck Leavell, Lisa Fischer and Bobby Keys.

The news of The Stones' surprise warm-up gig was first broken by British group New Build, whose scheduled show at the Echo was cancelled to make way for The Stones, and they revealed what had happened via a series of jokey Tweets.

They first Tweeted: “Right, that’s it. The Rolling Stones have nicked our gig at the Echo. This time it’s personal. Going down to have a word with Mick. Looking forward to having it out with them.”

Later the group added: “Satisfactory compromise all round. Mick seems like a good lad. Good luck to ‘em, I’m sure they’ll go far. In exchange for their security not pummeling the absolute living s**t out of us, we will henceforth stop bitching about them stealing our show. “

Some fans didn’t pick up the humour in their Tweets though. One responded by Tweeting, “Get the f**k over it. U guys suck, they’re The Stones” while another advised “Don’t be hat’n your six fans will find you easy enough.”

Watch footage of the secret gig below

Full set list from the Echoplex:

Setlist You Got Me Rocking
Respectable
She’s So Cold

Live With Me
Street Fighting Man
That’s How Strong My Love Is
Little Queenie
Just My Imagination
Miss You
Love In Vain (with Mick Taylor)
Midnight Rambler (with Mick Taylor)
Start Me Up

Encore:
Brown Sugar
Jumpin’ Jack Flash

Below: Then and now: 50 years of The Rolling Stones