The guitarist would stay awake for days at a time
Grace Carroll

08:14 4th December 2012

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Keith Richards used to stay awake for days before a Rolling Stones concert in the 80s.

According to Denis O'Regan, who photographed the band on their European tour in 1982, Richards would sleep just before the show and before that, he would be holding court in his room.

He told Bang Showbiz, "Keith would usually stay up until the night before the show, so if we arrived on a Monday and the show was a Wednesday night, he would stay up until Tuesday and sleep until just before the show.

"A full court of people would come and go, he would always drape scarves over the lamps to create an atmosphere.

"That was the first thing he did when he went into his room, put the scarves over the lamps and just subdue the lighting and that's how it was for the next couple of days, with people coming and going, at all hours."

He went on to talk about his favourite photo that he'd taken of the guitarist, adding, "I love the one of Keith posing with his head on his hands with a cigarette which is one of the early shots like that.

"It was a bit more rock 'n' roll, that was the shot, Keith owned it really."


The Rolling Stones, live (2006)

In an interview with Esquire, Richards recently said that although he despises Mick Jagger sometimes, he ultimately loves him like a brother.

He told the magazine, "You've got two very volatile guys who've been through a whole lot of stuff in their life and still somehow manage.

"Sometimes I despise the man, others, I love that man so much. It’s like your brother. I never had one, so he’s my brother. That’s the way it is, bless his heart."

See Florence Welch perform 'Gimme Shelter' with the Rolling Stones below

Below: The Rolling Stones, then and now - what a difference a decade makes

  • Mick Jagger then

  • Mick Jagger now

  • Keith Richards then.

  • Keith Richards now.

  • Ronnie Wood then.

  • Ronnie Wood now.

  • Charlie Watts then.

  • Charlie Watts now.

  • The Rolling Stones then.

  • The Rolling Stones now.

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Photo: WENN