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In the 1960s the Rolling Stones were already rock royalty. In 1969, they became an empire.
In this week's Tape Spaghetti, Scott & Blake hone in on the year the Stones built the model by which all future mega-tours would function. For the first time, rock shows became carefully choreographed spectacles, with the band providing total oversight to sound engineering, lighting, transitions, tempos, merchandise, and box office financials.
But scaling came with consequences. Ticket prices soared. Crowds grew enormous. Security risks mounted. And the counterculture that had embraced the Stones accused them of selling out.
This pivotal moment, when rock rebellion met with big business, set the template for every major tour to follow.
For the Rolling Stones, it was the beginning of another 60 years of legendary live shows – but it was also an inflection point of growing pains and the looming disaster that brought the peace and love movement to its bloody, terrifying conclusion.
