The Rolling Stones have denoted their first concert without late drummer Charlie Watts with an emotional onstage tribute.
Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood respected their bandmate of almost six decades as they at last started off their pandemic-postponed “No Filter” tour at The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis, Missouri on Sunday night.
The show opened to an empty stage with simply a drum beat, as pictures and videos of Watts were projected on four enormous screens.
At the point when the group arose, Jagger shared with a packed stadium that: “It was really quite emotional, seeing those pictures of Charlie up on the big screen.”
Watts, who performed close by Jagger, Richards and Wood for over 50 years, died last month at 80 years old.
A representative for the musician told CNN at the time that Watts had died calmly in a London hospital, surrounded by his family, adding that he was “one of the greatest drummers of his generation.”
It was recently declared that Watts wouldn’t partake in the tour while he recuperated from an unspecified medical procedure.
Jagger made it clear in front of Sunday’s concert that Watts’ absence on stage would be felt.
“I must say though, at this point, it’s a bit of a poignant night for us because it’s our first tour in 59 years that we’ve done without our lovely Charlie Watts. And we all miss Charlie so much,” he said in a video shared on Instagram.
“We miss him as a band, we miss him as a friend on and off the stage and we’ve got so many memories of Charlie — and I’m sure some of you that have seen us before have got memories of Charlie as well.
“I hope you will remember him like we do, so we’d like to dedicate this show to Charlie.”
The legendary British rock band’s 13-date tour had been planned for May 2020 preceding the Covid limitations made it be deferred.
The band are planned to make pit stops in, among others, Florida, Atlanta and Los Angeles prior to wrapping in Austin, Texas on November 20.
Touring musician and longtime Stones partner Steve Jordan will swap Watts on drums for the duration of the tour.
