Rolling Stones’ Ronnie Wood Says Bob Dylan Was Behind Band’s Decision to Play in Israel

May 27, 2014 1:16 pm 19 comments

The Rolling Stones. Photo: Wikipedia.

After 52 years, the “World’s Greatest Rock and Roll Band” is tuning up for a fervently anticipated June 4th gig in Tel Aviv’s Hayarkon Park.

And the impetus for the Rolling Stones’ historic arrival during their 14 On Fire European tour came from none other than Bob Dylan, according to Israel’s Channel 2 news.

“Bob Dylan was coming off stage,” guitarist Ronnie Wood replied in a video interview to reporters’ questions, “and I asked him – ‘where you going?’ and he said, ‘Israel – we’re going to Tel Aviv!’

“He had a big smile on his face, because he loves it. And I said to him, ‘well, we’ve never done it.’ That planted a seed that I’d like to play it one day. So, here we go…”

Tickets are running from NIS 700 ($200) for grass seating to NIS 2,855 ($820) for VIP level seating and service.

The legendary band’s arrival comes after Pink Floyd founding members Roger Waters and Nick Mason publicly called on the Stones not to play in Israel.

Keith Richards, when asked about the set list, promised “they’ll be all the hits in there, and a few little surprises…” possibly from songs pitched by Israeli fans via their website and mobile phone app, according to Israeli daily Haaretz.

The rock legends join a bevy of A-list artists set to land at Ben Gurion airport this summer, including Justin Timberlake, the Pixies, Neil Young and many others, despite detractors’ boycott calls.

Coming to Israel after a warm up with three previous shows that began Monday night in Oslo, Richards added that “when we get to Tel Aviv, it should be the Rolling Stones on full power, and all 12 cylinders.”

19 Comments

  • I’m gonna get you out of my mind
    You Nannsi women
    You show me your body
    A man called me
    Saying Nannsi women was his
    It was a trap to f*** up my mind

    http://www.emilfedida.com

  • mike Porter

    There is no surprise that Waters is Jew and Israel hatter. He has been know to float balloon pigs with the star of David on them. He even replies on twitter when you tell he is a POS. But the good thing, he can’t get anyone, except Stevie Wonder and Stephen Hawkins to boycott Israel.

  • Too bad he was such an ass to George Alec Effinger.

  • Sidney Sands

    Great news that the Stones are going to Israel, they will be amazed and welcome, and will see the real truth that Roger Waters blind hatred of Jews makes him spout his venom. Israel enjoy the Stones and the Stones enjoy Israel.

  • Pink Floyd should play at the funeral of the women stoned by their families in the Arab, Iranian and Pakistani countries. If that is too gruesome, perhaps they can play their tunes as these otherwise primitive peoples clitorectomize their daughters. They can jam to the screams of all the victims of their ancestral beliefs.

  • That’s funny. I don’t remember the Rolling Stones accepting Jesus Christ as their lord and savior when a fickle Bob Dylan said you had to serve somebody.

  • Good for the Stones . Roger waters is an ignorant . Politics should never be mixed with Culture, art and education . The Stones are really one of the greatest band ever and hopefully it will be for a long time to come in the future .

  • Dylan was Born Robert Zimmerman. Good for the Stones in refusing to join Waters’ blatant anti semitism. Does he believe his Muslim buddies would go for his liberal lifestyle? He is backing terrorists, people who stone women who’ve been raped, and people who hang gays.
    And Waters has a problem with Israel? Perhaps he can stop using products and meds invented by Jews. Makes you wonder if he’s been bribed.

  • The Stones rock!

    • Mick ludden

      And money talks, I swear!

      • Well, the neighborhood bully, he’s just one man
        His enemies say he’s on their land
        They got him outnumbered about a million to one
        He got no place to escape to, no place to run
        He’s the neighborhood bully

        The neighborhood bully just lives to survive
        He’s criticized and condemned for being alive
        He’s not supposed to fight back, he’s supposed to have thick skin
        He’s supposed to lay down and die when his door is kicked in
        He’s the neighborhood bully

        The neighborhood bully been driven out of every land
        He’s wandered the earth an exiled man
        Seen his family scattered, his people hounded and torn
        He’s always on trial for just being born
        He’s the neighborhood bully

        Well, he knocked out a lynch mob, he was criticized
        Old women condemned him, said he should apologize.
        Then he destroyed a bomb factory, nobody was glad
        The bombs were meant for him. He was supposed to feel bad
        He’s the neighborhood bully

        Well, the chances are against it and the odds are slim
        That he’ll live by the rules that the world makes for him
        ’Cause there’s a noose at his neck and a gun at his back
        And a license to kill him is given out to every maniac
        He’s the neighborhood bully

        Read more: http://www.bobdylan.com/us/songs/neighborhood-bully#ixzz338iELZ7x

  • Beautiful ! Enjoy every minute of it.
    They’re great !

  • To Elvis Costello: Eat your heart out! Israel is the hippest of hip! Clapton??….Sign him up! Israel is a thrilling, dynamic, inclusive, Warm Country.

  • Mort Moooze

    Joyous sounds of freedom confront the BDS BS !!!

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