David Wolff – Patrick/RedfernsThe Rolling Stones have just announced dates for a new European leg of their No Filter Tour, but the band’s oldest member, drummer Charlie Watts, says he wouldn’t mind if the group decided to retire after the trek winds down.
“I love playing the drums and I love playing with Mick [Jagger] and Keith [Richards] and Ronnie [Wood], but I don’t know about the rest of it,” the 76-year-old rocker tells U.K. newspaper The Guardian. “It wouldn’t bother me if the Rolling Stones said that’s it…enough.”
Having said that, Watts admits, “I don’t know what I would do if I stopped.”
In contrast to his feelings, Charlie says founding Stones guitarist Richards remains quite enthusiastic about keeping the band going.
Regarding his thoughts on The Rolling Stones continuing to tour, Charlie maintains, “The big worry for me is being well enough.” Watts says that one thing that makes hitting the road doable is the fact that the band now schedules more days off between each show.
As for whether The Stones plan to keep touring after the upcoming trek wraps up this summer, Charlie says he has no idea.
“I would like to be standing on Sunday [July 8] at the end of the show in Warsaw,” Watts declares. “That’s as far as I can see.”
He also tells The Guardian that if The Rolling Stones do ever decide to break up, he hopes everyone will be “amicable.”
“I would like Mick to say, or me or Keith or whoever…I don’t want to do it any more, for whatever reason, and we just say that’s it,” Watts says. “I wouldn’t want it to be an argument or whatever.”
The Rolling Stones’ 2018 No Filter Tour kicks off May 17 in Dublin, Ireland.
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