Curio

State Library of New South Wales

Rolling Stones fans, Sydney

1965
Gelatin silver print
© Courtesy of the David Moore Estate

The Rolling Stones' 1965 Far East Tour was their first concert tour of Australiasia. They played 16 concerts in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne before flying to New Zealand for 10 shows. They came back to Australia to continue the tour with a further seven concerts in Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth.

The Sydney dates were 22nd January (two shows) and 23rd January 1965 (three shows) and were held at the Manufacturer’s Auditorium, Agricultural Hall at the Sydney Showgrounds. The tour was part of a package tour with Roy Orbison, The Newbeats, and Ray Columbus & the Invaders.

The support band in Sydney were Chris Hall & The Torquays. The Torquays took over from The Missing Links, who were sacked by promoter Harry M. Miller the night before the show. The Easybeats also auditioned for the Sydney show but were turned down.


The set list in Sydney on January 22nd included the songs Not Fade Away, Walking The Dog, Under The Boardwalk, Little Red Rooster , Around And Around, Heart Of Stone, Time Is On My Side and It's All Over Now.


"We use more deodorant than the Beatles and we all wash regularly," was how guitarist Keith Richards introduced the band when they arrived at Sydney Airport.


The Rolling Stones visited Australia six months after the Beatles and were soon rewarded with their first number one hit in Australia. Oddly enough, it was an Oz-only release of the Drifter's number one US song Under the Boardwalk. Jagger's huge 1965 international hits like (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction passed Australia by, as local hero Normie Rowe topped the charts with a 1956 Doris Day song, Que Sera Sera.

Alan Davies, SLNSW


While in Australia the Rolling Stones all appeared on almost-forgotten Aussie music program Big Beat, with singer Mick Jagger and band performing three tracks to playback.


The Oxford Dictionary defines a fan as a person who has a strong interest in or admiration for a particular sport, art form, or famous person. It is a late nineteenth century abbreviation of fanatic.


The Rolling Stones have undergone several line-up changes over the last fifty years. The band who played in Australia were; Mick Jagger - lead vocals, harmonica, percussion, Keith Richards - guitar, backing vocals, Brian Jones - guitar, harmonica, backing vocals, Bill Wyman - bass guitar, backing vocals and Charlie Watts – drums. Brian Jones drowned in a drug related incident in July 1969 after being asked to leave the band a month earlier. Bill Wyman left the band in December 1992.