Dude, the Stones are coming to Europe.
But if you don’t have tickets, you’re probably not gonna get ’em.
The Rolling Stones are bringing their “40 Licks” tour to European stadiums, arenas and clubs. But nearly all the indoor concerts are sold out, and the stadium seats — despite the 100-euro sticker price — are hotter than that gym teacher chick on “Survivor: Amazon.”
If 60-year-old men running around in skin-tight leather pants aren’t your thing, there are plenty of others to choose from:
¶ Jon Bon Jovi and his band hit the stadiums for an early summer tour in May and June promoting their latest disc, “Bounce.” Concerts are planned for Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and the U.K. For more: www.islandrecords.com/bonjovi/curtain.las.
¶ R.E.M. performs outdoors this summer, albeit at some loftier venues than a sports stadium. In Vienna, Austria, for example, they will perform on the grounds of Schonbrunn Palace; in Locarno, Switzerland, on the Piazza Grande and in Wiesbaden, Germany, on Bowling Green in the city’s spa park.
¶ After a sold-out seven-date jaunt through Europe late last year, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band leave the Jersey Shore for the Old World on a 24-date stadium tour, that includes stops in Germany, Holland, Belgium, Spain, Italy and the U.K. For more information: www.brucespringsteen.net.
Wanna catch several acts in one place? In June, some of the premiere open-air festivals are on tap, like Pinkpop in Landgraaf, the Netherlands, Roskilde in Denmark, and the annual Rock am Ring/Rock am Park extravaganza at Germany’s famed Nurburgring racetrack and in Nuremberg.
For Rock am Ring/Rock am Park, promoters promise 100 acts in three days — June 6-8 — with headliners such as Metallica, Marilyn Manson, Queens of the Stone Age and Depeche Mode singer Dave Gahan.
Pink Pop — www.pinkpop.nl — is the same weekend, but the acts performing there won’t be announced until March 11. On the Web site, promoters say they are trying to reach deals with acts such as Pearl Jam, Incubus, Audioslave and Korn.
Metallica and Brit band Coldplay top the bill at Roskilde (www.roskilde-festival.dk), June 26-29 with more bands to be named soon.
Before the summer heats up, there are plenty of other gigs to keep fans happy: rappers Nelly & Eve on separate bills, R&B crooner Keith Sweat and neo-soul singer India.Arie make appearances in Europe in March and April.
The Red Hot Chili Peppers are in the U.K. for a couple of concerts in March and then back across the channel for gigs in Belgium and the Netherlands.
The hip-shaking Latino pop-rock diva Shakira visits Germany and the Netherlands in April after stops in France and Austria on her “Tour of the Mongoose.”
Other acts on tap in the late winter/early spring are sk8tr-grrl Avril Lavigne, Coldplay, blue-eyed soulstress Lisa Stansfield and rockers matchbox twenty.
Former Genesis lead vocalist Peter Gabriel is on tour, as is onetime Til Tuesday singer Aimee Mann.
Speaking of Gabriel, fans of the art-rock band Yes will be happy to know that the group is touring Germany in June and the U.K. in July. Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits fame is touring Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, the U.K. and Italy in May and June.
A bevy of veteran artists are hitting the stages across Europe this year, too. They include Harry Belafonte, Shirly Bassey, Tom Jones, Jackson Browne and Art Garfunkel. Even Southern-rock stalwart Lynyrd Skynyrd is teaming up with veteran British rockers Deep Purple for a tour through Italy, Germany and the U.K.
Jazz fans will have a chance to see some of the greats at the Montreux Jazz Festival (www.montreuxjazz.com) in Montreux, Switzerland, July 4-19 and at the North Sea Jazz Festival (www.northseajazz.nl) in the Hague, the Netherlands, July 11-13.
The line-ups for both festivals won’t be announced until later in the year, but usually feature the cream of the crop. Keep your eyes on our down time listings and stay tuned.
