The Rolling Stones may not have any touring plans for the foreseeable future, but that hasn’t stopped Ron Wood from hitting the road this year with his solo band. They’ve spend the past few months playing shows across Europe and South America, and he’s coming to New York on March 22 for a rare U.S. solo gig at New York’s Beacon Theatre. Ticket sales begin November 18.
“I’ve never had any time off,” Wood tells Rolling Stone by phone hours before taking the stage at Teatro Caupolicán in Santiago, Chile, for the final show of his South American tour. ”Now that the Stones have got a little sabbatical, I’m making the most of it and keeping my chops together, using my fingers, and getting the blood running. It’s such a buzz, physically and mentally.”
He’s especially excited to play the Beacon. “It’s a special place,” Wood says. “I saw Al Green there, and we played there with Stones [in 2006]. I want to notch it up on my solo podium.”
Wood has been backed by a group of musicians that he’s dubbed the Ammo Band, which includes bassist Willie Weeks, drummer Andy Newmark, keyboardist Andy Wallace, guitarist Johnny Lee Schell, and Rolling Stones background vocalist Chanel Haynes. Weeks and Newmark both worked with Wood on his 1974 solo debut I’ve Got My Own Album to Do. “We’re all still alive,” Wood says, “and all still grooving better than ever.”
Wood first met Haynes in 2022 when Stones background singer Sasha Allen had to miss a show in Milan, and Haynes flew in at the last second to join them for “Gimme Shelter.” She did such a stellar job that the Stones used her on their 2024 Hackney Diamonds tour for both “Gimme Shelter” and “Sweet Sounds of Heaven.” And on Wood’s tour, she has even more moments at the center of the stage. “She’s amazing,” says Wood. “She sings a bunch of songs, and joins me on the harmonies.”
The setlist changes a bit each night, but always mixes in Faces classics (“Stay With Me,” “Ooh La La,”) solo tunes (“Mystifies Me,” “I Can Feel the Fire”), covers (Aretha Franklin’s “Chain of Fools” and Tina Turner’s “River Deep, Mountain High”) and a few Stones gems (“Can’t You Hear Me Knocking” and “It’s Only Rock and Roll”).
“It’s a breath of fresh air for me to be able to throw in all these songs,” Wood says. “We open with ‘It’s Only Rock and Roll,’ and then I have Chanel sing ‘Flying,’ that I first wrote with the Faces, and songs like ‘Ooh La La’ that I wrote with Ronnie Lane, mixed with cover versions like ‘Am I Grooving You’ from Freddie Scott, and ‘Seven Days’ that I got from Bob Dylan. It’s just an amazing mixture of songs. I put in ‘Hey Negrita,’ the first song that I wrote with the Stones. There’s some really rockin’ stuff.”
Many fans presumed the Stones would be touring this year in support of their new album Foreign Tongues. But Keith Richards didn’t agree to a tour for reasons that have never been fully explained. “I am hoping [we’ll tour again], and so is Mick,” says Wood. “But we’re waiting for Keith to make his mind up. His attitude is ‘I’ve had enough touring for a bit,’ he said he wanted a little break.”
In the meantime, Wood is having a lot of fun on his own. “The best part is the element of risk, which is always great,” he says. “And each song is always on the verge of collapse. With me and Keith, we weave, but we don’t know where we’re going. With my solo band, I do drive a tight ship actually, even if I say it myself. I just love being a band eader, and I couldn’t have a better bunch of people to steer along.”
