The oldest bands still touring today

31 July 2021, 20:00

You can't fail to have noticed that gigs and festivals are back on the menu. Who are the longest-serving rock 'n' roll acts who still have dates on the calendar for this year and the next?

1. The Rolling Stones - established 1962

   

   Speaking to Rolling Stone recently, Keith Richards said of the Stones’ latest tour "Maybe this will be the last one, I don’t know." They’ve been playing together under that name for nearly 60 years!

   The band's No Filter tour resumes in September 2021 in North America, kicking off in St Louis and finishing in Austin, Texas on 20 November.

2. The Who - established 1964

   

   Now just the duo of Roger Daltrey and Pete Townsend, the band’s website names the Paradise Club in Peckham in July 1962 as the scene of the Oo’s first show. They changed their name to The Who in February ’64 and have been playing in some shape or form ever since.

   Their “farewell tour” seems to have no sign of coming to an end and the rockers had scheduled some shows in March 2021 to mark their first album in 13 years, but the ongoing pandemic called a halt to that. We expect to hear from them again any day now.

3. Aerosmith - established 1970

   

   Aerosmith will belatedly mark their 50th anniversary in September 2022 with a huge show at Fenway Park in their hometown of Boston. They'll also be embarking on a European tour in the Summer of '22.

4. U2 - established 1978

   

   Before they were U2 they were Feeback and The Hype, but for four decades Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Junior have been playing together. The band took their Joshua Tree show to Australia, New Zealand, Japan and other countries in 2019 and showed that the group were still as popular and proficient as ever.

5. The Beach Boys - established 1961

   

   Death, illness and mental health issues haven’t soured the American Dream and surf seems to be continually up for this legendary act. The "boys" - all now in their 70s - are still on the road. Brian Wilson, along with his Beach Boys colleagues Al Jardine and Blondie Chaplin, will be performing in the US in October, while original member Mike Love is still working his way around the country with his own show.

6. KISS - established 1973

   

   It's nearly 50 years since Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley changed their name from Wicked Lester to KISS. They're still fronting the band, and their diary is still full from August 2021 right through to July 2022, with a headline slot at Download Festival on 10 June.

7. Iron Maiden - established 1975

   

   The metal legends have been doing their unique thing since the mid-70s and will headline Download Festival 2022 on 11 June. Then they're off around Europe to perform to thousands of loyal fans on their Legacy Of The Beast tour.

8. The Cure - established 1978

   

   July 2018 saw Robert Smith and his crew play a special show in London’s Hyde Park to mark 40 years since their first gig under the name The Cure - but the history of the group goes back to 1976. 2019 saw the band hitting some of the biggest festivals in the world including Glastonbury. While COVID has prevented any further live shows, Smith is threatening to release a new album, so expect a full tour.

9. Def Leppard - established 1977

   The British metal legends have 2022 all mapped out - an enormous stadium tour of the US, over 40 years since they began their life in downtown Sheffield.

   

10. Metallica - established 1981

    

    The hardcore metal band will mark four decades in rock with dates in the US in September through to December 2021, while summer 2022 will see them hit the European festivals again.

11. Red Hot Chili Peppers - established 1983

    

    The LA rockers began their career as Tony Flow and the Miraculously Majestic Masters of Mayhem almost forty years ago, which is incredible considering the ups and downs they've had over the years. They cleared their diary in 2021 to head back to work on their forthcoming twelfth studio album.