'The weird thing is that it works!' The Rolling Stones' Keith Richards reveals bizarre pre-concert ritual by claiming he can stop rain with the aid of a 'magic voodoo stick'
He’s raised hell on more than one occasion during a long, illustrious and unquestionably debauched career with The Rolling Stones.
But as veteran musician Keith Richards, 72, enters his twilight years he claims to have developed rather more biblical powers that enable him to control the weather.
Richards says a bizarre voodoo stick, acquired by the guitarist during the band's frequent travels, is often used to prevent rain before each live performance.
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Tradition: Keith Richards says a bizarre voodoo stick, acquired by the guitarist during the The Rolling Stones' frequent travels, is often used to prevent rain before each live performance
Explaining the unusual tradition in forthcoming Stones documentary Olé Olé Olé! A Trip Across Latin America, he insisted that shaking the wooden object at the sky often yields miraculous results.
‘The stick is a very superstitious thing,’ he explained.
‘If it’s about to rain or if you’re playing outdoors and someone goes “Keith, it’s raining,” if I don’t go outside and do a few mysterious movements it would disappoint the whole crew.’
Coming soon: New documentary Olé Olé Olé! A Trip Across Latin America, follows the Stones during their ten city América Latina Olé Tour of South America in February and March
He added: ‘They rely upon this stick to stop the rain – and the weird thing is that it works.’
But a gig performed during a heavy downpour suggests the tradition is not always dependable, a fact duly noted by Richards, who tells the camera: 'The rain stick is not infallible.'
The new documentary from London based director Paul Dugdale follows the Stones during their ten city América Latina Olé Tour of South America in February and March, culminating in their iconic free Good Friday concert in Havana, where they performed for the first time.
Legendary: The film, which premiered at Roy Thompson Hall in Ontario, Canada, on September 16, will be launched in the UK on Monday evening
It will also highlight the band's impact on South American culture through a series of personal stories and recollections from the band and their loyal fans.
The film, which premiered at Roy Thompson Hall in Ontario, Canada, on September 16, will be launched in the UK on Monday evening.
A wider audience can expect to see the film when it airs on Channel 4 on November 19 at 11pm.
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