Rolling Stones Birthplace Tour in London by Black Taxi

What's Included

Meeting and pickup

Itinerary

• 1
  Chelsea

  Step into the heart of Chelsea’s musical heritage on this Rolling Stones locations tour through the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Follow the band’s rise from their gritty Edith Grove flat to the glamour of Cheyne Walk, where Jagger, Richards and Ronnie Wood once lived and partied. Stand outside the Saatchi Gallery, home of 2016’s record-breaking “Exhibitionism”, and picture the sleek Chelsea Drugstore from “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”. See the Wetherby Arms, where Bill Wyman auditioned with his precious amps, and the Australian Pub backdrop for their first official photo shoot. Cross Albert Bridge, immortalised in “Gimme Shelter”, and uncover how Marianne Faithfull, Anita Pallenberg and other icons shaped the band’s sound and style. With vivid stories of parties, arrests, songwriting breakthroughs and pop-culture milestones, this tour traces the Stones’ journey from scruffy outsiders to cultural legends, right where it all happened.

  1 hour • Admission ticket free
• 2
  The Half Moon, Putney, London

  The Half Moon in Putney has hosted nightly live music since 1963. From early folk-blues sessions with Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee to John Mayall, Alexis Korner and The Yardbirds, it became a hub for UK blues-rock. Closely linked with the Rolling Stones, it still stages Ronnie Wood, tributes and emerging acts.

  1 hour • Admission ticket free
• 3
  Olympic Studios - Cinema

  Originally a cinema, Barnes’ Olympic Studios became a rock landmark in 1966. The Rolling Stones recorded six classic albums here with producer Jimmy Miller, rivalling Abbey Road and attracting The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Hendrix, Bowie and more. Mick Jagger helped design its second studio and Jean-Luc Godard filmed “Sympathy for the Devil” during sessions in 1968. Myths of fires and lipstick graffiti endure. Today Olympic combines cinema and recording facilities, preserving its legendary musical legacy.

  1 hour • Admission ticket free
• 4
  Richmond-upon-Thames

  Trace the Rolling Stones’ rise on this immersive Richmond and Twickenham tour. Begin at the Crawdaddy Club in the Station Hotel, where Giorgio Gomelsky gave the band its first residency and the Beatles handed them “I Wanna Be Your Man”. Cross to the Richmond Athletic Ground, scene of their first major festival, then over the footbridge to Eel Pie Island, a raucous hotel that hosted their legendary 1963 residency and visiting blues greats. Visit Twickenham Film Studios where they shot early TV promos and mixed Ladies and Gentlemen, and see Twickenham Stadium, site of their 2003 and 2018 homecoming shows. Along the way you’ll hear about the Bull’s Head blues jams, the houses on Richmond Hill where Jagger, Richards and Wood lived and wrote songs, and myths of fires, lipstick graffiti and sailor suits. Like the Cavern for the Beatles, these spots form the cradle of the Stones’ sound, image and legend.

  2 hours • Admission ticket free

Additional info

• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Tags