 Press
Conference Milan
The press conference had around 200 European journalists this late afternoon.
There were a few words from each and one of the Stones, after Michael Cohl
have talked about the tour so far, and as usual Charlie did not have many words
to say. When question about the health of Keith came up, he did not really know
what to say, and Mick took over, and said he is fine. Also there were different
opinion between Mick and Keith about 2007, Mick said there is no plan for tour
in next year, and Keith said hopefully there will be something.
All of them seemed in good shape and ready to kick off in Milan on Tuesday.
Keith Richards says he's ready to tour
By COLLEEN BARRY, Associated Press Writer
MILAN, Italy (AP) — On the eve of relaunching the Rolling Stones European tour,
guitarist Keith Richards said Monday that he has recovered completely from a
head injury suffered in a fall and shrugged off a question about whether he had
worried about dying.
"I feel great. I can't wait to get back on the stage again. Basically
everything is cool," Richards, 62, said in his first comments since he fell
from a tree April 27 while vacationing in Fiji, forcing the Rolling Stones to
postpone their European tour.
He later had surgery in New Zealand to relieve pressure on his brain.
"Of course they put me out like a light. I was surprised myself. ... I had
total comfort. When you got to do it, you got to do it," Richards said,
adding: "I was pissed off when they woke me up because I was in such a good
sleep."
With Richards returned to health, the Rolling Stones resume their "A Bigger
Bang" tour on Tuesday at Milan's San Siro stadium. The 21-date tour wraps
up Sept. 3 in Denmark.
 Asked what he's been doing since
the fall, Richards responded, "I recovered. ... Six weeks, I mean not bad
for a brain job." Did he ever worry about dying? "Good one,
girl," he said, good-naturedly.
The band was in a jovial mood and when the inevitable question came — What was
Richards doing up in a coconut tree, as reported, and did he find what he wanted?
— everyone was ready to set the record straight.
"That's a good one. If you saw the tree, you'd realize the joke. Fiji is
not just made of coconut trees. It was a little tree," Richards said,
without naming it.
Bandmates Mick Jagger and Ronnie Wood were eager to illustrate the point,
however, indicating a height less than half of Richards.
Richards also confirmed his role in the third installment of the "Pirates
of the Caribbean" series, saying he'd be filming for a week or so in
September. Richards is to have a cameo role as the father of the flamboyant
Captain Jack Sparrow, played by Johnny Depp.
"Now I know why (Depp) paid for all those lunches," Richards
deadpanned.
Asked what success meant to the Rolling Stones after 44 years, Richards
responded: "The opportunity to continue." His bandmates nodded in
agreement.
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