The Strolling Drones (as one Edmonton Journal music writer once termed them), will be hitting concert hotspots like Moncton, N.B. late this summer in support of their first  studio album in eight years!

Ho hum.

I went to SARSstock in 2003. The Stones were the closing act, but it should have been AC/DC.

Angus Young, Brian Johnson and the boys were pretty much perfect that 35-degree Celsius night -- and I'm saying this as someone who owns exactly one AC/DC record (Shoot to thrill on Back in Black is one fantastic driving song!).

They have an awesome greatest hits catalogue and just roared through it, keeping up a terrific energy level throughout.

I always loved this quote from Angus Young: "AC/DC has never gone out of fashion because AC/DC has never been about fashion. We're a rock and roll band."

And then there were the Stones.

They were late onto the stage, as I remember.

While Mick Jagger worked his ass off, the rest of those aging slackers didn't do squat.

At one point, Keith Richards had stopped playing altogether and was smoking a cigarette and yukking it up with Ronnie Wood!

When your live rendition of Sympathy for the Devil doesn't put a chill up and down my spine, you, dear Stones, are having a very, very off night.

Age must be catching up with them: I saw the Voodoo Lounge tour back in the 1990s and they were fantastic. It was everything a great stadium rock show should be.

I don't know what the ticket prices will be, but I can't see people getting their money's worth.

Personally, I'd rather spend that money on Stones CDs and remember the brilliant records they made in their prime rather than once again witness the mediocre performers they've become.

This CTV.ca story has video of the Stones' news conference announcing the tour.